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54-801: Force Ouvrière was founded in 1948 by former members of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) who denounced the dominance of the French Communist Party over that federation. FO is a member of the European Trade Union Confederation . Its leader is Frédéric Souillot, since June 2022. After World War II , members of the French Communist Party attained considerable influence within the CGT, controlling 21 of its 30 federations. Senior figures such as Robert Bothereau and

108-552: A 1991 interview in which then-NED president Allen Weinstein said, "A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA." Critics have compared the NED's funding of Nicaraguan groups (pro-U.S. and conservative unions, political parties, student groups, business groups, and women's associations) in the 1980s and 1990s in Nicaragua to the previous CIA effort "to challenge and undermine"

162-545: A 1991 interview with the Washington Post , NED founder Allen Weinstein said: "A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA." During the 1984 Panamanian general election the American Institute for Free Labor Development and the NED provided around $ 20,000 in support of activists involved with Ardito Barletta 's campaign. Since 2004, NED has granted US$ 8,758,300 to Uyghur groups including

216-528: A branch in Madagascar in 1936. National Endowment for Democracy The National Endowment for Democracy ( NED ) is a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization in the United States founded in 1983 with the stated aim of advancing democracy worldwide, by promoting political and economic institutions, such as political groups , business groups , trade unions , and free markets . The NED

270-476: A general strike against the plan of pensions reforms. Then, he let his function to Jean-Claude Mailly . FO participated in the 2006 campaign against the Contrat première embauche . In April 2018, Pascal Pavageau, which presents himself as being part of the historical and traditional Workers' Force trend (independence of trade unions towards the political parties) became the new secretary general. The group's ties with

324-733: A left-wing government in Chile. (Latin Americanist scholar William M. LeoGrande writes that the NED's roughly $ 2 million funding into Nicaragua between 1984 and 1988 was the "main source of overt assistance to the civic opposition," of which about half went to the anti- Sandinista newspaper La Prensa . ) According to sociologist William Robinson, NED funds during the Reagan years were "ultimately used for five overlapping pseudo-covert activities: leadership training for pro-American elites, promotion of pro-American educational systems and mass media, strengthening

378-555: A social-democratic and liberal orientation across the world," providing training and support for pro-democracy groups that criticize the U.S. In a 2004 article for the Washington Post , Michael McFaul argues that the NED is not an instrument of U.S. foreign policy. He said he experienced the difference between the actions of US policymakers and the actions of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) while representing

432-699: A vote of 267–136. The conference report on H.R. 2915 was adopted by the House on November 17, 1983, and the Senate the following day. On November 18, 1983, articles of incorporation were filed in the District of Columbia to establish the National Endowment for Democracy as a nonprofit organization. An analysis by political scientist Sarah Bush found that while NED activity in the 1980s focused on direct challenges to autocrats by funding dissidents, opposition parties, and unions,

486-423: Is a national trade union center , founded in 1895 in the city of Limoges . It is the first of the five major French confederations of trade unions . It is the largest in terms of votes (32.1% at the 2002 professional election, 34.0% in the 2008 election), and second largest in terms of membership numbers. Its membership decreased to 650,000 members in 1995–96 (it had more than doubled when François Mitterrand

540-671: Is a grant-making foundation, distributing funds to private non-governmental organizations for promoting democracy abroad in around 90 countries. Half of NED's funding is allocated annually to four main U.S. organizations: the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (associated with the AFL–CIO ), the Center for International Private Enterprise (affiliated with the USCC ), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (associated with

594-523: Is concentrating its attention, in particular since the 1995 general strikes , to trade-unionism in the private sector. The CGT was founded in 1895 in Limoges from the merger of the Fédération des bourses du travail (Federation of Labour Councils) and the Fédération nationale des syndicats (National Federation of Trade Unions). Auguste Keufer was amongst the founders and became the first treasurer. At

