NDI - Bahrain

Seeing the U.S. Election through International Eyes

erodriguez — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 16:30:31 +0000

Elections in the United States are unique -- not only due to the decentralized election framework and history of campaigning, but also for the impact that presidential results in particular have around the world. This year Americans cast their votes for 469 members of Congress and 6,064 state-level elected leaders, in addition to dozens of ballot measures in individual states. Outshining many of these races of course, has been the presidential competition which included two historic candidates: the first woman representing a major party and a first-time office seeker who beat out 16 other primary candidates to secure a party’s nomination.

Delegates from eight Arab countries participate in NDI's Campaign Schools study mission looking at the U.S. elections campaign process.

In light of these contrasts and with the support of the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), NDI hosted a delegation of 18 political activists from eight Arab countries who have graduated from the Institute’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Campaign Schools program to take a close look at the campaigning process and consider what aspects may translate to their parties and campaigns at home. Since the program’s inauguration in 2012, 387 graduates have passed through an intense curriculum focused on devising strong strategies for political parties and adapting tested tactics during campaigns. These activists come from more than 90 political parties in twelve countries and have gone on to train more than 17,000 other activists in their countries and across the region in campaigning and political skills. Thirty have run for office, and 42 have worked on electoral campaigns. Fifteen have won elected office. Many others have used skills learned through the program in campaigns for internal party, university and union elections. Still more have been promoted to leadership positions within their parties and are preparing for future campaigns.

The study mission delegation included campaign managers and former or potential candidates from Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. They began the mission in Washington, D.C., where they spent three days meeting with Democratic and Republican campaign strategists, political commentators, pollsters, leading journalists and academics. The meetings covered the American campaign process, infrastructure and execution, giving the participants a chance to learn from U.S. campaign experts and setting the stage for their deployments to observe campaign activities up close. Among the panelists were:

Joyce Karam, Washington Bureau Chief, Al Hayat Newspaper
Eugene Scott, Reporter, CNN Politics
Ellen Weintraub, Commissioner, Federal Elections Commission
Stuart Stevens, Top Strategist, Mitt Romney 2012 Presidential Campaign
Mark Beatty, Post-Election Evaluation Lead, Obama 2008 / 2012 Presidential Campaigns
Lynda Tran, Founding Partner, 270 Strategies
Whit Ayres, President, North Star Opinion Research
Michael Bocian, Founding Partner and Principal, GBA Strategies
Aaron Leibowitz, Targeted Creative Communications
John Hagner, Clarity and Campaign Labs
Hector Sigala, Digital Media Director, Bernie Sanders Campaign 2016
Rebecca Heisler, Former Social Media Director, Mitt Romney 2012 Presidential Campaign
Erin Lindsay, Former Deputy Director for Online Engagement, White House

"The Electoral Landscape: An Overview of 2016 Elections" panelists Eugene Scott, CNN Politics and Josh Kraushaar, National Journal present key factors in the 2016 presidential race.

Delegates discuss grassroots organizing tactics at the Woman’s National Democratic Club in Washington, D.C.

The delegates then fanned out in smaller teams to three states to witness the closing days of local campaigning efforts. Delegates went to Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York, where they met with candidates and their teams to discuss how they were implementing their campaigns and the challenges they were facing. The groups also learned how interest groups play a role in endorsing candidates and mobilizing volunteers, attended campaign rallies of both presidential nominees and observed Get-Out-The-Vote efforts in the run-up to November 8.

Delegates review New York state voting procedures in Syracuse precinct polling station.

Delegates compare contrasting campaign messages at rallies in the final days before election day.

Back in Washington after election day, delegates reflected on key aspects of U.S. campaigns which resonated with them most. These three aspects stood out:

Appealing to Voters Based on Their Values

Through presentations by leading pollsters, delegates were exposed to the various methods of data collection related to voter attitudes on candidates and issues. Whit Ayres, head of a research firm servicing conservative candidates told the delegation, “Public opinion research, if correct and consistent, helps candidates get the basic message right.” Several delegates noted that given the cost of polling, conducting research can be a challenge during and beyond campaign periods. NDI staff and panelists noted that when resources are limited, political parties can design and conduct their own surveys. This not only helps take the pulse of voters, but provides and opportunity for party members to be involved in party operations. At the state level, delegates saw how campaign messages were adapted from national slogans and tailored by candidates based on concerns of their target voters. The issue of health care is an example: candidates in Syracuse focused on countering growing opioid addiction, while candidates in Detroit and Philadelphia crafted messages to address hospital overcrowding and general poverty.

