ASD convenes transatlantic policymakers, elected officials, academics, technical experts, and leaders from civil society and the private sector to address the urgent need to secure our democracies, create a common understanding of the techniques used to undermine democracies, and share lessons learned about effective defensive and deterrent strategies.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, and former acting CIA director Michael Morell discuss ASD’s Policy Blueprint for Countering Authoritarian Interference in Democracies at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center on June 26, 2018.
Past Events
Rachael Dean Wilson and David Salvo Discuss How Authoritarian Governments are Influencing Pennsylvania Elections with World Affairs Council Pittsburgh
Exacerbating polarization in America is a strategic move for authoritarian governments like Russia, China, and Iran. A democracy entangled in its own disagreements is a weakened player on the world stage and a boon for competitor nations. Iran and R [...]
Rachael Dean Wilson and David Salvo Unpack the Rise of Mis/Disinformation and its Effects on Pennsylvania Voters with World Affairs Council Pittsburgh
From fervent attacks on US political campaigns to mis, dis, and mal-information targeting trust in our elections, autocratic interference in democracy is truly a global challenge with local implications. As voters in a key swing state, Pennsylvanian [...]
David Levine on Evolving Election Threats with the USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative
2022 University of Southern California Regional Workshop: AK ID OR WA with David Levine, Elections Integrity Fellow, Alliance for Securing Democracy, German Marshall Fund of the United States. For more information about the USC Election Cybersecurit [...]
Brussels Forum Day 2 // Rebuilding Trust in Elections
It takes more than superb election officials and secure processes to build trust in elections – it is truly a whole of society effort. Democracies need engaged leadership from government, the private sector, the media, and civil society to push back [...]
Brussels Forum: Day 2 // Democracy at Home and Abroad
China is implementing a multifaceted pressure campaign against Taiwan aimed at undermining the confidence of the people of Taiwan in their democratically elected government and weakening their will to resist integration with China. Beijing’s toolkit [...]
Bret Schafer on EU-U.S. Cooperation on Addressing Hybrid Threats
Featuring: Jennifer Bachus, Senior Bureau Official and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, US Department of State Rasmus Hindrén, Head of International Relations, European Centre of Excellence for Counterin [...]
Vassilis Ntousas on Democracy vs. Autocracy with the Global Progressive Forum
ASD's Head of European Operations Vassilis Ntousas moderated a panel on democracy vs. autocracy as part of the Global Progressive Forum 2022. [...]
Bret Schafer Unpacks Russian and Chinese Disinformation Nexus with Washington Foreign Press Center
This briefing unpacks the Russia-China disinformation nexus, with a focus on the Global South, as well as the countries' increasing information warfare campaigns, within the context of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. [...]
Cities Fortifying Democracy: A Conversation with the Mayor of Warsaw
Opening Remarks Heather A. Conley President, The German Marshall Fund of the United States Speakers: Rafał Trzaskowski Mayor, City of Warsaw, Poland Moderator: Laura Thornton Director, The Alliance for Securing Democracy, The German Marshall Fund of [...]
Chinese Disinformation Fuels the War in Ukraine
Chinese disinformation spiked after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. China uses similar tactics as during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the scale and intensity are greater. Chinese disinformation conceals Russia’s responsibility for the war and promotes R [...]
Laura Thornton Analyzes Country Commitments from the Summit for Democracy with the Global Democracy Coalition
The Government of the United States hosted the first of two Summits for Democracy on 8–10 December 2021. In the face of increasing challenges to democracy globally, they aimed to bring together leaders from government, civil society and the private [...]
Propaganda, Politics, and War: Information Manipulation in France’s Presidential Election
Speakers Iris Boyer, Advisory, Institute for Strategic Dialogue France Julien Nocetti, Associate Fellow, French Institute of International Relations Bret Schafer, Senior Fellow and Head of the Information Manipulation Team, Alliance for Securing Dem [...]