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648-506: The 2014 Hong Kong protests , a Chinese newspaper accused the US of using the NED to fund pro-democracy protesters. Michael Pillsbury , a Hudson Institute foreign policy analyst and former Reagan administration official, stated that the accusation was "not totally false". In 2019, the government of the People's Republic of China sanctioned the NED in response to the passage by the U.S. Congress of

702-736: The Democratic Party ), and the International Republican Institute (formerly known as the National Republican Institute for International Affairs and affiliated with the Republican Party ). The other half of NED's funding is awarded annually to hundreds of non-governmental organizations based abroad which apply for support. In 2011, the Democratic and Republican Institutes channeled around $ 100 million through

756-575: The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act . The Chinese government stated that the NED and CIA worked in tandem to covertly foment the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests , and that NED acted as a U.S. intelligence front. NED was one of several U.S.-based NGOs sanctioned by the Chinese government; others included the Human Rights Watch , Freedom House , the National Democratic Institute , and

810-675: The International Republican Institute . China also already tightly restricted the activities of foreign NGOs in China, particularly since 2016, and the NGOs sanctioned by China typically do not have offices on the mainland; as a result, the sanctions were regarded as mostly symbolic. NED grant recipients in Hong Kong included labor advocacy and human rights groups such as the Solidarity Center and Justice Centre Hong Kong . The Chinese government said that

864-534: The Network of Democracy Research Institutes , and the Center for International Media Assistance . Upon its founding, the NED assumed several former activities of the Central Intelligence Agency . Political groups, activists, academics, and some governments have accused the NED of being an instrument of U.S. foreign policy helping to foster regime change . The National Security Decision Directive 77

918-584: The Republican and Democratic parties, together with scholars based at CSIS , to create a government-funded but privately run democracy promotion foundation to support democratic civil society groups and parties. The idea was strongly championed by the State Department, which argued that a non-governmental foundation would be able to support dissident groups and organizations in the Soviet Bloc, and also foster

972-622: The State Department Authorization Act (H.R. 2915), because NED was in its beginning stages of development the appropriation was set at $ 18 million. Included in the legislation was $ 13.8 million for the Free Trade Union Institute , an affiliate of the AFL–CIO , $ 2.5 million for an affiliate of the National Chamber Foundation , and $ 5 million each for two party institutes, which was later eliminated by

1026-767: The World Uyghur Congress , the Uyghur Human Rights Project , the Campaign for Uyghurs and The Uyghur Transitional Justice Database Project . It has also provided extensive grants for programs pertaining to Tibet. Between 2005 and 2012 it gave grants to the China Free Press NGO and in 2019 it gave about $ 643,000 to civil society programmes in Hong Kong . In response, in 2020 China imposed sanctions on NED president Carl Gershman and Michael Abramowitz,

1080-448: The 'institutions of democracy' by funding pro-American organizations in the target state, propaganda, and the development of transnational elite networks." Criticizing these activities, Robinson wrote that "U.S. policymakers claim that they are interested in process ( free and fair elections ) and not outcome (the results of these elections); in reality, the principal concern is outcome." Political scientist Lindsey A. O'Rourke writes that

1134-731: The 100 000 strong organized labour force in Senegal and Mauritania after the Second World War. Within the CGT branches in the region, there was however a growing wish for independence. A leader of CGT in French West Africa, Bassirou Guèye, promoted this idea. At a meeting of the Territorial Union of Trade Unions in Senegal and Mauritania, held in Dakar November 11–November 12, 1955, the majority of delegates voted for separation from

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1188-518: The American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were leaked in 1967 by Thomas Braden , a former director of covert operations for the agency. In his expose on The Saturday Evening Post , Braden wrote of the CGT strike: "Into this crisis stepped [Jay] Lovestone and his assistant, Irving Brown . With funds from Dubinsky 's union , they organized Force Ouvrière, a non-Communist union. When they ran out of money, they appealed to

