Berlin, November 9, 2025
We, the delegates of the World Liberty Congress, convene in or General Assembly in the Berlin Parliament to proclaim our enduring commitment to human freedom and democratic unity. In this historic Manifesto, we reaffirm the promises first made in Vilnius and chart a course of action equal to the challenges of our time. With one voice, we declare that liberty is the birthright of every human being, and we resolve to stand as one transnational community in defense of that sacred right. This manifesto is a call to conscience and a strategic charter for action, grounded in moral conviction and tempered by realism. It speaks to all who share our cause: the courageous dissidents in autocracies, the citizens of democracies who cherish their rights, policymakers, allies in civil society, partners, and the rising generation whose dreams and energies are the lifeblood of liberty. Together, we affirm that free people and free nations must unite, for only together can we overcome the gathering forces of tyranny.
I) The Authoritarian Threat: A Coordinated Challenge to Freedom
In our world today, liberty faces a rising tide of authoritarianism more coordinated and assertive than at any time in recent memory. The regimes in Beijing and Moscow, bolstered by allies from Tehran to Pyongyang, have formed a de facto alliance of autocracies united not by any genuine ideology but by a shared fear of democracy and a desire to extinguish it. This is not a transient pact but part of a systematic authoritarian convergence, a new axis of oppression spanning multiple continents.
We recognize this threat for what it is: a global contest between incompatible systems of governance. Wherever democracy thrives, it stands as living proof that corrupt autocracy is neither inevitable nor superior; thus, dictators regard the very existence of free societies as an existential threat. In this light, the world has entered an era of intensified geopolitical and ideological contestation, weakened international norms, and emboldened despots. The United Nations and other multilateral bodies, once pillars of a rules-based order, have too often been paralyzed or even subverted by authoritarian influence. We condemn the cynical abuse of international institutions by regimes that masquerade as legitimate statesmen even as they brutalize their peoples at home. And we declare that the community of democracies must not be passive in the face of this offensive. A failure to respond is not “peace,” it is a slow surrender of the moral and political gains of the last century. In this Manifesto, we therefore sound a clarion call: the world’s freedom-loving nations and movements must close ranks, for we must be more united than the dictators who seek to divide and conquer.
II) Freedom and the Right to Self-Determination: Standing with Ukraine
Nowhere is the authoritarian assault more blatant than in the Kremlin’s barbaric war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an imperial and colonial war, aimed at nothing les than the destruction of Ukraine as a nation and the subjugation of its people. The occupier’s goals – openly proclaimed by Moscow’s ideologues – include the annexation of Ukrainian territory, the expulsion or “reeducation” of those deemed disloyal, and the erasure of Ukrainian identity. In the 21st century, before the eyes of the world, a genocide is being attempted under the guise of “historical reunion.”
We reject utterly Russia’s lies and pretensions. Ukraine is a sovereign nation with an inviolable right to self-determination and independence. Its courageous resistance – from the defenders on the frontlines to the civilians enduring bombardment – has won the admiration of all who love freedom. We, the World Liberty Congress, condemn Russia’s colonial war against Ukraine in the strongest terms and demand the restoration of Ukraine’s full territorial integrity. We honor the Ukrainian people’s heroic struggle as a fight not only for their own future but for the principles of a rules-based international order.
Ukraine today is the frontline of the global fight for liberty. We call upon democracies to go “all-in” on supporting Ukraine, providing the weapons, aid, and diplomatic support needed to ensure that aggression is decisively defeated and not rewarded. History teaches that appeasing imperialism invites further expansion: if Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, other free nations will be imperiled by similar aggression. The Baltic states, Georgia, Taiwan and others are watching this war as a precedent. Therefore, to stand with Ukraine is to stand in defense of the post-1945 promise that borders cannot be changed by force and that colonial conquest has no place in the modern world.
III) Nonviolence and the Defense of Democracy: Principles and Pragmatism
Nonviolent action is the defining moral and strategic core of democratic movements worldwide. From India’s independence movement to the U.S. civil rights struggle, from the “color revolutions” to the more recent waves of mass protest across different regions, peaceful collective action has repeatedly delegitimized authoritarian rule, mobilized broad public support, and opened the political space for democratic change. The World Liberty Congress grounds its identity in this tradition: ethical means are essential to ethical ends, and respect for life and human rights must guide our actions and objectives. The path of nonviolent protest, civil disobedience, strikes, boycotts, and information campaigns should be both pursued and defended.
