DW Akademie's Strategy Plan 2022 - 2025

Conflict, crises, and democratic backsliding around the globe mean challenging times for organizations in all parts of the world that are committed to fostering free media, mutual understanding, and global knowledge exchange.

DW Akademie remains committed to supporting its partner organizations, in  particular in Ukraine and other countries that suffer from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Armed conflicts around the globe, increasing attacks on journalists in many parts of the world, and further expanding areas of fragility have contributed to new challenges for the safety of journalists.

Against this backdrop, DW Akademie is proud to be part of the newly established Hannah Arendt Initiative, a network of civil society organizations that protects and supports journalists from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus who are under threat as they conduct their important work. The initiative receives funding from the German Federal Foreign Office (AA) and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM). Among the pilot projects are training measures, regional scholarship programs and exile journalism centers in countries abroad as well as corresponding measures for journalists living in exile in Germany.

Countering the wave of disinformation

For many years, DW Akademie has worked on different levels to counter the increasing wave of disinformation that pollutes public discourse in many parts of the world. It is our conviction that free and diverse media systems with strong media self-regulation and well-informed, media-savvy citizens are more resilient towards divisive disinformation from malignant actors. While the ways to mitigate the effects of disinformation, information manipulation and interference are well understood, the situation remains challenging in many of DW Akademie’s partner countries.

DW Akademie continues to strive for a world without social discrimination, particularly regarding gender equality. In many parts of the world, women are still excluded from getting an education, from taking part in society and from exercising their right to freedom of expression solely because of their gender. Women drive human development. DW Akademie is working for a world where women and girls have equal access to information and where they can freely  express their opinions online and offline without fear.

New fragilities

DW Akademie expects the current year and beyond to bring new fragilities related to the ongoing climate and environmental crisis, forced migration, poverty, and other main challenges for human development. Crises can be dealt with better when everyone affected has access to reliable, constructive and conflict-sensitive information that fosters mutual understanding, conflict resolution, and social cohesion. And this holds true even more in the face of the latest developments in the field of artificial intelligence and an expected new transformative wave for the global digital information ecosystem.

Important challenges remain regarding the persistent trends of democratic backsliding and growing digital authoritarianism in many parts of the world. DW Akademie remains committed to strongly advocating for the protection of freedom of expression online and offline, access to information, the safety of journalists, the immediate release of imprisoned media workers, and for an end to
impunity for crimes against journalists. The fact that DW itself is being censored in several countries increases our determination.

While DW Akademie aims at expanding its presence in partner countries, we consider ourselves fortunate to work within a strong and dedicated network of partner organizations of all shapes and sizes in almost every part of the world to advance human development by strengthening freedom of expression, high-quality journalism, equal social participation, peaceful conflict resolution, and good
governance.

The present document available for download below, DW Akademie’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025, has been derived from Deutsche Welle’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025 (DW-Aufgabenplanung 2022-2025), which has been endorsed by the Braoadcasting Council and DW’s Administrative Board on March 17, 2023.