NDI - Democracy and Technology

New Website Facilitates Communication between Citizens and Their Elected Representatives

fgalleto — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:56:24 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

12/15/2011

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

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NDI Staff Recognized by Forbes “30 under 30”

fgalleto — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:52:17 +0000

Forbes magazine has recognized NDI Program Officer Kathryn Peters as one of the “30 under 30” making their mark in the field of law and policy.

Peters was recognized for founding TurboVote, a web service that makes voting by mail as simple as renting a DVD from Netflix. TurboVote provides free email and text message reminders for all elections and sends users completed voter registration forms and absentee ballot request forms by mail, along with pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes.

Kathryn Peters

Forbes magazine has recognized NDI Program Officer Kathryn Peters as one of the “30 under 30” making their mark in the field of law and policy.

"Local governments just don't have the resources to provide these tools, so while the Internet has made nearly all other aspect of our lives easier, voting remains a difficult, manual process,” said Peters. “But technology can make democracy work more smoothly, and TurboVote is a step towards simpler voter engagement."

Peters joined NDI in September, where she now works on the Institute’s technology and democracy projects. She also writes regularly on the NDItech blog about open data in government, building trust online, and ways new technologies support democratic governance.

Read the feature in Forbes»

Published Dec. 22, 2011

Women Win Big in Tunisia Vote

ntekeei — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:37:46 +0000

Source:

Miller-McCune

Article Link:

Published Date:

11/05/2011

Philip N. Howard, who served as part of the NDI election observation team during Tunisia's recent elections, writes that women are the big winners coming out of the election. According to Howard, women will fill nearly one-third of the 217 constituent assembly seats, which is more than the number of women serving in the U.S. Congress.

Howard also writes that technological investments in elections administration benefitted voter turnout, especially women's turnout.

"Certainly, the country has a way to go. On its own, putting lots of women into political office will not guarantee a good constitution. But the election reveals the high expectations Tunisians have for their new leaders, and that people here want their leaders to represent diverse interests."

McManus: Technology that protects protesters

ntekeei — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:07:32 +0000

Source:

Los Angeles Times

Article Link:

Published Date:

09/18/2011

Congress is preparing to make federal spending cuts, including cuts in foreign aid. According to author Doyle McManus, Congress should avoid cutting money from the State Department's Internet freedom program, which is increasingly geared toward encryption and "anonymization" software meant to protect democracy activists worldwide.

NDI partner MobileActive.org is among those receiving grant money from the State Department. The money helped create In the Clear, a phone application that includes buttons to delete sensitive information and send out panic warnings via text when a human rights activist is captured.

NDI E-news: South Sudan, Burma, Tunisia | July/August 2011

fgalleto — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:51:47 +0000

August 2011

Newly Independent South Sudan Looks To Future, Permanent Constitution

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Children march in the independence day parade in Juba

South Sudan became the world's newest country on July 9 after a January referendum that showed overwhelming support for independence. Richard Nuccio, NDI's senior director in the new country's capital, Juba, was invited to the independence festivities and captured the celebration in photos. "It was an amazing moment and I felt very privileged to be a part of it," he said later during an interview on WPFW's Africa Now!

South Sudan adopted a transitional constitution just before independence and will soon set about crafting a permanent one. NDI will work with a coalition of women's civic groups from throughout the country to submit recommendations for the new document. The coalition wants to be sure that gender quotas for all branches and levels of government are a part of the constitution and that full separation of powers is addressed.

In March and April, NDI conducted the latest in a series of focus groups it has been organizing since 2004. This latest round explored South Sudanese attitudes toward independence and the future of their new country. “What we heard in the past was a focus on separation,” said Traci Cook, researcher and author of the upcoming report. “We found that they are now turning the corner and beginning to look internally.” Participants saw themselves as South Sudanese first and foremost, and want to move past tribal discrimination and corruption in the new government.