At the same time, realism compels us to acknowledge the limits faced by nonviolent movements in environments of systematic and violent repression. History shows moments when mass atrocities unfolded while the international community hesitated to act decisively. The failures to prevent the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the fall of the U.N. “safe area” in Srebrenica in 1995 remain stark reminders of the catastrophic human cost of inaction. These tragedies prompted a rethinking of international obligations and helped catalyze the development of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine. This principle affirms that sovereign authority carries a corresponding duty to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. When a State fails in that duty, the wider international community bears a responsibility to act.
Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS) and subsequent United Nations deliberations.
When State force is contemplated, it must be lawful, discriminate, and governed by clear political and legal mandates. A recent example is the UN Security Council’s authorization in March 2011 (UNSCR 1973) of measures to protect civilians in Libya. This case, while contested, illustrates both the potential of collective State action to protect civilians and the need for rigorous legal and political stewardship to ensure proportionality, accountability, and effective follow-through.
Accordingly, the World Liberty Congress affirms the following principles:
1.The movement will continue to prioritize and invest in nonviolent strategies and protective measures for peaceful dissent. Nonviolence is not merely an instrument; it is a moral commitment that preserves democratic legitimacy.
2.The lawful use of coercive force to protect populations is the exclusive responsibility of democratic, legitimate, and accountable State authorities acting in accordance with international law. Democratic governments have both the right and the duty to defend their citizens and territorial integrity, as demonstrated by Ukraine’s lawful exercise of self-defense in response to Russia’s illegal invasion. Similarly, when autocratic governments are unable or unwilling to safeguard their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, or crimes against humanity, the international democratic community bears a subsidiary responsibility under established legal mandates such as R2P.
3.The World Liberty Congress does not endorse or facilitate armed insurgency, vigilante violence, or any form of civilian warfare. It affirms instead the legitimate and lawful use of State force, exercised under democratic control and international oversight, to protect populations from mass atrocity and to uphold peace, security, and human dignity.
This position preserves the moral integrity of nonviolent movements while affirming that the protection of human life must remain the paramount responsibility of States and international institutions.
IV)Building a Global Democratic Ecosystem
As authoritarians deepen their cooperation, so too must democrats. The World Liberty Congress was born from the recognition that pro-democracy movements around the world cannot succeed in isolation – we need a vibrant, cohesive, transnational democratic ecosystem. We have heard the same story repeated in dozens of languages: activists from Belarus to Burma, from Nicaragua to Zimbabwe, sharing eerily similar experiences of repression and yearning for the same dream of freedom That shared dream has brought us together. We unite dissidents, exile activists, and freedom fighters from over 60 countries into one global network. We break down silos between struggles, fostering a community of practice and solidarity that transcends borders. In practical terms, we build networks of political dissidents to share intelligence, trade strategies, and lend each other support in times of crisis.
Our ecosystem goes beyond activists alone. We engage think-tanks, technology experts, lawyers, journalists, philanthropists, and elected officials who are committed to democracy. We seek to fuse all elements of society – public and private – into a supportive environment for freedom. In this spirit, we call for a “Democratic Alliance” of nations and non-state actors that can act flexibly to support movements on the ground, bypassing the paralysis of institutions like the UN. Just as middle-power democracies have taken the lead in new coalitions for specific goals (from human-rights sanctions regimes to internet freedom initiatives), so the WLC works for a dynamic pro-democracy ecosystem linking governments, NGOs, media, academia, the private sector, and grassroots movements. Our job as the WLC is to be a catalyst and connector within this ecosystem: to ensure that no freedom fighter ever stands alone.
