It is well known that freedom of expression is one of the essential foundations of democracy. There is a close and interdependent relationship between the two. It is therefore no coincidence that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has described freedom of expression as a “cornerstone” of the very existence of a democratic society. For just...
From May 12 to 14, 2026, the island of Malta will host one of the most significant gatherings for the European local democracy network: the General Assembly of ALDA – the European Association for Local Democracy. Under the theme “Local Democracy that Delivers”, this edition will be more than an institutional meeting. It will be a...
Following several months of analysis, research and data collection, we are pleased to announce that the report “Cultivating Democracy: Recipes for Resilience” has now been published and is freely available to the public. This document, part of our project co-funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, aims to identify the main challenges...
FIBGAR is launching the project “Cultivating Democracy: Recipes for Resilience”, an initiative designed to strengthen democratic values and foster collective spaces for reflection capable of generating innovative responses to the challenges currently confronting our societies. This project responds to an urgent reality: contemporary democracies face an increasingly complex set of interconnected threats that compromise both...
At FIBGAR, we are launching the campaign “Democracy isn’t inherited. It must be built. Raise your voice.”, a call to citizens and the legal community to protect human rights, defend democracy, and fight impunity. Twenty-three years ago, Spain mobilized against the Iraq war, showing that civil society can influence political decisions and demand respect for international law and...
Organised crime is no longer a hidden phenomenon operating on the margins of the system. In Europe, criminal networks operate with alarming sophistication, infiltrating economies, corrupting institutions, and undermining the daily lives of millions of people. The situation is critical: organised crime does not only kill or traffic—it quietly buys influence, destabilises local governments, displaces communities...
The Council of Europe’s 2024 annual report by the Secretary General, “Towards a New Democratic Pact for Europe”, offers a timely and urgent reflection on the state of democracy across the continent. Despite Europe’s relatively strong performance in global indices on human rights and democratic governance, the report reveals deep and persistent challenges to democratic institutions,...
Date: 26 March 2025 from 10h to 14h Place: Paraninfo de la Facultad de Filosofía, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Plaza Menéndez Pelayo, Ciudad Universitaria) FIBGAR, El Club de las 25 and the Equality Unit of the Complutense University of Madrid celebrate the presentation of the Network of Women for Memory and Democracy (REDMEM), an initiative dedicated to...
From 1 October 2023 until 30 September 2025, Spain assumes the co-presidency of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global alliance that brings together government leaders and civil society advocates with the aim of promoting transparent, participatory, inclusive and accountable governance. Launched in 2011 during the United Nations General Assembly at the urging of President Obama,...
