NDI - Colombia

Victims Participation Roundtables Guide - Colombia

jfrant — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 14:39:15 +0000

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/04/2016

Resource Type:

Guide

Language:

Spanish

Through a 2011 law, the government established the Unit for the Care and Reparation of Victims (Unidad para la Atención y Reparación Integral a las Víctimas, Victims Unit), charged with supporting victims to participate in policy design and implementation, and for helping establish democratically-structured “Victims Participation Roundtables” (mesas de participación efectiva de víctimas, VPRs) in each of Colombia’s 1,122 municipalities and 32 provinces to work with authorities to address victims’ grievances. These victims include those who experienced torture, kidnapping, displacement, sexual violence, murder of a family member, or other serious crimes. As marginalized populations are often disproportionately affected by violent conflict, the VPRs reserve seats for vulnerable groups such as women, Afro-Colombians, indigenous peoples and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) individuals. The VPRs also provide a mechanism for victims to have a voice in public policies regarding issues that impact them, such as reparations and land rights.

NDI and partner organizations also developed a manual to guide VPRs to effectively monitor, evaluate and conduct oversight of public policies related to the Victims Law. Other international organizations, government institutions and VPRs around the country have used this manual.

Spanish

Attachment	Size
Download guide (Spanish)	5.26 MB

Historic Peace Agreement Reached in Colombia; Still Subject to October Referendum

emalina — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 20:26:17 +0000

Teenagers demonstrate their ideas for a post-conflict environment at the Youth Ambassadors for Peace Summit.

On August 24, after 52 years of armed conflict and four years of negotiations, the Government of Colombia (GOC) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC) announced that they reached an agreement to end the longest-running war in the Americas. The Colombian people will have the final word as to what the post-conflict environment will look like. A national plebiscite planned for October 2 in which people vote either “yes” or “no” will determine if the agreement will be implemented or not. Because voting turnout rates in Colombia have historically been low, Congress passed a bill lowering the required percentage of “yes” votes from 51 percent to 13 percent of all registered voters. Putting the final decision in the hands of the electorate makes the vote an exercise in civic participation and, if it passes, creates a foundation of public support on which to build peace.

Newly elected female politicians present their certificates after the National Elected Women’s Summit.

The agreement is a controversial topic in Colombia, which is to be expected after so many years of war and with so many people directly affected by the conflict. Nevertheless, the agreement presents a huge opportunity for the country to begin rebuilding after a half century of conflict and has the potential to lay the groundwork for a peaceful future built on strong democratic institutions, inclusion, accountability and rule of law.

If the agreement is approved, both the Colombian government and the FARC still face major challenges moving forward. Thousands of guerrillas, many of whom have spent their whole lives with the FARC, will have to demobilize and reintegrate into civilian life, which will involve education and job training. The FARC as a group, having operated outside of the law for so long, will need to adapt to functioning within the political system if it wants to transition from an illegal armed group to a political party. At the same time, the government itself will need to quickly pass reforms in preparation for the implementation of the agreement and the FARC’s incorporation into the political system. One of the five key points agreed upon in the accords is that victims of the conflict have a right to truth, justice and a guarantee that they will not be re-victimized. To ensure that these rights are upheld, it will be crucial for the Colombian government to focus on implementing and strengthening its Victims Law, which stipulates that eight million registered victims are entitled to reparations -- including hundreds of thousands of displaced persons who have no home to return to. Civic education and participation, along with dialogue between different sectors of society, will be crucial to building and maintaining the peace, especially given how much mistrust exists among the involved parties and the general population.

Candidates prepare to answer a round of questions at a mayoral debate in Cartagena.

Throughout the four years of negotiations between the Colombian government and the FARC, NDI has worked with local partners in Colombia to help consolidate the implementation of legislation that pertains to victims, political participation and electoral reform. NDI has helped prepare political and civic leaders to contribute to the implementation of peace accord policies and generate conditions for national reconciliation in post-conflict zones. In February 2015, NDI board member Bernard Aronson was selected by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry to serve as the United States’ special envoy to the peace talks, which helped to expedite the finalizing of the accords.

