Webinar: The Authoritarian Playbook — Understanding authoritarian tactics to build democratic strength

Webinar banner with title and logistical information
ECDA

Webinar with D-Hub

Thursday 23 October | 16:00 CEST | Zoom

Description

We are living through a dangerous, global anti-democratic moment. Authoritarian actors are advancing with increasingly sophisticated and transnational strategies — while democracy defenders often remain stuck in reactive or defensive positions.

The Authoritarian Playbook is a practical guide designed to break that inertia. It decodes the core tactics used by modern authoritarian leaders to capture hearts, minds, and institutions. By understanding these strategies, democracy defenders can anticipate threats, learn from their methods, and develop bold, proactive ways to protect democratic space.

This webinar is organized in collaboration with Democracy Hub (D-Hub), a global organization and community of people determined to defend democracy. It combines a focused presentation on the Authoritarian Playbook by D-Hub members with space for reflection and exchange. The goal is to understand the tactics of authoritarian actors in order to strike back — building responses that can effectively counter their narratives and actions.

This webinar will allow you to:
● Understand how authoritarian actors capture hearts and minds — and what we can learn from them
● Identify and anticipate authoritarian tactics before they escalate
● Design context-specific counter-strategies to defend democracy


Speakers

JOHN KOSHY, Programme Director, D-Hub

John has seven years’ experience at the intersection of politics, policy, and public advocacy in India, including as Chief of Staff to Dr. Shashi Tharoor, a senior parliamentarian and Opposition leader. He has led teams on political strategy, policy development, and civil society engagement, contributing to key parliamentary debates and campaigns.

UMANZOR LOPEZ BALTODANO, D-Hub Project Associate

Umanzor is an international researcher and consultant. He has led research as a senior political analyst on authoritarianism and democratic transitions. He cofounded Renova Patria, a non-violent resistance movement in Nicaragua. Currently, he is part of the D-Hub team helping to develop the Anti- Authoritarian Toolkit and overseeing publications.

AGUSTIN FRIZZERA, Programme Director, D-Hub

Agustín holds a degree in Sociology (University of Buenos Aires) and a Master’s in Urban Management (Polytechnic University of Catalonia, UPC), specializing in citizen participation. He currently works at D-Hub coordinating the Anti-Authoritarian Playbook project. In addition, he is the President of Democracia en Red (democraciaenred.org), an organization focused on bridging digital technology and politics.