Pacto pela Democracia was the grand winner of the World Justice Challenge 2024, which highlighted projects with the potential for replication and significant impact in defending democracy worldwide. The announcement was made on Thursday (1st) in Chicago, USA.
The coalition won in the "Electoral Process" category for its actions and efforts to protect the integrity of the 2022 elections in Brazil amidst growing threats to democracy under President Jair Bolsonaro. In total, more than 400 initiatives from 109 countries were submitted across four categories.
In addition to campaigns to combat misinformation and constant dialogue with authorities, a “Civic Vigil” was organized during the election days, bringing together over 120 people daily to monitor the Brazilian electoral process, ensuring security and respect for the results.
The effectiveness of the coalition created public and behind-the-scenes methods that can be replicated in different contexts to defend and improve democracy.
"Defending the 2022 electoral process was one of the greatest challenges in our recent political history. Receiving recognition for the unprecedented coordination of civil society organizations, especially in 2024, is immensely significant as this type of strategy aimed at improving the foundations of democracy is amplified internationally," said Flávia Pellegrino, Executive Coordinator of Pacto pela Democracia.
The experience of coordination and articulation by Pacto pela Democracia in 2022 is summarized and organized in the “Guide for Democracy: Defending the Electoral Process,” the first publication in a series that will also cover the creation of pro-democracy coalitions, advocacy strategies, civil society mobilization, and rapid responses to attacks on the democratic state of law.
“The coordination promoted by Pacto pela Democracia during the 2022 electoral process led to the mobilization of a broad coalition composed of over 200 civil society organizations with a diverse group of actors from various political spectrums: legal experts and academics, social movements and trade unions, as well as entities and historical figures in defending the Democratic State of Law. It was an unprecedented, historic, and fundamental configuration for ensuring the integrity of the 2022 electoral process,” said Margarida Gorecki, Institutional Development Coordinator of Pacto pela Democracia.
About the Award
The World Justice Project is an independent and multidisciplinary organization working to create knowledge, raise awareness, and stimulate actions to promote the defense of the Democratic State of Law.
The “World Justice Challenge 2024” awards highlight projects with the potential for replication and significant impact in defending democracy worldwide. The award has four categories: electoral processes and government power transitions; justice institutions; free media and reliable information; and youth engagement.