To strengthen the implementation of the Victims Law, NDI has facilitated coordination between political parties and Colombia’s Victims Unit, and has worked with Victims Participation Roundtables (Mesas de Participación de Víctimas, VPRs) in seven of the country’s departments to increase the group’s capacity to advocate for reparations and representation. Recognizing that local officials have also been victims of the conflict, NDI has worked for several years on the process of collective reparations for legislators and city council members to further build and strengthen democracy in municipalities. Because peace will ultimately be constructed and maintained at the local level, NDI has worked with newly elected mayors and shared techniques to ensure that local strategic development plans promote peacebuilding, human rights and security. After the office of the Colombian president announced that the National Learning Service (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje, SENA), a public educational institution, would be responsible for training demobilized FARC soldiers to rejoin the labor force, NDI co-designed and implemented a training of trainers curriculum for SENA members. Currently, over 1,000 SENA officials in 28 departments have completed this course in preparation for their upcoming role as peace accord implementers.

Now that the peace accords have been finalized, NDI will promote citizen participation as a necessary component of peacebuilding by continuing to work with elected officials, journalists, victims’ groups and human rights activists at the national and local levels to facilitate discussions and education on political reforms. NDI also plans to work with political parties to facilitate their adaptation to the changes in the political system that will occur in a post-conflict environment. For the success of the peace process, it is also essential to address the needs of all citizens, including victims, Afro-Colombians, women and members of the LGBTI community.

These activities were conducted with support from the National Endowment for Democracy and Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

Published on August 30, 2016

NDI Partners with Colombian Congress to Increase Transparency in Government

smajestic — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:45:46 +0000

Colombian citizens are demanding greater accountability and transparency from their leaders in all branches of government, and the Colombian Congress is leading the way. NDI and the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on August 20 to support congressional efforts to pass legislation that improves transparency, encourages participation in international initiatives that promote transparency, and shares success stories and best practices from other countries on curbing corruption and increasing transparency and accountability.

Director of the Hacker Laboratory of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, Cristiano Ferri, discusses strategies to increase transparency and engage the public in legislative affairs.

The MOU was signed by Francisco Herrero, NDI’s resident director in Colombia, and Alfredo Deluque Zuleta, the president of the Colombian Chamber of Representatives. “It is necessary to increase accountability to strengthen democratic governance,” said Zuleta upon signing. “With this agreement, we hope to promote truly representative, transparent, open and responsible legislative and political action that contributes to the fight against all forms of corruption as an important way of defending institutional stability.”

The MOU builds on NDI’s existing partnership with the Colombian Congress to promote openness in government. NDI has been working with the upper chamber on transparency issues since 2014 and formalized its partnership in May 2015, when NDI Chairman Madeleine Albright signed an MOU on behalf of NDI with the Colombian Senate during a visit to Bogotá. NDI has since provided technical assistance to members of the First Commission of the Senate to draft the Law on Transparency and Accountability, which the Commission passed in June, now awaiting a vote on the Senate floor. NDI also provided assistance on other transparency-related legislation, including during a public hearing (audiencia pública) on transparency in the Senate.

The Colombian Congress is an active participant in the Open Government Partnership’s (OGP) Legislative Openness Working Group (LOWG), which NDI co-chairs along with the Congress of Chile, and has made significant advances in recent years to stem corruption and increase legislative openness, including the Anti-Corruption Act of 2011 and an access to information law in 2014. The LOWG is a body comprised of legislators and civil society representatives from more than 30 countries around the world dedicated to increasing transparency in their respective governments.

Immediately following the MOU signing, NDI conducted a workshop with elected members and legislative staff of both chambers of Congress and Cristiano Ferri, the Director of the Hacker Laboratory of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, to share the Brazilian Congress’ experience advancing transparency-related measures and creating innovative ways to engage the public in legislative affairs.

“This agreement will help us create more tools on legislative transparency and on engagement between citizens and members of Congress,” said Zuleta. “We want to promote representatives’ accountability to the people who elected them so that citizens truly know what is happening in the Chamber.”

