In December 2025, the Renew Democracy Initiative convened our annual Frontlines of Freedom Conference (FOFCON) in Washington, DC—bringing together an extraordinary coalition united by a shared commitment to liberty and democratic resilience. 

Over three days, scores of political dissidents from around the world gathered alongside an unusually diverse group of Americans: two sitting US senators, two generals, a former national security adviser, a Hollywood executive, a Tony Award–winning Broadway actor, business leaders, and influential voices from across media and civil society. 

What distinguishes FOFCON each year is its emphasis on dissident perspectives—voices shaped not by theory, but by lived experience under authoritarianism. As RDI founder Garry Kasparov reminded attendees, “being shoved into the back of a Russian police van gives you a different perspective on freedom.” These perspectives sharpen the conference’s focus on what is at stake in the United States today, and why freedom cannot at home and around the world be taken for granted.

Participants traveled from across the US and abroad for a simple reason: they are deeply concerned about the future of freedom, but they want to fight for it as part of a community. FOFCON reaffirms RDI’s core mission—building a big-tent coalition that cuts across ideology, profession, and generation, united by the universal values of liberty and democracy. RDI has become a home of the politically homeless.

The impact of FOFCON 2025 extended far beyond the conference room. Major influencers joined us in DC, and coverage on CNN and C-SPAN—along with widespread social media engagement—meant that well over a million people encountered RDI’s work in the days that followed.

Check out a full recap of the program over at The Next Move.

Looking forward, RDI is focused on expanding this coalition even further—bringing dissident voices to campuses, communities, boardrooms, and newsrooms across the country, and deepening our impact on the national conversation about freedom.

FOFCON 2025 was not an endpoint, but a catalyst. And it’s only the beginning.