NDI President Wollack Reflects on Returning to Burma after 16 Years

In June, NDI President Kenneth Wollack traveled to Burma to meet with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders. Wollack reports that little in the country has changed since his last visit, but that Suu Kyi remains the unflappable and optimistic leader he met in 1995. Read more»

Aswat Community Connects Activists in the Middle East and North Africa

The Arab Spring uprisings have underscored the impact that social media can have on advancing democracy. As early as 2005, NDI recognized social media's potential and launched Aswat, an online community for those in the Middle East and North Africa looking to make governments more responsive, transparent and effective. Now, recognizing the additional responsibilities and challenges facing citizen reporters, Aswat is training them on journalistic ethics and professional standards. Read more»

Civic Group Invites Nicaraguan Citizens to Participate in Election Monitoring

A new website launched by the Nicaraguan group Ethics and Transparency allows citizens to report any electoral problems that might compromise the November national elections. Read more»

New Report: Political Parties in Afghanistan

Based on 90 interviews with party representatives and civil society, this new report explores how Afghan political parties view themselves, what kinds of assistance would serve them best and ways they might work together in the future. Parties see themselves primarily as supporting individual candidates, rather than an ideology, and focus their activities on elections instead of planning party strengthening activities between polls. The review also revealed that Afghan parties are highly interested in modernizing their internal structures and promoting cross-party cooperation. Read more»

Opinion Research Shows Tunisians Concerned About the Future

Six months into their political transition, Tunisians are concerned about high levels of unemployment, according to the latest round of focus group research conducted by NDI. Tunisians are also concerned about personal security, but are more optimistic about gains in freedoms of expression and association. Read more»

New Library Helps Liberian MPs Write Legislation

A new library and research service in the Liberian parliament is helping lawmakers write legislation. Among them is Senator Gloria Musu Scott, who wanted to draft a bill providing domestic partnership benefits for those in common law marriages. So she visited Liberia's new Legislative Information Service (LIS) to find how other countries have handled the issue and conducted an Internet search that turned up similar laws in several U.S. states. This type of information would not have been available until the library opened a few months ago. Read more»

Mauritanian Parliament Seeks Citizen Input for Social Security Reform

Social security is a hotly debated topic in Mauritania. The current system is expensive, and the government is facing choices on whether to raise taxes, cut services or restructure the program. Rather than operating behind closed doors, the parliament has sought citizen input, holding a public meeting and asking leaders from civil society organizations to weigh in with their policy ideas. Read more»

As Mauritanians prepare for parliamentary and municipal elections tentatively scheduled for the fall, keep up with the latest political analysis and developments by subscribing to the Mauritania Elections Bulletin. Subscribe»

Aswat Community Connects Activists in the Middle East and North Africa

fgalleto — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:10:34 +0000

The Arab Spring uprisings have underscored the tremendous impact that social media can have on advancing democracy. In recent months, activists in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have used the Internet to rally the public and organize widespread demonstrations that have toppled two longstanding autocratic leaders and presented a significant challenge to several more. The lines between blogger and activist blurred as bloggers led protest movements and activists took to the Internet to spread their messages.

Graffiti in post-revolutionary Tunis

But the use of the Internet for political organizing is not a new idea. In 2005, recognizing social media's potential, NDI launched Aswat, an online community requested by activists and reformers from throughout the MENA region who were seeking to make governments more responsive, transparent and effective in delivering results that matter in people’s lives. Aswat, which means “voices” in Arabic, is available in Arabic, English, Farsi and French.

Through Aswat, users can create private and public groups that encourage collaboration, networking and dialogue. An interactive calendar highlights important human rights events, and there is an extensive library of resources in all of Aswat’s languages on such topics as activism, political parties and governance.

Aswat programs have trained hundreds of activists on the use of social and new media. For one member, Bassem Samir of Egypt, the connections he made both online and in person at an Aswat training last December in Rabat, Morocco, helped him get advice and moral support during the Egyptian revolution. After that session, activists and trainers formed a group on the site to continue trading advice and experiences, a connection they maintained even after the Egyptian government cut the Internet and group members had to continue their conversations using landlines.

The rise of social media has also allowed citizens in authoritarian regimes to challenge state censorship by putting their stories online. To help citizen reporters learn tenets of accuracy and objectivity, NDI trained members of the Aswat community on professional standards of journalism.

A July workshop focused on introducing citizen journalists to ethical and professional standards of traditional media, something they haven’t always adhered to. Participants discussed challenges faced by citizen journalists during the Egyptian and Tunisians revolutions and what they could have done differently as the revolution was unfolding. Sessions also addressed basic journalistic writing, ethics and fact-checking, what makes a story have lasting impact, and how citizen journalists and professional journalists can interact and help each other. Local reporters, anchors, videographers and producers provided individual consultations with citizen journalists. At the end of the workshop, the participants developed a code of ethics for citizen journalists to be posted on Aswat and other social networking sites.

Since its founding, Aswat has emphasized its role as a space for members to debate freely, organize effectively and mobilize quickly. But in light of the recent transformative politics, the site is now focused as well on equipping activists and reformers with skills and tools to help them adjust to the new political situation emerging in the region. Aswat now includes a wealth of information on post-revolution experiences and democratic transitions.

