The Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal
During the first Summit for Democracy in December 2021, President Biden launched The Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal (PIDR), a whole of U.S. Government landmark set of policy and foreign assistance initiatives that modernize and multilateralize U.S. efforts to bolster democracy and defend human rights globally.
PIDR focuses on catalyzing, diversifying, and sustaining global partnerships and expanding programming to defend democracies from complex, as well as emerging challenges. It also represents a significant, targeted expansion of the U.S. Government efforts to defend, sustain, and grow democratic resilience with likeminded governmental and non-governmental partners.
Our Initiatives
USAID’s PIDR efforts center on five areas of work crucial to addressing global challenges to democracy in the 21st century, such as countering authoritarianism and democratic backsliding.
Strengthening Free and Independent Media
BRIEF SUMMARY
This pillar includes initiatives to enhance the financial sustainability of news media and support independent journalism globally. These efforts include a web-based platform that provides market insights, daily alerts, and community learning to independent media outlets, as well as an independent, multilateral initiative dedicated to supporting public interest media by nurturing their core operational capabilities and fostering innovative business models.
The Media Viability Accelerator is increasing the business viability of independent media outlets by deploying market-based solutions and facilitating connections among media stakeholders.
Reporters Shield is a global membership program that provides legal support to investigative journalists facing vexatious lawsuits.
The International Fund for Public Interest Media is boosting global support for media sustainability — especially in resource-poor and fragile settings.
Preventing and Countering Corruption
Initiatives under this pillar include programs focused on enhancing country systems and capacity to combat corruption, enabling the identification and innovation of anti-corruption approaches, and supporting locally-led change to address corruption risks. These efforts aim to strengthen global, bilateral, and multi-country systems and networks, fostering resilience to corruption across sectors.
BRIEF SUMMARY
The Countering Transnational Corruption Grand Challenge is leveraging innovation and collaboration to prevent corrupt actors from siphoning off critical resources that should be used for the public good.
The Empowering Anti-Corruption Change Agents Program is helping civil society and media build the capacity and coalitions to demand change, engage in collective action, and protect those at risk for exposing corruption.
The Global Accountability Program is helping countries to prevent, detect, investigate, and disrupt corruption —including as it manifests across regions and high-risk sectors— and build regional networks to fight transnational corruption.
The Anti-Corruption Response Fund is allowing USAID to support countries experiencing an anti-corruption reform opening, backsliding, or an opportunity for experimentation.
Through the Integrity for Development Campaign, USAID seeks to increase donor resources for anti-corruption, especially in environments where the international community is making major development investments, such as in climate finance.
The Financial Transparency and Integrity (FTI) Accelerator serves as the strategic umbrella for USAID to surge support for and ensure sustained progress on priorities identified by the Summit’s U.S. government-co-led FTI Democracy Cohort.
Supporting Democratic Reformers
BRIEF SUMMARY
Efforts to support democratic reformers involve initiatives focused on fostering democratic progress and resilience. These include activities that address key development challenges through locally-led democratic processes, empower women and girls for democratic change, and provide direct support to activists engaged in nonviolent collective action to strengthen democracy and inclusive development.
Partnerships for Democratic Development is surging support to countries experiencing democratic openings to consolidate reform momentum and demonstrate that democracy delivers for citizens.
Powered by the People is using new methods to empower and improve the efficacy of citizen movements around the world.
Advancing Women’s and Girls’ Civic and Political Leadership is adopting an ecosystem approach to increase and promote a safe environment for women’s civic and political engagement.
The Multilateral Partnership for Organizing, Worker Empowerment, and Rights is helping governments, labor organizations, and civil society improve worker rights.
People-Centered Justice (PCJ) is an evidence-based, innovative approach designed to help justice institutions, first and foremost, meet the day-to-day justice needs of the people they serve. USAID’s first-ever Rule of Law Policy, released in April 2023, sets forth the PCJ paradigm to advance programming and re-elevate the rule of law within USAID’s development mission.
International Principles for Supporting Peaceful Collective Action are being developed by USAID, in collaboration with bilateral and multilateral partners, philanthropic foundations, and civil society actors, as part of the agency’s commitment to support activism and social movements.
Mitigating, Preventing and Responding to Risks Affecting USAID Implementing Partners and Program Participants has conducted research and analysis to understand and address the risks facing USAID implementing partners and program participants, including democracy and human rights defenders, through improved risk mitigation, prevention, and response. USAID is recommending actions to address these risks and developing tools and resources.
Expanding Technology for Democracy
This thematic area aims to collaborate with governments, technologists, civil society, and other partners in selected countries to cultivate digital ecosystems that promote the development, use, and governance of technology in ways that enhance democracy and uphold human rights.
BRIEF SUMMARY
Advancing Digital Democracy is working with governments, technologists, and civil society to foster digital ecosystems in which technology is developed, used, and governed in ways that advance democracy and respect for human rights.
Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digital Age were developed by USAID in collaboration with international partners and endorsed by the 38 member governments of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC). These principles aim to ensure that donor-supported programs do not inadvertently facilitate the weaponization of or harm caused by data-driven technologies and information. The FOC has incorporated the implementation of the Donor Principles into their Program of Action for 2024.
The Promoting Information Integrity and Resilience Initiative will build on the work of the Summit’s Information Integrity Cohort and USAID and U.S. Department of State’s new and existing efforts to strengthen information integrity and resilience globally in the countries we operate in overseas.
Defending Democratic Elections
Efforts focused on defending democratic elections involve a global network that brings together international stakeholders to advance and promote adherence to norms and principles addressing threats to electoral integrity. This area focuses on strengthening the electoral integrity framework by identifying critical threats, promoting awareness, and providing a platform for diverse actors to share effective practices and foster coordination in the face of threats.
BRIEF SUMMARY
The Global Network for Securing Electoral Integrity (GNSEI) is rallying the international electoral integrity community to create a platform for advancing electoral integrity norms and guidelines.
The Defending Democratic Elections Fund is helping countries proactively address threats to elections and political processes and help them operationalize GNSEI’s norms and guidelines.
Electoral Assistance for the 21st Century will be enhanced by USAID globally through the development of guidelines that adhere to U.S. government values and draw from global electoral assistance principles and best practices.
Facts
3
—number of Summits for Democracy to date
22
—number of PIDR initiatives to date
1,000
—number of media outlets who have registered their interest in participating in the Media Viability Accelerator
12
—the number of media outlets and civil society organizations receiving legal support services from Reporters Shield for their investigative reporting
11
—the number of awards made under the inaugural Powering a Just Energy Transition Green Minerals Challenge
38
—the number of member governments of the Freedom Online Coalition that endorsed the Donor Principles that were launched in October 2023
48
—the number of USAID PIDR-supported countries
Additional Resources
Fact Sheets
Reference our Fact Sheets to learn more in-depth about the PIDR and the initiatives.
White House Fact Sheet: Announcing the Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal
USAID Fact Sheet: Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal
USAID Fact Sheet: USAID Announces New Initiatives at the 2023 Summit for Democracy and Updates on Progress Made Since the 2021 Summit
USAID Fact Sheet: USAID Announces New Updates at the 2024 Summit for Democracy under the Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal
Video Library
Check out our library of videos of past events related to PIDR and our initiatives.
Blogs
Visit our blogs to stay up to date with the latest PIDR news. Our blogs feature stories on impact, progress on initiatives, resources, and much more!