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2006 Annual Report ANALYSIS ADVOCACY ACTION Reinvigorating the Advance of Freedom ment Freedom House is an independent Freedom ultimately depends on nongovernmental organization the actions of committed and that supports the expansion of courageous men and women. We freedom in the world. Freedom is support nonviolent civic initiatives possible only in democratic political in societies where freedom is denied systems in which governments are or under threat and we stand in accountable to their own people; opposition to ideas and forces that the rule of law prevails; and challenge the right of all people to freedoms of expression, association, be free. Freedom House functions as belief and respect for the rights a catalyst for freedom, democracy of minorities and women are and the rule of law through its guaranteed. analysis, advocacy and action. How We Work Guided by a nonpartisan, diverse board of ADVOCACY trustees, Freedom House takes the intangible Freedom House helps focus the world’s attention values of freedom and translates then into a on core issues of freedom and democracy and strong tangible impact through combining encourages policymakers to adopt strategies that analysis, advocacy and action. advance the spread of freedom around the world. ANALYSIS ACTION Freedom House is widely recognized as the defi ni- By providing training and support to democracy tive source of information on the state of freedom advocates, Freedom House assists in advancing around the globe for its array of publications and indigenous reform efforts around the world. reports on global democratic trends. Reinvigorating the Advance of Freedom CONTENTS Message from Our Leadership 2 Analysis 4 Advocacy 8 Action 12 Map of Freedom 14 Financial Statements 24 Donors 26 Bicycle ride organized by the National Forum for Youth and Culture presenting a petition to Jordanian members of parliament demanding Offi ce Locations 27 more laws to protect women Board and Staff 28 FREEDOM HOUSE Freedom House 2006 Annual Report Over 65 years ago, Freedom House was the 1980s and 1990s as countries in Latin America, launched by a small group of distinguished men Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union cast and women to advocate for American policies sup- off military dictatorships and communist autocra- porting the defense of freedom and the promotion cies for democratically elected leaders. Since then, of democratic values and human rights, at home the global scorecard has remained essentially the and abroad. In the years since, Freedom House has same, with the gains registered in the past ten years earned a reputation as a clear voice for the universal in countries like Mexico, Indonesia and Ukraine be- right of individuals to be free, a center for indepen- ing offset by backsliding in other countries like Rus- dent analysis and critical writing about the nature sia, Venezuela, Thailand and Pakistan. Meanwhile, of freedom, and a source of support for those seek- almost two thirds of the world’s population living in ing to advance freedom in their own societies. Not Free societies live in China, a country that has Since Freedom House’s founding, the right of taken economic strides forward not yet matched by individuals to enjoy essential freedoms has been gains in political freedom and human rights. enshrined in international covenants, embraced by A particularly worrisome trend is the growing regional and multilateral institutions, reiterated by “backlash” against democracy—triggered by the government policy, and most importantly, advanced revolutions in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine—and by courageous individuals around the world. spearheaded by resource-rich authoritarian regimes. A MESSAGE FROM OUR LEADERSHIP In the 35 years since Freedom House fi rst These countries—including China, Russia, Venezu- began publishing its fi ndings from Freedom in the ela, Iran and others—appear to be committed to a World, the expansion of freedom has been impres- well-coordinated campaign with the aim of sup- sive. Just a quarter century ago, in 1981, Freedom pressing freedom at home and abroad. House found only 54 countries, or 33 percent of To date, that growing threat has not been the world’s total at the time, to be Free. In 2006, countered effectively by a strategic and coordinated 90 countries, or 47 percent of the world’s countries, approach by the world’s democracies. Instead, the were categorized as Free. issue of freedom and its promotion has become Yet, this year’s fi ndings also raise concerns about whether the global expansion of freedom will continue. Much of the dramatic gains occurred in Th rough a multi-pronged approach of analysis, advocacy, and action, Freedom House can provide meaningful and eff ective support PRINCET to people around the world in their O N UNIVERSIT struggle for greater freedom. Y 2 Reinvigorating the Advance of Freedom While discussions and even disputes over tactics and methods A MESSAGE FROM OUR LEADERSHIP