About us

Freedom House INC. Foundation was established in 1941, and in 1995, began implementing democratization projects in Romania, under the auspices of Freedom House Washington. On April 8, 1998, a Romanian branch was founded- Freedom House Romania Foundation, through which development projects were continued.

Objectives specified in the statute of association:

• to be a symbol and a center of the struggle for freedom through opposition to totalitarian threats;
• to support people’s aspirations for a world of freedom, peace and security;
• to promote the constant application of the principles of freedom and democracy in Romania;
• to be a center for public debate; 
• to print, publish and distribute newspapers, magazines and journals in connection with the above-mentioned objectives.

Freedom House Romania has over 20 years of experience in managing projects with external and internal financing, proving an excellent project management capacity.

Through the projects developed by Freedom House Romania we aim at:

1. defending human rights and promoting social actions;
2. consolidating the rule of law and improving the quality of justice;
3. professionalization of the press and specialization of journalists.

Since 1998, every year Freedom House Romania has organized the national ‘Young Journalist of the Year’ contest, to promote media literacy and press excellence.

Since 1999, the Foundation has run the journalists’ Young Journalist of the Year Scholarship program, which in 2007 became the European Young Journalist of the Year Scholarship. The scholarships aimed to increase journalists’ interest in European issues and improve their knowledge of European institutions’ mechanisms and functions.

Between 1996 and 2000, Freedom House Romania ran the Professional Media program , funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in which it established the Romanian Circulation Audit Bureau (BRAT), the most important regulatory institution for the press industry. Furthermore, it offered specialized assistance to the independent press, published courses in the field of press management and has conducted professional internships in the United States and Central Europe.

The program continued through projects dedicated to supporting the local press, such as the Management of Cultural Publications (2000), Increasing the sustainability of the local press – Phare (2004-2005) and A stronger local press – US Embassy (2006-2007). These projects focused on the professionalization of local media publishers, through a series of trainings on layout and design, marketing and editorial policies. We also published a ” Press Manager’s Guide ” at Humanitas Publishing House, the first work of its kind, which brings together the expertise of eight successful media managers in Romania, former partners and scholars at Freedom House Romania.

In 2007, the organization developed the project Romania – A year in the EU , funded by the Representation of the European Commission in Bucharest and dedicated to stimulating public debate on Romania’s European integration, awareness of Romania’s role, image, responsibilities and rights in the European Union, but also aiming for the popularization of European institutions and their role.

Another relevant project in the activity of Freedom House Romania is Media and Justice – In search of dialogue, carried out in 2007-2008 and supported by the MATRA – KAP program of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bucharest. The activities aimed to improve communication between the judiciary system and the media by further developing the legal expertise of journalists, by offering professional assistance in the field of communication for the spokespersons of the judiciary, by facilitating meetings between journalists and spokespersons, between journalists and representatives of the main structures of the judicial system (National Anticorruption Directorate, the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the Superior Council of Magistracy) and by publishing a Good practice guide in the field of communication between the judiciary system and the media .

Since 2007, Freedom House Romania has actively supported the Clean Justice Initiative (IJC), a coalition of seven non-governmental organizations aimed at regularly, correctly and consistently delivering information to the public on the quality of justice, by monitoring reforms and by evaluating government decisions and actions in the field of justice. The Clean Justice Initiative (IJC) started under the auspices of the Coalition for Clean Governance , thus continuing the Coalition for a Clean Parliament’s efforts, started in 2004 with the purpose of promoting the rule of law, in the context of Romania’s accession to the European Union, and of completing projects started by the partner organizations. Through its efforts, the Initiative for a Clean Justice contributes to the achievement of a clean government in Romania, to the consolidation of the judicial reforms and to the continuation of the fight against corruption.

Also in 2007, the year of Romania’s accession to the EU, Freedom House Romania assumed the role of facilitator in a series of consultations between the Representation of the European Commission in Bucharest and the Romanian citizens and journalists concerned with Romania’s integration into the EU. Since then, the European Scholarships: Journalists in Dialogue project has been running annually, training over 360 journalists who consistently propagate European values ​​and a pro-active attitude in our country.

About other specific initiatives and projects, developed over the years, we invite you to view the corresponding pages in the menu bar of the site www.freedomhouse.ro.

Freedom House Romania is a non-profit, impartial organization that promotes human dignity, freedom, equality and democracy. Freedom House has earned a well-established reputation as a promoter of fundamental human rights and democratic values, the rule of law and good governance.