NDI - Colombia

International Visitors Share Experiences on Organizing Debates

fstovall — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:16:59 +0000

With the 2nd U.S. presidential debate as a backdrop, 25 visitors from 12 countries came to Hofstra University in New York in mid-October to exchange information about putting on debates in their own countries and witness first-hand the intricacies of organizing the Oct. 16 matchup between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney.

Janet Brown, executive director, Commission on Presidential Debates; Trevor Fearon, advisor, Jamaica Debates Commission

The visitors’ countries – Argentina, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Serbia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tunisia – are in different stages of debate development. But all share the belief that debates benefit new democracies in many ways, including helping voters make an informed choice at the ballot box, reducing the potential for violence in countries coming out of civil war, encouraging candidates to focus on public policy issues rather than personality and holding elected officials accountable to their campaign promises after elections.

The visit was sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) and NDI in collaboration with Hofstra. The CPD, in partnership with NDI, has since 1994 assisted debate sponsors around the world to take advantage of their collective expertise and help each other organize debates for the first time or make improvements where debates have taken place before. The assistance is based on the two organizations’ experience with more than 200 debates in 30 countries.

Many of the visitors were representatives of the International Debates Network, an organization created in 2009 with CPD and NDI assistance that now has 17 member countries.

While at Hofstra, the visitors got a backstage look at the production and organization of a “town hall” style debate. They visited the set and sat on chairs that would be occupied on debate day by 80 uncommitted voters chosen by an independent public opinion survey to ask questions of the presidential candidates. Executive producer Martin Slutsky laid out the debate’s production details including the moderator’s role in facilitating discussion, camera positions and timing lights for the candidates.

Earlier, CPD staff discussed debate formats, ticketing procedures, arrangements for the 3,500 U.S. and international media covering the debate, how debate rules are set, debate-related Internet voter education activities, and a host of operational and logistical details that go into debate preparation. They also talked with CPD leaders and staff, public safety officials and Hofstra representatives, who discussed what goes into hosting a debate and the more than 100 courses and activities designed to engage students, faculty and the community in the debates.

On debate night, the visitors were all in the Hofstra arena to watch the candidates face off. In a pre-debate program, CPD Executive Director Janet Brown recognized their presence as a “network that goes very far in time and mileage of people who are helping each other start debates in their own countries…”

An important part of the meeting was the information the visitors shared among themselves. Some of the countries represented, such as Ghana, Nigeria, Colombia and Jamaica, have considerable experience in debate organization, which they were able to share with the group and especially with colleagues from Argentina, Egypt and Tunisia, which are just beginning to move in that direction.

NDI and the CPD have carried out debate programs in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East; hosted the forum that led to the establishment of the International Debates Network; initiated a web-based debate resource center and commenced a comparative guide to organizing debates. NDI and the CPD have received support for debates programs from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.K. Department for International Development and the National Endowment for Democracy.

Supporting the Global Movement for Candidate Debates

The printed program provided to the audience present for each of the three 2012 U.S. presidential debates and the vice presidential match up included a reference to the international work that the Commission on Presidential Debates and NDI do together. Here is a brief excerpt:

“Presidential debates in the United States are watched in real time by audiences worldwide. Increasingly, other countries – particularly emerging democracies – believe that starting their own debate traditions will strengthen their electoral processes…

“The CPD, in partnership with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), helps debate sponsors around the world pool their expertise and assist each other, both in organizing debates for the first time and improving debates where they have taken place before…”

Haitian Presidential Debates

The program also includes a brief case study of the work the CPD, NDI and the Jamaican Debates Commission did together to help with the organization of debates for Haiti’s last presidential election.

“As the country was continuing to recover and rebuild from the devastating 2010 earthquake that claimed more than 200,000 lives and left more than a million homeless, the Public Affairs Intervention Group (GIAP) of Haiti organized seven presidential debates for 19 candidates that were broadcast nationally on more than 30 radio and television stations. The CPD, NDI and Jamaican Debates Commission assisted GIAP over a period of several months as the group planned and held the debates. GIAP’s final March 2011 debate for the run-off election between Mirlande Manigat and now president Michel Martelly reached an estimated 71 percent of Haitians. GIAP also facilitated a joint appearance by both candidates at the conclusion of the debate where they encouraged Haitians to vote, sending a message of tolerance to their respective supporters to refrain from the street violence that has historically plagued Haitian elections.”

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Published Oct. 22, 2012

Colombian President Signs Anti-Discrimination Law

ntekeei — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:08:21 +0000

A landmark anti-discrimination law, described by one supporter as “an homage to equality,” was signed into law last month by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. For the first time, it levies prison sentences for acts of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or nationality.

The law is “a form of justice,” said President Santos. “It was time to get tough on this and to ensure the protection of the rights of those discriminated against.”

A group of activists gathered outside the senate just moments before initial passage of the law.

The law is “a form of justice,” said President Santos. “It was time to get tough on this and to ensure the protection of the rights of those discriminated against.”

The legislation was in large part the result of tireless efforts by two local NDI partners. A key figure behind the bill’s drafting and passage was Luis Ernesto Olave, national coordinator of Afro-Colombian issues for the Independent Movement of Absolute Renovation (MIRA), the political party that introduced the bill. Olave participated in NDI’s leadership program for emerging political leaders last year.

The law will “settle an historic debt with the Afro-Colombian population, which continues to face racism,” said Senator Carlos Baena of MIRA.

The legislation originally sought to address racism alone, but to ensure passage, Representative Alfonso Prada of the Green Party expanded the bill’s scope to include discrimination against other vulnerable groups. He was the one who described it as “an homage to equality.”