Using Technology to Support Strategy

Delegates also saw how campaigns use data to build a picture of each voter, to fundraise and to communicate with voters. “Building collaboration between campaigns and data collection over election cycles will strengthen any individual candidate’s campaign,” noted Micah Morris of NGP VAN, the main data management system used by the Democratic Party and other progressive organizations.

While campaign strategists noted the importance of direct contact with the voter, presidential campaigns also demonstrated the power technology can play in delivering messages and receiving information from supporters. Both the Trump and Clinton campaigns relied on digital tools as a means to communicate directly with voters who increasingly rely on cell phones as their primary means of contact. Rebecca Heisler, Mitt Romney’s Social Media Director for the 2012 campaign noted, “people like to have access to candidates. Use social media to create that closeness.”

Inspiring and Managing Volunteers

A common challenge delegates noted from campaigns in their home countries was how to recruit and keep volunteers engaged in campaigns. American grassroots organizers for various campaigns consistently stressed the need to link the personal to the political for voters and volunteers alike. This link between their daily lives and taking action based on values they hold has consistently proven to motivate volunteers in U.S. campaigns. Delegates observed diverse opportunities for volunteers to get involved, including phone banking, canvassing, financial donations and directly contributing to the campaign message through campaign surveys.

GOTV coordinator delivering volunteer training for canvassing weekend before elections.

“I will immediately form a team of volunteers prior to the election period in charge of canvassing in order to collect information about voters including their address, phone numbers and political leanings, because my government does not provide this data to parties.” -- Lebanese delegate

Beyond the campaign process and results, delegates came away from the study mission with a deeper understanding of American political culture and the values around elections. With ongoing support from the U.S. Department of State, NDI will continue to aid political parties and activists throughout MENA in building inclusive election campaign strategies, with an aim for stronger governance that includes citizen voices.

“You can count on a peaceful transition of power in January, on other institutions of government playing their part and that elections will happen again in four years!” -- Moroccan delegate

Campaign Schools Mobilize Thousands Across Middle East and North Africa

smajestic — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 15:10:59 +0000

NDI launched the Regional Campaign Schools program in the MENA region in the fall of 2012. The Campaign Schools program has exposed hundreds of thousands of people to the tools they will need to run effective campaigns. Since 2012 NDI has held six Campaign Schools and four training-of-trainers workshops for a total of 328 individuals representing 91 political parties from 12 countries.

Following the Arab Spring, new opportunities for political participation opened up in much of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, particularly for women, youth and minorities who had historically been marginalized and excluded from power.

Still, aspiring political actors lacked experience, knowledge and exposure to democratic processes, particularly when it came to running for office. Recognizing this need, and with the support of the State Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative, NDI launched the Regional Campaign Schools program in the MENA region in the fall of 2012.

Through a growing online learning platform, workshops that bring together potential candidates and campaign managers from all over the region and a training-of-trainers (TOT) component that is building a cadre of Arabic-speaking trainers, the Campaign Schools program has exposed hundreds of thousands of people to the tools they will need to run effective campaigns.

Since 2012 NDI has held six Campaign Schools and four TOT workshops for a total of 328 individuals representing 91 political parties from 12 countries -- including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and others.

Click the infographic to view the full size version.

The trainings are designed to deliver a genuinely competitive and intense campaign experience to participants, some of whom have never even seen an election. Based on an integrated curriculum, Campaign Schools include a competitive elections simulation combined with modules on key campaign components.

Due to continued political turbulence in the region, only 130 graduates have experienced elections in their home countries since participating in the Campaign Schools program. Of that subset, however, 16 participants have run as candidates, 11 of whom were women. Four were elected, and a further 22 participants worked on campaign teams. Many reported to NDI that they used the skills learned in the Campaign Schools during their electoral work.

One such participant is Amel. A mother of two and a doctor, Amel joined one of the hundreds of new political parties created after protests in Tunisia helped bring down longtime president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. That same year, the party Amel joined secured four seats in the National Constituent Assembly, the most of any post-revolution party.