These activities were conducted with support from the National Endowment for Democracy.

Ahead of October Municipal Elections, Candidates Develop Policy Plans for Peace in Colombia

blesswing — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 14:01:04 +0000

Participants at a multiparty roundtable in Riohacha, Colombia, discuss issues impacting citizens with disabilities.

Colombia is home to one of the world’s longest ongoing armed conflicts, which has resulted in severe economic and social disparities, and victimized approximately 15 percent of the country’s population. Many analysts agree that, regardless of the ongoing peace negotiations between the government and the country’s largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), peace must be constructed at the local level.

This October, citizens in Colombia will select governors and representatives to legislative assemblies in all 32 provinces, as well as mayors and municipal council members in approximately 1,100 municipalities. If a peace accord is signed, these elected officials would be the first to hold office in a post-conflict environment.

According to Colombian law, all mayoral and gubernatorial candidates are required to submit their government plans to electoral authorities. NDI is supporting this process by assisting candidates and political parties in developing plans that ensure they are equipped to address issues within their communities that would likely be key to an eventual peace agreement. Specifically, these plans would address citizen security, human rights, gender equality, social inclusion and justice for victims of violence.

In July, NDI organized one national and seven regional roundtables with government representatives and candidates from 11 political parties on the development of government plans. The national roundtable was held in the capital city of Bogotá, while the regional roundtables took place in seven departments that have been particularly affected by the armed conflict, including Bolívar, La Guajira, Meta, Nariño, Putumayo, Santander and Valle del Cauca.

At the event held in Villavicencio, Meta, a mayoral candidate for the municipality of Acacias recognized NDI’s contribution to improving candidates’ plans. “It was very timely to organize this type of event at this stage in the electoral process,” he said. “There are times when candidates have questions about registration issues, and then, given the quantity of issues that need to be addressed, we lose sight of the important aspects that must be covered.”

NDI produced a video about the development of government plans for mayoral candidates, which highlights key components of the plans, stages involved in creating a policy agenda and emphasizes the importance of a planning process that represents a diverse range of interests and in which a variety of actors are able to participate.

In consultation with local partners, NDI also prepared a checklist through which candidates could verify whether their government plans address post-conflict reconciliation issues and, if not, what steps they can take to include these issues. The checklist poses 90 questions on candidates’ policies and planning processes, including:

How candidates propose to address victims’ rights, including provision of services, security and reparations, and how they plan to involve victims in the development and implementation of policies related to victims’ issues;

If candidates propose specific initiatives to reduce gender, racial and ethnic inequalities and whether or not women, Afro-Colombians, indigenous people and minority populations played a substantive role in shaping those initiatives;

Whether candidates propose initiatives to ensure government responsiveness to the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, create opportunities for their political participation and prevent discrimination against them.

How candidates plan to coordinate with government agencies and community-based groups to protect human rights and promote citizen security

The checklist and video were made available to participants as internal party training tools, and are available to other parties and candidates on a website designed by NDI.

NDI conducted these activities with support from Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

Follow NDI’s work in Colombia on Facebook and Twitter.

Published on August 24, 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.

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

'Innovation Network' Connects Leaders Across Latin America to Share Ideas

dleonard — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 16:33:20 +0000

Throughout Latin America, political and civic leaders are under increasing pressure to solve pervasive problems such as poverty, insecurity, corruption and lack of government transparency. Some of that pressure is generated by social media and other new communications tools available to constituents. But new technology is also aiding the response.

Antanas Mockus, the former mayor of Bogotá, participates in a Red Innovación (RI) Google Hangout.

Revolutionary developments such as georeferencing and low-cost video conferencing have spawned new ways for political and civic leaders to address some of these problems. Georeferencing, for example, helps combat corruption by making it possible to track the location of individuals, such as government employees, at a given time to ensure they are performing work when and where they say they are.