Related:

Published July 28, 2011

Civic Group Invites Nicaraguan Citizens to Participate in Election Monitoring

rrunyan — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:03:09 +0000

As Nicaragua prepares for national elections in November, the domestic observation group Ethics and Transparency (ET) is ramping up efforts to engage citizens in election monitoring activities and a demand for free and transparent polls.

Through a new website, www.vivaelvoto.com, launched June 28, the group is bolstering an ongoing campaign asking all Nicaraguans to become citizen observers and report any electoral problems that compromise the process.

Citizens can report rights violations and other abuses through the interactive website. A map of Nicaragua shows the location of different types of irregularities as they are reported and verified.

The citizens’ reports are grouped into five categories: violations of citizens' rights; lack of voter information; electoral campaign irregularities; intimidation, threats and conflicts; and administrative irregularities. To ensure accuracy, reports may be published on the map only after the information has been verified in the field by one of ET’s 240 expert volunteers.

A member of the Ethics and Transparency group fields questions from reporters at the launch event.

In a country where the last elections generated accusations of fraud and electoral authorities have announced plans to limit national and international observer credentials for November’s elections, the website is a way for all Nicaraguans to become active observers and report incidents that violate their right to free and transparent elections. Reporting can be done by phone, mobile text message, email or in person to ET volunteers working in municipalities.

The website is a key component of a broader ET civic education and participation campaign focused on encouraging every Nicaraguan to become an observer and demand fundamental components of a credible election, including access to a national identity card, fair electoral campaigns, universal suffrage, and a transparent process to count votes and publish results.

NDI provided technical assistance to ET to develop the website and produce promotional materials that will strengthen the “Viva el voto, que gane el voto” campaign, which translates to “Long live the vote, let the vote win.”

The Institute has worked in Nicaragua to strengthen democratic institutions and practices since 1990. This year, NDI is supporting nonpartisan election monitoring by local civil society organizations to promote transparency and the integrity of the national elections, monitor the national identification card distribution process, and provide civic education on electoral reforms and the electoral process.

Related:

Nicaraguan press coverage of the website launch in Spanish in La Prensa and El Nuevo Diario
Nicaragua Leadership Program Supports Emerging Leaders »
Egyptian Civic Group Launches Website to Get Out the Vote for November Polls»
Nicaragua 2009 Democracy Survey: Sharp Drop in Confidence in Public Institutions »

Pictured above: The homepage for vivaelvoto.com

Published July 7, 2011.

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

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

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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 E-news: Burma, Jordan, Haiti | Nov. 2010

fgalleto — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:57:59 +0000

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November 2010

Burma Groups Expose Intimidation, Fraud in Nov. 7 Elections

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Burmese citizens protest the 2010 elections.

Elections in Burma, the first in 20 years, along with the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after years of house arrest, have brought increased attention to the situation in the autocratic Asian country. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Aung San Suu Kyi and her people," NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright said in a statement marking Suu Kyi's release.
"We will do everything in our power to be supportive as she continues the struggle to bring true democracy to Burma."

To highlight abuses associated with the elections,
the Burma Partnership, a coalition of media and human rights groups inside the country and civil society organizations across the border in Thailand, created the Burma Election Tracker website. It documents visually and in prose abuses suffered by Burmese citizens before, during and after election day. NDI provided technical assistance to the partnership in developing the site.

Burma Election Tracker visually displays election incidents by type and location.

Prior to the vote, the elections were widely seen as being structured to minimize opposition and ensure a victory by the ruling military junta. NDI analyzed the legal and human rights framework of Burma's new constitution and election law and concluded that the election process would be a setback for Burma's democratic development. The first-person accounts published on the election tracker support that conclusion, with incidents ranging from
violence and intimidation to fraud to abuse of government power. Due to the difficulty of getting reports out of the country, the site is able to compile only a fraction of incidents from the election.

"The reports that we gathered," the tracker said, "demonstrate that these elections were deeply flawed, and were fundamentally illegitimate, unfree, unfair and undemocratic."

NDI has helped local partners create similar websites to track information about elections, their run-up and aftermath.
In Afghanistan, NDI created an online mapping tool for the analysis of election results from 2004, 2005 and 2009 with layers of ethnographic, demographic, topographic and security data. Preliminary results from 2010 will be added soon. And in Bahrain,
monitors mapped incidents, polling locations, and ethnic and religious populations to draw broader conclusions about parliamentary elections in October.