In the lead-up to passage, NDI helped arrange meetings of the Afro-Colombian Round Table to identify how political parties and Afro-Colombian civic groups could work together to support the legislation. The Institute helped create the forum, made up of party and civil society leaders, to discuss how best to work with legislators on Afro-Colombian issues.

As a result of one of the meetings, more than 60 women’s, Afro-Colombian and LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) leaders coordinated a visit to the Senate on the day of the vote to advocate for its passage. These leaders included groups from the heavily Afro-Colombian department of Chocó and the post-conflict Montes de María region, where NDI focuses its work in Colombia.

Working with all eight major parties to encourage inclusion of under-served sectors of society, NDI helped several parties create secretariats for women and for ethnic affairs. These played an important role in garnering congressional support to pass the anti-discrimination bill.

“With the passage of this law, Congress takes a step forward in recognizing vulnerable populations,” said Germán Rincón Perfetti of the National Secretariat of Women for Peace (Mujeres por la Paz).

NDI provided information and tools to political parties involved with the Afro-Colombian Round Table on representation of Afro-descendant communities. The Institute’s work in Colombia focuses on helping integrate under-represented groups into the political system and on protecting their rights. Colombia’s Afro-descendants, who are concentrated in coastal areas, have long been discriminated against and face high hurdles for achieving effective political participation. Eighty percent of Afro-Colombians live in extreme poverty.

Discriminatory practices have made it particularly difficult for Afro-Colombians and women to win elective office. In response to a new requirement on parties that 30 percent of candidates be women, NDI trained hundreds of Afro-Colombian women candidates from coastal areas on skills needed to run for office.

Related:

Published Dec. 20, 2011

NDI E-news: Democracies in Transition, African Elections | March 2011

fstovall — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:25:16 +0000

March 2011

Emerging Democracies Learn from Transition Experiences of Other Countries

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Sergio Bitar, who helped found the Party for Democracy during Chile's democratic transition, recently returned from Cairo.

Democratic transitions take time and patience. Each country is different, seeking to adapt the principles common to all democracies to its unique character and circumstances.

But there are also lessons to be learned from the experiences of other nations that have made the shift from autocracy to democracy — a process that has just begun in Tunisia and Egypt, where citizens are deciding on new constitutions, leaders, political parties and other elements of their new societies.

In Tunisia, NDI recently brought experts from Bulgaria, Hungary and Portugal to meet with Tunisian political party leaders to share experiences from their countries' democratic transitions. Similarly, in Egypt, transition leaders and experts from Chile, Indonesia, Poland, Romania and Serbia are meeting with civil society and party leaders. They were able to discuss a range of issues including relations with the military, reconciliation processes, coalition building, and electoral and constitutional reform.

Krastyo Petkov, involved in the democratic transition in Bulgaria, with NDI Senior Program Officer Gabriella Borovsky in Tunis.

Against this backdrop, 50 experts from Europe and North America met in Brussels this month as part of an ongoing transatlantic dialogue on democracy support, co-chaired by by Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament; Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. secretary of state and chairman of NDI; Javier Solana, former EU high representative for the common foreign and security policy; and Vin Weber, former U.S. representative and board member of the National Endowment for Democracy. In a statement, the participants expressed their support for democratic reform movements and called on the transatlantic community to emphasize democracy assistance within the transatlantic relationship.

NDI also hosted a roundtable for rising democratic powers, including representatives from Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa, on democracy support. These countries have valuable experience in democratic and economic development, but they are often not present in discussions on democracy support because they tend to be neither major donors nor recipients of development assistance.

As part of the two-day roundtable, Indonesia's ambassador to the U.S., Dino Patti Djalal, spoke about his country's transition to democracy and compared it to events unfolding in the Middle East and North Africa. "My advice to many of the countries undergoing democratic transitions is, don't let fear drive you," he said in a talk at NDI.

Youth Academy Empowers Tomorrow's Political Leaders in Rwanda

People under the age of 25 comprise two-thirds of Rwanda's population, but they are largely excluded from political life. NDI's recently expanded Youth Political Leadership Academy helps young leaders acquire practical political skills needed to have a say in their country's future. Read more»

Film Urges Nigerians to "Activate the Power of their Thumb"

As Nigeria prepares for presidential, legislative and gubernatorial elections, a new short film, "My Vote Fit Change Naija," urges Nigerians to vote as a peaceful means to achieve change in their country. Produced by Youngstar Foundation and NDI, the film links voting to potential improvements in jobs, roads, electricity and health care, and stars a number of famous actors from the Nigerian film industry. Read more»

Election Monitors Note Minor Problems as Niger Peacefully Elects New President

Peaceful elections in Niger this month received praise from nonpartisan citizen election observers, despite a number of administrative problems surrounding the voting. NDI's partner, the Nigerien Association for the Defense of Human Rights, trained 2,025 observers who were stationed in all of Niger's eight regions on election day. Read more»

West African Election Observers Promote Credible Elections

In West Africa, some elections have led to successful transfers of power, while others have been marked by widespread fraud. Citizen election observation groups from 11 countries have formed the West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON) to help ensure accountability, increase honesty and accuracy, and improve the credibility of elections in the region. Read more»

NDI Reports: Spring 2011

The new issue of NDI's newsletter, NDI Reports, explores how the mapping of election data can identify trends or anomalies in election results, examines recent advances and setbacks in women's political participation, and reports on a new global network for citizen election monitors.