As they prepared for elections in 2014, Amel and other members of her party’s elections committee followed the steps they learned through the Campaign Schools. Based on their research of the 2011 election results and canvassing data they had been collecting, the party set a feasible vote goal and campaign strategy. Amel and other Campaign Schools graduates who were members of the party’s elections committee also organized trainings for hundreds of party activists on the campaign message and plan to mobilize resources.

Party officials noticed Amel’s leadership during this strategizing. They asked her to serve as a candidate on one of the party’s lists in Tunis. While Amel did not win in her district, the party doubled their seats in parliament - going from four to eight seats. The party’s increased representation in parliament helped as they negotiated their position in the governing coalition after the elections. After the elections, Amel was hired by the Minister of Women’s Affairs.

An essential goal of the Campaign Schools program is to reach women and youth, like Amel, who are eager to effect change in their countries but feel that they lack some of the tools to do so. Despite the dismal rate of women’s participation in politics in the MENA region, 48 percent of Campaign School participants have been women and a full 66 percent have been under the age of 40.

Following the completion of Campaign Schools training, graduates return to their home countries to not only put their new skills to practice in running campaigns, but also to train fellow activists and party members on the Campaign Schools content. In this sense, many graduates have become individual program multipliers, having trained some 15,400 other people on topics like leadership, voter targeting and contact, message development and communications.

To facilitate the work of Amel and other graduates, NDI has made materials like its Campaign Skills Handbook public on several Arabic language websites, including NDIMENA.org. The Campaign Schools Handbook is a step-by-step manual for candidates, political party activists and campaign staff. The new Campaign Skills Handbook guides users through a comprehensive process for planning and implementing electoral campaigns. Furthermore, NDI field offices in the region regularly bring graduates in to facilitate trainings based on the Campaign Schools' curriculum.

This year, in an effort to create an online learning environment across the region, NDI released eight videos on NDIMENA.org that complement modules from the Campaign Skills Handbook. Within four months, the Campaign Schools’ digital resources received over 600,000 visits and materials were downloaded more than 11,300 times. About 53 percent of those visits were from repeat users , indicating that political activists are frequently coming back to the NDI MENA website to engage further with the content.

Over the next year, NDI plans to hold two additional Campaign Schools and one TOT workshop. The Institute will also release seven more videos to bolster its e-learning component, aiming to reach over a million individuals across the MENA region. Thanks to the spread of technology and to trainers like Amel, the number of Campaign School participants will only continue to grow.

Read more:

Published on December 22, 2015

Sandra Pepera

skincaid — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 18:41:17 +0000

Sandra Pepera is a career diplomat and international development professional. Before joining NDI as its director for Gender, Women and Democracy in 2014, she spent thirteen years as a senior officer at the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), including leading programs in the Caribbean, Rwanda-Burundi and Sudan. Prior to joining DFID, Sandra spent time in British domestic politics; lecturing in political science and international relations at the University of Ghana; and as a political analyst in the Political Affairs Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat. She has a portfolio of skills and experience which include strategy development, political and risk analysis, diplomacy, general management and corporate governance.

Much of Sandra’s career has been spent working in or on transitional economies, focusing on the building of resilient and inclusive institutions. She led work on women and politics at the University of Ghana and in outreach public policy during the period of intense and unstable political transition in the early 1990s. This included participating in a program that supported the ANC Women’s League during South Africa’s transition from apartheid to majority democratic rule in 1993.

Sandra is a member of the Cambridge Sustainability Leaders Network, the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Global Board Ready Women initiative, and the International Advisory Board of the Commonwealth Journal for International Affairs (the Round Table). She holds the Financial Times Diploma for Non-Executive Directors, and serves as a trustee for the pension fund of an intergovernmental organization.

البحرين

vrao — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 19:33:25 +0000

السياق السياسي

في العام 2002، اعتمد ملك البحرين دستوراً جديداً، حوّل البحرين رسمياً من إمارة إلى ملكية دستورية، ودعا إلى عقد الانتخابات التشريعية الأولى في تاريخ البلاد منذ ما يقارب الثلاثة عقود من الزمن. بموجب الدستور الجديد، تشكّلت هيئة تشريعية ذات مجلسين تتألف من مجلس منتخب هو مجلس النواب ومجلس تشاوريّ يتم اختياره عن طريق التعيين هو مجلس الشورى. ومنح الدستور المرأة حق المشاركة في الحياة السياسية في البحرين كناخبة وكمرشّحة أيضاً. وكان اعتماد الدستور قد عقب إصلاحاتٍ سياسيةً وقانونيةً إضافيةً أجراها الشيخ حمد منذ اعتلائه العرش في العام 1999، فحرّر السجناء السياسيين، وألغى قوانين الطوارئ التي حكمت البلاد لحوالى 25 عاماً، وسمح بتشكيل الجمعيات السياسية، والمجموعات المستقلة لحقوق الإنسان، والنقابات التجارية.

