NDI - Bangladesh

Meeting with Prime Minister Highlights NDI Democracy Work in Bangladesh

jfrant — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 20:48:26 +0000

Senior NDI representatives met in Dhaka with the honorable prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, last month. The delegation was in Dhaka to discuss recent developments and the Institute’s programs in Bangladesh. The delegation met with the prime minister privately after attending an Iftar -- a meal eaten after sunset during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- at her residence.

NDI representatives Amitabha Ghosh, Deborah Healy, Peter Manikas, Sarah Dickson and Ivan Doherty, pose for a photo with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

At the meeting NDI staff discussed the history of NDI’s democracy work in Bangladesh, and opportunities for further collaboration. NDI has worked in Bangladesh since 1988 and observed the nation's parliamentary elections 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2008, as well as by-elections and local polls. In addition to election observation, the Institute has conducted a variety of programs to strengthen democratic practices within political parties, the parliament and civil society. NDI also helped to establish the Bangladesh Alliance for Women Leadership (BDAWL) to help the next generation of women leaders rise to senior positions within their respective fields.

From 2005 to 2007, in cooperation with Bangladesh’s major political parties, the Institute worked with political party members to improve their leadership skills while providing training in organizational development and constituency relations to civic groups and parliamentary leaders. During the period leading up to the 2008 elections, NDI held a series of dialogues with political parties and election commission officials to reach consensus on a number of election-related issues. NDI also convened political party leaders, former MPs and civil society experts in private, multiparty forums to prepare them to address key governance challenges -- such as food security, parliamentary reform and women's political participation -- following the polls.

Ahead of the 2014 parliamentary elections, NDI provided Bangladeshi citizen observers with intensive training on the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations (DoGP) to effectively monitor and report on subsequent upazila (sub-district) and future elections. Single-party dialogues between political parties and election commission officials in 2008 helped to identify common ground on election-related challenges. Private multi-party forums with civil society experts also prepared future leaders to address issues such as food security and parliamentary reforms following elections. Thursday Group, a forum established by the Institute in 2011, developed a core group of reform-minded young MPs who paved the way for a new model in cross-party cooperation on issues such as climate change. Follow-on multi-stakeholder policy forums led by young civil society leaders are providing an inclusive platform for a broad cross-section of Bangladesh political and civic actors to generate public policy recommendations in advance of future elections.

NDI's programs in Bangladesh have been funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID), the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

The Institute offers its sincerest condolences to the friends and families of those killed and injured in the terrorist attacks on July 1.

Published on July 5, 3016

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.

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

Democracy in Peril in Asia

dleonard — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 16:02:10 +0000

Source:

The New York Times

Article Link:

Published Date:

01/08/2014

The recent protests in Cambodia, Bangladesh and Thailand “are a vivid reminder of the fragile state of democracy in many developing countries, particularly those that do not have independent judiciaries and professional police forces and militaries.”

In all three countries, “[a]utocratic and corrupt political leaders have used government agencies, in some cases over decades, to serve themselves and their cronies” rather than the people. As a result, “[t]he lack of sufficient democratic checks and balances...has undermined faith in elections and helped to create the conditions for civil unrest.”

“There are no easy or quick solutions to the crisis in these three nations. While elections are vital, they are not sufficient to create stable democracies. Until these countries build institutions capable of serving as a check on political leaders, they will remain vulnerable to civil unrest.”

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

Bicycling 'Info Ladies' Bring Internet to Remote Bangladesh Villages Where Connections Rare

dleonard — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 20:01:30 +0000

Source:

Associated Press

Article Link:

Published Date:

11/01/2012

This Associated Press article describes the mission of the Info Ladies Project, which provides “tens of thousands of people — especially women” with laptops and Internet connections to help citizens “get everything from government services to chats with distant loved ones.”

This project, “created in 2008 by local development group D.Net and other community organizations,” recruits and trains women on how to use computers, the Internet, printers and cameras. Once trained, these women bike into remote villages and provide Internet connections, laptops and “a slew of social services” to locals.

Apart from technology access, the Info Ladies lead community discussions about a range of relevant issues including best agrarian practices and public health issues, like contraception and HIV/AIDS prevention. Ananya Raihan, D.Net’s executive director, remarks “‘the Info Ladies are both entrepreneurs and public service providers.’”

“In July, Bangladesh’s central bank agreed to offer interest-free loans to Info Ladies.” Sathi Akhtar, an Info Lady who works in Begum’s and Dipa’s villages, notes that she earns more money than she would as a school teacher. Reflecting on her work, she noted “‘we are not only earning money, we are also contributing in empowering our women with information. That makes us happy.’”