Read the newsletter or browse the archives»

First Parhamovich Fellow Bringing More Young Women into Politics

Two years after her visit to the U.S., Ferdos Majeed, the Institute's first Parhamovich fellow, helped to launch the Young Women's Leadership School in Iraq. Read more»

Tijuana Civic Groups Use Opinion Research to Strengthen Police Reform Proposal

A recent study conducted by NDI's partner, the Citizen Coalition for Public Security, shows that while residents of Tijuana believe security improvements have been made, the perception of municipal police is still largely negative. The coalition is using the data to work with local elected officials on making improvements in public security. Read more»

Policymakers Share Strategies to Help Roma Minorities

A summit meeting held recently in Romania brought together officials from eight countries in Central and Eastern Europe who are responsible for policies to assist Roma minorities. Though there are an estimated 10 million Roma in Europe, they remain largely excluded from the political system due to discrimination, segregation and poverty. Read more»

NDI Celebrates 100th Annual International Women's Day

Hon. Nora Shimming-Chase (right) speaks with a participant at NDI's International Women's Day event in South Africa.

The 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, an annual observance of the achievements of women around the world, was celebrated this year with a recognition of past triumphs and calls to action for promoting women's equality. NDI marked the occasion with events in Colombia, Kosovo, South Africa and Washington, D.C.

At any given time, nearly 75 percent of NDI country programs have a dedicated component addressing women's political participation, a recognition of the words of NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright that "the political participation of women results in tangible gains for democracy, including greater responsiveness to citizen needs, increased cooperation across party and ethnic lines, and more sustainable peace."

NDI E-news: The Middle East, African Elections, Belarus | Jan./Feb. 2011

fstovall — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:10:35 +0000

February 2011

Now the Hard Work Begins...

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Egyptians celebrate in Tahrir Square. Photo by RamyRaoof.

Following weeks of protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain, thousands in Libya are now advocating for political freedoms long denied by the country's regime. The government has responded with beatings, shootings and arrests. NDI condemned this government-backed violence and joined calls for the immediate cessation of attacks against Libyans who are exercising their right to peaceful assembly, and for a democratic transition.

As democracy advocates raise their voices throughout the Middle East, analysts and commentators have turned to NDI seeking insights into the implications of the ongoing changes for the future of democracy in the region. In The New York Times,
The Washington Post, on CNN and elsewhere, NDI leaders and staff have offered commentary and interpretation as the historic changes have unfolded.

The Institute has a long history in the region. Its first office, for the West Bank and Gaza, opened in 1994. Since then, NDI staff have also been based in Egypt,
Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,
Mauritania, Morocco and Yemen. Institute programming also encompasses Algeria, Bahrain,
Kuwait,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia
and Tunisia.

In all of these countries, NDI has established partnerships with political parties, civic groups, parliamentarians and others seeking to promote peaceful reform and have a voice in how they are governed. The Institute works to share organizational skills, comparative experiences and tools to connect democratic activists within and between countries.

In response to the developments in Egypt, for example, NDI is putting Egyptian activists in touch with political leaders from Chile, Poland and elsewhere so they can take advantage of lessons learned during other democratic transitions. It's similar to work the Institute has done in many other places and times, such as when it brought opposing Northern Ireland factions together in South Africa in 1997 to learn from Nelson Mandela and others how to negotiate peace and reconciliation.

African Election Roundup: Nigeria, Sudan, Niger

In Nigeria, NDI is conducting an international observation mission to analyze the electoral process before, during and after presidential, legislative and local elections scheduled for April. Regular updates can be found in Nigeria Election Watch, which is based on reports from NDI's long-term observers, who began assessing election activities throughout the country from January and will continue through May. Subscribe»

In Sudan, NDI's civil society partners, the southern-based Sudanese Network for Democratic Elections (SuNDE) and the northern-based Sudanese Group for Democracy and Elections (SuGDE), observed
all stages of the recent referendum
in which Southern Sudan voted to secede from the north. The groups concluded
that "the Southern Sudan referendum allowed the free expression of the will of the people for self-determination."
Read more»

Before presidential and legislative elections in Niger, 36 political parties and two independent candidates signed a code of conduct that encouraged parties and their supporters to campaign honestly and respect the outcome of the Jan. 31 vote and the runoff election set for March 12. Read more»

Women in Afghanistan, Guatemala, Ukraine Overcoming Obstacles to Elected Office

Among the 249 members of Afghanistan's lower house of parliament are Farida Hamidi and Frishta Amini, two women who make up the entire delegation from Nimroz province. Despite the risks faced by female candidates, both women ran strong campaigns and garnered more votes than their male opponents. Read more»

In Guatemala, where indigenous women are 20 percent of the population and hold only one of the nation's 333 mayoralties, Isabel Francisco discusses her campaign for mayor of Santa Eulalia, Huehuetenango. "This is my third time as a candidate," she said. "The first time I finished in fifth place. The second time I finished in third place. This time I'm hopeful I'll win!" Read more»

Zinayida Galchynska promised herself that if she survived breast cancer she would run for local office and make a real difference in her community. She kept that promise and is now a councilor in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine — thanks in part to the skills she learned at an NDI campaign school and a campaign based on going door-to-door to meet voters. Read more»

NDI President Urges International Support for Belarusian People

NDI President Kenneth Wollack outlined ways the international community can provide moral support and practical assistance to political and civic leaders, media and ordinary citizens in Belarus, where government forces engaged in a brutal crackdown following failed elections Dec. 19. Wollack was speaking at a Jan. 27 hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs. Read more»

Colombian Municipal Councilors Hone Good Governance Skills

In Colombia, newly-elected municipal councilors generally are expected to learn on the job. To help them gather the skills they need, an NDI program focused on how to identify the needs of their constituents, develop policies to address those needs, and engage with citizens and the media. Read more»

NDI Adds 2010 Afghanistan Elections Data to Mapping Website

Complete data from Afghanistan's 2010 parliamentary elections have been added to
afghanistanelectiondata.org, the Institute's innovative mapping website
. The site now includes data from Afghan elections beginning in 2004, as well as demographic, ethnographic, topographic, security and other information. Visitors can create visual analyses of voting patterns and other assessments, or segment and envisage data and maps in a variety of ways.
Read more»

New NDI Publications

NDI, one of the world's largest publishers of Arabic-language resources and references on democracy support, has just released its latest catalogue. It includes a listing of publications and information on how to order them. Read it in Arabic | English»

Drawing on its 25 years of experience in the women's political participation field, NDI has published a new guide for democracy practitioners to help them develop and carry out effective programs to bring more women into government and politics. Democracy and the Challenge of Change: A Guide to Increasing Women’s Political Participation, helps the user develop, carry out, monitor and evaluate women’s political participation programs. The guide provides a rationale for focusing on increasing women’s participation and includes examples of best practices, case studies and practical strategies.

