NDI - Argentina

NDI Hosts Democracy Support Roundtable with Emerging Powers

rrunyan — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:09:33 +0000

A group of politicians, civil society leaders and academics from the transatlantic community and emerging powers – including Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa – convened recently in Washington to discuss the potential for greater cooperation on democracy support.

The Washington roundtable gave participants the opportunity to share perspectives and experiences on how emerging powers support democratic development beyond their borders. It also explored the challenges to greater engagement by emerging powers in democracy support and ways that the traditional donor community could better support these efforts.

The number of people living collectively in the democracies of Brazil, India and Indonesia is double the number living in the United States and European Union combined. However, even though many emerging powers have the most relevant democratic and economic development models, they are often not present in policy discussions on democracy support because they tend to be neither major donors nor recipients of development assistance. The roundtable was intended to examine opportunities for deepening partnerships between the transatlantic community and emerging democratic powers on democracy support.

Indonesia’s Transition Provides Key Lessons for Democracy Supporters

Against a backdrop of unfolding events in Egypt, Indonesia’s ambassador to the U.S., Dino Patti Djalal, recalled his country’s transition to democracy and the skepticism it engendered along the way. Djalal, who has worked in the Indonesian government for more than 20 years, remembered those who doubted whether his country had a democratic future as it began the transition in 2001.

People would say, “It’s never going to work. Democracy is not right for Indonesia,” he told an audience at NDI. “When you hear that enough, you tend to be affected by it,” he said. “You fear the uncertainty.”

The Washington roundtable, hosted by NDI, gave participants the opportunity to share perspectives and experiences on how emerging powers support democratic development beyond their borders. It also explored the challenges to greater engagement by emerging powers in democracy support and ways that the traditional donor community could better support these efforts. The discussion also explored mechanisms, including multilateral and nongovernmental channels, for deepening cooperation between the transatlantic community and emerging democratic powers on democracy support.

The roundtable, held Feb. 6 to 8, was made possible through the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, with additional support from the Mexican and Indonesian embassies. The discussions will inform a working paper that will provide recommendations to a transatlantic dialogue on democracy support. The two-year dialogue first met in Washington last June. The second conference will be held at the European Parliament in Brussels, March 13-15.

The dialogue is co-chaired by Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. secretary of state; Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament; Javier Solana, former EU high representative for the common foreign security policy; and former U.S. Representative Vin Weber. NDI is hosting the dialogue with support from the European Commission, the National Endowment for Democracy, the German Marshall Fund, the European Partnership for Democracy and the Office for the Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy of the European Parliament.

Pictured Above: NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright speaks at the opening of the roundtable.

Published February 28, 2011

Colombian Municipal Councilors Hone Good Governance Skills

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:43:02 +0000

In Colombia, as in many countries in Latin America, municipal councilors generally receive little training in the skills they need to represent their constituents effectively. This is especially true for small and poor municipalities in post-conflict regions or those with large Afro-Colombian or indigenous populations.

At a recent seminar in Santa Marta in the Magdalena department, council members focused on how to identify citizens’ needs, develop policies to address those needs, negotiate and engage citizens and the media.

“The tools of the trade must be learned on the job,” said Yamil Quinto of Istmina, a municipal council member from the city of Istmina in the primarily Afro-Colombian department of Chocó. (Colombian departments are the equivalent of states.)

At a recent seminar in Santa Marta in the Magdalena department, Quinto and other council members focused on how to identify citizens’ needs, develop policies to address those needs, negotiate, and engage citizens and the media. The seminar also covered the council’s oversight role and the benefits of working within political parties and caucuses.

The council members worked through those issues with Colombian and international experts, including academics, journalists, representatives of civic groups and former local elected officials. Cosponsored by NDI, USAID’S CIMIENTOS local-governance program and the National Federation of Municipal Councils (Federación Nacional de Concejos, FENACON), the seminar built on work NDI has done throughout the region to help local elected officials deliver specific and substantive results to the citizens who elected them. In August, NDI convened Argentine federal and state legislators, governors and mayors in association with the Political Action Network (Red de Acción Política, RAP) for a four-day seminar on similar issues.

The participants in Santa Marta, from 20 municipalities in 10 departments, represented nine political parties from across the political spectrum. Half were Afro-Colombians and one third of the participants were women. They were chosen from among Colombia’s 12,000 council members through nominations by their parties and then a selection process that sought to balance political viewpoints and the participation of traditionally underrepresented Afro-descendants and women.

Participants said they would share the tools with colleagues in their councils and parties, and use them to develop policies to benefit their communities. In some cases, the seminar helped participants overcome their disillusionment with politics. For example, Leydi Palacios from the city of Buenaventura, in the Valle del Cauca department, said that skills acquired at the seminar convinced her that it would be possible to work to improve her municipality’s development plan, which had previously been a major source of frustration and a potential reason to exit politics.

“These types of events help us to become better people, better council members, better community representatives, better public servants and better advocates for the rights of our communities,” said Antonio Acosta of San Onofre, in the department of Sucre.

Pictured Above:Municipal councilors work in a group during the seminar in Santa Marta in the Magdalena department.