Election Watch: Jordan, Ukraine, Côte d'Ivoire

In November, NDI fielded an
international delegation of 61 short- and long-term election observers that monitored all aspects of the electoral process in Jordan, from the campaign to balloting on election day to the counting of ballots. In a preliminary statement
issued after the Nov. 9 polls, the delegation said that while the vote was a clear improvement over the nation's 2007 elections, a number of structural shortcomings and other problems should be addressed for future polls. Read more»

After October local elections in Ukraine, NDI commented on
the deterioration of electoral freedoms since the country's presidential election earlier in the year. The Institute said it shared the concerns of Opora, Ukraine's largest domestic election monitoring organization and an NDI partner, which highlighted an atmosphere of mistrust. Read more»

In Côte d'Ivoire, people voted in October presidential elections, the first in 10 years, following a civil war. In an effort to mitigate election-related tensions, NDI worked with political parties seeking to reaffirm a campaign code of conduct
they'd signed in 2008, contributing to a peaceful election day. A runoff will be held Nov. 28. Read more»

New NDI Publications

Don't miss the latest NDI publications and contributions:

NDI President Kenneth Wollack and Governance Director K. Scott Hubli write in the Journal of Democracy about "Getting Convergence Right" on the relationship between democracy and development programs. Read more»

Writing in the Harvard International Review, Wollack discusses the history and evolution of democracy assistance and how such assistance fits into overall U.S. foreign policy goals. Read more»

Shari Bryan, NDI vice president, writes about "The Youth Bulge in Africa" in a paper presented to the National Intelligence Council. Read more»

NDI focus group research with more than 800 Southern Sudanese showed significant support for a referendum in which they will decide whether to choose unity with the North or to secede, and a strong desire for the vote to be held on schedule, in January. The report, Southern Sudan at the Crossroads, was released in September. Read more»

After passage of a series of constitutional reforms designed to expand democratic practices in Hong Kong, citizens are cautiously optimistic about the future. The Calm After the Storm compiles research and conclusions of popular opinion in Hong Kong following the reform vote last summer. Read more»

NDI Aids Haitian Groups Working on Presidential Debates, Cholera Containment

With 19 candidates running for president of Haiti, differentiating them by platform and issue can be difficult. To help Haitians make informed decisions in preparation for the Nov. 28 vote, NDI helped produce a series of six candidate debates, aired on 32 television and radio stations, that focused on substantive issues about the future of the country. Read more»

In an effort to contain Haiti's cholera outbreak, grassroots organizations known as Initiative Committees are working to educate citizens about the importance of hygiene and safe drinking water. Developed more than a decade ago with NDI support, the committees are using their networks to help with relief and rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of last January's earthquake. Read more»

Coalition to Monitor Vote for Better Elections in Nigeria

Nigeria is at an electoral crossroads. Next year's vote for president could herald a democratic turnaround or lead to further electoral fraud and possible violence. To monitor the process and verify results, a coalition of four prominent civil society groups have come together to form Project 2011 Swift Count, hoping that their independent effort will deter fraud and help restore public trust in the election. Read more»

Albanian Women Claim a Voice in Politics through Advocacy on Health Care

A multipartisan network of politically active Albanian women is advocating for better health care services for women, as well as spreading information about early detection and treatment for breast and cervical cancers. The educational campaign has reached nearly 5,000 women, and has led to free cervical cancer screening tests for women in one Albanian city. The women are also lobbying local and regional officials for more resources for women's health care. Read more»

Women Speak Out Against Discrimination in Burkina Faso

A coalition of representatives of women's and human rights organizations in Burkina Faso recently traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to present a report on the status of women's rights in the West African country to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. The coalition highlighted some of the major challenges facing Burkinabe women, including lower rates of school attendance for girls, unequal access to health care, and high rates of domestic violence. Read more»

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

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

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October 2010

Preparing for Election Day - Debating, Educating Assessing

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Candidates greet the moderators before debating in Bosnia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Haiti, Citizens Voice Ideas and Concerns about Rebuilding

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

Despite Violence, Voters in Afghanistan Show Commitment to Democratic Process

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

New Publications Encourage Women's Political Participation

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

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

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

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

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

Central American Leaders See Transparency as Key to Public Security

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

New Partnerships Strive for More Inclusive, Stronger Parliaments

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

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

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

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NDI E-news: Democracy Day, Afghanistan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan | Sept. 2010

fgalleto — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:43:47 +0000

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Sept 15, 2010

Happy Democracy Day!