The new guide, Political-Process Monitoring: Activist Tools and Techniques, explores the work that the Institute and its partner groups have done for legislative, budget-related and campaign-related monitoring, shadow reporting and monitoring government follow-through.

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 E-news: Colombia, Haiti, Ukraine, Bahrain | Feb. 2010

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:20:53 +0000

February 2010

Chocó Women Win 2009 Madeleine K. Albright Grant

The Departmental Network of Chocó Women of Colombia (Red Departmental de Mujeres Chocoanas) has been chosen by NDI to receive the 2009 Madeleine K. Albright Grant for its work to create greater roles for women in the region's civil and political life.

The network is an umbrella group of 52 civic organizations from 18 towns in the primarily Afro-Colombian department of Chocó in the western part of the country. It will receive $25,000 for a political training school and to create a network of women political leaders in Chocó. Both will further the organization’s mission: to help Chocoan women achieve greater equality between the sexes and encourage women’s political participation. Read more»

NDI established the Madeleine K. Albright Grant in 2005 to support organizations that create greater roles for women in political and civic life. Winners are selected from a competitive pool of applicants seeking to promote women's political participation. Past recipients include the Women’s League of Burma, the Indonesian Women’s Political Caucus (KPPI), the Mostar Women’s Citizen Initiative of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone.

The Madeleine K. Albright Grant is made possible through the generosity of the Melvin and Bren Simon Foundation.

Initiative Committees Working to Distribute Aid and Information in Haiti

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12 brought suffering and destruction to a country that was already facing major development challenges. The situation on the ground changes daily as Haitian and international relief efforts try to help the millions of citizens who now lack food, water, medical care and shelter.

In response, members of a Haitian network of community organizing groups, or Initiative Committees (ICs), are mobilizing to support national and international relief efforts. Developed over more than a decade with NDI support, the ICs are present in 179 municipalities across the country and involve 35,000 Haitians and 3,500 civic organizations, including 400 women's groups.

African Experts Lay Out Recommendations for Credible Elections

Election experts and practitioners from 25 African nations meeting in Ghana last November called for the ratification of the African Union's charter on elections and enforcement of its standards to achieve more peaceful and credible elections on the continent.

The gathering, organized by NDI and nine other organizations, issued a communiqué with recommendations for standards that could mitigate conflict and improve election processes.

Ghana was chosen as the site for the colloquium because of its successful 2008 elections, which were considered credible, despite heated political tensions and a razor-thin margin between the presidential candidates.

NDI Launches Website That Adds Transparency to Afghanistan Election Data

NDI has launched an innovative online mapping tool for analyzing election data from Afghanistan's flawed Aug. 20 presidential and provincial council elections. Designed to make the data more accessible and transparent, the site uses demographic, ethnographic, topographic and security information. The tool also identifies areas that had significant electoral irregularities.

Using a data browser that provides tools to manage a series of maps, filters and overlays, the site provides numerous ways to segment and visualize raw vote count data. Visitors can run customized queries with the results displayed as lists, charts and maps. The website uses all open source software and makes the data easily available for download in CSV format.

NDI Partner Groups Commend Ukrainian Elections, Offer Recommendations for Sunday's Runoff

After the Jan. 17 Ukrainian presidential election, two NDI partner groups that had observed the election issued statements hailing the vote as an improvement over the 2004 presidential poll but also citing shortcomings that they said should be addressed before the runoff on Feb. 7.

Both Opora and ENEMO highlighted procedural and organizational problems with the vote, including updates made to the voter lists on election day and uneven enforcement of provisions regarding mobile voting (voting from home). Both groups directed their recommendations to the Central Election Commission, which has jurisdiction over the issues.

Youth Leaders Declaration from Belgrade Summit Seeks Regional Cooperation and Peace

With the goals of increasing communication and fostering a network of politically active youth across Europe, NDI co-sponsored a three-day summit in Belgrade that brought together young people from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia to address issues of war crimes, rule of law, discrimination and xenophobia.

On the final day of the summit, the group released "The Belgrade Declaration," which pledged to strengthen their ties with their governments, promote new political values and use new technologies to improve communication and understanding.

Bahrain Women’s Union Calls for Action on Domestic Violence Law

The Bahrain Women's Union (BWU) launched an advocacy campaign last month calling for a law against domestic violence. The campaign kicked off with a march to demonstrate public support for addressing the issue, followed by a roundtable for MPs to discuss the cultural roots of domestic violence and ways to legislate against it. The Kingdom currently has no laws or government policies to address domestic violence, despite the fact that it has seen a sharp increase in domestic violence reports over the last four years.

Before the launch of the campaign, NDI worked with the activists to refine their advocacy plan and strategy for reaching key decision makers and allies.

The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide by promoting citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

NDI E-news: NDI Celebrates 25 Years, Rwanda, Colombia | May 2010

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:16:00 +0000

May 2010

NDI Celebrates 25 Years

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe

NDI celebrated its 25th anniversary on May 10 by honoring two champions of democracy, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe and the Network of Chocó Women of Colombia, at an event hosted by NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright. Read more»

Albright described Tsvangirai as "a courageous democratic leader of our time" as she presented him with NDI's W. Averell Harriman award, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have exhibited a sustained commitment to democracy and human rights. The award also recognized the democratic aspirations of the Zimbabwean people.