of supporting freedom can and should take place, we who live in freedom must not remain paralyzed over whether and how to fi ght back against those whose interests lie in REEDOM HOUSE F denying freedom to others. dangerously polarized and caught up in a wave of funding—from individuals, corporations, and foun- anti-Americanism. The Bush Administration is dis- dations—is critical to gaining and not losing ground tracted by a messy and internationally and domesti- in securing rights and freedoms around the world. cally unpopular war in Iraq. In Europe, which as a Through a multi-pronged approach of region boasts the largest percentage of free coun- analysis, advocacy, and action, Freedom House can tries in the world, EU members spend more energy provide meaningful and effective support to people on distinguishing their approach from that of the around the world in their struggle for greater free- U.S. and trying to achieve internal consensus than dom. From highly-regarded analytic surveys, to our acting on critical opportunities to provide support support to human rights defenders in Uzbekistan to those struggling for freedom. In Latin America, and Venezuela and a new generation of civic leaders Africa, and the Middle East, those who are com- in the Middle East, to facilitating the free fl ow of mitted to the ideals of freedom and democracy are information in Kyrgyzstan and Iran, to speaking out similarly loath to ally themselves with a supposedly against the democratic deterioration in Russia and U.S.-centric agenda. Thailand and for an effective United Nations effort To continue this current state of affairs is to support human rights, we believe that Freedom dangerous. Democratically elected governments House has made a difference. must renew—and reinvigorate—their efforts to We hope that this report will give you a sense of work together to encourage and support freedom’s what we have done in the past year and inspires you advance. Moreover, it is the responsibility of indi- to lend your support in our continued efforts to rein- viduals—and civic groups—within those societies vigorate the advance of freedom around the world. to also recommit themselves to the promotion of fundamental human rights. While discussions and even disputes over tactics and methods of support- utive Director ing freedom can and should take place, we who live in freedom must not remain paralyzed over whether and how to fi ght back against those whose interests lie in denying freedom to others. Increasing private Peter Ackerman, Chairman 3 ANALYSIS FREEDOM HOUSE Freedom House’s rigorous methodology in monitoring global freedom has earned the organization a reputation as the leading source of information on the state of freedom around the world. Through its standard-setting publications, Freedom House calls attention to global trends in democracy and shines a public light on dictatorships and abuse. Reinvigorating the Advance of Freedom Freedom in the World ANALYSIS For 34 years, Freedom in the Worldd has set the “Russia’s slide from ‘Partly standard for the measurement of political rights and civil liberties around the world. The Wall Street Free’ to ‘Not Free’ in Freedom Journall has described it as “the Michelin Guide to democracy’s development.” House’s well-known rating First published in 1973, Freedom in the World system refl ected the grim reality enables policymakers, scholars, and other inter- ested observers to assess the progress of freedom many of us have watched fi rst from the Cold War era to the post-9/11 period. The importance of Freedom in the World as a tool for poli- hand from the inside. Freedom cymakers has grown signifi cantly since the events of House’s reports have helped 9/11. Through its time series analysis and compre- hensive set of indicators, Freedom in the World illumi- stir much needed and overdue nates those regions which suffer from a “freedom defi cit” and those issues which pose the greatest policy debates both in Russia obstacles to democracy. The Millennium Challenge and abroad.” Account, a new performance-based, multi-billion dollar assistance program, uses Freedom House’s —andrei illarionov, former political rights and civil liberties ratings as key crite- chief economic advisor to ria for determining country eligibility. president putin E FREEDOM HOUS Freedom House presents fi ndings 5 of Freedom in the World 2007 Freedom House 2006 Annual Report Freedom of the Press media; national governance; local governance; judicial framework; and corruption. Published since 1980, Freedom of the Press: A Global Survey of Media Independence covers trends in media freedom in 194 countries and territories around the ANALYSIS world. The survey assesses the level of press freedom in each country and provides a summary of the legal “Nations in Transit is the only environment for the press, political infl uences on truly comprehensive annual content, violations against journalists, and econom- ic pressures which restrict the operation of indepen- study of the state of democracy dent media.