Commentary & Analysis

‍Tatyana Margolin shared an urgent message with RepresentUS: free enterprise is impossible in an autocracy, especially without fair courts."Before they even exert any pressure, authoritarians send enough signs for people just to fall in line... You can’t as a business person continue doing business under authoritarians. Unless you become a lackey to them, become their bank – you become owned by them.”Watch an interview highlight at RepresentUS.

When Executive Producer Bill Owens resigned from 60 Minutes last month, citing a loss of editorial independence, we felt a chill of recognition. In 2011, one of us (Roman) resigned from Russia’s leading news organization, Gazeta.ru. The outlet had published an interactive project outlining falsified election results that had once again handed victory to Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. Within hours, the calls started. Pressure from ownership. Questions about loyalty. A quiet but unmistakable order to stop. There was little choice but to leave.

In the week preceding Earth Day 2025, rumors of a new executive ​o​rder rippled across the nonprofit sector. No one knew the details, but “insiders” had shared the broad strokes of a document that would directly target nonprofit organizations​ and​ singl​e​ out those working on issues of climate and environment. ​O​rganizational leaders and executive teams across the country​ were shaken with alarm​. Emergency calls were held. Vacations were canceled. Panic set in.

Over the last century, millions have fled authoritarian regimes for the relative freedoms of the United States, but as authoritarianism arrives here, many Americans have found themselves unable to understand, accept, or push back against the new reality.

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Today, we bring you a conversation with two experts on life under authoritarianism: Tatyana Margolin and Yelena V Litvinov. Veterans of the Open Society Foundations, the George Soros-founded network promoting civil society across the globe, the pair now lead STROIKA, whose mission is to reverse the tide of rising authoritarianism by supporting resistance movements with fundraising and strategic advice, in the interest of building a resilient anti-authoritarian network.

As Donald Trump begins his second term, the nonprofit world is rightfully shoring up its defenses to protect immigrants, LGBTQI rights, reproductive freedoms, and basic civil liberties. Such efforts are crucial, but another tool of repression demands greater attention: the targeting of civil society itself, particularly by attacking the legal, financial, and communication infrastructure of nonprofits and their donors.

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Governments using this authoritarian playbook don’t need to shut down an organization or arrest activists to be successful. Audits, frivolous lawsuits, and endless paperwork can bring their work to a halt. They can be labeled foreign agents, terrorists, or extremists. Bank accounts can be frozen. Nonprofits can lose funding if their donors, intermediaries, and fiscal sponsors are targeted.

Reflecting on 2024, we are filled with both pride and a sense of urgency. As we approach STROIKA’s third anniversary, the importance of our mission — to build, resource, and connect anti-authoritarian movements globally — has never been more critical.

The US election outcome made clear that the lessons learned by our global partners are increasingly urgent and relevant for the United States.

In the final stretch of this tumultuous year, our message of hope remains as powerful as ever: it is possible to resist and preserve democratic space, even in the most seemingly impossible circumstances.

Explore our full end-of-year update, or click below for the text-only version.

Over the past year, STROIKA has worked closely with U.S. human rights and civil liberties groups, climate justice activists, and philanthropic donors to prepare for potential impacts of a Trump re-election.

What we’ve found is consistent: organizations, regardless of size, are woefully underprepared for potential targeting. This readiness gap is critical — and one we must address now.

On the Kettering Foundation's The Stakes series, Yelena Litvinov spoke with Harvard Law professor Alan Jenkins, creator of the 1/6 graphic novel series, about the role of arts, culture, creativity, and freedom of speech in defending democracy.

‍Watch the conversation, moderated by Brad Rourke.

Tatyana Margolin took the stage at the Vital Voices Anti-Authoritarian Summit in Warsaw, with women leaders from around the world.

She led a series of interactive workshops that culminated in the release of The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook: Recommendations from Women Leaders for Women Leaders in the Fight for Democracy.

STROIKA traveled to the SKOLL World Forum in Oxford, presenting a session on Empowering Civic Resilience: Strategies for Action in Repression.

We led a global audience in working through real-life case studies of how activists can persevere and advance their work in even the most difficult conditions, showcasing practical strategies for finding hope and solidarity in the face of seemingly unbeatable odds.