"I recognize that over the past decade or more, I have become one of the better-known faces of the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe — but I am only amongst millions of my countrymen and women who believe that our nation, its people and our children deserve to live in a society free from fear of persecution, poverty and hunger," said Tsvangirai as he accepted the award. He described democracy as a process rather than an event, and pledged his commitment to moving Zimbabwe forward in that process. Read Tsvangirai's speech»

Nimia Vargas accepted the Madeleine K. Albright Grant on behalf of the Network of Chocó Women in Colombia. The network is an umbrella group of 52 civil society organizations that works to increase women's rights and political participation in western Colombia. The network will use the $25,000 grant to provide leadership training to women interested in politics. Chocó has the country's highest levels of poverty and illiteracy. Read Vargas' speech»

The dinner was also a celebration of NDI's first quarter century. The Institute premiered a film, NDI's First Quarter Century: Working for Democracy and Making Democracy Work, narrated by Christiane Amanpour of CNN. It highlighted the Institute's history of supporting political parties, civic groups, parliaments, elections and women's groups in 125 countries. NDI also published an anniversary report tracing its history and programs. Watch the film» | Read the report»

10 Days in Rwanda: Training Political Parties to Embrace Technology

Ben Fuller of the Service Employees International Union went to Rwanda as a trainer for NDI to work with young political leaders from all 10 Rwandan political parties. In this first-person essay, he recounts his impressions and experiences in the country.

"We focused on building political party messages not based on personality or aimless cheap shots and dissention, but originating instead from party platforms built on well thought-out public policy."

Mexican Men and Women Work Together to Elect More Women

Though gender quotas have led to an increase in the number of women running for and elected to office in Mexico, women hold only 5 percent of municipal and state elected positions. NDI partnered with the Fox Center and Mexico's three major political parties to help women gain new campaign skills.

Over 300 male and female participants took part in a week-long series of training sessions that emphasized the strategic aspects of running a campaign as well as some of the "soft" skills needed to win an election.

NDI Partners Pursue Transparent Election Season in Colombia

It's election season in Colombia, where historically polls have been marred by violence, allegations of fraud and intimidation by armed groups allied with candidates. Legislative elections took place on March 14 and the first round of the presidential election is set for May 30.

NDI and its local partners are working to increase transparency around the elections. In addition to supporting a domestic election monitoring group, NDI has also aided in organizing candidate debates and better campaign finance reporting.

Young Leaders Learn, Network at East Africa Political Academy

In East Africa, where large youth populations can feel disconnected and overlooked by governments with aging leaders, the Regional Youth Political Leadership Academy (RYPLA) hopes to boost the leadership skills and political networks of young leaders beginning their political careers.

NDI created RYPLA in partnership with the Kristdemokratiskt Internationellt Center in Sweden for a select group of political party members, age 22 to 35, who aspire to elected office or party leadership. Last year, the group met three times and learned tools and strategies for organizing campaigns, reaching out to constituents and crafting a political message.

Vote for your Favorite Video!

Voting has begun for the Democracy Video Challenge. The DVC is a global project to celebrate democracy through film. Three finalists have been chosen from each of six regions of the world and the winners will be chosen by the public. Films complete the phrase "democracy is..." in under three minutes.

Winners receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., New York and Hollywood, where they will meet with government officials and film and television producers. Voting will remain open through June 15 and winners will be announced shortly thereafter.

The DVC is sponsored by the U.S. State Department in partnership with NDI, the Center for International Private Enterprise, the International Republican Institute, the International Youth Foundation, the Motion Picture Association of America, New York University, NBC Universal, the Recording Industry Association of America, TakingITGlobal, William Morris Endeavor, YouTube and the USC Annenberg School for Communication.

Watch the finalists' videos and vote»

The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

NDI Partners Pursue Transparent Election Season in Colombia

rrunyan — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:37:11 +0000

It’s election season in Colombia, where historically polls have been marred by violence, allegations of fraud and intimidation by armed groups allied with candidates. Legislative elections took place on March 14 and the first round presidential poll is set for May 30.

NDI and several local partners are working to increase transparency around the elections to help Colombia continue its democratic progress.

NDI and several local partners are working to increase transparency around the elections to help Colombia continue its democratic progress. In the lead up to the legislative balloting, in which 2,500 candidates vied for four-year terms as senators and representatives, NDI collaborated with national and local media and political advocacy groups to organize candidate debates.

Working with Vote Well (Votebien, www.votebien.com), an initiative of Colombian nongovernmental organizations that provides nonpartisan information on the electoral process, and other local partners, NDI organized six candidate debates. Four were with candidates for the Chamber of Representatives, one with women Senate candidates and one with candidates competing in Colombia’s first election for members to the Andean Parliament, a regional cooperation organization including Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.

NDI worked with civic groups and political parties in the capital city of Bogotá as well as in two regions in which the Institute has focused on bringing underrepresented groups into the process: the poverty-stricken, predominantly Afro-Colombian department of Chocó and the post-conflict Montes de María region. NDI organized the debates, assisting parties and civic groups to identify issues of local concern. Over 500 Colombians attended, and the debates were mentioned in local newspapers and could be seen through streaming video. Vote Well’s journalists wrote 30 articles that were posted on its website, with an emphasis on priority issues for Chocó and the Montes de María region as well as women and Afro-Colombian candidates, who have historically been underrepresented in the Colombian legislature.

