The role of civil society in defending democracy
10. April 2025 / 17:00
Although Estonia continues to rank highly on international democracy indices, global trends paint a concerning picture: for 15 consecutive years, more people worldwide have lived under autocracy than democracy. In 2024, Eastern Europe saw a particularly sharp decline in democratic standards, with countries like Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia shifting from liberal democracies towards autocratic tendencies. Elections are being manipulated, large-scale disinformation campaigns are used to consolidate power, and public dissent is met with force on the streets. It increasingly feels as though the era of authoritarianism has begun.
Yet, the resilience of Ukrainians in the face of Russian aggression in 2022 demonstrated that Europe still possesses both the conviction and the willingness to unite against tyranny. Their struggle reminded the world of the importance of cooperation and shared values in combating oppression.
The Open Estonia Foundation (OEF) has long been a steadfast advocate for the principles of an open society, both in Estonia and beyond. As the OEF marks its 35th anniversary in 2025, its mission remains as vital as ever. Democracy and the voice of citizens are still under threat, and the foundation's work is far from complete.
At the XXVIII Open Society Forum, we aim to address the following questions: How can democracy be safeguarded in an era of rising autocracy? What role does civil society play in preserving and strengthening democratic values? And how can each of us, as citizens, contribute more effectively to this cause?
Program
17:00- 17:30 Gathering and coffee
17:30-18:00 Opening remarks
18:00-19:00 “The role of civil society in defending democracy”. The following questions will be discussed: How can we safeguard democracy amid rising autocracy? What role does civil society play and how can citizens push back? Panelists: Ewa Kulik-Bielińska, Director of the Stefan Batory Foundation (Poland), Márta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (Hungary) and Georgi Stoytchev, Executive director of the Open Society Institute – Sofia (Bulgaria). The discussion will be moderated by journalist Neeme Raud.
19:00-19:15 OEF´s Annual Concord Award
19:30-22:00 Reception and stand-up show by Croatian comedian Pedja Bajović, DJ set by Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits
Host of the event is journalist Kristjan Pihl.
The event organizer reserves the right to make changes to the program.
Additional information
The working language of the event is Estonian, the discussion will be held in English.
Simultaneous translation into English and Estonian will be provided. Event is by invitation only.
Additional information: Jete Aljasmäe, Open Estonia Foundation, jete@oef.org.ee and www.oef.org.ee
NB! Please do not bring any flowers or gifts. We would be grateful for your donation which helps us to publish an Estonian version of the book "Жити попри все: розповіді жінок про війну, 2014 та 2022" (“To Live Despite Everything: Women´s Stories of War 2014-2022), which tells the stories of 11 brave Ukrainian women from different backgrounds who share their traumatic war experiences: life under Russian occupation, the loss of loved ones, property, and health, imprisonment, war-related sexual and gender-based violence, and more. Above all, the book explores what gave these brave women the strength to keep fighting when everything around them seemed hopeless.
SA Avatud Eesti Fond
EE282200221019874750
Explanation: “book”
Speakers
Márta Pardavi
Co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee
Márta Pardavi is co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a leading human rights NGO based in Budapest, Hungary. A lawyer by training, she has recently been focusing on the threats to the rule of law and civil society space in Hungary and the EU. She also co-leads the Recharging Advocacy for Rights in Europe (RARE) programme, which equips human rights defenders to build stronger organisations and alliances for joint action on civic space and rule of law in the EU.
Márta serves on the boards of PILnet and the International Partnership for Human Rights, as well as the advisory board of the re:constitution programme. She has been awarded the 2018 William D. Zabel Human Rights Award from Human Rights First, Civil Rights Defender’s Civil Rights Defenders of the Year 2019 award and was chosen to be a member of POLITICO28 Class of 2019. In 2020/2021, she was a Policy Leader Fellow at the European University Institute’s School of Transnational Governance in Florence, Italy.
Ewa Kulik-Bielińska
Director of the Stefan Batory Foundation
Ewa Kulik-Bielińska is a distinguished Polish civic activist, translator, and the director of the Stefan Batory Foundation. She played a pivotal role as one of the co-founders of the legendary Polish movement Solidarity in 1980. This movement epitomized an extraordinary mobilization of citizens from diverse backgrounds, united in protest against the communist regime. In 1989, Solidarity's efforts were instrumental in the successful pro-democratic initiatives that ultimately led to the end of communist rule in Poland.
Throughout the Third Polish Republic, Kulik-Bielińska has been actively engaged in non-governmental and industry organizations. These include the Association of Polish Translators (since 1992), the Polish PEN Club (since 1995, serving on the board from 1997 to 1999), and the Association of Polish Writers (since 1996). From 2000 onwards, she held the position of director of information and development at the Stefan Batory Foundation, eventually assuming the role of director of the foundation in 2010. During these years, she has been a leading advocate for creating a conducive legal environment to foster philanthropy and civic activism in Poland and Europe.
Ewa was the initiator and founder of the Polish Donors Forum, an association of Polish private grantmaking institutions. From 2004 to 2008, she served as a civil society organization (CSO) sector representative at the first Council for Public Benefit Activity, an advisory body to the Minister of Social Policy in Poland. From 2010 to 2015, she was a member of the Working Group on Enabling Fiscal and Legal Environment for Civil Society at the Chancellery of the President of Poland. Furthermore, from 2014 to 2017, she served as the Chair of the European Foundation Center, an association comprising the leading European and international philanthropic institutions dedicated to supporting civil society, social justice, culture, and research in Europe and globally.
Georgi Stoytchev
Executive Director, Open Soeciety Institute - Sofia
Georgi Stoytchev has more than 30 years of experience in NGO and media management and professional journalism. He has been executive director of the Open Society Institute – Sofia since 2005. Before joining OSI-Sofia he served as director and editor at the Bulgarian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague, Czech Republic. He started his professional career as a newscast anchor and editor at the Bulgarian National Television in 1992. Georgi Stoytchev holds a master degree in Philosophy from the St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University.
Pedja Bajović
Stand-up comedian
Pedja Bajović is a stand-up comedy veteran who, since 2005, had performed in 50+ countries (in Europe: only and are left to book). His one of the founders of the post-Yugoslav circuit and their internationally most active stand-up comedian. Montenegrin born, Serbian raised, he spent most of his adult life in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is now a citizen of Croatia; in a nutshell – a Yugoslav leftover. Observational, sharp and unforgiving, but above all - funny!