وكانت الإصلاحات التي أدخلها الشيخ حمد قد أثارت نقاشاتٍ صارمةً حول شكل المؤسسات الديمقراطية في البحرين وسبل إدارتها. وقد جرى إقرار ميثاق العمل الوطني لعام 2001 الذي حدّد خطة الملك الإصلاحية بموجب استفتاء بنسبة 98 بالمئة من الأصوات. في وقتٍ آثر فيه عموم الناس بشكلٍ كبير الإصلاحات المنصوص عليها في ميثاق العمل الوطني، خاب أمل عدد كبير من البحرينيين بدستور عام 2002 اللاحق، بسبب الاستقلالية غير المناسبة والسلطة الممنوحة لمجلس النواب المنتخب مقارنةً بمجلس الشورى. ونتيجة للخلافات حول الدستور الجديد والإصلاحات الحكومية، فقد قاطعت عدة جمعيات سياسية الانتخابات البرلمانية لعام 2002.

في العام 2004، قدّمت الحكومة البحرينية مشروع قانون متعلّقاً بالجمعيات السياسية. في خطوةٍ غير مسبوقة، اجتمع قادة الجمعيات السياسية معاً للتعبير عن آرائهم بشأن القانون المقترح. وبمساعدة من المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني، صاغت الجمعيات واقترحت تشريعاً بديلاً عرضته على مجلس النواب لينظر فيه، وأقرّت هذه النسخة المعدّلة في تموز/يوليو 2005.

في شهر تشرين الثاني/نوفمبر 2006، توجّه البحرينيون إلى صناديق الاقتراع للمشاركة في الانتخابات البرلمانية الثالثة والانتخابات البلدية الثانية في غضون ثلاثة عقود من الزمن. بعد انتهاء التصويت، كانت قد شاركت نسبة 73% من الناخبين المؤهلين في انتخاب ممثلين من مختلف الأطياف السياسية البحرينية، أوصلت معظم الجمعيات السياسية الكبيرة إلى عضوية المجلس الوطني البحريني، بما في ذلك الجمعيات التي قاطعت انتخابات العام 2002. جرت انتخابات العام 2006 وسط أجواء خيّمت عليها النزاهة وقد فعل المشرفون على الانتخابات ما في وسعهم من أجل طمأنة الشعب، والمرشحين، والجمعيات السياسية إلى أنهم قادرون على معالجة أي شكاوى وأي مخالفات رغم أن الاتهامات بالتزوير الانتخابي قد دفعت ببعض الجمعيات السياسية والمجموعات المدنية إلى التشكيك في شرعية المنافسات المحتدمة.

عقدت الانتخابات البرلمانية والبلدية الأخيرة في شهر تشرين الأول/أكتوبر من العام 2010 واستقطبت نسبة تصويت بلغت 67% من مجمل الناخبين. فتقدّم مجموع من 127 مرشحاً، من بينهم سبع سيّدات، ترشيحهم لعضوية المقاعد الأربعين لمجلس النواب، وقد تنافس 171 مرشحاً على مقاعد المجلس البلدي التسعة والثلاثين. وبرزت جمعية الوفاق الوطني الإسلامية الشيعية المعارضة على أنها الفائز الأكبر في الانتخابات، فحصلت على المقاعد الثمانية عشر التي تنافست عليها. كما برز أيضاً المرشحون المستقلون بتحقيقهم الفوز بأحد عشر مقعداً في مجلس النواب.