National Training Seminar for Domestic Election Monitors

fstovall — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:55:10 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/07/1995

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the report	1.75 MB

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

NDI International Monitoring Delegation Arrives in Bangladesh to Observe Parliamentary Elections

fstovall — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:09:01 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

12/24/2008

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the release	87.33 KB

NDI Observation Delegation Finds Bangladesh Parliamentary Elections Well Administered and Peaceful

fstovall — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:59:50 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

12/31/2008

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the release	88.82 KB

Prime Minister to Inaugurate Parliamentary Orientation Program

fstovall — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:50:44 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

02/15/2009

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the release	139.53 KB

NDI E-news: Election Prep in Bosnia, Egypt, Afghanistan | Oct. 2010

fstovall — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:52:34 +0000

October 2010

Preparing for Election Day - Debating, Educating Assessing

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Candidates greet the moderators before debating in Bosnia.

Though the voting part of an election usually takes just a day, months and sometimes years of preparation go into making it a success. There's the preparatory work by election commissions, organizing by political parties, choosing candidates, the campaign itself, training observers, educating and motivating the electorate to participate, and creating an atmosphere in which voters feel safe enough to go to the polls. In many countries where NDI works, the Institute and its partners are involved in one or more of these aspects of election day preparation. Here are some examples:

Leading up to the Oct. 3 general elections in Bosnia, NDI partnered with two major public television stations to present a series of candidate debates.
These events, along with a series of regional town-hall style meetings, were unique for focusing on issues, and the parties' stances on those issues, rather than personal or ethnic attacks and accusations.

As Egypt prepares for legislative elections in November, a new website, www.vote4egypt.com, conveys the importance of voting. It features promotional get out the vote videos, posters and message boards, where users can discuss topics such as how to get voter identification cards and where to vote on election day. The site is part of a larger civic participation effort by the nonpartisan Bridge Center for Dialogue and Development, an NDI partner organization.

A trainer gives a presentation about her political party in Kyrgyzstan.

Before Kyrgyzstan's Oct. 10 parliamentary elections, NDI worked with women candidates and party members seeking to learn new skills needed to be effective candidates, and for gaining leadership roles within their parties.

In preparation for Afghanistan's Sept. 18 parliamentary elections, NDI conducted orientation sessions for more than 1,700 candidates (68 percent of the total), organized training for political parties, ran campaign schools for more than 240 women candidates (62 percent of the total) and provided technical assistance to FEFA, the country's largest domestic election monitoring organization. It also trained more than 36,000 candidate agents across the country to report on election day activities.

In addition to its work with local partners, NDI takes part in pre-election assessments. Recently in Jordan,
Ukraine and Nigeria, the Institute has fielded high-level delegations that have met with election officials, ruling and opposition political figures, civil society groups, journalists and others to assess the electoral environment and recommend short- and long-term improvements in the electoral process.

In Haiti, Citizens Voice Ideas and Concerns about Rebuilding

Haiti's Action Plan for National Recovery and Development is a blueprint aimed at helping Haitians rebuild and overcome the challenges posed by last January's earthquake. To ensure that citizens and local government officials have an opportunity to contribute their own ideas, initiative committees across Haiti are holding meetings to solicit advice from citizens. Read more»

Despite Violence, Voters in Afghanistan Show Commitment to Democratic Process

Although violence marred the electoral process in many parts of the country, millions of Afghans turned out to vote in legislative elections Sept. 18, showing courage and resolve to move their nation toward a more democratic future. NDI's observers released a preliminary statement lauding Afghans for their commitment to democracy while drawing attention to a number of problems with the electoral process. Read more»

New Publications Encourage Women's Political Participation

In many countries, women who want to get involved in politics lack the role models and resources to help them pursue their goals. Two new publications seek to meet those needs and encourage more women to get involved in the political process.

