NDI - Debates

Foreign Visitors at UNLF Symposium on Organizing Candidate Debates are Available for Interviews

jfrant — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 13:16:15 +0000

Published Date:

10/19/2016

Resource Type:

Media Advisory

More than 50 visitors from 28 countries are in Las Vegas this week to attend the presidential debate and exchange information and approaches on organizing candidate debates in their own countries.

For more information, contact:
Kathy Gest, kgest@kathygest.com, 202-294-8025

LAS VEGAS, NV – More than 50 visitors from 28 countries are in Las Vegas this week to attend the presidential debate and exchange information and approaches on organizing candidate debates in their own countries.

The delegates are available for interviews throughout their stay. They will attend a Monday through Wednesday symposium at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

The visitors are from: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda and Zambia.

During the symposium the visitors will meet with leaders of the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) and staff, television production specialists, moderators, journalists, political analysts, social media representatives, UNLV students and faculty, and public safety officials.

Their visit is cosponsored by the CPD and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in collaboration with UNLV. The CPD and NDI have worked together since 1994 to help civic organizations and other groups hold more than 300 debates at all levels of elected office in more than 35 countries, including many of those represented by members of the visiting delegation.

Many of the visitors are representatives of the Debates International Network, an association created in 2009 with CPD and NDI assistance that now has more than 25 member countries. Its goal is to foster ongoing exchanges of expertise and hands-on support among members to establish or improve debates around the world.

To arrange interviews with any of the international delegation members, contact Kathy Gest, kgest@kathygest.com, 202-294-8025.

English

U.S. Presidential Debates Are Part of A Global Movement

erodriguez — Sun, 09 Oct 2016 20:56:49 +0000

As Americans watch the three general election presidential debates and one vice presidential debate this fall, many may not realize that such debates have become a global phenomenon. The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that has sponsored and produced all U.S. general election debates since 1987. Over time, CPD has expanded its work to support debates around the world.

NDI works with the CPD to help local partners sponsor debates and overcome the political and production hurdles in many diverse nations.

Photo courtesy of Mark Abraham: The Clinton-Trump debate on September 26, 2016 was the most-watched debate in American history.

NDI works with the CPD to help local partners sponsor debates and overcome the political and production hurdles in many diverse nations. In the program provided to audience members at each U.S. debate, the CPD describes the worldwide movement toward candidate debates:

“The CPD, in partnership with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), helps debate sponsors around the world pool their expertise and assist each other, in both organizing debates for the first time and improving debates where they have taken place before. The support draws on the CPD and NDI collective experience with more than 300 debates in 35 countries at all levels of elected office and the conviction that there is no single best way to organize debates.”

- The 2016 Presidential Debates -- Commission on Presidential Debates

The first U.S. televised presidential debate featuring John Kennedy and Richard Nixon was held on September 26, 1960 and there have been 30 more since that year. More than 80 countries and regions now hold such debates. This year debates have been held in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Serbia and Zambia.

Presidential Candidates Debate in Lima, Peru in March 2016

Candidate debates have become an essential part of elections in many countries. Debates are regularly cited as the single most important factor in helping voters decide whom they will choose as president. In contrast to rallies and stump speeches, televised debates allow voters to see candidates in unscripted spontaneous moments, including responses to tough questions from moderators, audiences, and opponents. Debates can show how well candidates are prepared, how they think on their feet, and how they respond under pressure: all very important qualities in determining the next president.

Such debates matter to voters. In the U.S., presidential debates have included pivotal moments that help frame the issues upon which voters make decisions. Even the perspiration on the brow of candidate Richard Nixon in 1960 became a factor in that election. The first debate that occurred between candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on Monday night, September 26, shattered all previous records and was the most-watched debate in American history. According to Nielsen, the debate reached 84 million viewers across 13 of the TV channels that carried it live. Millions more watched the debate via live streams on the web and internationally so the total audience was even higher.

In the last three decades, CPD and NDI have brought together debate groups from around the world to develop criteria on who to invite, how to create compelling and informative formats, and how to generate media support for debates. Such symposiums resulted in the creation of the 25-nation Debates International network and the comparative handbook Organizing and Producing Candidate Debates: An International Guide.