1242-533: The CGT and to the French Communist Party is the cement of the confederation. In the 1970s, FO leaders were sceptical about the Socialist strategy of alliance with the Communist Party. Then, they criticized the nomination of Communist ministers in 1981. After François Mitterrand 's election, FO presented like the only independent trade-union confederation. In 1989, Marc Blondel was elected leader of FO, against

1296-559: The CIA. Thus began the secret subsidy of free trade unions which soon spread to Italy. Without that subsidy, postwar history might have gone very differently." American influence was never total, and there were disputes between FO leadership and the American representatives (for example, over French colonialism). The Reagan administration continued support to the organization through the National Endowment for Democracy . FO won 15.81% of

1350-664: The Confederation, the links between FO and the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) became distended. Indeed, if Bergeron was an SFIO member, he was also the "main partner" of the employers and the right-wing governments. In this, FO presided the social security offices. Besides, it welcomed Conservatives and Far-Left, notably members of the Internationalist Communist Organization . The hostility to

1404-683: The French CGT. A conference was held in Saint-Louis on January 14–January 15, 1956 which formed the Confédération générale des travailleurs africains (CGTA), separating the parts of the West African CGT organizations from the French CGT. At the conference 50 out of 67 delegates had voted for separation. In Togo, CGT had 45,100 members in 1948 (65% of organized labour). By 1952 the number had decreased to 34,000 (46% of organized labour). CGT formed

1458-555: The NDI in Moscow during the last days of the Soviet Union: U.S. policymakers supported Mikhail Gorbachev while the NDI worked with Democratic Russia , Gorbachev's opponents. NED has said in public statements that democracy evolves "according to the needs and traditions of diverse political cultures" and does not necessitate an American-style model. In 1986, NED's President Carl Gershman said that

1512-607: The NED as hostile to their country. In 2015, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti blamed NED grants for the Euromaidan mass protests that forced Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych from power. In July 2015, the Russian government declared NED to be an "undesirable" NGO, making the NED the first organization banned under the Russian undesirable organizations law signed two months earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin . During

1566-714: The NED has received funding from foundations, such as the Smith Richardson Foundation , the John M. Olin Foundation , and others. The Bradley Foundation supported the Journal of Democracy with $ 1.5 million during 1990–2008. In 2018, President Donald Trump proposed to slash the NED's funding and cut its links to the Democratic and Republican Institutes. The NED's Board of Directors gives an annual "Democracy Award" to recognize "individuals and organizations that have advanced

1620-491: The NED was created because "It would be terrible for democratic groups around the world to be seen as subsidized by the CIA. We saw that in the 1960s and that's why it has been discontinued". Throughout the course of a 2010 investigation by ProPublica , Paul Steiger, the then editor in chief of the publication said that "those who spearheaded creation of NED have long acknowledged it was part of an effort to move from covert to overt efforts to foster democracy" and cited as evidence

1674-469: The NED. The NED receives an annual appropriation from the U.S. budget (it is included in the chapter of the Department of State budget destined for the U.S. Agency for International Development-USAID) and is subject to congressional oversight even as a non-governmental organization. From 1984 to 1990 the NED received $ 15–18 million of congressional funding annually, and $ 25–30 million from 1991 to 1993. At

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1728-677: The Philippines, Ukraine to Haiti, overturning unfriendly 'authoritarian' governments (many of which the United States had previously supported) and replacing them with handpicked pro-market allies." In the 2020 Thai protests , pro-government groups cited NED support for protester-sympathizing groups to assert that the US government was masterminding the protests. The United States Embassy in Bangkok formally denied allegations of funding or supporting protesters. In August 2021, Malaysian human rights activist and Suaram adviser Kua Kia Soong criticized

1782-622: The Reagan-era NED played a key role in U.S. efforts "to promote democratic transitions in Chile, Haiti, Liberia, Nicaragua, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, and Suriname," but did so to promote the success of pro-U.S. parties, not just to promote democracy, and did not support communist or socialist opposition parties. The North American Congress on Latin America says that the NED engages in a "a very particular form of low-intensity democracy chained to pro-market economics--in countries from Nicaragua to