V)Confronting Polarization and Cultivating Democratic Virtue
Even as we battle external tyrants, we must also reckon with the internal ailments of democracy. Polarization – the toxic dividing of societies into hostile camps – has become a grave threat to liberty from within. Around the world, demagogues exploit social and political polarization to undermine democratic norms, fuel hatred, and justify authoritarian measures. We see this in established democracies and fragile ones alike: intense political polarization erodes the civic virtues of tolerance and respect, frays social bonds, and provides fertile ground for antidemocratic movements. Indeed, polarization reinforces itself in a vicious cycle and is now identified as one of the most significant factors driving the current wave of democratic backsliding globally. When citizens come to view their political opponents not as fellow members of a common republic but as enemies, when they occupy separate realities of facts and media echo chambers, democracy’s foundational premise of resolving differences through reasoned debate and compromise is imperiled. We have watched how foreign autocrats actively stoke these divisions with disinformation – a cheap and devastating form of political sabotage. The result, as we have seen in numerous countries, is paralysis, extremism, and even outbreaks of political violence that weaken democracy from the inside.
The World Liberty Congress calls for an urgent, concerted effort to combat polarization and heal the wounds it inflicts on democratic societies. This begins with education and civic empowerment. We must cultivate in citizens the democratic skills and virtues that enable pluralism to function: critical thinking, media literacy to discern truth from misinformation, empathy and active listening, a willingness to engage respectfully across differences, and a shared commitment to facts and the rule of law. We urge democracies to invest in civic education that prepares youth to navigate the complexities of political life without succumbing to hatred. Initiatives for dialogue across partisan, ethnic, or sectarian lines – whether town hall meetings, deliberative citizen assemblies, or interfaith and intercultural exchanges – are vital to rebuild trust. The WLC will integrate conflict resolution and communication training into our activist workshops, recognizing that even opposition movements can be divided by ideology or exile factionalism if polarization is not addressed. We also pledge to partner with organizations working on depolarization, recognizing this as a critical front in preserving democratic unity.
Moreover, we must address the information ecosystem. The flood of propaganda and falsehood, often algorithmically amplified on social media, is a key driver of polarizing people into separate realities. We support efforts to counter disinformation – from fact-checking initiatives to greater transparency requirements on tech platforms – while vigilantly guarding free expression. We call on tech companies and governments alike to disrupt the business model of online extremism, which profits from outrage and division. A culture of democratic virtues must be modeled from the top. We commend those leaders, in whatever camp, who choose principle over populist division, and we shame those who cynically inflame fears. The WLC will do its part by reminding all that democracy requires a degree of common ground – a basic sense of shared humanity and destiny.
VI)Bringing Democracy to Power: Supporting WLC Leaders to Govern Free Nations
Democracy will not defend itself. It needs champions – brave individuals with the integrity, vision, and skill to lead their nations out of tyranny and into freedom. Such leaders often rise from the struggle itself: the jailed opposition figure who becomes a president, the protest organizer who transforms into a reformist lawmaker. The World Liberty Congress is committed to identifying, mentoring, and supporting the next generation of pro-democracy leaders, so that they can not only challenge dictatorships but one day govern their countries justly. It is not enough to oppose the old; we must propose the new, preparing credible democratic alternatives to corrupt regimes.
In many autocracies, talented leaders are already present in the dissident movements – but they face enormous barriers. They are jailed, exiled, slandered, or banned from political office. They often lack resources, training, and international connections. We will scout and support promising democrats from repressive environments, connecting them with mentors (including experienced former statesmen from democratic countries and veteran activists from earlier transitions). We will provide political training – campaign strategy, communications, policy development, party-building – to help them become effective candidates and public officials when the opportunity arises. Furthermore, the WLC will leverage its network to build coalitions that can contest elections against autocrats – whether in whatever limited elections might exist under authoritarian rule or in the critical founding elections that often occur during a transition. To complement this effort, we announce that the new elected Leadership Council will deploy a comprehensive “Pro-Democracy Playbook” – a strategic manual derived from the lessons of successful movements and transitions worldwide. It will be a living document, updated with input from our members on the frontlines.
We dedicate ourselves to turning resistance into governance. The dictators of today claim that only they have the experience to run a country, that the opposition is feckless or divided or extremist. We will prove them wrong by uplifting responsible, visionary democrats who can lead their nations to a better future.