On October 19, 2016 at the culminating U.S. presidential debate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), CPD and NDI are hosting 45 debate organizers from 25 countries in the Debates International network. The observers will see the debate hall, media center, and UNLV’s educational programs for students. Such observation will allow these experts to develop practical approaches to further improve debates.

This year, more than ever, U.S. debates and the presidential race in particular have attracted global attention. NDI and CPD continue to play a role in helping voters around the world use debates to make informed decisions and to deepen their democracy.

Published on October 9, 2016

International Debate Sponsors Share Lessons with Each Other

jfrant — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 20:25:21 +0000

“A moderator is not the show or star of the program. The candidates and issues are,” said Bernard Shaw, CNN anchor emeritus and two-time moderator and panelist of U.S. presidential debates.

Shaw was addressing the third International Debate Best Practices Symposium, which was co-hosted by NDI and the U.S.-based Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) from March 31 to April 3 in Washington, D.C. Representatives from media associations, chambers of commerce, good government and human rights groups, women’s advocacy organizations, election authorities and think tanks from 22 countries participated in the symposium, which was possibly the largest global gathering of candidate debate moderators ever held.

Sylvain Lumu Mbaya, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, comments at the International Debate Best Practices Symposium.

“A moderator is not the show or star of the program. The candidates and issues are,” said Bernard Shaw, CNN anchor emeritus and two-time moderator and panelist of U.S. presidential debates.

Over the last decade, candidate debates have served an increasingly central and expected role across democratic systems and political cultures. In more than 65 nations, voters now tune in to debates to compare candidates running for all levels of office and learn about their positions in an impartial setting. The symposium offered participants a rare chance to discuss the challenges of organizing and producing debates in their respective countries and share practical lessons.

Debate organizers from 22 countries gathered in Washington, D.C., from March 31 to April 2.

Trevor Fearon, senior advisor of the Jamaica Debate Commission, highlighted how debates help reduce political conflict and tensions during election season. In Jamaica, he said, debates helped to “lower the temperature by getting political leaders talking and shaking hands...and it made a difference.”

Participants also highlighted how debates help voters hold elected officials accountable for their campaign promises after elections, and provide the public with a rare opportunity to compare candidates side by side. Jean Mensa, executive director of the Institute of Economic Affairs in Ghana, said, “If you want to govern, you have to answer questions that are important to the public.”

Symposium participants also discussed the challenges they face in organizing and producing debates. Many flagged the universal challenge of getting candidates to participate in a debate. “The common denominator is the problem of current candidates refusing to compare their ideas to those of their opponents,” wrote Guatemalan debate moderator Felipe Valenzuela in an op-ed after the symposium.

A representative from Serbia discussed the challenge of creating a culture of debate that ensures that candidates, particularly incumbents, agree to take part. Similarly, representatives from Nepal and Kenya noted the challenge of building off an initial successful first debate to institutionalize the practice.

Participants visited the Washington bureau of ABC News. They met with Robin Sproul, vice president of public affairs; Richard Klein, political director; and Martha Raddatz, chief global affairs correspondent and moderator of a U.S. vice presidential debate in 2012. Raddatz recounted that “studying as a moderator is like prepping for a college SAT and taking the test in front of 75 million people.” She emphasized the role of a moderator to work “for voters to help them decide...the most enormous responsibility I ever had.”

In addition, participants highlighted challenges and successes around producing debates and working with media, including deciding which language to use in a multilingual country, maintaining impartiality and choosing the format of the debate.

Symposium participants also exchanged ideas with the board of directors of the CPD, the independent nonprofit that has organized and produced all U.S. general election presidential and vice presidential debates since 1987.

Newton Minow, a founding CPD board member who has been involved in U.S. debates since the first historic televised Kennedy/Nixon presidential match-ups in 1960, asked the participants for recommendations for the 2016 U.S. debates. Francis Munywoki, a debate sponsor from the Standard Media Group in Kenya, suggested collecting questions from abroad given the impact that U.S. elections can have on other nations. Fernando Straface, of the Argentine think tank Center for the Implementation of Public Policies Promoting Equity and Growth (CIPPEC), suggested that the candidates send a joint message of national unity from the stage during the debate.

A historic gathering of debate moderators from seven countries during a visit to ABC News studios in Washington, D.C, From left to right: Patrick Semphere (Malawi), Felipe Valenzuela (Guatemala), Martha Raddatz (U.S.), Maria Claudia Pena (Colombia), Nancy Illoh (Nigeria), Ricardo Boechat (Brazil), Joab Chakhaza (Malawi) and Zoran Stanojevic (Serbia).