في منتصف شهر شباط/فبراير من العام 2011، نزل المواطنون البحرينيون إلى الشوارع منادين بوضع حدّ للفساد في الحكم وبمزيد من الحقوق الاجتماعية والسياسية والاقتصادية. ورغم الإشارات الأولية التي أفادت أنه من الممكن للبحرين تجنّب الاضطرابات الشعبية التي انتشرت في المنطقة، والاستعاضة عنها بسلسلة من الإصلاحات، إلاّ أن الاعتداءات من جانب القوى الأمنية في الأيام الأولى للاحتجاجات قد أضعفت احتمال التوصّل إلى حوار سياسي وعمّقت الهوة بين أنصار المعارضة والموالين للحكومة. وعلى أثر مقتل أكثر من 30 مشاركاً في الاحتجاجات وإزاء استمرار عمليات الاعتقال وبعد استقالة أعضاء الوفاق الثماني عشر من البرلمان، دعا الملك في شهر تموز/يوليو من العام 2011 إلى جلسة حوار وطني. ولكن، بعد فشل الحوار في الخروج بأي توصيات هامة تصاعدت حدة الاحتجاجات من جديد وانسحب ممثلو المعارضة من المفاوضات.

تنشيط الحوار

في محاولة لدعم الحوار وإشراك المجموعات السياسية والمدنية المختلفة، وفّر المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني أمثلةً مقارنةً ونماذج عن العمليات الإصلاحية وتقديم المساعدة التشاورية للحكومة، والجمعيات المدنية والسياسية من مختلف الأطياف السياسية. جمع المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني القادة الدوليين من دول قادت حواراً في سياقات مشابهة لتبادل الخبرات وتزويد المجموعات المدنية والسياسية بالقدرة إلى الوصول مباشرةً إلى الأفراد الذين نجحوا في قيادة هذه العمليات. وقد قدم المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني نماذج لمعالجة القضايا والتحديات الأساسية في البحرين ومساعدة القادة السياسيية والمدنيين من أجل تحديد الفرص المحتملة لخوض الحوار.

تعزيز عمل البرلمان

في الصورة: جمعت أكاديمية القائدات الشابات قائدات طموحات من 12 دولة بما فيها البحرين.

زيادة نسبة مشاركة الشباب في الحياة السياسية

عمل المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني مع الشباب في مختلف الجمعيات السياسية ومنظمات المجتمع المدني من أجل إنشاء أجنحة شبابية ومن أجل تشجيع الشباب على المشاركة في العملية الديمقراطية. من خلال المناقشات التي نظّمت في المقاهي، والحوارات بين المواطنين، والنشاطات التدريبية، تلقن مئات البحرينيين الشباب مبادئ الديمقراطية وتقنيات المدافعة وخاضوا الحوار الوطني مع الأقران، والقادة السياسيين والمسؤولين الحكوميين. وكان من شأن تلك المناسبات مع الشركاء المحليين أن أتاحت للشباب التعبير عن آرائهم وقيمهم ومخاوفهم في كل ما له علاقة بالقضايا الوطنية وساعدتهم على إعداد برامجهم وتنظيم مناسباتهم الخاصة لزيادة وعي الشباب حول العمليات الديمقراطية في البحرين. منذ ذلك الحين، شاركت المنظمات الشبابية في عدد من النشاطات المرتبطة بالحياة السياسية، بما في ذلك مراقبة انتخابات عام 2006 وتنظيم الحملات لتخفيض سن الاقتراع.

للمزيد من المعلومات، يرجى الاتصال بـ:

ياسمين عبود، مسؤولة عليا عن البرامج، واشنطن العاصمة
yabboud@ndi.org

(202) 6304-728

بدءاً من سنة 2002، عمل المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني مع قادة سياسيين من البحرين، وأعضاء من المجتمع المدني ومسؤولين حكوميين من مختلف الأطياف في سبيل تعزيز المنظمات السياسية ومنظمات المجتمع المدني وتحسين قدراتها حتى تتمكّن من أداء دور فاعل وبنّاء في اعتماد إصلاحات للبلاد. وقد قدّم المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني المساعدة التقنية إلى قادة المجتمع السياسي من أجل مراجعة التشاريع ذات الصلة، بما في ذلك قانون الجمعيات السياسية، كما نظّم مناقشات عدة حول تضمينات التدابير الإصلاحية التي اتخذها الملك حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة والفرص التي أتاحتها.