VII) Political Prisoners: The Moral Compass of Our Struggle
At the heart of our fight for liberty is a simple, searing truth: the way a regime treats its prisoners of conscience is the measure of its fear of freedom. Around the world, more than one million political prisoners languish behind bars for the “crime” of wanting basic right. They are the students, journalists, opposition politicians, trade unionists, artists, clergy, and ordinary citizens who dared to speak a forbidden truth or dream a forbidden dream. We declare that we will not rest until each and every one of them is released, their voices heard, and their rights fully restored.
In our inaugural General Assembly in 2023, the WLC underscored its commitment to political prisoners by releasing the Pathway to Freedom: Handbook for the Liberation of Political Prisoners, a comprehensive guide to securing their freedom. We have formed the program “Free Them”—a Political Prisoners Support Team—that coordinates international campaigns, leveraging our multi-country presence to pressure regimes on these cases. Our message is uncompromising: all political prisoners must be freed, unconditionally and immediately.
We recognize political prisoners as the moral compass of our entire movement. They remind us of what this struggle is ultimately about: the irreducible dignity of the human being who can say “No” to tyranny. Their suffering rebukes our temptation to despair or complacency. If they can endure years in a cell and not abandon hope, how can we who are free do any less than everything in our power to help them? We therefore call on democratic governments to make the cause of political prisoners a top priority in foreign policy. Every summit with an autocrat should include demands for prisoner releases; every embassy should have names of local prisoners of conscience on its walls and on its agenda.
Let it be clear: we consider political prisoners not as victims only, but as the vanguard of liberation. In this General Assembly, WLC members who are currently in arbitrary detention for political reasons have been declared formal delegates in this historic assembly. Our message to them is: We will bring you home. And to the dictators, we send an unequivocal warning: Your prisons do not strengthen your rule; they condemn it. Each prisoner of conscience is an indictment of your regime’s illegitimacy and a rallying point for its downfall.
VIII) Making Freedom Investable: The Role of the Private Sector and Philanthropy
Political change requires not only moral courage and people power, but also resources. We must candidly address the need for far greater financial support for the cause of freedom. In the struggle between democracy and autocracy, money talks – and too often it has spoken in the service of tyranny, whether through kleptocrats buying influence or foreign powers funding proxy movements.
We call for a fundamental realignment of economic incentives to “Make Freedom Investable.” By this, we mean rallying the private sector, investors, and philanthropists to recognize that supporting democracy is both a moral imperative and a sound strategic investment in global stability and prosperity.
First, we appeal to businesses and investors: embrace the cause of liberty as part of your vision. Democracies, with their transparency and rule of law, are more reliable trading partners and markets, less prone to violent conflict, and better for long-term business. Second, we urge the development of a “Freedom Venture Fund” that channel capital into countries making democratic transitions – supporting entrepreneurs, civil society projects, independent media startups, and infrastructure in those societies as a way to buttress their success. Third, we encourage “democracy clauses” in trade and investment agreements, to create positive incentives for reforms. The notion that businesses must choose between profits and principles is a false dichotomy: in the long run, free societies create more stable and prosperous environments for commerce, whereas autocracies engender volatility and violence that are bad for business.
This Manifesto calls for a sea change in how the world of money interacts with the world of democracy. We envision a future in which supporting democratic values is seen as smart, forward-looking business and philanthropy, not as an afterthought or a risk. We commit the World Liberty Congress to spearhead this new alignment, convening investors and donors in dialogues about democracy, highlighting success stories, and relentlessly making the case that every dollar spent on freedom is an investment in a safer, more prosperous world.
X) Gender Apartheid: Freedom Has No Gender
The World Liberty Congress declares that gender apartheid—the systematic segregation and subjugation of women and girls by law or custom—is among the gravest crimes of our century. Where regimes enforce dress codes, forbid education, restrict movement, deny equal testimony, or exclude women from public life, they are not merely violating rights; they are constructing systems of gender- based tyranny. We therefore call for the recognition of gender apartheid as a crime under international law, on par with racial apartheid and other crimes against humanity. From the young women of Afghanistan, barred from classrooms and work, to the brave girls of Iran who chant “Women, Life, Freedom” in defiance of violence, we see the same struggle for dignity and self-determination.
