For U.S. democracy, rights and governance programs, the rhetoric may be lofty, but the funding certainly has not been.
In the face of increasing crackdowns by governments against civil society groups and a growing list of countries considered something other than “free,” President Barack Obama has repeatedly declared the U.S. will lead in a “campaign to defend democracy.”
“When your governments may try to pass oppressive laws, we’ll try to oppose them. When they try to cut off your funding, we’re going to try to give you a lifeline. And when they try to silence you, we want to amplify your voice,” Obama told attendees at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York last September.
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About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