At the conclusion of the symposium, the participants gathered by region and developed plans for future collaboration. Delegates from the Caribbean agreed to continue providing mutual support to fellow debate groups that subsequently worked to organize debates in Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. The representatives from Africa will continue to consolidate a continent-wide network focused on “solidarity visits to sister countries holding debates.” Participants from Malawi and Guatemala penned opinion pieces in local newspapers that reflected on their experiences from the symposium.

The symposium participants also praised the efforts of delegates from Argentina who are leaders of Argentina Debate, a coalition of NGOs, business sector, labor unions and religious leaders, that has since staged the country’s first presidential debate on October 4 and subsequent debate on November 15 in advance of the country’s November 22 run-off election.

Many of the organizers are dedicated to making debates a permanent part of the political culture of their countries. “Debates are fragile and can be taken away,” remarked Colombian Jorge Baladi, a representative of the Bolívar Political Debates Commission, in the closing session of the symposium. “We need to keep fighting every election.”

This year’s delegation of participants included representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, México, Nepal, Nigeria, Paraguay, Perú, Serbia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, and Zambia. The majority of the groups are members of Debates International, a global association of debate sponsoring groups. Debate resources were also shared throughout the symposium, including the Debates International web-based resource center and NDI’s “Organizing and Producing Candidate Debates: An International Guide.”

The symposium was made possible with support from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. NDI and CPD have collectively helped sponsors organize more than 300 debates at all levels of office in 35 countries.

Published on November 16, 2015

Haitian Presidential Candidates Address Voters at Debates

smajestic — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 21:45:08 +0000

In the closing weeks before Haiti’s October 25 elections, six candidates made their case to the country’s 5.8 million voters at an October 6 presidential debate. The two-hour forum, part of the Anvan’n Vote (“Before We Vote” in Haitian Creole) initiative of the Public Policy Intervention Group (Groupe d’Intervention en Affaires Publiques, GIAP), was the first of a series of six debates to which all 53 of Haiti’s presidential candidates were invited grouped by alphabetical order.

GIAP is providing the Haitian public with a platform to hear directly from candidates on the issues and go deeper than the ubiquitous posters and campaign rallies.

Announcement for the first GIAP Anvan’n Vote Presidential Debate on October 6.

The debates and elections come at a key juncture in the country’s political life. Haiti struggles with a host of social, economic and democracy challenges. Already grappling with the highest poverty rates in the region, Haiti endured a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010, the worst disaster in the hemisphere’s history. As Haitians worked to rebuild, the country also suffered from a political impasse between President Michel Martelly and opposition leaders, which delayed elections for more than three years until an agreement was brokered in January this year.

Herold Jean Francois, president of GIAP, delivered the opening remarks at the first debate and stressed the importance of this “beautiful tradition” and “introducing all the candidates, without exception, to the public.”

Candidates join hands in a show of national unity at the beginning of the October 6 presidential debate.

As they did for the 2010-2011 elections, GIAP is providing the Haitian public with a platform to hear directly from candidates on the issues and go deeper than the ubiquitous posters and campaign rallies. The October 6 debate featured six contenders, including several of the best known candidates, who shared their views and policies on three main topics: modernizing agriculture, Haiti–Dominican Republic relations and sustainable economic development. The debates were broadcast on eight leading television and radio stations. To send a message of inclusion in a tense election environment, GIAP invited all 53 candidates and expects several dozen to take part, potentially setting a global record for the number of participating presidential candidates. In addition, as the national anthem played, the debate also opened with the candidates joining hands in a show of national unity.

On August 9, Haiti held a first round of legislative elections. The contest offered voters a broader range of choices than before but elections were marred by violence and accusations of fraud.

The October elections will include the presidential contest as well as the legislative runoff and mayoral races. A possible presidential run-off and additional local elections are planned for December 27. The legislative races will be key to electing parliamentarians to restore the functioning of the Parliament, which ceased to operate in January after the terms of office expired for the entire 119-seat Chamber of Deputies and two-thirds of the 30-seat Senate, leaving the body unable to meet quorum. With Parliament no longer operating, President Martelly has been left to govern by decree.

GIAP leaders and production crew prepare for the first presidential debate.

