OUR APPROACH

Brave. Hopeful. Creative.


The definition of ‘unhack’ is to “restore a broken system to a functional state”.

We started Unhack Democracy in 2018 to show voters and the international community what really happened inside polling stations during Hungary’s dirtiest ever elections. Our year-long investigation uncovered widespread irregularities that put Viktor Orban’s super-majority into question. Since then our activities have included ARTivist voter & poll worker mobilisation campaigns, advocacy on election observation, an electoral integrity conference, e-learning for ballot counters and much more.

After the 2022 elections in Hungary and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the world entered a new era. We understood that the problem of democratic decline runs deeper than the ballot box and it is spreading, requiring us to hit re-set. We believe that civil society is fundamental to helping people re-imagine the world they want to live in. This is why we are working to make it braver, more imaginative and hopeful.

Unhack Democracy is a member of the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) and the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM).

THE PROBLEM

Civil society is static, safety-first and scared which allows authoritarianism to flourish.

Authoritarians are risk-taking, fast and willing to learn from each other. They are competitors in the democracy space with a good sales strategy but bad product. They sell a fake vision of the past to create a sense of belonging. Civil society is constantly playing catch-up and focused on protesting rather than demonstrating. We are too often slow to adapt to new challenges because we are overstretched, under-funded, siloed, demotivated and constantly under attack.

OUR SOLUTION

  • Our REWIRE incubator is one of the few programmes in the non-profit sectors to combine a broad range of fields to drive innovation and change. We are trying to introduce a start-up mentality in civil society through entrepreneurship, neuroscience, democracy and creativity underpinned by the power of hope in dark and uncertain times.

  • Inspire citizens and civil society by showcasing pioneering organizations and individuals from Europe and around the world.

  • The funding model for activist work is no longer fit for purpose. Institutional donors create a risk-averse environment by imposing burdensome reporting requirements and an unwillingness to try new ideas. We believe civil society should behave more like social enterprises with access to long-term core funding and tailor-made support we so desperately need.