Aimed at young women from the Middle East and North Africa region, Confidence, Capacity, Connections: A Young Woman's Guide to Leadership is a workbook that combines ideas, strategies and advice from experts on pursuing a political career. Read more»

In Bangladesh, Who's Who: Women Leaders at a Glance profiles 134 Bangladeshi women and is designed to provide inspiration and role models to other women aspiring to leadership roles. Read more»

Iraqi National Youth Caucus Works to Turn Youth Priority Issues into Policy Changes

As Iraqis work to create a new government, a group of young people is working to perfect the civic advocacy skills they need to influence how policy is made. Members of Iraq's National Youth Caucus (NYC) came together recently to discuss their strategies for ongoing advocacy campaigns for improving high school and college education and combating the high rate of youth unemployment. Read more»

Central American Leaders See Transparency as Key to Public Security

In El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, more than three quarters of the population thinks public safety is the greatest problem facing the region. Recently, leaders from government, political parties, business, academia and civil society came together to discuss the link between transparency and security in Central America. At the NDI-supported event, the 150 participants identified and agreed on concrete actions to fight corruption and increase transparency. Read more»

New Partnerships Strive for More Inclusive, Stronger Parliaments

NDI recently signed two memoranda of understanding (MoU) that seek to strengthen parliaments and make them more accountable and inclusive.

In Kenya, NDI and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association signed an MoU to collaborate on efforts to enhance representative government around the world. The association is a group of national and subnational legislatures of the Commonwealth, representing some two billion citizens from all faiths and ethnicities from six continents. Read more»

The MoU signed by NDI and the Guatemalan Congress will allow the two to create initiatives to improve the representation of indigenous people and women in Guatemala's government and to reform laws governing elections and political parties. Read more»

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Stern Action for Power Usurpers | Sept. 27, 2010

fstovall — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:37:27 +0000

The Daily Star | Link to story »

"Deputy Leader of the Jatiya Sangsad Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury said yesterday the constitution will be amended incorporating provisions for stern action against those who would take over state power unconstitutionally.

"The acting president of the ruling Awami League said this when Resident Director of the Washington-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) Jacqueline Corcoran called on her at her Sangsad office."

Link to story »

Read more like this:

Sajeda Urges Opposition to Join Parliament»

"Who's Who" of Women Leaders in Bangladesh an Inspiration for All Women

fstovall — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:02:57 +0000

While men in Bangladesh hold the majority of powerful positions in politics and society generally, some women have been able to break into the power structure. To celebrate their achievements, as well as to inspire women seeking roles in the future, the Bangladesh Alliance for Women Leadership (BDAWL) has released Who's Who: Women Leaders at a Glance, the first such reference book ever released in Bangladesh.

The directory contains biographies of 134 women who are playing key roles in Bangladesh in politics, the judiciary, academia, civil service, business, law enforcement and the media. The guide also contains information on women voters, candidates and parliamentarians; a complete list of women MPs in the 9th parliament and women elected to local government; and a gender analysis of the past three elections. It is available for purchase through BDAWL's website.

The wide array of leaders included in the directory are "just the tip of the iceberg," according to Dipu Moni, Bangladesh's foreign minister, who attended a ceremony to mark the launch of the guide. The female workforce has been contributing to the shaping of Bangladesh for a long time, she said.

Among those listed in the guide are Matia Chodhury, minister of agriculture, who was elected to parliament in 1991 and won re-election in 1996, when she was given charge of the ministries for agriculture, food, and disaster management and relief. During her tenure, Bangladesh has become self-sufficient in food production for the first time in its history.

Human rights activist Sultana Kamal is also profiled in the directory. She is the executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra, a human rights organization founded in 1986 that has provided legal and mediation assistance to thousands of vulnerable and deprived women.

"Women's empowerment is at the top of the current women's agenda," said Minister Moni, emphasizing that it is the most powerful instrument to fight discrimination against women. Growing numbers of women in parliament and the cabinet have led the Cabinet to propose a new law on the prevention of domestic violence and send it to the parliament for adoption.

BDAWL was launched in November 2008 with the aim of increasing the number of women in leadership positions in all professions through training and orientation programs, workshops and speaker series. NDI is a founding partner of BDAWL.

Related:

Pictured above: The cover of Who's Who: Women Leaders at a Glance.

Published September 22, 2010

NDI - Bangladesh

Meeting with Prime Minister Highlights NDI Democracy Work in Bangladesh

Sandra Pepera

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

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

Democracy in Peril in Asia

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

Bicycling 'Info Ladies' Bring Internet to Remote Bangladesh Villages Where Connections Rare

National Training Seminar for Domestic Election Monitors

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

NDI International Monitoring Delegation Arrives in Bangladesh to Observe Parliamentary Elections

NDI Observation Delegation Finds Bangladesh Parliamentary Elections Well Administered and Peaceful

Prime Minister to Inaugurate Parliamentary Orientation Program

NDI E-news: Election Prep in Bosnia, Egypt, Afghanistan | Oct. 2010

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

READ MORE

Stern Action for Power Usurpers | Sept. 27, 2010

"Who's Who" of Women Leaders in Bangladesh an Inspiration for All Women