1836-543: The World , in 2008, and subsequently issued other reports, including a report on digital media in conflict-prone societies and a report on mobile phone use in Africa. Writing in Slate in 2004, Brendan I. Koerner wrote that, "Depending on whom you ask, the NED is either a nonprofit champion of liberty or an ideologically driven meddler in world affairs." NED has been criticized by both

1890-545: The cause of human rights and democracy around the world": In 2006, CIMA was founded as an initiative of the National Endowment for Democracy with encouragement from Congress and a grant from the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. CIMA promotes the work of independent media and journalists abroad, with a focus on the developing world, social media , digital media , and citizen journalism . It issued its first report, Empowering Independent Media: U.S. Efforts to Foster Free and Independent Media Around

1944-478: The creation of a bipartisan, private, non-profit corporation to be known as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). NED, though non-governmental, would be funded primarily through annual appropriations from the U.S. government and subject to congressional oversight. In 1983, the House Foreign Affairs Committee proposed legislation to provide initial funding of $ 31.3 million for NED as part of

1998-598: The emergence of democratic movements in US-allied dictatorships that were becoming unstable and in danger of experiencing leftist or radical revolutions, without provoking a diplomatic backlash against the US government. After some initial uncertainty over the idea from Reagan Administration hard-liners, the U.S. government, through USAID (United States Agency for International Development), contracted The American Political Foundation to study democracy promotion, which became known as "The Democracy Program". The Program recommended

2052-525: The end of Henri Krasucki 's term (1982–1992), he began to distance himself from the French Communist Party (PCF). His successor, Louis Viannet , did the same, going as far as resigning from the political bureau of the party. CGT Secretary General Phillipe Martinez announced that the union will support the week of climate action beginning on September 20, 2019. In 1937 CGT began organizing workers in French West Africa . The union's functioning

2106-418: The former secretary general, Léon Jouhaux , opposed this development. These opponents denounced Communist influence as a threat to the independent position of trade unions, a principle enshrined in the 1906 Charte d'Amiens . They founded a paper, Force ouvrière . In 1947, a general strike , fought against the backdrop of the developing Cold War , divided the CGT. The Communist ministers were excluded from

2160-449: The government led by Paul Ramadier , a Socialist. In this context, the internal CGT opposition created a new trade-union confederation, called FO. The majority of its founders were from the socialist ranks. In February 1958 the African branches of FO became an independent organization, Confédération Africaine des Syndicats Libres-FO . In the 1960s, when André Bergeron became leader of

2214-566: The heads of four other U.S.-based democracy and human rights organizations and six U.S. Republican lawmakers for supporting the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement in the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests. The unspecified sanctions were a tit-for-tat measure responding to the earlier sanctioning by the U.S. of 11 Hong Kong officials in response to the enactment of the Hong Kong National Security Law in June 2020. In December 2020 China sanctioned

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2268-539: The majority of 21st-century NED funding goes to technical programs that are less likely to challenge the status quo, with the proportion of NED funding for "relatively tame programs" increasing from roughly 20% of NED grants in 1986 to roughly 60% in 2009. Political scientist Lindsey A. O'Rourke writes that, "Today, NED programs run in more than ninety countries. Although the number of US-backed democracy promotion programs have grown, most of today's programs pursue less aggressive objectives than their Cold War counterparts." In

2322-482: The opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan for accepting funding from the National Endowment of Democracy, which he described as a "CIA soft power front". Citing the US track record of supporting regime change abroad and racial discrimination against Black and Asian Americans , Kua urged Malaysian civil society organizations to stop accepting funding from the NED since it undermined their legitimacy, independence, and effectiveness. Kua's statement came after Daniel Twining,