Transparency for Colombia (Transparencia por Colombia, TPC) has worked since 1998 to lead civil society initiatives to fight corruption and encourage transparency in the public and private sector. NDI first partnered with TPC to develop a Microsoft Excel-based version of the Clear Accounts campaign finance reporting software for the October 2007 regional and local elections. Colombia’s electoral authorities then adopted the tool as their suggested mechanism for preparing reports. After receiving TPC’s upgraded, Web-based software in February 2010, the National Electoral Council (Consejo Nacional Electoral) made the use of Clear Accounts mandatory for the congressional election and, later, for the presidential election. TPC conducted trainings to receive feedback on the software and provide support to political parties and candidates. Through April 14, almost 80 percent of the 2,500 legislative candidates had submitted the required reports.

NDI also partnered with TPC in 2009 to develop a 28-page booklet to raise awareness among Colombian political parties about the importance of disclosing information and provide practical steps that parties can follow. The booklet is available in Spanish on NDI’s website.

Another local NDI partner, Transparency for Colombia (Transparencia por Colombia, TPC), the Colombian affiliate of Transparency International, played a major role in bringing financial transparency to the elections. Using a grant from NDI, TPC developed a web-based system that allowed all parties and candidates to submit required financial information online and generated automatic reports on candidate and party income and expenses for the National Electoral Council. In response, the authorities adopted TPC’s software as the official and required tool for candidates to use to file their reports through the website, www.cnecuentasclaras.com.

NDI also supported a domestic election monitoring group, the Election Observation Mission (Misión de Observación Electoral, MOE), in its effort to extend its reach in the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Colombia for the legislative and presidential elections. The Institute helped MOE design observation materials and adopt technology, communications and data analysis strategies to aid their observation. For the legislative elections, MOE fielded over 1,700 observers in coastal regions, historically more vulnerable to concerns of voter fraud, as part of its nationwide observation.

In the six weeks leading up to the elections, NDI conducted party pollwatching workshops in 15 cities across Colombia, preparing more than 1,400 party representatives to safeguard the process. The Institute distributed 7,000 educational CDs with information on party pollwatching procedures. Additionally, NDI met with candidates and their campaign staffs from seven political parties in six cities to discuss campaign strategies, including techniques for increasing direct voter contact and conducting issue-driven campaigns.

As the May 30 presidential election approaches, NDI has continued to work with Colombian civic groups, political parties and electoral authorities to promote a more transparent electoral process through domestic observation, party pollwatchers and financial accountability tools. NDI is supporting a campaign to increase citizens’ access to information as well as awareness of candidate proposals, working with local organizations to identify their priorities and facilitate the dissemination of candidate responses. NDI is also producing print and electronic civic education materials on procedural voting details, ways to cast an informed and reasoned vote, and holding winners accountable. As part of this process, NDI co-organized a May 4 debate between five vice-presidential candidates (see photo slideshow below), centered on social issues such as political inclusion, education, health, public security and transportation and mobility.

Pictured above: Women candidates for the Senate participate in one of six debates NDI helped to organize before legislative elections.

Published May 20, 2010

Prime Minister Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe, Chocó Women of Colombia Honored at NDI 25th Anniversary Dinner

fstovall — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:58:31 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

05/11/2010

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Media Type:

PDF

2010

English

Attachment	Size
Press Release	21.79 KB

Remarks of Nimia Vargas for NDI's 25th Anniversary Dinner Celebration

fstovall — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:32:12 +0000

Author:

Nimia Vargas

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

05/10/2010

Resource Type:

Speech

Language:

English, Spanish

Media Type:

PDF

2010

English

Spanish

Attachment	Size
Nimia Vargas' Speech (ENG)	11.86 KB
Nimia Vargas' Speech (SPA)	12.59 KB

Prime Minister Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe, Chocó Women of Colombia Honored at NDI 25th Anniversary Dinner

fstovall — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:10:02 +0000

"Truly, building democracy is not for the faint of heart," Albright said, recounting the many hardships that Tsvangirai has endured in Zimbabwe as the founder and leader of the democratic opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change, and as prime minister in a power sharing arrangement with President Robert Mugabe.

"The situation remains difficult, as repression has not ended, but for the first time in many years, the pulse of democracy in Zimbabwe can be felt," Albright said.

"While my personal circumstances have been well documented," Tsvangirai said, "the reality is that many thousands of Zimbabweans have suffered even worse hardships in our struggle for a free society and dignity, and these same Zimbabweans remain committed and determined to continue the peaceful fight until our country is truly democratic."

Tsvangirai quoted Albright in recognizing that democracy is a process, not an event, but said, "We must also acknowledge that it is a process that can also be reversed. Too often, those that form new governments on the wave of democratic promises and aspirations soon begin to mimic those non-democratic regimes they replaced."

"As African leaders we must end the conspiracy of silence that has often allowed repression to continue unchecked," he continued. "We must acknowledge and respect the fundamentals of good governance, respect for the rule of law and property rights and the imperative to invest in developing our human capital. In doing so, we will unleash the full potential of our continent and ensure that Africa takes its rightful place in the world as a fully-fledged partner for progress, prosperity and stability."

The Network of Chocó Women, an umbrella group representing 52 civil society organizations from 18 municipalities in the primarily Afro-Colombian region in the western part of Colombia, received the $25,000 Madeleine K. Albright grant to continue its work providing leadership training and advocacy for women's rights. The region has the nation's highest levels of poverty and illiteracy.

Nimia Teresa Vargas, co-founder of the group, accepted the award with Network Technical Advisor Teresa Ochoa Palacios also present at the event.

"Chocó was born as a territory where 120 slaves declared their freedom, and that has made us citizens who fight for freedom every day, for freedom with guarantees for a better life, so that our children will be happy," Vargas said through an English interpreter. "It is there where we, the members of the network, were born, a network now with more than 1,000 women who in different regions continue to fight for our rights and for the rights of our people."