The WLC pledges to make gender justice central to the global democracy agenda. We will advocate for sanctions against regimes that practice gender apartheid, support international legal efforts to codify and prosecute it, and dedicate resources to women-led movements fighting for equality. Within our own organization, we commit to protection and support for women defenders, and the creation of a permanent Against Gender Apartheid Trask Force. No democracy is complete when half its people live in chains. Freedom for women and girls is not a secondary cause—it is the measure of a civilization’s human dignity and the foundation of any just and democratic order.
IX) Freedom in Exile: The Democracy Diaspora as a Frontline
Exile – the forced displacement of activists and citizens from their homelands – is often thought of as a tragic rupture, a story of loss and separation. Indeed it is painful; authoritarian regimes deliberately wield exile as a weapon, hoping to weaken opposition by scattering it abroad. But we, the World Liberty Congress, reject the notion that exile means the end of one’s struggle. On the contrary, we view exile as a new frontline in the fight for freedom, a continuation of the struggle by other means.
Far from being sidelined, exiled dissidents often become the voice of their voiceless compatriots, leveraging their safety and freedom abroad to rally international support. Many of our members are themselves living in and they have demonstrated that exile is not defeat, but a transformation of resistance onto the global stage-
The WLC is committed to turning the global diaspora of democrats into a formidable force for change. We will strengthen networks of exiles, connecting those from different countries to share lessons on building effective movements from abroad. At the same time, we advocate for the rights and dignity of exiles in their host countries.
We stress that exile is temporary – a chapter, not the epilogue. Our goal is that every exile who so desires can one day return in freedom to their homeland. “Freedom in Exile” is a means to “Freedom at Home.” To those who have been banished, we say: hold fast to your identity, maintain your vision of return. We will be there with you when the day comes that you walk off a plane onto the soil of your free countries.
XI) Transnational Repression: No Safe Haven for Fear
Authoritarian power no longer stops at the water’s edge. Dictators pursue their critics across borders through transnational repression—using assassinations, kidnappings, surveillance, digital spyware, intimidation of families, and the abuse of tools like INTERPOL red notices to extend tyranny’s reach.
From Tehran to Moscow, Beijing to Kigali, exiled dissidents live under the shadow of regimes that criminalize dissent everywhere. The World Liberty Congress affirms a simple principle: no dictatorship should be allowed to export fear beyond its borders. We call on democratic governments to adopt strong legislation and coordination mechanisms to deter and punish transnational repression, to protect exiled activists with emergency visas, legal assistance, and counter-surveillance measures, and to hold accountable all perpetrators and enablers—including private companies selling spyware or financial services to despotic regimes. As long as dictators hunt their opponents abroad, none of us are truly free. The world must make clear: refuge is sacred, asylum is inviolable, and freedom has no frontier.
XII) Statelessness and the Politics of Erasure
One of the most insidious tools of modern tyranny is forced statelessness—the deliberate stripping or denial of nationality to silence dissent. In recent years, regimes such as those in Nicaragua and Belarus have explicitly revoked citizenship from opposition leaders, journalists, and human rights defenders, rendering them exiles by decree. Others, like China, Cuba, Venezuela and Russia, practice de facto statelessness by refusing to issue or renew passports, confiscating travel documents, or blocking consular services for those who dare to speak the truth. These bureaucratic weapons of exclusion turn the basic act of movement or identification into a privilege granted by the regime to the obedient. The World Liberty Congress condemns this politics of erasure—the attempt to delete citizens from their own nations and from legal existence itself—as a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 15) and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
We pledge to make the defense of the forcibly stateless and denationalized dissidents a permanent priority of our movement. Through our Freedom in Exile initiative, we will provide legal assistance, documentation support, and international advocacy for those deprived of nationality; press democratic governments to grant them protection, travel documents, and the right to rebuild their lives in safety; and campaign for new global mechanisms that recognize and respond to statelessness as a weapon of political persecution. No tyrant has the authority to erase the identity of a human being. Citizenship is not a favor bestowed by the state—it is an expression of belonging to humanity itself. The WLC will stand with every man and woman stripped of nationality until the world restores to them both a country and a name.