تركّز برامج المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني أيضاً على تعزيز دور الشباب وتأمين التدريب والدعم للنساء المرشحات للمناصب العامة. فضلاً عن ذلك، أنشأ المعهد مجموعات تركيز وأدار جلسات تدريبية تفاعلية حول مواضيع تناولت مهارات التواصل، والتخطيط للحملة الانتخابية، والتخطيط الاستراتيجي، والتواصل مع الناخبين، واستراتيجيات المدافعة، والتغطية الإعلامية للانتخابات، والمراقبة المحلية، وتدريب المرشحين، وحملات التوعية. أما الهدف الأشمل من النشاطات التي يقوم بها المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني في البحرين فتتمثّل في تحسين آفاق إجراء عملية ديمقراطية أكثر شمولية وتتمتع بقدرةٍ أكبر على الاستمرار، من خلال توطيد مؤسسة البرلمان وتشجيع المشاركة من قبل المواطنين.

Empowering Women for Stronger Political Parties: A Good Practices Guide to Promote Women's Political Participation (Now available in Burmese)

fstovall — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:31:07 +0000

Author:

Julie Ballington

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute United Nations Development Programme

Published Date:

10/31/2011

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

Arabic, Burmese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Urdu

English

Arabic

French

Spanish

Russian

Urdu

Attachment	Size
Read the manual (English)	2.49 MB
Read the manual with case studies (English)	3.45 MB
Read the manual (Arabic)	1.9 MB
Download the poster (Arabic)	1.18 MB
Read the manual (Burmese)	4.59 MB
Read the manual (French)	2.57 MB
Download the poster (French)	670.54 KB
Read the manual (Russian)	2.82 MB
Download the poster (Russian)	256.16 KB
Read the manual (Spanish)	2.59 MB
Download the poster (Spanish)	680.95 KB
Read the manual (Urdu)	3.74 MB
Read the manual with case studies (Albanian)	10.91 MB

Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilities in Elections and Political Processes

dleonard — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:59:44 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/06/2014

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

Arabic, English, French, Indonesian, Russian, Spanish, Uzbek

English

Arabic

Spanish

Russian

Attachment	Size
Download the manual in Arabic	2.54 MB
Download the manual in English	3.24 MB
Download the manual in French	2.36 MB
Download the manual in Indonesian	16.34 MB
Download the manual in Russian	2.37 MB
Download the manual in Spanish	16.87 MB
Download the manual in Uzbek	3.85 MB

Increasing Women’s Political Participation Through Effective Training Programs: A Guide to Best Practices and Lessons Learned

fstovall — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 20:08:23 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/23/2013

Resource Type:

Training Manual

Language:

Arabic, English, French, Russian, Spanish

English

Arabic

French

Spanish

Russian

Attachment	Size
Download the manual (English)	994.16 KB
Download the manual (français)	1.02 MB
Download the manual (РУС)	1.31 MB
Download the manual (español)	1.08 MB
Download the manual (بالعربية)	787.23 KB

Campaign Skills Handbook - Middle East and North Africa Regional Campaign Schools

dleonard — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:27:24 +0000

Author:

Shannon O'Connell, Samantha Smoot, Sally Abi Khalil

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

05/08/2013

Resource Type:

Handbook

Language:

English, Arabic

A step-by-step manual for candidates, political party activists, and campaign staff, the new Campaign Skills Handbook guides users through a comprehensive process for planning and implementing electoral campaigns. The handbook includes 11 modules, with practical worksheets and exercises, covering Political Parties; Leadership; Research, Strategy and Targeting; Voter Contact; Policy; Message Development; Communications Strategy and Skills; Campaign Planning; Mobilizing Resources; and Getting on a List. This guidebook can be paired with the companion Trainer’s Guide as the foundation of a campaign planning and mobilizing resources.

الكتيّب التدريبي لمهارات تنظيم الحملات

الناشر: إعداد شانون أوكونيل، بالتعاون مع سامانتا سموت وسالي أبي خليل – منشورات المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني.