Additional GIAP-sponsored debates took place on October 8, 12 and 15 and two more forums are planned for October 19 and 22. GIAP is also readying to hold two debates for presidential finalists in December if no candidate wins in the October elections and a runoff election is required. Audio and video of the debates are available on GIAP’s website, and the first debate is also available on YouTube.

The debates are made possible by support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with NDI and Alter Consult. Also NDI and the Jamaica Debates Commission exchanged debate production ideas with GIAP as part of regular peer-to-peer exchanges among members of Debates International, an association of debate sponsoring organizations from more than 20 countries confounded by NDI and the US-based Commission on Presidential Debates.

NDI is organizing a range of other activities for Haiti’s elections with USAID support, facilitating Senate candidate debates, working with youth to reduce violence, providing technical support to women candidates and helping citizen groups organize election observation efforts. NDI has partnered with a coalition of Haitian civic groups, the Citizen Observatory for Institutionalizing Democracy (Observatoire Citoyen pour l’Institutionnalisation de la Démocratie, OCID), to carry out a systematic, nonpartisan national observation, during the period before the election and on election day. Using a scientific election observation technique known as a sample-based observation (SBO), OCID deployed 1,700 trained election observers on August 9 at a random sample of polling places distributed throughout the country. The group assessed the voting and counting process on election day to identify and document problems and propose solutions. OCID sought for the first time in Haiti to get an accurate, reliable and fact-based handle on the actual scope and scale of election day problems. OCID’s statements on the August elections can be found here.

Published on October 15, 2015

At November 10 Dinner, NDI to Honor UN High Commissioner for Refugees and Four Tunisians Who Are Advancing the Promise of Democracy

jfrant — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 17:27:48 +0000

NDI announced today that it will honor four Tunisian political and civic leaders, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at its annual Democracy Award Dinner on Tuesday, November 10.

The dinner will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C., 1150 22nd St., NW. It will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be preceded by a reception at 6:00 p.m. Tickets may be obtained through this link.

Learn more about NDI's 2015 Democracy Award Dinner and the four Tunisian awardees.

NDI announced today that it will honor four Tunisian political and civic leaders, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at its annual Democracy Award Dinner on Tuesday, November 10.

The dinner will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C., 1150 22nd St., NW. It will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be preceded by a reception at 6:00 p.m. Tickets may be obtained through this link.

View Livestream

Tunisians Yassine Brahim, Rafik Halouani, Wafa Makhlouf and Sayida Ounissi will be honored along with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres. The W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award, NDI’s highest honor, is presented annually to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to democracy and human rights.

The Tunisian honorees have been at the forefront of efforts to advance the democratic transition in their country, reflecting a new generation of democratic leaders. Brahim is the Minister for Development, Investment and International Cooperation, and president of the Afek Tounes Party. Ounissi and Makhlouf are elected members of the Assembly of Representatives of the People, Tunisia’s parliament. Halouani is the president of Mourakiboun Network, a leading election observation network in Tunisia. It is leaders from civil society, political parties and government, like those honored in this year’s Democracy Award ceremony, who are turning the promise of the Tunisian revolution into real improvement in the daily lives of citizens and make democracy succeed.

“Tunisia shows that democratic change is not an elusive goal in the Middle East and North Africa; it takes persistence, inclusivity and compromise,” said former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, NDI’s chairman. “The biggest challenge today is to meet the expectations for tangible improvements in the daily lives of the Tunisian people. Those who are advancing the promise of democracy in Tunisia deserve strong and sustained international support.”

Guterres played a central role in the democratic transition in his own country of Portugal, and served as the Portuguese prime minister from 1995 to 2002. As president of the international grouping of Social Democratic and Labor parties, he expanded the organization’s support for democracy abroad and Guterres volunteered with NDI the Middle East, sharing his experiences in places like Iraq and Jordan. Guterres was elected by the UN General Assembly in 2005 as the High Commissioner for Refugees. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees is one of the world’s preeminent humanitarian organizations and has twice won the Nobel Peace Prize. Guterres is now at the front lines of recent efforts to aid Syrians who are leaving their country to find refuge in Europe.

In his call for European democracies and the United States to welcome those escaping Syria, Guterres has said that “[We need] the capacity to show that we can see diversity is a richness, not a problem, that we understand our societies are being inevitably multiethnic, multiracial, multicultural, multi-religious and that is good for societies.”