Leaders are using new technology to push for campaign finance transparency in Colombia, and to improve how political parties in Argentina and Uruguay prepare their members to tackle public policy challenges by using web-based tools for virtual trainings. In Honduras, where it is common for corrupt teachers to claim pay for work in multiple districts, the government is using georeferencing to ensure that these teachers aren’t paid for work they didn’t do.

But despite the innovations, there is little communication among countries in the region, so new methods developed in one country are often unknown in another. To overcome that gap, NDI has supported the creation of Red Innovación (RI), or “Innovation Network,” a virtual online Spanish-language forum where social and political innovators from throughout the region can highlight initiatives, solicit feedback and harvest new ideas to help governments become more responsive, transparent and effective.

Red Innovación uses platforms such as Google Hangout videoconferences to help put political parties and civil society organizations in touch with experts on such topics as how to communicate more effectively, how cyberactivism works and how to use technology to promote transparency.

Dan Wagner, former data director for President Obama’s 2012 campaign, was the first guest of RI’s “Ask the Experts” program, which launched in April and allows innovators to share success stories. Wagner described how the campaign identified and mobilized supporters with programs such as Survey Manager—which compiled raw voter data into statistical models that could accurately project voter attitudes and preferences—as well as with traditional techniques such as door-to-door canvassing. Wagner was also joined by Angela Barranco, West regional director for the Obama campaign, who talked about the campaign’s strategy to reach out to young voters and earn their trust.

On May 21, RI broadcast a Google + Hangout session with Antanas Mockus, the former mayor of Bogotá, who helped substantially improve the city’s public safety, using unconventional initiatives to encourage citizens to care about their city. For instance, in response to high traffic fatalities, he hired mimes to make fun of citizens who didn’t obey traffic laws. Mockus discussed the importance of innovating in the public sector and promoting a “citizen culture.”

“When legal norms don’t become social norms, they can be easily circumvented,” Mockus said during the hangout, which has received more than 550 views. Participants from throughout the region had the chance to ask Mockus questions about using innovation to combat corruption.

The RI also has a virtual learning classroom that will offer courses tailored to the specific requests and needs of political and social organizations. The first virtual course, which begins the week of August 19, will be a five-week course on cyberactivism.

To learn more about RI, go to www.redinnovacion.org. New Google+ Hangout discussions and “ask the expert” sessions will be hosted regularly. You can register as a user, friend RI on Facebook or follow @Red_Innovacion on Twitter. NDI's work with RI is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.

Read more:

Published Aug. 1, 2013

Updated Aug. 27, 2013

Colombia Panel Examines Impact of Out Politicians, Officials | May 31, 2013

fstovall — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 19:51:33 +0000

Washington Blade | Link to story »

More than 150 people attended a panel discussion in the Colombian capital on Thursday that discussed how out politicians and elected officials can advance the LGBT rights movement in Colombia and in the United States.

Gay and Lesbian Victory Institute President Chuck Wolfe; lesbian Bogotá City Councilwoman Angélica Lozano; Tatiana Piñeros, a transgender woman whom Bogotá Mayor Gustavo Petro last year appointed to run the city’s social welfare agency and Francisco Herrero, director of the National Democratic Institute, which encourages underrepresented groups to become involved in the South American country’s political process, were panelists. Marcela Sánchez, executive director of Colombia Diversa, a nationwide LGBT advocacy organization, moderated the panel.

Link to story »

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.”

Related:

Published Oct. 22, 2012

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

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.

NDI - Colombia

Victims Participation Roundtables Guide - Colombia

Historic Peace Agreement Reached in Colombia; Still Subject to October Referendum

NDI Partners with Colombian Congress to Increase Transparency in Government

Ahead of October Municipal Elections, Candidates Develop Policy Plans for Peace in Colombia

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

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

'Innovation Network' Connects Leaders Across Latin America to Share Ideas

Colombia Panel Examines Impact of Out Politicians, Officials | May 31, 2013

International Visitors Share Experiences on Organizing Debates

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

Supporting the Global Movement for Candidate Debates

Haitian Presidential Debates

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

Colombian President Signs Anti-Discrimination Law

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

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

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