2376-759: The president of Freedom House . The NED played a role in supporting the Arab Spring of 2011. For example, the April 6 Youth Movement in Egypt , the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and individual Yemeni activist Entsar Qadhi received training and finances from the NED. In Egypt, between 2008 and 2012, it also supported Colonel Omar Afifi Soliman, an exiled police officer who opposed both Hosni Mubarak 's and Mohamed Morsi 's presidencies, as well as secularist activist Esraa Abdel-Fatah 's Egyptian Democratic Academy in 2011. NED

2430-435: The president of the NED affiliate International Republican Institute , had made remarks in 2018 acknowledging that the NED had financially supported Malaysian opposition parties since 2002. Following the 2018 Malaysian general election Twining had also praised the newly elected Pakatan Harapan government for freezing Chinese infrastructural investments. Russian government officials and state media have frequently regarded

2484-413: The right and the left. Some on the right accuse the NED of having a pro-social democracy agenda, promoted through its labor affiliate; conversely, some on the left accuse the NED of being "a rightwing initiative" oriented toward Reagan's Cold War politics. Within Latin America, critics accuse the NED of manifesting U.S. paternalism or imperialism, conversely, "supporters say that it helps many groups with

2538-453: The sanctioned organizations were "anti-China" forces that "incite separatist activities for Hong Kong independence"; a U.S. State Department official said that "false accusations of foreign interference" against U.S.-based NGOs were "intended to distract from the legitimate concerns of Hongkongers." NED has denied it provided aid to protestors in 2019. In August 2020, the Chinese government sanctioned NED chairman Carl Gershman, together with

2592-515: The time the funding came via the United States Information Agency . In 1993 the NED nearly lost its congressional funding, after the House of Representatives initially voted to abolish its funding. The funding (of $ 35 million, a rise from $ 30 million the year before) was only retained after a vigorous campaign by NED supporters. In the financial year to the end of September 2009 NED had an income of $ 135.5 million, nearly all of which came from U.S. Government agencies. In addition to government funding,

2646-503: The vote in the employees' college during the 2008 professional elections. This is below FO's 18.28% result in 2002. Its highest ever result was 20.55% in 1997. The following federations are affiliated with the confederation: The General Federation of Public Servants brings together those federations representing civil servants. Conf%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration G%C3%A9n%C3%A9rale du Travail The General Confederation of Labour (French: Confédération Générale du Travail , CGT )

2700-465: The will of Bergeron. He wanted to preserve the independence of the confederation. Supported by the radical minority, he adopted a more combative attitude. In this, he participated in the 1995 social conflict against Alain Juppé 's plans for welfare reform, and improved relations with the CGT. In consequence, FO lost the precedence of social security offices for the benefit of the Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail . In 2003, Blondel called for

2754-404: Was created as a bipartisan , private, non-profit corporation, but acts as a grant-making foundation. It is funded primarily by an annual allocation from the U.S. Congress . In addition to its grants program, the NED also supports and houses the Journal of Democracy , the World Movement for Democracy , the International Forum for Democratic Studies , the Reagan–Fascell Fellowship Program ,

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2808-405: Was elected president in 1981), before increasing today to between 700,000 and 720,000 members, slightly fewer than the Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail (CFDT). According to the historian M. Dreyfus, the direction of the CGT is slowly evolving, since the 1990s, during which it cut all organic links with the French Communist Party (PCF), in favour of a more moderate stance. The CGT

2862-453: Was instrumental for the creation of Project Democracy and its offspring NED. In a 1982 speech at the Palace of Westminster , President Ronald Reagan proposed an initiative, before the British Parliament, "to foster the infrastructure of democracy – the system of a free press, unions, political parties, universities." This intersected with previously formulated plans by the American Political Foundation, an NGO supported by some members of

2916-407: Was interrupted by its banning by the Vichy regime, but in 1943-1948 a process of reconstruction took place. The main centers of activity were Senegal , Ivory Coast , Togo and the French Soudan . CGT had an upper hand in the Muslim regions in comparison to its main rival CFTC, who depended on the presence of Catholic communities for its recruitment. CGT emerged as the major trade union force amongst

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