“As someone who fled both communist and Nazi occupation of my country of birth, I understand that the refugees from Syria are fleeing to Europe not just to escape persecution, but also to find stability, dignity and freedom -- three things that only democracies can provide. The refugee crisis is a result of the failure of dictatorship,” Albright said.

Tunisia has been at the forefront of political reform in the Arab world since December 2010 when discontent with autocratic rule and government corruption erupted in mass street demonstrations, resulting in President Zine al Abidine Ben Ali’s departure from power in January 2011. The Tunisian revolution, which was catalyzed by the self-immolation of Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi, also inspired uprisings across the region that became known as the Arab Spring. The drivers behind the revolution and the hope for the elections lay in the desire of Tunisians for economic empowerment, dignity and a government that serves the people. In the nearly five years following the revolution, Tunisia has experienced both euphoric and tragic periods. The writing of the new constitution was a lengthy process, but combined the views of a range of ideologies and political backgrounds into the most progressive constitution in the region. International observers hailed the 2014 elections, which marked first democratic legislative and presidential polls in Tunisia, as a significant achievement.

Long involved with supporting Tunisian democracy activists, NDI opened an office in the country following the uprising of 2010. With support from the United States Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, NDI is providing assistance to newly established governing institutions and emerging civil society organizations.

Jordanian Students Compete in Third Annual National Debate Competition

blesswing — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 21:44:51 +0000

Audience members hold up flags to show support for team contestants in the 2014 National Debate Competition. Teams participated in thirteen debates on various topics, including the introduction of a youth quota in the Jordanian Parliament.

More than 500 university students, deans, professors, government officials and civil society representatives packed into an auditorium at the University of Jordan to watch teams from 16 universities^{^[1]} compete in NDI’s third annual National Student Debate Competition.

The June 15, 2015 competition, covered by Roya TV, a popular Jordanian news channel, was among the culminating events for the 2014-2015 academic year of NDI’s youth political participation program, Ana Usharek (“I Participate”). Launched in 2011, Ana Usharek, and the Usharek+ advanced program, encourages Jordanian university students to become more active and informed citizens. The competition was first held in 2013, and marked Jordan’s first-ever national student debate competition.

In a nation where tribal affiliations—not political platforms—often figure most prominently at the ballot box, the Ana Usharek and Usharek+ programs have helped more than 9,000 of Jordan’s youngest generation of voters (and next generation of leaders) develop critical thinking and research skills, analyze local and national-level issues, and identify how elected representatives and government officials can best address those issues. The majority of the Jordanian population is under 35 years old.

Through group sessions led by experienced NDI youth coordinators, students learn about democratic concepts and discuss them in the context of Jordan’s ongoing political reform process. Top students advance to Usharek+, where they develop advocacy, communications and debate skills, and apply them by designing and launching their own advocacy campaigns. As one Usharek+ student explained, “We all have the capacity and motivation to serve our community and nation, but perhaps not the know-how; this is where Ana Usharek came in to clarify the role of civil society organizations in community service.”

During the debates, a panel of judges rated teams according to a strict scoresheet that awarded points based not only on how passionately positions were defended, but also on whether those positions were well thought out and backed up by facts.

Two weeks prior, teams were randomly assigned either the supporting or opposing position on one of eight topics, which ranged from internet censorship to political party and election reform. The students then researched their respective topics to develop arguments before convening for the debates. Teams from Jordan’s large, public universities dominated the competition, winning six out of eight spots in the quarter finals and three out of four spots in the semi-finals.

While NDI’s annual National Student Debate Competition allows students to showcase the skills and knowledge they gained through Ana Usharek and Usharek+, the benefits go far deeper than just trophies or bragging rights. The competition gives students a venue where they can discuss some of the nation’s most pressing challenges, and show that young Jordanians are not only interested in politics but also quite capable of engaging in high-level conversations on complex issues.

The debates also serve as a model for constructive, respectful dialogue as an alternative to the violent altercations that have plagued Jordanian universities in recent years. “Such debates contribute significantly to the awareness of young Jordanians through access to information and expressing [support] or opposition [to] public issues in a scientific manner rather than violence.” said Dr. Sakher Al Khasawneh, director of the Jordan Media Institute and one of the competition’s judges. “[They also] promote freedom of expression and opinion and consolidate the values of democracy based on participation and decision-making, which are crucial for active youth participation.”