تفصيل: يشكّل هذا الكتيّب العملي دليلاً قيّماً بالنسبة إلى المرشحين والناشطين الحزبيين والعاملين في مجال تنظيم الحملات، إذ يقودهم خطوةً خطوةً في مسيرة إعداد الحملات الانتخابية، وتنفيذ خططها. يتضمّن هذا الكتيّب 11 وحدة تدريبية، مرفقة بأوراق عمل وتمارين مفيدة، تتناول مواضيع الأحزاب السياسية والانتخابات؛ الأساليب والمهارات القيادية؛ الأبحاث والاستراتيجية واستهداف الناخبين؛ الاتصال بالناخبين؛ إعداد السياسات؛ صياغة الرسالة؛ استراتيجية التواصل ومهاراته؛ التخطيط للحملات؛ حشد الموارد؛ وحجز مقعد على اللائحة الانتخابية. يمكن استخدام هذا الدليل بالتزامن مع دليل المدربين، باعتباره حجر الأساس لبرنامج التدريب على مهارات تنظيم الحملات.

English

Arabic

Attachment	Size
Download the full handbook in English	16.32 MB
Download the full handbook in Arabic	13.47 MB
Module 1: Political Parties and Elections (Arabic)	1.41 MB
Module 2: Leadership Styles and Skills (Arabic)	979.25 KB
Module 3: Research, Strategy and Targeting (Arabic)	1.91 MB
Module 4: Voter Contact (Arabic)	1.33 MB
Module 5: Issue Identification (Arabic)	1.47 MB
Module 6: Message Development (Arabic)	1.25 MB
Module 7: Becoming a Powerful Communicator (Arabic)	774.54 KB
Module 8: Building a Communications Strategy (Arabic)	1.39 MB
Module 9: Campaign Planning (Arabic)	1.64 MB
Module 10: Mobilizing Resources (Arabic)	901.1 KB
Module 11: Getting on a List (Arabic)	872.27 KB
Module 1: Political Parties and Elections (English)	1.85 MB
Module 2: Leadership Styles and Skills (English)	972.58 KB
Module 3: Research, Strategy and Targeting (English)	1.83 MB
Module 4: Voter Contact (English)	1.24 MB
Module 5: Issue Identification (English)	1.47 MB
Module 6: Message Development (English)	1.47 MB
Module 7: Becoming a Powerful Communicator (English)	791.46 KB
Module 8: Building a Communications Strategy (English)	1.33 MB
Module 9: Campaign Planning (English)	1.5 MB
Module 10: Mobilizing Resources (English)	945.45 KB
Module 11: Getting on a List (English)	862.34 KB

Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations and Code of Conduct for Nonpartisan Citizen Election Observers and Monitors

fstovall — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:06:44 +0000

Publisher:

United Nations

Published Date:

04/03/2012

Resource Type:

Declaration

Language:

Arabic, Bangla, English, French, Mongolian, Romanian Russian, Spanish

English

Arabic

French

Spanish

Romanian

Russian

Attachment	Size
Read the declaration (Arabic)	267.58 KB
Read the declaration (English)	897.79 KB
Read the declaration (Bangla)	8.27 MB
Read the declaration (Burmese)	302.33 KB
Read the declaration (French)	327.02 KB
Read the declaration (Indonesian)	16.61 MB
Read the declaration (Mongolian)	345.97 KB
Read the declaration (Romanian)	275.41 KB
Read the declaration (Russian)	286.22 KB
Read the declaration (Spanish)	326.57 KB
Read the declaration (Urdu)	370.99 KB

Hearing on "Implementation of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry Report

dleonard — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:31:55 +0000

Source:

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission

Article Link:

Published Date:

08/07/2012

Since the 2011 uprising in Bahrain, citizens have seen months of political unrest and violence. In a testimony before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on Aug. 1, Leslie Campbell, NDI senior associate and regional director for Middle East and North Africa programs, examined the state of political reform in Bahrain and the findings of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), which was established by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to report on the cause of the uprising as well as the government’s response to it.

“While the commission commented on some of the underlying social conditions that prompted the 2011 uprising, it did not dwell on the question of political reform. Yet most Bahrain observers would argue that a political eruption was inevitable in Bahrain, even absent the impetus of the Arab Spring,” said Campbell. Combined with human rights improvements, Campbell said political reform would “start a process of reconciliation, catapulting Bahrain into the ranks of those Arab countries now undergoing political modernization.”

In his testimony, Campbell addressed political reforms suggested by the Crown Prince and by opposition parties, and concluded that the consensus to evolve Bahrain into a true constitutional monarchy may be within reach.

“The prospects for reconciliation are obvious – but it is not clear that the political will exists among all of the political forces,” said Campbell. “If the King and the Crown Prince show the leadership necessary and the moderate opposition chooses to participate in a reinvigorated process, Bahrain could leapfrog the distrust engendered over the past months and move in a positive direction.”

