Defending Democracy Series

Democracy is under siege at home and abroad—but history shows that authoritarianism can be stopped, and democracy can be rebuilt through courageous, strategic movements and the actions of everyday people. Thus the Albert Shanker Institute, in partnership with the AFT, launched a series featuring experts and strategists of resistance and people-powered movements from around the world, exploring how we can learn from each other and turn the tide through education, organized labor, and strategic coalition-building.

The series launched with an informative webinar on research about backsliding democracies and how to stop them. How to Stop a Backsliding Democracy in its Tracks (and Engineer Reverse Course): Lessons Learned and What Do We Do Next?, May 20, 2025

The Defending Democracy series is also featuring country-specific  webinars, in conjunction with the AFT's International Affairs department and its extensive worldwide network of education and public sector organizations. These webinars amplify the stories of those on the ground in Latin America, South Korea, Hungary and South Africa (June 16, 2026) who are mobilizing resistance and organizing workers to secure democracy. These educators, labor leaders and other democracy activists have confronted authoritarian governments, defended democratic institutions, and built the kind of cross-border solidarity that sustains movements over time.

Below are links to watch each of the webinars:

Antisemitism, Democracy and the Assault on Knowledge Education, April 3, 2025.

How to Stop a Backsliding Democracy in its Tracks (and Engineer Reverse Course): Lessons Learned and What Do We Do Next?, May 20, 2025

Defending Democracy: Latin American Resistance to Authoritarianism, August 25, 2025.

Defending Democracy: The Role of South Korea Labor Unions, November 17, 2025

Defending Democracy: The Hungarian Elections and the Future of Hungarian Democracy, April 20, 2026

Defending Democracy: South Africa: The Legacy of Youth Activism in the Fight for Global Democracy, June 16, 2026

Research / Commentary

When Educators Confront Authoritarianism, November 12, 2025
by Adam Fefer, senior researcher at the Horizons Project and a political scientist; and Maria Stephan, co-Leader of the Horizons Project, a member of the Freedom Trainers, and an award-winning author and organizer.