To mark its 25th anniversary, the Institute created a film, NDI's First Quarter Century: Working for Democracy and Making Democracy Work, which had its premier at the awards dinner. Narrated by Christiane Amanpour, CNN's chief international correspondent, it highlighted the Institute's history of supporting the efforts of political parties, civic groups, parliaments, elections and women's groups in more than 100 countries. The Institute also created an anniversary report tracing NDI’s history and focusing on the work it has done around the world through the last quarter century.

Morgan Tsvangirai's remarks»
Nimia Vargas' remarks in English» | Spanish»
Madeleine K. Albright's remarks»
Kenneth Wollack's remarks»
Lord John Alderdice's remarks»
Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo's remarks»
View a news story aired on television in Colombia highlighting Co-Founder of The Network of Chocó Women Nimia Teresa Vargas»
Read the 25th anniversary report»
Watch the NDI 25th anniversary film, NDI's First Quarter Century: Working for Democracy and Making Democracy Work:

Pictured above: Prime Minister Tsvangirai accepts the W. Averell Harriman award.

Published May 11, 2010

Chocó Women of Colombia Win 2010 Madeleine K. Albright Grant

rrunyan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:54:02 +0000

The Departmental Network of Chocó Women of Colombia has been chosen by NDI to receive the 2010 Madeleine K. Albright Grant for its work to create greater roles for women in the civil and political life of the region.

The network, an umbrella group representing 52 civil society organizations from 18 towns in the primarily Afro-Colombian department of Chocó, will receive $25,000 for a political training school and to create a network of women political leaders in Chocó, in the western part of Colombia.

The Departmental Network of Chocó Women of Colombia (Red Departmental de Mujeres Chocoanas) has been chosen by NDI to receive the 2010 Madeleine K. Albright Grant for its work to create greater roles for women in the civil and political life of the region.

In 1994, Choco’s women held just under 3 percent of political offices in the department’s assembly and municipal councils. With the work of the Departmental Network of Chocó Women and other organizations, that number rose to 12 percent in 2000. A shortage of financial resources in subsequent years has led to a small dip in those numbers, but with the Albright Grant the network is determined to expand and strengthen political participation by Choco´s women.

The training school – Chocó Women to Power (Mujeres Chocoanas al Poder) – and the network – the Departmental Network of Women Political Leaders of Chocó (Red Departamental de Lideresas Políticas del Chocó) – will further the organization’s mission: to help Chocoan women’s organizations build a gender-equitable society, contribute to sustainable social development and encourage women’s political participation.

The political training school will provide young women and men with the skills to compete in elections by emphasizing human rights and gender equality in their campaigns. The political leaders’ network aims to increase women’s political participation while enhancing their ability to advocate for human rights with a focus on gender and ethnicity.

The network operates income-generating businesses, including a restaurant and a handicrafts store, which provide jobs for women and allow the network to be self-sustaining.

The Madeleine K. Albright Grant supports community-based organizations that create greater roles for women in political and civic life. It is part of NDI’s Win with Women Global Initiative, which promotes women’s political leadership worldwide. The Albright Grant is made possible by the generosity of the Melvin and Bren Simon Foundation, to which NDI is deeply grateful for its steadfast commitment to the Institute’s political participation programs for women.

Winners of the Albright Grant, which was established in 2005, are selected from a competitive pool of applicants seeking to promote women's participation in civic or political life. Past recipients of the Albright Grant include the Women’s League of Burma, the Indonesian Women’s Political Caucus (KPPI), the Mostar Women’s Citizen Initiative of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone.

Pictured at the top: Members of the network gather during the first departmental encounter of women council members and local leaders.

Published December 9, 2009

Events

Event: NDI 25th Anniversary Dinner Celebration

Video Conference Offers Opportunity for Latin American Legislative Staff to Exchange Ideas

ggreene — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:39:07 +0000

Congressional staff members from Colombia, Guatemala and Peru had a valuable opportunity to exchange information during a recent video conference program on legislative strengthening put on by NDI and the World Bank Institute (WBI). The video conference series—the second in two years involving NDI and the WBI—brought the participants together to explore good practices in the areas of lawmaking, effective committees, and oversight and transparency.

With funding and support from WBI, the video conference series provided an opportunity for legislative staff to explore common challenges in modernizing their legislatures. Colombia, Guatemala and Peru are all trying to bring more stability to their legislative and committee staffs, which have struggled with high turnover. During the video conference, the staff members shared strategies for keeping staff longer so they could gain policy expertise in areas under the committee’s jurisdiction. Participants also discussed their challenges and successes in other areas, such as carrying out effective public hearings.

The video conferences also drew on emerging international standards for democratic legislatures, an effort on which NDI has worked closely with other organizations, including WBI, the United Nations Development Programme and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. In partnership with WBI, NDI is working with the three countries that participated in the video conference to compare their existing norms and practices against these international norms. In each of these countries, NDI is collecting information from members of Congress, congressional staff and members of civil society organizations about congressional practices. The survey instrument has been designed to identify gaps between formal powers and informal practices, as well as to analyze differences in perceptions about the legislature among legislators, staff and civil society.

–

Published on June 24, 2009

Latin American Women Legislators Share Ideas for Advancing Women’s Issues Across the Region

ggreene — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:46:06 +0000

While women in Latin America have significantly increased their political participation and successes since the early 1990s and won a growing number of seats in legislatures, advances have not been uniform across countries. To help move their agenda forward, senior women legislators from seven countries recently gathered in Mexico City to exchange information about best practices and lessons learned.

Since the early 1990s, women in Latin America have significantly increased their political participation and successes. But while the number of women legislators has increased, advances have not been uniform across countries and women are continuing to seek more recognition of their interests. In some countries, women legislators have formed committees on gender; in others, more informal groups have been created to address specific issues. But the strength and effectiveness of these groups differ from country to country.