Read the testimony»

Hearing on “Implementation of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry Report”

dleonard — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:25:31 +0000

Author:

Les Campbell

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

08/07/2012

Resource Type:

Testimony

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Campbell Testimony.pdf	254.59 KB

Middle East Activists, Albright and Isaacson Discuss What’s Next for the Arab Spring

rrunyan — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:22:02 +0000

A panel of political and civic activists from North Africa and the Middle East joined NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright and Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, to discuss what’s next for the Arab Spring at an event hosted by NDI on Monday, Nov. 7.

Panelists from Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen participated in the discussion, led off by former Secretary of State Albright led off the discussion and moderated by Isaacson.

Walter Isaacson (left to right), Atia Lawgali and Sheikh Mohammed Abu Luhoum discuss their Arab Spring experiences. (Photo by Kaveh Sardari)

Watch CSPAN's coverage of the discussion»

The panel was followed by the NDI 2011 Democracy Award Dinner where Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered the keynote address.

Panelists from Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen participated in the discussion, led off by former Secretary of State Albright and moderated by Isaacson.

Panelists for the Arab Spring discussion were:

Atia Lawgali, who joined the National Transitional Council in Libya as Minister of Culture in May, previously served as manager of the Health Department Information Center in the Ministry of Health in Benghazi from 1988 to 2000;

Sheikh Mohammed Abu Luhoum, a prominent founding member of the recently formed Justice and Building Party, served as a member of parliament in Yemen's first legislature after North and South Yemen were unified in 1990. He was a founder of the Republican Party of Yemen in 1991;

Dr. Amal Habib Al Yusuf, a Bahraini civic activist and ophthalmic surgeon focusing on defending the rights of Bahraini patients and healthcare workers, was one of the doctors trapped in the main hospital in Bahrain during the siege by military forces last March;

Mohammad Al Abdallah, a Syrian lawyer, human rights activist and writer, formed the Committee for Families of Political Prisoners after his father and brother were arrested. He now writes for several English and Arabic newspapers and blogs;

Rafat Al Akhalim, a Yemeni youth activist, is a leader in Resonate! Yemen, an organization that promotes youth engagement on policy initiatives;

Dr. Muneera Fakhro is a Sunni candidate for parliament in Bahrain, where she has published three books and authored studies focusing on gender and democracy; and

Dr. Azza Kamel is the director of Appropriate Communication Techniques for Development, an Egyptian women’s rights group, has published numerous studies on gender equality and the impact of violence against women.

Related:

Middle East Activists, Albright and Isaacson to Discuss What's Next for the Arab Spring at NDI Event

fstovall — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:22:09 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

11/02/2011

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the release	238.28 KB

Persian Gulf Elections Offer Glimmer of Democracy | Sept. 23, 2011

fstovall — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:38:04 +0000

Voice of America | Link to story »

Some analysts see hope that the elections, while restrictive, are at least a needed first boost. Staci Haag, Gulf regional director for the National Democratic Institute, says the Saudi vote, like other regional polls, is an important stepping-stone to greater democracy.

“The elections are going to be for positions that don’t necessarily hold a lot of power, but once they have the base of public support, a lot of councilors have tended to use that to try and advocate for more power and more say, which moves the ball forward a little bit every time,” said Haag.

Link to story »

Bahrain Needs U.S. Attention Now

fstovall — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:01:07 +0000

Source:

Washington Post

Article Link:

Published Date:

09/09/2011

This Washington Post editorial urges President Obama not to forget about Bahrain's ongoing struggle for democracy. After including Bahrain in his speech about the Middle East in May, there has little U.S. follow up, and no senior U.S. officials have visited to encourage a transition.

"Bahrain has become the hidden story of the Arab Spring. While the popular uprisings in Libya, Syria and Yemen have dominated the news in recent months, far less attention has been paid to the tiny but strategic Persian Gulf emirate, which hosts the U.S. 5th Fleet. That’s partly because Bahrain’s ruling al-Khalifa family deflected criticism from the massive crackdown it launched in March by promising to initiate a dialogue with its opposition and implement political reforms. The regime, however, hasn’t delivered — and now it is risking a new explosion of unrest that could destabilize not just Bahrain but the region around it."