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"Democracy is...in our hands." Photo by Kaylene George of South Africa, one of 12 winners of the Democracy Photo Challenge.

NDI wishes you a happy International Day of Democracy, an annual global celebration of human rights, the rule of law and other principles that unite democracies around the world. This day, Sept. 15, was designated by the United Nations to reaffirm the universality of democratic values and recognize the aspirations of people around the world to have a say in how they are governed and make free choices about how they live their lives.

In more than 70 countries around the world, NDI's main mission is to support and strengthen democratic institutions. Here are some recent examples of our work.

In Afghanistan, Supporting Elections with People, Technology

An Afghan voter casts his ballot in the 2009 election

In three days, Afghans will go to the polls to elect members of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of the Afghan National Assembly. The Institute is fielding an international observation mission, as well as working with candidates, political parties, polling agents and domestic observers. NDI is also publishing election updates looking at issues surrounding the polls and analyzing conditions on the ground throughout the country.
NDI has also recently updated its internationally recognized website, afghanistanelectiondata.org, which allows users to analyze and visualize election data from 2004, 2005 and 2009, with 2010 data coming soon.

In Kenya, Observing the Constitutional Referendum and Beyond

NDI has actively supported Kenyan efforts to strengthen democratic institutions since 1993.
The country's recent national referendum to approve a new constitution was lauded by international and domestic election observers. The Elections Observation Group (ELOG), a coalition of civic and faith-based Kenyan organizations and a partner of NDI's, observed balloting around the country and released a statement verifying the accuracy of the results,
which they confirmed using a parallel vote tabulation, or "quick count." NDI's board of directors, led by Chairman Madeleine K. Albright, recently met in Nairobi, pledging organizational support in the coming months as Kenyans build the legal framework to support the constitution.

In Kyrgyzstan, Supporting the Electoral Process and Women Candidates

Daschle discusses recent developments and challenges with civic leaders in Kyrgyzstan.

In Kyrgyzstan, citizens recently approved a new and first of its kind constitution in the region that significantly limits presidential power in relation to parliament.
Despite challenges that still lie ahead, the country has made progress on democratic reforms, NDI Vice Chair and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle concluded following a recent trip to the country.
Now, as Kyrgyzstan looks ahead to parliamentary elections in October, NDI is working with women candidates, training them on campaign and leadership skills, public speaking, and working within political parties to more fully integrate the women candidates into existing party structures.
NDI will also continue its assistance to the Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society, a domestic election observation group planning to monitor the parliamentary elections.

In Liberia, U.S. Congressional Delegation Reaffirms Commitment to Legislative Research

On a recent trip to Liberia, members of the U.S. House Democracy Partnership (HDP) visited the new legislative library that it, NDI and the U.S. Agency for International Development are helping to build. The eight visiting House members also had the chance to attend a town hall meeting in the Liberian town of Kakata. "Our delegation had been invited to attend not as participants, but as observers — as witnesses to Liberia's fragile but maturing democracy..." Reps. David Price, D-N.C., and David Dreier, R-Calif., wrote about the experience.

In Jordan, Al-Hayat Addresses Youth Apathy in Political Process

More than 65 percent of Jordanians are under the age of 30, and 43 percent of potential voters are 18 to 25. Youth have historically been excluded from the political process, so the Al-Hayat Center for Civil Society Development has launched a campaign focused on engaging and registering young voters for the Nov. 9 parliamentary elections.

The campaign is based in part on the findings of a survey conducted by Al-Hayat and NDI, designed to uncover young people's attitudes toward political involvement.

Women Gain the Confidence, Skills and Network to Win Elections in Lebanon

When Lebanese voters went to the polls this year to select municipal officials, they voted in more than twice the number of women as in 2004, going from 201 elected women to 530. One factor in this dramatic increase was the help provided women candidates by the Shariky program, an NDI project that supports women candidates through training and mentoring.

Yemeni Youth Break New Ground in Resolving Tribal Conflict

In Yemen, tribal conflict is a backdrop affecting the country's economic development, governance and national stability. Disputes over land claims and competition for resources and government services often lead to violence and cycles of revenge killings.

NDI helped 40 young men and women under the age of 30 come together in July to form the country's first cross-tribal youth council, which is already helping to solve disputes about school placement and land boundaries.

Interviews with NDI Staff Present an "In-Country Perspective" in Mexico, Rwanda

Mexican Civic Groups Bring Public Security Concerns to Politicians

Julian Quibell, who directs NDI’s programs in Mexico, sat down for an interview on how NDI is bringing civil society and candidates for local office together in a collaborative dialogue to help address Mexicans' concerns about security, violence and organized crime.