To help move their agenda forward, senior women legislators from seven countries gathered in Mexico City in February 2009 to exchange information about best practices and lessons learned.

“If we do not design concrete strategies for our work,” said Uruguay Senator Monica Xavier, “we could not advocate effectively, even with a great agenda and a higher number of female legislators.”

The senators and deputies – from Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, México, Peru and Uruguay – participated in a series of panel discussions that addressed challenges faced by women working in parliaments and how to increase women’s participation in public life. The group included presidents of gender commissions, heads of parliamentary caucuses, former ministers and recently-elected legislators.

The gathering, “Women Working Together: Promoting Gender Perspective in the Legislative Agenda,” was organized by NDI with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and the Mexican Chamber of Deputies. It was held Feb. 26 to 28.

Among the challenges identified by the group were the lack of teamwork among women legislators both within party caucuses and across party linesand problems created when party agendas compete with women’s priorities. Another challenge was establishing collaborative relationships with civil society groups.

After three days of discussion, the women legislators concluded that:

Women participating in commissions and/or caucuses should do a better job of informing citizens about their work and achievements, and should use the media more effectively.
Women should establish a common agenda with specific strategies to carry it out.
Women parliamentarians should create a regional network that would encourage stronger relationships among the region’s women’s caucuses and commissions.
Support from international organizations is a key element to facilitating exchanges between women legislators and women’s commissions, and caucuses should seek that support.
Participants should share information across the region on women’s legislation, such as preventing violence against women, so best practices can be identified and exchanged.

The regional meeting sparked activities in the individual countries after participants returned home. The delegation from Guatemala, for example, decided to create its own national caucus.

The regional meeting also included a two-hour advanced training program on consensus building and a presentation on iKNOW Politics, an online portal through which women in politics network and share information, knowledge and expertise. The portal was launched in 2007 by NDI in partnership with the International IDEA, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Development Fund for Women.

The program is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.

Pictured above: Participants in the recent NDI gathering of women in Latin American parliaments.

–

Published on April 3, 2009

Democracy Skills Help Elevate Awareness of Chocó Concerns

jbowen — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:52:21 +0000

In Colombia's department of Chocó, where 82 percent of the residents are of African descent, empowerment has been slow to materialize in the face of poverty, corruption, violence and neglect. To help overcome those obstacles, NDI has been conducting a pilot program to improve the skills of Chocoans to organize politically and to alert Colombia's national political parties to Chocó's special concerns and priorities.

Colombia's department of Chocó, where 82 percent of the residents are of African descent, was the nation's first administrative division designed to give that group some autonomous decision-making power. But the hoped-for empowerment has been slow to materialize in the face of poverty, corruption, violence and neglect.

To help overcome those obstacles, NDI has been conducting a pilot program to improve the skills of Chocoans to organize politically and to alert Colombia's national political parties to Chocó's special concerns and priorities. NDI was actively involved in ensuring transparency for municipal and gubernatorial elections in 2007 and, with assistance from local organizations, is working to increase political participation and help democracy deliver improvements for local citizens.

For the 2007 elections, NDI worked with candidates from 10 political parties, organizing debates and arranging forums on education, health and human rights. During the traditional San Pacho Festival – a 20-day celebration of St. Francis of Assisi ("San Pacho"), the patron saint of Quibdó – NDI collaborated with the Chocó Theater Group to educate politicians and the public on the dangers of vote buying, a common practice in the area. A group of actors played vote trading candidates and citizens, wearing banners that read "I am for sale," while other actors represented politicians and those voters persuaded by legitimate proposals, wearing banners that read, "I am not for sale." The goal was for Chocoans to better understand the importance of electing their leaders based on policy proposals instead of cash favors.

After the elections, NDI organized citizen groups that presented development proposals to the governor- and mayor-elect of the departmental capital, Quibdó. In an unprecedented move, the governor, upon taking office, invited citizen organizations to participate in the creation of a four-year development plan for education initiatives.

This year, in an expanded program, NDI is helping Chocó meet the many challenges that the region continues to face. The Institute is helping arrange forums to increase dialogue among political party leaders to address the role of parties in reducing poverty and hunger. The forums have focused on developing multi-party policy agreements and bringing more people into the planning process. In a September forum, Barrancabermeja Mayor Carlos Contreras – a 2006 alumnus of an NDI-sponsored academy that promotes political party reform and modernization in Latin America – presented the participatory planning process he has implemented in his administration. As mayor of a large Colombian city affected by conflict, Mayor Contreras was able to share best practices from another region that faces similar issues.

NDI is also working to increase and diversify participation in Chocoan politics by conducting activities in remote towns and supporting participation by civil society groups and young people, which has led to a record number of youth, women, and minorities playing an active role in their communities. As one program participant commented, "We know what needs to be done to improve Chocó. We simply lack the technical skills to accomplish it. This is what NDI helps us achieve."

Pictured Above: A Chocó Theater Group performance to educate the public on the dangers of vote buying

–

Published on Dec. 4, 2008

NDI - Colombia

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Vote for your Favorite Video!

NDI Partners Pursue Transparent Election Season in Colombia

Prime Minister Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe, Chocó Women of Colombia Honored at NDI 25th Anniversary Dinner

Remarks of Nimia Vargas for NDI's 25th Anniversary Dinner Celebration

Prime Minister Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe, Chocó Women of Colombia Honored at NDI 25th Anniversary Dinner

Chocó Women of Colombia Win 2010 Madeleine K. Albright Grant

Video Conference Offers Opportunity for Latin American Legislative Staff to Exchange Ideas

Latin American Women Legislators Share Ideas for Advancing Women’s Issues Across the Region

Democracy Skills Help Elevate Awareness of Chocó Concerns