Courage Foundation

{{Short description|Fundraising trust for whistleblowers and journalists}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}

The Courage Foundation is an international organisation based in Germany, the UK and the US that supports whistleblowers and journalists by fundraising for their legal defence.{{Cite web |date=2019-09-25 |title=FAQs {{!}} Courage Foundation |url=https://www.couragefound.org/faqs/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925152143/https://www.couragefound.org/faqs/ |archive-date=September 25, 2019 }}

Founded on August 9, 2013, as the Journalistic Source Protection Defence Fund by Gavin MacFadyen, Barbora Bukovska and Julian Assange{{Cite web |title=FAQs {{!}} Courage Foundation |url=https://www.couragefound.org/faqs/ |access-date=2022-03-24 |language=en-US |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726071506/https://www.couragefound.org/faqs/ |url-status=dead }} it later rebranded in June 2014.{{cite news|last1=Frediani|first1=Carola|title=Snowden and the War On Whistleblowers: An Interview With Annie Machon|url=http://techpresident.com/news/wegov/24737/snowden-and-war-whistleblowers-interview-annie-machon|accessdate=22 July 2015|date=11 February 2014|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128022938/http://techpresident.com/news/wegov/24737/snowden-and-war-whistleblowers-interview-annie-machon|url-status=dead}}

WikiLeaks section editor Sarah Harrison served as acting director from 2014{{cite web |date=9 June 2014 |title=Launch of Courage and Snowden Campaign in Berlin, Wednesday 11th June |url=https://couragefound.org/2014/06/launch/ |accessdate=21 February 2020 |publisher=Courage Foundation |archive-date=February 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221203635/https://couragefound.org/2014/06/launch/ |url-status=dead }} until April 2017, when WikiLeaks became a Courage beneficiary and Naomi Colvin began serving as director.{{cite web |date=4 April 2018 |title=Courage announces new director Naomi Colvin |url=https://couragefound.org/2018/04/courage-announces-new-director-naomi-colvin/ |accessdate=21 February 2020 |publisher=Courage Foundation |archive-date=February 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221203631/https://couragefound.org/2018/04/courage-announces-new-director-naomi-colvin/ |url-status=dead }} Colvin served as director until 2018. The trustees include Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, former NSA executive Thomas Drake, former MI5 British intelligence officer and whistleblower Annie Machon, Vice President of the Wau Holland Foundation Andy Müller-Maguhn, Guatemala human rights lawyer Renata Ávila, and some members of Pussy Riot.{{cite news |last1=Addley |first1=Esther |date=18 November 2014 |title=Pussy Riot members join whistleblower foundation backed by Julian Assange |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/18/pussy-riot-members-whistleblower-foundation-julian-assange |accessdate=22 July 2015}}

The Courage Foundation supports Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. The Courage Foundation supported Edward Snowden (NSA whistleblower), Jeremy Hammond (Stratfor hacktivist), Matt DeHart,{{cite news|last1=Raincoaster|title=Matt DeHart is Named Beneficiary of the Courage Foundation|url=http://thecryptosphere.com/2015/03/03/matt-dehart-receives-the-courage-award/|accessdate=22 July 2015|date=3 March 2015}} Lauri Love and Chelsea Manning.

The Courage trustees are Susan Benn, and John Pilger. Renata Ávila was a trustee before retiring in April 2018{{Cite web |last=Avila |first=Renata |date=2019-01-27 |title=Clarifying a statement about Courage Foundation and WikiLeaks |url=https://avilarenata.medium.com/clarifying-a-statement-about-courage-foundation-and-wikileaks-c060458f5a3c |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=Medium |language=en}} and Dame Vivienne Westwood was a trustee before she died.{{cite web|url=https://couragefound.org/2016/11/courage-announces-new-board-of-trustees/|title=Courage announces new board of trustees - Courage Foundation|website=couragefound.org|access-date=August 4, 2017|archive-date=May 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517123804/https://couragefound.org/2016/11/courage-announces-new-board-of-trustees/|url-status=dead}}

In October 2019, a former Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) employee later identified as Brendan Whelan presented his dissent with the OPCW's findings about the investigation of the Douma chemical attack. Members of the Courage Foundation who attended included Kristinn Hrafnsson, Jose Bustani, Helmut Lohre and Gunter Meyer.{{Cite web |last=Whitaker |first=Brian |date=2023-02-15 |title=A Notorious Syria Conspiracy Theory Is Definitively Debunked |url=https://newlinesmag.com/argument/a-notorious-syria-conspiracy-theory-is-definitively-debunked/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=New Lines Magazine |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Bellingcat Investigation |date=2020-10-26 |title=Unpublished OPCW Douma Correspondence Casts Further Doubt on Claims of 'Doctored' Report |url=https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2020/10/26/unpublished-opcw-douma-correspondence-raises-doubts-about-transparency-of-opcw-leaks-promoters/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=bellingcat |language=en-GB}} Courage Foundation published the Statement of Concern at the same time as "Berlin Group 21",{{Cite web |date=2021-04-10 |title=Statement of Concern: The OPCW investigation of alleged chemical weapons use in Douma, Syria {{!}} Courage Foundation |url=https://couragefound.org/2021/03/statement-of-concern-the-opcw-investigation-of-alleged-chemical-weapons-use-in-douma-syria/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410152901/https://couragefound.org/2021/03/statement-of-concern-the-opcw-investigation-of-alleged-chemical-weapons-use-in-douma-syria/ |archive-date=April 10, 2021 }}{{Cite web |date=2021-04-10 |title=Additional Background Information (provided by the Berlin Group 21) Regarding the OPCW FFM Investigation of the Alleged Chemical Attack in Douma, April 7, 2018 {{!}} Courage Foundation |url=https://couragefound.org/2021/03/additional-background-information-regarding-the-opcw-ffm-investigation-of-the-alleged-chemical-attack-in-douma-april-7-2018/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410135038/https://couragefound.org/2021/03/additional-background-information-regarding-the-opcw-ffm-investigation-of-the-alleged-chemical-attack-in-douma-april-7-2018/ |archive-date=April 10, 2021 }}{{Cite web |last=Waters |first=Nick |date=2021-05-14 |title=Berlin Group 21, 'Ivan's' Emails and Chemical Weapons Conspiracy Theories |url=https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2021/05/14/berlin-group-21-ivans-emails-and-chemical-weapons-conspiracy-theories/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=bellingcat |language=en-GB}} which was allegedly created as a front for the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media.{{Cite web |last1=Weiss |first1=Michael |last2=Goldsmith |first2=Jett |date=2021-04-20 |title=How an Email Sting Operation Unearthed a pro-Assad Conspiracy—and Russia's Role In It |url=https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/how-an-email-sting-operation-unearthed-a-pro-assad-conspiracy-and-russias-role-in-it/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=New Lines Magazine |language=en}} Whelan later leaked OPCW documents to WikiLeaks.{{Cite news |last=Goldsmith |first=Michael Weiss, Jett |date=2021-04-20 |title=Syria Chemical-Attack Deniers Admit Links to WikiLeaks and Russia |language=en |work=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/syria-chemical-attack-deniers-admit-links-to-wikileaks-and-russia |access-date=2023-02-20}}