XIII) Democratic Leadership: A Call to the Free World
At this critical juncture in history, we turn our gaze to the world’s established democracies – particularly the United States and the nations of Western Europe – and issue a clarion call for stronger democratic leadership in the face of authoritarian expansion. The post-World War II democratic order, led by the transatlantic alliance, is being tested as never before. Now is the time for those nations that pride themselves on freedom to prove it with action. We appeal to their principles and their pragmatism alike: support for democracy abroad is not only an ethical duty but a strategic necessity for a peaceful and stable world.
We call for a bold global action plan for democracy: a commitment to ramp up funding for democracy assistance (from election observers to anti-corruption initiatives), to coordinate with allies in defending democratic norms, and to penalize regimes that commit atrocities or undermine international peace. We specifically urge the creation of a “League of Democracies” or parallel alliance through which like-minded democratic nations can act when the UN Security Council is paralyzed by vetoes. This should not be seen as a divisive move but as a necessary one to protect the UN’s founding values from being held hostage by dictators. Let democracies convene to address crises – humanitarian interventions, peacekeeping, sanctions enforcement – when the official organs fail to do so.
The world needs a more geopolitically assertive Europe and United States, speaking with one voice against tyranny. Whether it’s sanctioning human rights abusers, cutting off funds to authoritarian regimes, or offering sanctuary to dissidents, joint actions carry immense weight. Likewise, we urge NATO and Western defense partnerships to adapt to hybrid threats posed by autocracies – from disinformation to energy blackmail – and to extend security cooperation to vulnerable democracies in regions like the Indo-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa. Western Europe’s moral authority and economic influence must be leveraged to counter authoritarian expansion, especially in Africa and the Middle East where Chinese and Russian influence often fills a vacuum.
We also address the democracies of the Global South, from India to South Africa, Indonesia to Brazil. We know some feel the “West” speaks too often of democracy while sometimes failing to listen or respect others. But we appeal to those nations’ own proud democratic traditions and the aspirations of their people: do not fall for the false allure of authoritarian “efficiency” or neutrality in this contest.
We urge these regional powers to join in a common front. Democracy is not a Western value; it is a universal value that people in your countries have fought for as well. The World Liberty Congress reaches out a hand of partnership to democrats in every culture and continent.
Let us be specific: we call for a Democracy Security Compact – an understanding among democratic nations that security cooperation and mutual support extend to defending against authoritarian subversion. This might manifest as sharing intelligence on election interference, pooling resources to help countries targeted by embargoes from autocracies, or even establishing rapid reaction teams to help a democracy under siege (for instance, aiding a nation whose power grid is cyber-attacked by a hostile regime). Just as autocracies have learned to collaborate in repression, democracies must collaborate in resilience.
Our message to the free world’s governments and peoples is this: Do not take your freedom for granted, and do not shrink from the responsibility of leadership that freedom bestows upon you. Leadership can be costly – it may involve economic sacrifices or military commitments – but the cost of inaction will be far higher. A fragmented, leaderless free world is the dream of every despot. A united and resolute free world is their deepest nightmare.
XIV) Youth at the Vanguard of Global Freedom
Throughout history, youth have ignited the flames of change. It is often the idealism and courage of young people that have pushed societies to break the chains of oppression. Today, once again, the youth of the world are summoned to the vanguard of the struggle for global freedom. They are not only our hope for the future – they are our partners and leaders in the present fight. The World Liberty Congress honors the central role of youth and commits to amplifying their power as a moral and strategic force.
We recall with pride that at our first General Assembly in Vilnius 2023, one of the key accomplishments was the establishment of the WLC Youth Liberty Alliance, which brought together 37 young freedom activists from 28 countries under one banner. These young delegates, representing a mosaic of cultures and causes, infused our movement with energy and innovation. They proved that age is no barrier to leadership. We formally designate the youth of the WLC as the “moral stewards of freedom” of our Congress. The WLC will invest heavily in youth capacity-building. We also will expand exchange programs that connect young activists from different countries, so they can learn directly from one another.
XV) Freedom of Faith: Defending Religious Liberty for All
Freedom is indivisible – to defend one right is to defend them all. We therefore affirm our explicit support for religious freedom as a cornerstone of liberty and a bulwark against tyranny. The freedom to follow one’s conscience, to believe or not believe, to worship according to one’s faith or to change one’s faith – these are among the most fundamental human rights, enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The World Liberty Congress stands for a world where everyone has the right to seek the truth as their conscience leads, and to live out their beliefs in peace, so long as they do not infringe on the rights of others. We commit to integrating the cause of religious freedom into our broader struggle.
