Backgrounds include politics, journalism and law

DAYTON, Ohio, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Charles F. Kettering Foundation today announced the awarding of five, one-year global fellowships to inspiring leaders working in many different fields to protect and defend democracy. These global fellows, recognized for their significant contributions to fighting authoritarianism and protecting human rights, will provide expertise and insights to the foundation's Democracy around the Globe focus area.

The fellows will contribute to the foundation's global work through blogs, articles and other communications, as well as through their participation in webinars, conferences and other convenings hosted by the foundation. This yearlong fellowship is designed to foster global collaboration, learning and solidarity among international democratic thought leaders and a broader community of partners and practitioners.

The 2026 Charles F. Kettering Global Fellows are:

Clare Byarugaba, from Uganda, is a decade-long LGBTQ+ rights advocate. In her role as the diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Chapter Four Uganda, she founded the country's first-ever chapter of PFLAG-Uganda. She is a co-convener of Convening For Equality, a social movement that is leading the fight against the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 and other emerging anti-LGBTQ+ rights legislation in Uganda, and co-founded the Uganda Kuchus Aquatic Team (UKAT), the first LGBTQ+ swim team in Africa. She is also a USAID/CDC Gender and Sexuality Certified Diversity Trainer.

Patrick Gathara, from Kenya, is a journalist, writer, editor and political cartoonist. He is the senior editor for inclusive storytelling at The New Humanitarian, an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering humanitarian crises around the world. Gathara was the curator-in-chief of The Elephant, an influential online Kenyan news magazine, and helped establish the Association of East African Cartoonists. He has worked as a cartoonist and columnist for Kenyan and international publications for more than 25 years. Gathara writes and speaks widely on media ethics, crisis reporting, democracy and the role of satire in holding power to account.

Julia Neiva, from Brazil, is deputy director and a co-founder of Conectas Direitos Humanos, which works for equality and human rights through advocacy, litigation, networking and alliances. She has coordinated networks such as LogoLink, led human rights initiatives across the Global South and participated in litigation for landmark cases before the Brazilian Supreme Court and internationally. She holds a law degree from Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, a master of laws degree from Columbia University Law School and a doctorate from the Human Rights Program at the University of São Paulo Law School.

Urban Strandberg, from Sweden, is co-founder and director of the International Youth Think Tank, which seeks to transform the activism of young people to allow them to lead the way for a more democratic future. He is also an associate professor of political science at the University of Gothenburg and a senior lecturer at the Department of Law within the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg. His research focus is public and constitutional policy, focusing on local government and democracy. For 10 years, Strandberg was director of European studies at the University of Gothenburg.

Kristóf Szombati, from Hungary, is a scholar, a practitioner and an editor for the political economy and inequalities section at the Review of Democracy. He has worked extensively with Roma communities in Hungary. His research examines why ordinary people support or oppose authoritarian right-wing politics, exploring the intersections of class, race and eroding trust in democracy. In 2007, he co-founded the green Politics Can Be Different (LMP) party in Hungary, leaving politics in 2011 to pursue a doctorate in anthropology and sociology at Central European University. His current research focuses on local efforts to obstruct the advancement of the authoritarian right. Szombati, based in Berlin, is co-host of This Authoritarian Life, a podcast exploring how people experience, adapt to and resist authoritarian politics.

"These fellows bring an important breadth of approaches to the work of defending democracy," said Paloma Dallas, senior program officer for Democracy around the Globe. "Their participation in the global fellows program will strengthen the foundation's mission of resisting authoritarianism and strengthening inclusive democracy here and around the world."

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, operating foundation rooted in the American tradition of inventive research. Founded in 1927 "to sponsor and carry out scientific research for the benefit of humanity," the foundation is inspired by the innovativeness and ingenuity of its founder, the American inventor Charles F. Kettering. For the past four decades, the foundation's research and programs have focused on the needs of democracy worldwide. Today, the organization is committing itself to advancing inclusive democracies by fostering citizen engagement, promoting government accountability, and countering authoritarianism.

Contact
Melinda Gilmore
Charles F. Kettering Foundation
Director of Communications
Cell: 937.965.5297
409722@email4pr.com 

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SOURCE Charles F. Kettering Foundation