Lastly, the debates—and NDI’s youth programming overall—help bridge the gap between young Jordanians and the political realm from which they have traditionally been marginalized by bringing articulate, politically minded university students together with some of the nation’s top decision-makers. Current and former parliamentarians, senators and senior government officials were among the judges and guests at the competition. These mutually beneficial interactions fit within NDI-Jordan’s broader program, which works with civil society, women’s organizations, legislators and their staff, and government ministries to help create political and electoral processes that are more transparent and involve citizens more heavily in decision-making.

Roya TV will air the National Student Debate Competition as individual episodes in their popular youth program “Caravan” starting this Fall.

Ana Usharek and Usharek+ are funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development's Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) program.

Published on Sept. 16, 2015.

^{^[1]} Participating universities included Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Al Albayt University, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Balqa Applied University, College of Polytechnics, Hashemite University, Irbid National University, Jadara University, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Mutah University, Philadelphia University, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Tafila Technical University, University of Jordan, Yarmouk University and Zarqa University.

Campaign School Graduates Help Lebanese Youth Consider Outreach Strategies

Fri, 08 May 2015 22:03:32 +0000

Despite the possibility of spillover violence from Syria, a vacancy in the presidency and postponed parliamentary elections. young Lebanese party activists are eager to find ways to enter politics.

Forty of them, representing five political parties, gathered outside Beirut last month for a campaign school for future candidates and campaign teams to learn how to build outreach strategies and create messages that address voter interests.

Despite the possibility of spillover violence from Syria, a vacancy in the presidency and postponed parliamentary elections, young Lebanese party activists are eager to find ways to enter politics.

The young attendees, ages 18 to 25, brought together by NDI, came from the Free Patriotic Movement, Future Movement, Kataeb, Lebanese Forces and Progressive Socialist Party.

The Lebanon campaign school is part of a regional program launched in 2012 and supported by the U.S. State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). To date, 244 political activists from 12 countries have graduated from the regional schools. Fifty of them have also taken part in Training-of-Trainers (TOT) programs that provide the skills needed to deliver similar sessions for their own parties in their home countries.

Drawing on an 11-module curriculum and agenda, NDI’s Lebanon staff, along with campaign school graduates from Jordan and Tunisia, presented best practices in collecting and using data on voters and supporters, message development, public speaking, campaign strategy and action planning. By stepping out of their daily political environment, participants were able to focus on skill-building, rather than their party’s positions, and build new relationships across party lines.

“Through the campaign school, I learned how to develop a strategy and plan effectively, which I will incorporate in my party’s plan for municipal council elections scheduled for next year,” said a campaign school graduate from the Free Patriotic Movement, who is currently serving as vice-president of a municipality. He and other graduates attended the campaign school to share how the experience shaped their current political work.

In an election simulation, participants were divided into fictitious parties that competed in mock parliamentary elections. The mock parties chose campaign roles for each member, set vote goals, developed and carried out voter targeting plans and worked through the night to prepare a campaign plan that was presented to the larger group.

“As a member of my party’s youth organization, I focus on our strategy for university elections. The simulation was the best way for me to learn about skills. When we applied them, we saw the impact,” said a campaign school graduate from the Progressive Socialist Party during his remarks at the opening panel session for the school.

On the simulated election day, candidates took part in a debate, where they squared off on issues such as education, employment, how to engage youth and build trust with potential voters. Polls then opened and participants voted for their preferred party and candidate, under the watchful eye of party observers.

For the closing ceremony, NDI invited current youth wing leaders from each of the five parties to encourage the aspiring politicians and witness the election results announcement. Also, NDI trainers shared feedback with groups on how to improve their campaigns.

“I’m a different person. I’ve improved my skills to maximize resources and work as a member of a team. As a result, I am now responsible for women’s engagement in my party. I also benefited from learning about different cultures and working together to present a strong campaign plan,” said a graduate who was recently appointed as head of Kataeb’s women’s wing.

With student elections approaching in the fall, and municipal council elections constitutionally mandated in May of 2016, young Lebanese party activists have an opportunity to use their drive and creativity to contribute to effective campaigns and recommit to democracy in Lebanon, in the midst of pressing national and regional challenges. NDI will continue to work with Lebanese political parties throughout the summer as they prepare for their own youth camps to motivate their young activists for the year ahead.