In Rwanda, NDI Promotes Political Party Dialogue and Peaceful Competition

Fifteen years after the genocide that devastated Rwanda, the country is still dealing with its lasting impact on politics and governance. Prior to the presidential election, we sat down with Gaston Aín, then country director in Rwanda, to learn more about the political landscape, the role of young people and NDI's work with political parties.

Democracy Is... Initiative Celebrates Winning Photos, Videos

"Democracy is the state of being free to act and look different from the way others do." Photo by Kaveh Baghdadchi of Iran, one of 12 winners of the DPC.

The Democracy Is... initiative is celebrating the winners of the Democracy Photo Challenge and Democracy Video challenge today in New York City.

"As a photographer, I am inspired by the quality of the content we've seen in the Photo Challenge," said jury co-chair Louie Psihoyos, Academy Award-winning documentary director and photographer. "But it is as an activist that I am most moved. These images allow us to experience life through the eyes of another and better understand how they experience democracy."

The Photo Challenge winners were asked to complete the phrase "Democracy is..." with an image and caption. Twelve winning photos were chosen by the public on Picasa, and are now on display at the United Nations in New York City. See the winning photos»

The Video Challenge participants completed the same phrase with a three-minute video. This year's winners were in New York for the celebration as part of their grand prize. They hail from Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Nepal and Spain. Watch the winning videos»

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NDI E-news: Community of Democracies, Burma, Iraq | August 2010

fgalleto — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:14:59 +0000

August 2010

New and Established Democracies Celebrate Past Successes and Look to the Future of Democracy Support

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Former Polish President Lech Walesa and Madeleine Albright at the 10th anniversary meeting of the Community of Democracies

Community of Democracies Celebrates 10 Years

Representatives
from many of the world's established and new democracies came together
in Krakow, Poland, last month to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the
Community of Democracies, a global coalition
focusing today on meeting challenges to democracy and strengthening the
role of civil society.

NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright, who as U.S. secretary of state was an initiator of the organization, spoke at the gathering,
saying "those who are blessed to live in a democracy have an obligation
to repay that blessing by upholding free institutions and by teaching,
protecting, and cherishing democratic values." Read more»

Transatlantic Democracy Dialogue Begins

To
encourage stronger transatlantic ties on democracy support, senior U.S.
and European policymakers came together in Washington, D.C., for the
start of a two-year dialogue to discuss ways to fortify cooperation on
democracy and human rights. The dialogue is chaired by Albright; Jerzy Buzek,
president of the European Parliament; Javier Solana, former European
Union high representative for the common foreign security policy; and Vin
Weber, former congressman and former chairman of the National Endowment
for Democracy (NED). It is organized by NDI with primary
support from the European Commission and the NED. The
dialogue will, through a series of conferences and working papers,
produce actionable recommendations for improving democracy support
programs. Read more»

Commemorating the Frost-Solomon Task Force

Frost (left) and Rep. David Price (center) speak to Ibrahim Samadi, a participant in the parliamentary research service institute from Afghanistan.

The
benefits of transatlantic cooperation were celebrated in early June at a
commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Frost-Solomon Task Force,
which provided assistance from the U.S. Congress to new parliaments in
Central and Eastern Europe emerging from communist rule. Its programs
were based on the principle that successful democratic transitions in
the former communist countries depended on the establishment of
effective democratic legislatures. Former Rep. Martin Frost, for whom the task force was named along with the late Rep. Gerald Solomon, attended the commemoration in Warsaw, Poland, along with
representatives from 10 of the former Soviet bloc countries. Read more »

Toward Better Parliamentary Research Services

Many
of the representatives from the original Frost-Solomon countries stayed
in Warsaw to share their experiences during a week-long parliamentary
institute organized by the House Democracy Partnership (HDP), a
successor to the task force. Representatives from 11 parliaments on
four continents, all HDP partner parliaments, took part in the institute
that focused on developing and strengthening parliamentary research
services. "Where democratic governance has taken root...commissions such
as ours can provide an added boost by sharing our own experiences, good
and bad," said Rep. David Price, chairman of HDP. Read more »

NDI Analysis: Burma's Electoral Framework is Fundamentally Undemocratic

A
new NDI report found that Burma's new election laws and constitution
have created a framework that is fundamentally undemocratic for the
first national elections to be held in the country since 1990. Based on
a legal and human rights analysis, NDI concluded that the election
process will not be a step forward and risks being yet another setback
in a country that has been governed by the military for almost half a
century. The process "is clearly designed to guarantee a pre-determined
outcome and, therefore, does not meet even the minimum of international
standards," the report said.

