THE National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a private, non-profit foundation that supports democratic institutions worldwide. It was founded in 1983 under the auspices of the US government and provides grants to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in over 100 countries, promoting democratic goals such as political participation, free markets, and human rights. It is considered as a vital force in advancing democracy and strengthening civil society across the globe, however, it has also faced some controversies. Critics argue that NED’s funding of NGOs in other countries can be seen as interference in their internal affairs. Some governments perceive NED’s support for civil society groups as an attempt to influence their political processes. There have been negative perceptions regarding NED’s funding sources and allocation decisions for lacking transparency.

Critics claim that NED’s funding priorities may reflect a bias toward certain political ideologies or groups. They argue that NED’s support tends to favour organizations aligned with US interests, which can lead to accusations of selective funding. Since the NED was established during the Cold War, some view it as a continuation of covert operations carried out by intelligence agencies. This historical context sometimes raises suspicions about NED’s intentions. Some specific instances that can be cited for NED’s negative roles include an attempt to overthrow the Iranian government. In September 2022, protests against hijab rules broke out in Iran. According to Al Mayadeen, a Lebanese news channel, between 2015 and 2022—Masih Alinejad—a reporter working for a US news organization received US$628,000 funding from NED and some other American institutions to release batches of unverified information and pictures to incite public........

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