INSTITUTO MONITOR DA DEMOCRACIA
IMD is a think tank based in the capital of Brazil, in Brasília, with the aim of generating ideals, knowledge, reflections, studies, research and strategic themes for strengthening democracy and monitoring actions in undemocratic countries
Democracy guarantees the maintenance of our freedoms, preserving universal values of respect and dignity of the human person. Working for democracy means combating abuses committed by governments that restrict the freedom of individuals. Therefore, the mission of the Democracy Monitor Institute is to monitor actions in undemocratic countries, inform the population about issues surrounding the topic and carry out research and actions that guarantee the strengthening of democracy.
Levels of democracy in the world have never been so low. According to the V-Dem Institute, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, around 72% of the world’s population lives under the yoke of dictatorships, autocracies or authoritarian regimes. The number of nations run by dictatorships has become greater than the number of full democracies for the first time since 1995. Democracies have returned to numbers dating back to 1986. The world is experiencing a period of resurgence of autocracies on all continents. The consequence is a clear decrease in global levels of freedom.
The erosion of democracy was also detected by The Economist Observatory. At least 58 countries live under authoritarian regimes, while only 24 are considered full democracies. Between the two, a vast list of countries that range from imperfect democracies to regimes considered hybrid and nations that have problems that prevent them from being fair and free democracies. Brazil, considered an imperfect democracy, has been losing positions over the last few years in this ranking. Brazil is now in 51st position in the ranking of 167 countries, behind nations such as South Africa, India, Cape Verde, East Timor and Suriname.
Defending democracy means defending dignity, the value of the human person and equal rights. It is to promote social progress and better living conditions in broader freedom. It is protecting the right to express oneself, to organize, to vote. It is about evolving the concept of society and ensuring that barbarism does not happen.
MISSION
Our MISSION is to become a reference in promoting studies, research, publications and discussions that strengthen democracy in the world and monitor actions in autocratic, authoritarian and totalitarian countries. We achieve this objective through podcasts, seminars, congresses, interviews, articles, studies and analytical observatories on the risks against democracy.
VISION
Our VISION is to reach the hearts and minds of Brazilians about the importance of democracy and the maintenance of our freedoms, serving as a window to see the brutal abuses committed in the world against democracy, thus preserving our universal values of respect, freedom and dignity of the person human.
VALUES
Our code of conduct is guided by intellectual integrity, technical investigation, respect for the values of maintaining democracy, which mean freedom of opinion, respect for the work of the press, repudiation of corruption and equal opportunities, supervised by a Superior Council that guarantees the maintenance of this framework.
The Battle of Montese was fought at the end of the Second World War as part of the final offensive of the Italian Campaign, with the fighting forces of Brazil and the United States on one side and Nazi Germany on the other. By winning this battle, the two strongest democracies in the Americas took a great step towards the restoration of freedom in Europe. As a tribute, our first board of directors named our think tank Instituto Montese, later being renamed Instituto Monitor da Democracia.