Read the full report »

New Technologies Create Opportunities, Risks in Democracy Support

Speaking at a panel at the Krakow Community of Democracies meeting, NDI Chief Technology Officer Chris Spence explored the role of technology in democratic development and the challenges and opportunities it poses in closed societies. Spence also addressed the importance of using technologies in new and emerging democracies using examples from Afghanistan and Uganda.

He noted that while technology can provide useful tools, to be most effective they must be used to support well-organized "off-line" activities by civil society groups.

Read Spence's remarks »

In Angola, Radio Program Connects 'Parliament and Me'

"Parliament
and Me," a new radio talk show in Angola, is working to establish a
connection between elected representatives and their constituents as the
country rebuilds after a 27-year civil war. NDI partnered with Radio
Ecclesia, a capital city radio station with a wide audience, to create
the weekly program, which educates citizens about the role of
parliament.

The
program also explores historical, political and legal issues that many
Angolans may not be familiar with, such as the origins of the Angolan
parliament, the laws it has passed and the impact of women parliamentarians.

In Macedonia, New Legislative Research Institute to Aid Lawmakers

Macedonia is working to establish a professional parliamentary research service that will
enhance the ability of its legislature to advance democratic
governance in the country. The parliament is undertaking a
three-year project to create such a service, which will help lawmakers obtain
the necessary information to generate and amend legislation, oversee
public expenditures and monitor how laws are carried out.

The
research service is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation and implemented by NDI and its Macedonian partner, the
Institute for Parliamentary Democracy.

Iraqis Discouraged by Post-Election Government Negotiations

Iraqis
are becoming increasingly frustrated about the delay in the formation
of a new government and a majority of them believe that the country is
headed in the wrong direction, according to a recent public opinion poll
conducted by NDI.

Among
the survey's other findings, 42 percent of those polled thought Ayad
Allawi, representing the Iraqiyya coalition, which got the most votes in
the March 7 elections, should become the next prime minister, compared
to 14 percent who supported current Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki. The most
important problem facing average Iraqis, they said, is delivery of basic
services.

Increasing Women's Political Participation Around the Globe

Part of NDI's core mission is working with women around the world to help them gain leadership skills and access to power:

Afghan Women Seek Major Role in Peace-building:
Women from 33 of the country's 34 provinces attended a symposium in
Kabul, Afghanistan, to find ways to ensure that women's rights are integrated into the government-initiated peace and reconciliation process. They listed 13 recommendations for the Afghan government to
follow to address women's needs.

Coalition Boosts Effort to Implement Gender Quota Law in Burkina Faso:
Last year the legislature in Burkina Faso passed a law requiring that
30 percent of candidates on political party lists be women. Now, a
coalition is suggesting ways to fully implement the law.

Middle Eastern Women Gain Political Inspiration in Wisconsin: A
group of young women from across the Middle East who aspire to
political careers spent two weeks at a leadership retreat in Madison,
Wisc., the culmination of a year-long Young Women Leaders Academy.
There, they learned from elected women leaders about public service and
political campaigns.

Mayan Women Train One Another to Increase Their Political Voice:
To help overcome the political and economic challenges facing Mayan
women in Guatemala, NDI has published a series of training guides to
help equip the women with the concrete skills they need to pursue
political leadership opportunities.

Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors Launches

In
more than 90 countries, millions of citizens have joined nonpartisan
election monitoring efforts to safeguard electoral integrity, hold
government accountable, mitigate politically motivated violence and
promote the right of citizens to participate in public life.

For the first time, those groups have joined together to form the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors, which launched a website
this month that compiles thousands of documents, manuals and best
practices. As the site continues to evolve, domestic election monitors
around the world will be able to exchange information, form
relationships and continue to learn from each other.

Multimedia Not To Miss

Be sure to check out:

Pop star Bobi Wine performs his song, "A Serious Matter," to help promote peaceful elections and the use of an NDI-supported election hotline in Uganda.

A short video
highlights the interaction between citizens and members of parliament
in Cambodia as part of a NDI's constituency dialogue program.

Democracy Updates | Partner Spotlights | In-Country Perspectives |

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Innovative Info-Sharing Reveals Reality of Burma’s Stolen Election | Nov. 9, 2010

fgalleto — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:53:00 +0000

Democracy Digest | Link to story »

"The Burmese military's political front claimed a resounding victory today in an election widely dismissed as a sham. US President Barack Obama said the ruling junta had simply stolen the election...

