Renew Democracy Initiative

.@Urruchurtu was holed up in the Argentinian embassy in Caracas, for 412 days. Then came a daring, dramatic rescue operation. RDI's @jaynordlinger speaks with the Venezuelan dissident about his ordeal and more. thenextmove.org/p/venezuela-now

What if Russia wins in Ukraine? RDI's @EvanGottesman takes a look at @CarloMasala1's alarming scenario: thenextmove.org/p/if-russia-wi…

How to win the Iran war. Read @Kasparov63's guide for very stable strategic geniuses: thenextmove.org/p/how-to-win-t…

Uriel Epshtein joins me on this week's edition of Older/Wiser to discuss immigrant identity. Eileen Gu, the American-born daughter of a Chinese mother educated and raised in the U.S., chose to represent the People's Republic of China in the Olympics recently. Uriel talks about his own experience as a first-generation American whose parents were born in the former Soviet Union and how unfathomable Gu's choice was to choose to represent a dictatorship rather than a country that guarantees her freedom. @thenextmove/note/p-191087389?r=1351y&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">substack.com/@thenextmove/n…

Yesterday, I spoke at Vanderbilt University in Nashville with the Alexander Hamilton Society and the Renew Democracy Initiative. I told the students in that room what the CCP is doing to the Uyghur people. Forced labor. Forced sterilizations. Families torn apart. Fabricated charges carrying sentences of 20 years to life. I told them about my sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, a retired physician who has been in a CCP prison for over 7.5 years because I gave a speech. Her case is not an exception to the CCP's tactics. I also told them why this is not just an Uyghur story. It is an American story. The CCP's genocide in East Turkistan is inseparable from its broader threat to U.S. national security and global democracy. The @hamiltonsoc and @Renew_Democracy are doing important work bringing these conversations to campuses. Thank you for having me.

Get to know RDI’s 2026 Hero of Democracy @HEBobiWine—Uganda’s beloved superstar turned democratic opposition leader and Presidential hopeful. The Ugandan Regime tried to eliminate him, but he is now safely in America. RDI’s 2026 Heroes of Democracy Gala will honor his continued leadership in the fight for democracy—Join us on April 17 in NYC: rdi.org/gala Fellow honorees include Ambassador John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton), Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland), and Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly).

Since this article of mine was written, it has been announced that Vice President JD Vance will go to Hungary to campaign for Orbán. It is an all-out effort, from both Washington and Moscow. To say this is a curious coalition is to say the least. It is the new shape of the world.

“An old saying goes, “Politics makes strange bedfellows.” The current alliance for Orbán tells us a lot about our times, and what it has to say is bad, bad news for freedom and democracy.” RDI’s @jaynordlinger on Putin and Trump’s joint support for Hungary’s Viktor Orbán:  thenextmove.org/p/putin-and-tr…

“Our liberal values require a strong, proactive defense. Free countries must be willing to flex their muscles. They must act judiciously, but they must act.” Now that war has started, it won’t end itself. RDI’s @Kasparov63 on the need for leadership and strategy in Iran: thenextmove.org/p/beyond-trump…

“Some lines must remain clear. And in a free society, weapons are not an appropriate response to words.” RDI’s Ariane de Gennaro on protest and violence at Gracie Mansion: thenextmove.org/p/throwing-bom…

“Jew hatred is a whole-of-society problem. Antisemitism is a moral stain. More than that, it erodes the institutions around which all Americans structure our lives.” RDI’s @EvanGottesman on rising antisemitism and what it means for America: thenextmove.org/p/its-jew-hatr…

“Defanging and defeating the Islamic Republic would be a great boon to the democratic world. Achieving that strategic victory requires, well… strategy.” Trump started the current conflict in Iran, but he doesn’t seem to know how to end it. RDI’s @Kasparov63 on the need for leadership and strategy in Iran: thenextmove.org/p/beyond-trump…

RDI's Ariane de Gennaro comes with a controversial take: Throwing bombs is bad and illegal. Give it a read: thenextmove.org/p/throwing-bom…

"To dwell among art, music, and literature is practically heaven. The institute can get back to concentrating on that someday. In the meantime, Ukraine is fighting for its life." RDI's @jaynordlinger on 27 years of supporting Ukraine at @UkrInstitute. thenextmove.org/p/unbreakable-…

N.B.

I know they say "don't read the comments," but whew, are a lot of you proving my point!

It's Jew hatred, stupid. RDI's @EvanGottesman frames antisemitism as a whole-of-society problem and offers a common sense approach to confronting it. thenextmove.org/p/its-jew-hatr…

“If they are serious about taking back power from MAGA, then the representatives of the opposition cannot merely act like a ‘resistance.’ They must carry themselves like leaders in waiting. They can start by leading on Iran.” This is not just Trump’s war. RDI’s @Kasparov63 on the need for a strategy in Iran—from Republicans and Democrats alike:  thenextmove.org/p/beyond-trump…

Get to know RDI’s 2026 Hero of Democracy @SenMarkKelly — combat veteran, astronaut, and senator.  After 25 years of military service and a career with NASA, Senator Kelly brought his lifelong commitment to public service to the Senate, representing Arizona since 2020.  In November, he was accused of “seditious behavior” after reminding service members to refuse unlawful orders. Senator Kelly continues to champion democratic values, speaking truth to power and never backing down. RDI’s 2026 Heroes of Democracy Gala will honor his continued leadership in the fight for democracy—Join us on April 17 in NYC: rdi.org/gala Fellow honorees include Ambassador John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton), Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland), and Ugandan Opposition Leader Bobi Wine (@HEBobiwine).

“There is no way to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. The question is what we do with the pieces.” Ali Khamenei is gone. The Iranian regime is in disarray. We need a plan for what’s next. Read RDI’s @EvanGottesman on Iran: looking forward, not back. thenextmove.org/p/its-done