Alliance For Freedom of Speech (Bündnis Redefreiheit)
What we stand for and what we do
Freedom of expression is not something you have once and then keep forever. It thrives on being used and defended when necessary. Every day. It is precisely where it is considered safe that it is often undermined most quickly. Usually not in one fell swoop, but bit by bit. Quietly. And often without anyone noticing. In Germany, however, the loss is now clearly felt.
The Alliance for Freedom of Speech understands freedom of speech not as a slogan, but as a principle and practice. We intervene when it is violated. We accompany people who are targeted because they have said the wrong thing or said the right thing at the wrong time. We advise, mediate, defend, in court, in the media, in public. Our work ranges from legal support and political education to the analysis and documentation of those developments that put pressure on free speech. We organize debates, publish articles and reports, bring together people who disagree but share a common principle: that in a free society, every voice must have a place.
Who we’re here for
Freedom of expression is not a privilege of the loud or the elite. It does not only belong to intellectuals, publicists, researchers or artists. It applies to everyone, or it does not apply at all.
Membership is not a condition for our help. We stand by everyone equally, on a case-by-case basis, at our discretion. The Alliance for Freedom of Speech is open to anyone in Switzerland or Germany who expects something from freedom of speech or feels threatened by the authorities because of their statement. Whether you are a student or have long since retired, whether you write, teach, sing or simply speak: If you feel that you are under social, professional or legal pressure for a legitimate opinion, we are at your side.
It doesn’t matter whether the attack comes from the executive floor, from a lecture hall, from an online crowd or from a state agency. What matters is that your right to freedom of expression is threatened, and that you should not be left alone.
Why community matters
Those who stand up against silence often stand alone at first. But no one should be forced to bear the risk of honesty in isolation.
Membership of the Alliance for Freedom of Speech means being part of a community that is not defined by common opinions, but by common principles. We are not united by a worldview, but by the conviction that worldviews must be publicly discussable again.
Those who fear freedom of speech act in an organized way, in networks, in the media, in institutions. Your opponents have to do the same. Not in anger, but in the determination that freedom does not sustain itself. If you can gain something from this conviction, you are already one of us.
The Berlin Declaration
The Berlin Declaration protects and strengthens the cornerstone of democracy.
With the Berlin Declaration, personalities from science, culture, law and the media are setting an example. Now it is up to us citizens. Join over 10,000 signatories by signing here.
Visit the Alliance website for further information or contact them by email: kontakt@buendnisredefreiheit.de
Follow the Alliance on X: @BRedefreiheit
