June 13, 2026

In May BEARR Trustee Janet Gunn took part in a conference in Vilnius on Authoritarianism on the Rise, organised by the Sakharov Centre headed by BEARR patron Robert van Voren. The conference focused on the global return of authoritarian governance and its modern tools, the erosion of democratic institutions and civic freedoms, the impact of the war in Ukraine on European and global security, the legacy of the Helsinki Accords signed fifty years ago in today’s world, and the role of new generations and civic initiatives in defending human rights.

Among the topics explored was how to strengthen the resilience of civil society as it increasingly comes under attack, including in some of the countries in the region in which The BEARR Trust operates. Challenges that did not exist in the days of the Helsinki accords but face society in general and civil society in particular today, including the use of social media and artificial intelligence to spread lies and conspiracy theories, and foreign funding of extremist and populist parties that seek to impose authoritarian regimes were discussed. A particular challenge at present is the withdrawal of international financial support for civil society, which makes it increasingly important to identify new ways of fundraising and to ensure the efficient use of funds by civil society. Participants considered how civil society can build resilience so as to support democracy and human rights in states with authoritarian governance.

(The first day of the conference coincided with Ukraine’s Vyshyvanka Day (Embroidered Shirt Day), so a group photo was taken.)