June 14, 2023, Washington, DC – The nonpartisan pro-democracy organization Keseb announces its inaugural Fellowship cohort of twelve democracy entrepreneurs and organizations from Brazil, South Africa and the United States.
Keseb’s Democracy Fellowship program provides leadership and organizational capacity building support as well as capital to democracy entrepreneurs and their organizations.
Selected from a pool of over 300, the Fellows represent a diverse group of visionary democracy entrepreneurs. 75% of Fellows come from historically marginalized communities and 75% are women.
The Fellows lead innovative and impactful pro-democracy organizations that address the threats of authoritarianism as well as promote effective and inclusive political and civic participation in their respective contexts. Specifically, they are employing strategies in one or more of Keseb’s current priority pillars: (1) Promoting free, fair, and trusted elections; (2) Building diverse leadership pipeline for representative government; (3) Combatting mis-and-disinformation; and (4) Cultivating informed, empowered, and engaged citizens and voters.
During the two-year Fellowship program, Fellows will foster cross-country connections with peers; will engage with Keseb’s network partners including leading academic, country and subject matter experts; will participate in in-person and virtual learning sessions; will access 1-on-1 support from a Keseb learning partner; and will receive organizational funding and a wellness stipend.
Co-designed with democracy entrepreneurs, the Keseb Democracy Fellowship program addresses critical gaps in the pro-democracy landscape including the need for more: (1) systematic cross-border learning; (2) multi-year support to accelerate innovation and deepen impact by civil society organizations; and (3) investment in the wellbeing of democracy entrepreneurs.
To learn more about the analysis that informed Keseb’s investment focus and approach for cross-country ecosystem building, please read our report Defending and Strengthening Diverse Democracies.
Meet the Inaugural Fellowship Cohort
Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean | Fair Count
USA
Bold vision: Fair Count aims to give underrepresented and marginalized communities, which often express a sense of hopelessness and helplessness in the United States, a sense of hope that is rooted in real power.
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Áurea Carolina de Freitas e Silva | NOSSAS
Brazil
Bold vision: NOSSAS exists to safeguard and strengthen democracy through civic engagement strategies, working towards a democratic Brazil with climate, racial and gender justice, where power is more evenly distributed, and citizens sit at the center of policymaking.
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Tessa Dooms | Rivonia Circle
South Africa
Bold vision: Rivonia Circle aims to revitalize democracy in South Africa, change its political culture, and build South Africa 2.0.
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Farbod Faraji | Protect Democracy
USA
Bold vision: Protect Democracy is dedicated to preventing American democracy from declining into a more authoritarian form of government and creating a secure, multiracial democracy in the United States.
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Tshepo Fokane | Alliance for Rural Democracy
South Africa
Bold vision: The Alliance for Rural Democracy supports social inclusion and restorative land justice through mobilization and public participation in policy formulation and policy implementation.
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Gabriel Marmentini | Politize!
Brazil
Bold vision: Politize! has a mission of developing a generation of citizens who are aware of and committed to democracy, bringing political education to anyone, anywhere. As long as Brazil is not a full democracy, Politize’s! work is not over.
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Lindiwe Mazibuko | Futurelect
South Africa
Bold vision: Futurelect’s mission is to make the public service work better for more people throughout the African continent by supporting a new generation of 21st-century ethical and transformational civic, political, and government leaders.
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Koketso Moeti | amandla.mobi
South Africa
Bold vision: amandla.mobi is a growing movement that aims to shift power for a just and people-powered South Africa.
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Flávia Pellegrino | Pacto pela Democracia
Brazil
Bold vision: Pacto pela Democracia seeks to defend and reinvigorate democracy in Brazil in order to move towards a society in which democratic principles, freedoms, and rights are guaranteed and effective for all Brazilians.
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Tainah Pereira | Mulheres Negras Decidem
Brazil
Bold vision: Mulheres Negras Decidem, meaning ‘Black Women Decide,’ is a statement of belief in the ability of current generations to enforce the democratic pact in Brazil.
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Erin Vilardi | Vote Run Lead
USA
Bold vision: Vote Run Lead works to achieve women’s majorities at every level of government, reflective of the people.
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Julian Walker | PushBlack
USA
Bold vision: PushBlack harnesses the power of media to advance Black Liberation and amplify the agenda of the Black community. It aims to usher in a world where every Black person can exercise their full humanity, shape the destiny of their communities, and create a future built on justice and liberation.
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Keseb is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization building an ecosystem for cross-country learning, collaboration, and innovation to counter authoritarianism and advance inclusive and resilient democracies.
Currently, Keseb’s fellowship selection process is by invitation only and we are not accepting applications. However, we invite democracy entrepreneurs and their organizations to fill out an interest form if they would like to be considered in future cycles.