Published on May 8, 2015

NDI Launches New DemocracyWorks Blog

blesswing — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 20:42:29 +0000

A new blog, written by NDI staff, tells the inspiring stories of citizens and organizations doing the challenging work of building democracy around the world.

“At NDI, we are privileged to work with political and civic activists who work tirelessly to drive more responsive and accountable government. But in a world where terrorist attacks and cat memes vie for attention, democracy’s everyday heroes are often overlooked,” said Kenneth Wollack, president of NDI. “DemocracyWorks seeks to fill that gap by highlighting the stories of these democrats who are working for democracy and making democracy work.”

The blog will feature ongoing conversations on a range of topics related to democracy development around the world, including transparency, governance, politics, the role of civil society, democracy support and other issues.

Visit DemocracyWorks

Since its founding in 1983, NDI has worked in 132 countries, supporting the efforts of more than 15,000 civic organizations, 10,000 parliamentarians, 850 political parties, 1,300 women’s organizations and millions of individuals.

“The world has evolved and so has NDI, but one thing remains as true today as it was 30 years ago--democracy is grounded in the efforts of dedicated individuals seeking to promote a more peaceful, prosperous and humane world,” Wollack said.

Over the next several months, NDI will add features to enhance DemocracyWorks, including a comments section and giving readers the ability to have blog posts delivered to their email inboxes. Interested readers can register their email addresses or follow the RSS feed in their favorite feed reader. Updates will also be posted on Twitter at @DemWorks.

Published on March 3, 2015

New Guide Provides Global Approaches to Candidate Debates

blesswing — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 16:12:48 +0000

Over the last decade, candidate debates have increasingly become a centerpiece of elections across a wide spectrum of democratic countries. Voters in more than 60 nations tune in to learn more about candidates running for president, prime minister, parliament or local government offices.

Debates provide a rare side-by-side and unfiltered comparison of candidates, promote accountability for campaign promises, and can help decrease political tensions and conflict.

Behind this rising global trend is the belief that there is no one best way to stage debates, that civic activists and other sponsors should organize candidate debates that reflect the history, politics and culture of their respective countries.

That principle is behind a new comprehensive 50-page guide released this month by NDI that provides information on how to organize, produce and evaluate candidate debates by drawing on lessons and examples from more than 20 countries.

Organizing a candidate debate often presents many challenges, and efforts are not always successful. Among other things, organizers must demonstrate impartiality, raise funds to finance the debate, choose a format that is informative for voters, produce a live television broadcast, and convince often reluctant candidates to participate.

Download the Guide

Because the guide features lessons from around the globe, new debate practitioners can learn from experiences in other countries.

The guide covers a range of topics on debate production, including specifics like candidate staging and camera placement. The guide highlights the importance of featuring “the handshake” between candidates as a powerful symbol of national unity. Aspects of organizing a debate are also highlighted, including selecting appropriate moderators and formats, securing sponsors, and developing a media strategy to promote debates that can help encourage candidates to take part.

And to help organizers make candidate debates more than just one-day events and promote a culture of debate, the guide highlights trends such as efforts to establish laws that mandate candidates to participate in debates, working with young people to organize academic debate competitions, and staging post-election accountability debates to hold candidates to their campaign promises.

The guide draws on the experience of NDI and partnering organizations, including the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has sponsored and produced all U.S. general election presidential and vice presidential debates since 1987; and Debates International, an 18-country association of debate sponsoring organizations and a related online debate resource center that provides a practical array of organizing checklists, pro-debate editorials from around the globe, TV production diagrams, debate videos and research on the impact of debates, among many other topics.

The guide was made possible through the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development and National Endowment for Democracy.

Download the guide

Published on Feb. 17, 2015

Organizing and Producing Candidate Debates: An International Guide

Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:44:48 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

11/01/2014

Resource Type:

Guide

Language:

English, Arabic

This guide is intended to serve as a resource for organizers around the globe seeking to hold candidate debates for elected offices. It is based on the premise that there is no one best way to carry out these forums. Civic activists in each country should hold debates that reflect their culture and political system.