XVI) Bitcoin and Freedom Technologies
In our era, technology is one of the central battlegrounds between liberty and tyranny. The same digital tools that can liberate can also enslave, depending on how they are used. We declare that the World Liberty Congress embraces and will promote technologies that empower people and resist authoritarian control – and among these, we give special recognition to Bitcoin and related decentralized technologies as tools of freedom. In an age when dictators surveil and freeze the bank accounts of dissidents, when authoritarian governments weaponize banking systems to punish opponents, the advent of Bitcoin provides an alternative lifeline. Human-rights organizations and democracy activists have increasingly turned to Bitcoin – a censorship-resistant digital currency – to sustain their operations when traditional financial channels are blocked by regimes. Bitcoin’s design, which allows peer-to-peer transactions without needing permission from any authority, is, as one expert put it, “freedom money” – because it cannot easily be confiscated or controlled by despots. The WLC embraces Bitcoin and related technologies as part of the freedom toolkit for the 21st century.
We will integrate tech expertise into our Democratic Decentralized Resistance Program, ensuring that those on the frontlines have every advantage that innovation can give them.
Conclusion: The Unbreakable Commitment of Berlin – Liberty Forever
From the city once divided, we send forth this Manifesto as a message of unity and resolve. Berlin, once the symbol of a world split between free and unfree, today stands as a testament that walls can fall and tyranny can end. Here, on November 10, 2025, the World Liberty Congress has adopted the Berlin Manifesto, a declaration of principles and plans that will guide our collective efforts in the years ahead. But more than a policy document, this Manifesto is a pledge – a sacred oath – to the peoples of the world living under oppression, and to those who stand with us in liberty.
Thus, we conclude by reiterating our unbreakable solidarity. The commitments made in Lithuania – to unite across ideologies and regions, to support each other materially and morally, to not be divided by the artifices that dictators use—fear, propaganda, mistrust– those commitments are stronger than ever. We have now broadened and deepened them in this Manifesto. Together, we will work tirelessly to end the era of autocracy and usher in a new dawn of human liberty.
We pay tribute to Lithuania—the brave small nation that hosted our birth—and to all the Baltic states and others that have stood as beacons of freedom on the edge of autocracy’s shadow. And today, with gratitude and humility, we add Berlin to that journey. We thank the Parliament of Berlin for opening its doors to us, for welcoming our General Assembly within these historic halls, and for allowing the voices of dissidents from around the world to resonate in a chamber once silenced by tyranny. From Vilnius to Berlin, and onward to every capital of every currently unfree land, we carry this flame of liberty—until the day those nations join the family of democracies.
We envision a future assembly in a free Minsk, a free Moscow, a free Tehran, a free Havana—and one day, a free Beijing. Skeptics may say this is overly ambitious. But so was the dream that the Berlin Wall would fall—until it did.
Here in Berlin, we are surrounded by the lessons of history. The Brandenburg Gate, once trapped in a no-man’s land, now stands open. The Reichstag bears the inscription “Dem Deutschen Volke”—to the German people—a reminder that sovereignty ultimately rests with the people, not with emperors, not with Führers, not with party bosses. We chose Berlin for this Manifesto not out of convenience or rotation, but symbolically—to draw strength from its story and to declare that what happened here can happen anywhere: division overcome, democracy reborn.
As we conclude the Berlin Manifesto, we invoke the spirit of all freedom martyrs and heroes past and present. Their spirits are with us in this hall. We especially honor those who have fallen since our last gathering: the journalists assassinated, the protesters shot dead, the political prisoners tortured to death. We are their voice now.
Standing here in Berlin, we pledge anew what we pledged in Vilnius: to remain united until the work is done. And when that day comes – as we believe it will, for we see the indomitable spirit of people power rising everywhere – when that day comes, we shall celebrate together and remember this journey.
But until then, we end not with a celebration, but with a summons. To all peoples, free and unfree, to all who hear these words: join us.