Published January 26, 2011

NDI Reports: A Review of the Activities of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs

vrao — Mon, 21 Jul 2003 04:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

12/01/2008

Resource Type:

Newsletter

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Spring 2011: Digital Mapping, Women's Participation, Domestic Monitoring	1.2 MB
December 2008: Making Democracy Deliver	2.37 MB
Summer 2008: Kosovo, Pakistan, Sudan	571.9 KB
Summer 2007: Youth, Women, Technology	801.33 KB
Summer 2006: Bosnia, Liberia, West Bank and Gaza	462.92 KB
Fall 2005: Kosovo, Iraq, Kuwait	865.42 KB
Spring 2005: Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan	813.77 KB
Spring 2004: Win With Women, Elections in Eurasia	615.17 KB
Fall 2003: Celebrating 20 Years	808.11 KB
Spring 2003: Women's Leadership in Yemen, Nepal, Senegal	468.06 KB
Fall 2002: Democracy in the Middle East, Cuba	547.6 KB
Spring 2002: Asian Political Parties, Afghanistan	528.32 KB
Winter 2001: Sept. 11, Nicaragua, Belarus	507.47 KB
Summer 2001: Election Monitors in Central & Eastern Europe	683 KB
Spring 2001: Mexico, Peru, Serbia	732.14 KB
Winter 2000: Zimbabwe, Croatia, Thailand	2.52 MB
Winter 1999: Indonesia, Nigeria, Azerbaijan	3.23 MB
Fall 1999: Nigeria, Indonesia, Morocco	1.29 MB
Winter 1998: Kenya, Poland, Northern Ireland	2.26 MB
Summer 1998: Hong Kong, Ukraine, Ghana	2.01 MB
Winter 1997: Nicaragua, South Africa, Ghana	2.93 MB
Summer 1996: Russia, International Leaders Forum	2.98 MB
Spring 1996: West Bank Gaza, Bosnia, Burundi	2.4 MB
Winter 1995: West Bank Gaza, Ukraine, Malawi	3.28 MB
Fall 1995: South Africa, Russia, Yemen	2.22 MB
Summer 1995: Haiti, Peru, Malawi	2.68 MB
Spring 1994: South Africa, Mexico, Ethiopia	3.43 MB
Summer 1993: Russia, Namibia, Nicaragua	3.52 MB
Spring 1993: Cambodia, South Africa, Yemen	3.71 MB
Spring 1992: Romania, South Africa, Bolivia	1.99 MB
Winter 1991: Zambia, Poland, the Baltics	2.05 MB
Summer 1991: Zambia, Mexico, Bangladesh	1.26 MB
Spring 1991: Namibia, Russia, Senegal	1.36 MB
Winter 1990: Poland, Namibia, Bangladesh	1.33 MB
Fall 1990: Former Soviet Republics, Haiti, Bulgaria	2.07 MB
Summer 1990: Eastern Europe, Dominican Republic, Haiti	2.7 MB
Spring 1990: Hungary, Nicaragua, Panama	1.3 MB
Winter 1989: Pakistan, Argentina, Chile	1.59 MB
Fall 1988: Chile, Pakistan, Nicaragua	1.26 MB
Summer 1988: Costa Rica, Panama, Chile	1.61 MB
Spring 1988: Tunisia, Chile, Paraguay	1.28 MB
Winter 1987: Haiti, Chile, Nicaragua	1.84 MB
Fall 1987: Haiti, Uruguay, Nicaragua	1.43 MB
Spring 1987: Argentina, Philippines, Haiti	1.22 MB
Spring 1986: Philippines, Brazil, Northern Ireland	2.26 MB
Summer 1986: Chile, South Korea, Northern Ireland	2.92 MB
Winter 1986: Mondale Assumes Chairmanship, Argentina, Haiti	3.96 MB
Summer 1985: Senegal, Northern Ireland, South America	1.15 MB

Political Party Developments Issue VI: How Political Party Programs Increase Women's Participation in Political Processes

vrao — Thu, 15 Mar 2001 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/15/1999

Resource Type:

Newsletter

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the newsletter	205.6 KB

Governance, Security & Military Institutions in Democracies, April 5 to 7, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Preliminary Seminar Report,

vrao — Mon, 05 Feb 2001 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

04/05/2000

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the report	16.58 KB

Promoviendo el Derecho a la Informacion y Estrategias Anti-Corrupcion: Experiencias en Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Estados Unido

vrao — Wed, 24 Jan 2001 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/01/1998

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

Spanish

Attachment	Size
Read the report (Spanish)	809.23 KB

Promoviendo Transparencia y Gobernabilidad: Experiencias en la Republica Argentina, Colombia, y los Estados Unidos, Buenos Aires

vrao — Wed, 24 Jan 2001 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute Banco Mundial

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/01/2001

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

Spanish

Attachment	Size
Read the report (Spanish)	6.33 MB

Civil-Military Relations: The Argentine Experience, The Report of an International Conference, Santo Domingo, December 16-18, 19

vrao — Wed, 24 Jan 2001 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/01/1989

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the report	3.69 MB

Argentina: International Conference on Constitutional Reform, April 23-25, 1987, Buenos Aires, Argentina

vrao — Wed, 24 Jan 2001 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

04/23/1987

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the report	4.04 MB

Options for Constitutional and Legislative Reform in Argentina, NDI Consultation - October 1986

vrao — Wed, 24 Jan 2001 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/01/1986

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the report	302.96 KB

Legislative Reform: The Argentine Congress

vrao — Wed, 24 Jan 2001 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

09/09/1985

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the report	1.67 MB

Actitudes Hacia los Partidos Políticos en America Latina: Informe Sobre una serie de Focus Groups Realizados en México, El Salva

vrao — Tue, 09 Jan 2001 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute, Graciela Romer & Asociados

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

08/30/1995

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

Spanish

Attachment	Size
Read the report (Spanish)	2.26 MB

Towards a New Relationship: The Role of the Military in a Democratic Government

vrao — Tue, 26 Dec 2000 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/01/1990

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the report	4.22 MB

Future Political Leaders to Examine Challenges Facing Political Parties in the Americas

Wed, 24 Feb 1999 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

02/24/1999

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the release	185.38 KB

NDI Report Makes Recommendations on Civil-Military Relations in Argentina

ntekeei — Mon, 06 Feb 1989 05:00:00 +0000

Published Date:

02/06/1989

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the release	579.38 KB