"But reports generated by an innovative approach to information-gathering under restrictive regimes suggest that the 'deeply flawed' elections were 'fundamentally illegitimate, unfree, unfair and undemocratic.'"

Link to story »

Burma Groups Expose Fraud and Abuse in the November 7 Elections

fgalleto — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 22:54:43 +0000

Dozens of Burma border-based organizations with feeds from human rights organizations and exile media launched a website to share citizen reports of widespread abuse and fraud around the first elections in Burma in 20 years. Burma Election Tracker shows detailed reports, eye witness accounts, pictures and video gathered through established networks of civic organizations operating throughout Burma. The site also provides ongoing analysis and recommendations.

The group concluded that “The reports that we have gathered demonstrate that these elections are deeply flawed, and are fundamentally illegitimate, unfree, unfair and undemocratic.”

Dozens of Burma border-based organizations with feeds from human rights organizations and exile media launched a website to share citizen reports of widespread abuse and fraud around the first elections in Burma in 20 years. Burma Election Tracker (www.burmaelectiontracker.org) shows detailed reports, eye witness accounts, pictures and video gathered through established networks of civic organizations operating throughout Burma. The site also provides ongoing analysis and recommendations.

The group concluded that “The reports that we have gathered demonstrate that these elections are deeply flawed, and are fundamentally illegitimate, unfree, unfair and undemocratic.”

More than 300 reports have been posted on the site, varying from stories of voter intimidation to journalists being arrested and refugees streaming into neighboring Thailand due to election-related violence. The site will be updated continuously over the coming days as additional reports about election day and the post-election environment trickle out of the country.

Due to restrictions on communications and suppression of political activities it is very difficult to move this information out of Burma. These groups are using a variety of means to collect and transfer the information so it can be published on the site, including Internet and mobile communications as available, and physically carrying media cards containing pictures and video out of the country. Still, many reports never make it.

“Because of the extreme difficulty of collecting information in Burma, we recognize that these reports represent a small portion of similar violations, fraud and atrocities,” said Khin Ohmar, coordinator of the Burma Partnership, a Burmese-led network of organizations in Asia advocating for and mobilizing a movement for democracy and human rights in Burma.

Burma Election Tracker provides an interactive map of several hundred reports that allow visitors to identify geographic trends of various types of human rights and electoral violations. Additional data sets will be added to the site over the coming days. The website is another step in the creation of approaches and tools that citizens can use to assess and improve political processes in repressive countries.

Burma Election Tracker is supported by a mostly volunteer team of about 50 Burmese citizens and the courageous work of hundreds of activists and rights defenders around the country. The site is designed and managed by the Burma Partnership.

NDI has provided ongoing technical support to the Burma Partnership and assisted with the development of the Burma Election Tracker. This work is part of the Institute’s broader effort to assist democracy and human rights activists in using the internet and mobile technology to document abuses and advocate for political reform. NDI has supported international advocacy for Burma since 1995.

Related:

Pictured above: Burmese citizens protest the 2010 elections

Published on Nov. 8, 2010

Burma Groups Expose Fraud and Abuse in the November 7 Elections

fgalleto — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 22:31:15 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

11/08/2010

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Burma_Election_Tracker_release.pdf	26.11 KB

NDI - Democracy and Technology

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NDI E-news: South Sudan, Burma, Tunisia | July/August 2011

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Aswat Community Connects Activists in the Middle East and North Africa

Civic Group Invites Nicaraguan Citizens to Participate in Election Monitoring

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

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NDI E-news: Burma, Jordan, Haiti | Nov. 2010

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

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NDI E-news: Democracy Day, Afghanistan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan | Sept. 2010

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In Afghanistan, Supporting Elections with People, Technology

In Kenya, Observing the Constitutional Referendum and Beyond

In Kyrgyzstan, Supporting the Electoral Process and Women Candidates

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NDI E-news: Community of Democracies, Burma, Iraq | August 2010

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Community of Democracies Celebrates 10 Years

Transatlantic Democracy Dialogue Begins

Commemorating the Frost-Solomon Task Force

Toward Better Parliamentary Research Services

READ MORE

Innovative Info-Sharing Reveals Reality of Burma’s Stolen Election | Nov. 9, 2010

Burma Groups Expose Fraud and Abuse in the November 7 Elections

Burma Groups Expose Fraud and Abuse in the November 7 Elections