English

Arabic

Attachment	Size
Download the guide (English)	10.62 MB
Download the guide (Arabic)	2.31 MB

New Website Has Practical Information for Organizing Candidate Debates

jcradit — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 18:45:05 +0000

Candidate debates that bring contenders face to face with voters and each other are increasingly becoming a mainstay of the political landscape.

Across the globe, debate sponsors share the belief that debates benefit new democracies in many ways, including helping voters make informed choices, reducing the potential for violence in countries coming out of civil war, encouraging candidates to focus on issues rather than personality or ethnic differences, and holding elected officials accountable for campaign promises.

In Malawi, parliamentary candidates raise their arms as a gesture of national unity at a debate on April 15, 2014.

(Photo courtesy of Church and Society CCAP Nkhoma Synod)

Candidate debates that bring contenders face to face with voters and each other are increasingly becoming a mainstay of the political landscape.

But putting on a debate is no small task. It requires fundraising, convincing often reluctant candidates to participate, producing live radio and television broadcasts, and selecting an informative format and set of rules, among other things.

To help overcome these challenges, a new website, debatesinternational.org, is now available where new and experienced debate sponsors can access practical information that will help them organize, produce and evaluate debates. The site’s resources come primarily from the Debates International network, an association of new and longstanding debate sponsoring organizations from 18 countries. It grew out of global gatherings in 2009, 2012 and 2013, where the network’s members recommended establishing an online platform for exchanging information.

The site was created by NDI and the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has sponsored and produced all U.S. presidential and vice presidential general election debates since 1987.

The site is based on the premise that there is no right way to organize candidate debates. While visitors will benefit from learning about experiences in other countries, each country must develop debates that reflect its culture and politics.

Mayoral candidates debate in Macedonia before 2013 elections.

NDI manages the site, which provides a range of organizational and production materials including preparation guides and checklists; set designs and production equipment lists; debate video links; comparative formats and rules; and ethical guidelines for members of debate sponsoring organizations. The site also contains studies, polling data and other analysis that shows the impact and benefits of debates for democracies.

NDI and CPD developed debatesinternational.org with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The site builds upon NDI’s and CPD’s collective experience helping sponsors organize more than 300 candidate debates at all levels of office in more than 35 countries.

Read more:

Published July 8, 2014

Presidential debates, a positive development

jcradit — Mon, 12 May 2014 19:13:58 +0000

Source:

BNL Times

Article Link:

Published Date:

05/07/2014

In Malawi, "[t]he introduction of televised presidential debates has...opened a new chapter in the country’s election campaign. Despite criticisms on the format because of the 'big' number of presidential candidates being grilled at once, the three presidential debates are generally being celebrated as signalling a positive turn in Malawi’s political campaigns."

"The debates have seen most presidential candidates graduate from practising the usual politics of personality attacks and mudslinging towards a more sober, issue-based form of electoral competition."

"Organised by the Malawi Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa with support from some cooperating partners," such as the National Democratic Institute, "it is now being generally agreed that the presidential debates offered platforms to the candidates to put across their visions and policies to the masses so that the electorate can make informed choices on May 20."

Malawi Holds First-Ever Presidential Debate April 22

dleonard — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 15:01:34 +0000

Nyasa Times | Link to story»

For the first time in the history of democracy in Malawi, the country will hold presidential candidate debates which are slated forApril 22 and 29 and May 6, 2014 organised by the National Media Institute of Southern Africa—Malawi Chapter—and approved by Malawi Electoral Commission.

The list of organizations that are in the task force organising the debates includes the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), Public Affairs Committee (PAC) and National Initiative for Civic Education Trust (NICE).

Statute Means Economic Wellbeing | Oct. 31, 2013

fstovall — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 21:00:10 +0000

eKantipur | Link to story »

Major political parties contesting the November Constituent Assembly (CA) election on Wednesday said a new constitution will make way for economic prosperity in the country.

Speaking at an interaction organised by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), leaders of nine political parties stressed on the need for political stability for rapid economic development.

Link to story »

CA National Debate on Oct. 30 | Oct. 27, 2013

fstovall — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 20:48:42 +0000

Republica | Link to story »

The Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) are jointly organizing ´Constituent Assembly (CA) National Debate´ on October 30 to provide people the opportunity to submit questions to leaders of different political parties and hear answers from them.

According to a press statement issued by the FNCCI, an open discussion on ´Nepal´s political and economic development´ will be the major part of the debate. The CA election is scheduled for November 19.

Link to story »