NDI - East Timor

Maturing and Developing Democracies Share Experiences on Parliamentary Research Services

fgalleto — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:41:07 +0000

"Democracy," said U.S. Rep. David Price, "cannot be imposed from without but must grow from within, organically and at its own pace."

Price was speaking at a unique week-long event in Warsaw, Poland, last month that exemplified that theme. Representatives of maturing and developing democracies gathered for two purposes. The first was to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Frost-Solomon Task Force, which in 1990-96 provided assistance from the U.S. Congress to new parliaments in Central and Eastern Europe that were emerging from communist rule. The second was a Parliamentary Staff Institute to use the lessons learned through that experience to assist representatives of 11 parliaments from different parts of the world that are making their own transitions to democratic governance.

The particular focus of the institute was the development and strengthening of parliamentary research services. It was organized by the House Democracy Partnership (HDP), a successor organization to Frost-Solomon that is chaired by Price, in cooperation with NDI and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

"Where democratic governance has taken root," Price said, "where elected leaders are already working to reform and strengthen their institutions — then commissions such as ours can provide an added boost by sharing our own experiences, good and bad...because when we speak, we speak as peers, as fellow elected officials and professional staff members who are driven by many of the same motivations and ideals. We also have firsthand knowledge of the things that make our own legislature more effective, and can bring that knowledge to bear in targeted ways."

The commemoration events were hosted by the Senate and Sejm of Poland, one of the parliaments that benefitted from the Frost-Solomon program that is now helping other countries with democratic development. Also in attendance was former U.S. Rep. Martin Frost, D-TX, for whom the task force was named along with the late U.S. Rep. Gerald B. H. Solomon, R-NY. Additional participants were Dan Mulhollan, director of the Congressional Research Service (CRS), a group of veteran CRS employees who worked with the task force and representatives from 10 Frost-Solomon countries who all shared their expertise on developing research services.

Speakers underlined the importance of reliable, impartial, timely and accurate research for parliaments drafting legislation. And they shared tips on how to engage legislators and help them see the value of research, which was a concern of a number of representatives from the 11 developing parliaments who feel the importance of their work is not recognized.

"The key to democracy is effective legislation," which requires good information, said William Robinson, former deputy director of CRS. Paul Rundquist, formerly of CRS, emphasized the significance of visibility, flexibility, confidentiality and reliability as researchers prepare information for lawmakers and encourage them to see its value.

Renata Blagniene speaks at the commemoration at the Polish Senate.

Renata Blagniene, head of the General Information Division of the Lithuanian parliament, who was one of the original Frost-Solomon participants, said the vision provided by CRS in those early days "forced us to work hard and to achieve standards." She and her team learned how to be active, be visible and gain political support for their research.

Frost-Solomon provided assistance to parliaments in 10 emerging democracies — Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Its programs were based on the principle that successful democratic transitions in the former communist countries depended on the establishment of effective democratic legislatures.

Those programs, administered by CRS, provided more than 1,200 computers, printers, faxes and other office equipment; more than 9,300 books and other materials for parliamentary libraries; and training programs for more than 2,200 staff and members. "[A] lasting positive impact on the democratic work of parliaments can be demonstrated in all of the countries," according to the task force's final report, published in 1998.

HDP comprises a bipartisan group of 20 members of the U.S. House who work to promote and support the development of democratic governments around the world. It is co-chaired by Price and U.S. Rep. David Drier, R-CA. Attending the staff institute were representatives from HDP partner legislatures in Afghanistan, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Kosovo, Liberia, Macedonia, Mongolia, Pakistan and Timor-Leste.

"While our work has evolved considerably since the first Frost-Solomon delegations 20 years ago," Price said, "one constant remains at its core: the importance of a legislative research service to an independent legislature. For policymaking is often a battle of ideas, and ideas must be supported by facts."

Related:

Pictured above: Former U.S. Rep. Martin Frost (left) and Rep. David Price (center) speak to Ibrahim Samadi, a participant in the parliamentary research service institute from Afghanistan.

Published on July 7, 2010

Congress Looks to Women as Agents of Change

fgalleto — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:57:09 +0000

In places as diverse as Timor-Leste, Croatia, Morocco, Rwanda and South Africa, increasing numbers of women are being elected to political office. In each case, more women has meant more legislation related to anti-discrimination, domestic violence, family codes, inheritance, and child support and protection.

"Women's political participation results in tangible gains for democracy, including greater responsiveness to citizen needs, increased cooperation across party and ethnic lines, and more sustainable peace," said NDI President Kenneth Wollack in testimony at a June 9 House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on "Women as Agents of Change: Advancing the Role of Women in Politics and Civil Society."

Wollack and other panelists discussed the concrete ways in which women help democracy deliver benefits to all citizens. Panelists also stressed the role that the United States must play in promoting gender equality and empowering women politically and economically to help establish stronger, more inclusive democracies around the world.

In the last 10 years, the rate of women's representation in national parliaments globally has grown from 13.1 percent at the end of 1999 to 18.6 percent at the end of 2009. Some regions have seen particularly dramatic increases, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of women in parliaments has risen from 10.9 to 17.6 percent. While these numbers show progress, women continue to be vastly underrepresented in politics, excluded from decision-making processes and routinely subjected to discrimination and violence.

In spite of enormous social and economic barriers and often in the face of violent opposition, women around the world are demanding their rights to education, security, and healthcare, and claiming a louder voice in decisions that affect their lives and communities. Panelists highlighted the vital role that women can play as leaders in politics and their communities, and stressed the need for increased support for women's political leadership both in the U.S. and abroad.

As Wollack noted, "it is not an accident that the countries in which health, education and economic development are not part of the national agenda are places where women are denied a genuine political voice. Empowering women politically will help countries develop democratic institutions so they can begin to successfully address issues related to security, jobs, human rights, physical well-being and human development." Throughout his testimony, he illustrated how NDI has been working with political and civic leaders for more than two decades to support their efforts to increase the number and effectiveness of women in political life.

Wollack also called attention to the various barriers that limit women's political and civic engagement, namely access to positions of power and to economic resources, lack of government transparency, and pervasive and discriminatory gender stereotypes. He focused on the eight ways to build women's political participation: conducting ongoing communications trainings; building leadership skills; uniting women across political party lines, often in the form of women's caucuses; reforming political parties internally so that women's participation is a real priority; teaching women to train other women so that knowledge and skills are not lost; training elected women so that they are ready to deliver services back to constituents, increasing their chances of re-election; exchanging information internationally; and engaging youth to help change attitudes and behavior towards women.

Other witnesses were: Melanne Verveer, ambassador-at-large for Global Women's Issues; Dr. Esther Brimmer, assistant secretary for International Organization Affairs; Swanee Hunt, chair of the Institute for Inclusive Security and former U.S. ambassador to Austria; and Judy van Rest, executive vice president of the International Republican Institute (IRI). The House Committee members and panelists discussed a range of topics, including women and governance; women and security; women's role in Haiti's reconstruction process; U.S. policies in Afghanistan; violence against women; the importance of ratifying The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); and the creation of a new United Nations gender entity that would coordinate efforts to support women globally.

Read Wollack's testimony»

Related:

Pictured above:Wollack testifies at the Subcommittee hearing

Published on June 14, 2010

Women as Agents of Change: Advancing the Role of Women in Politics and Civil Society

fgalleto — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:19:53 +0000

Author:

Ken Wollack

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

06/09/2010

Resource Type:

Testimony

Language:

English

Media Type:

PDF

2010

English

Attachment	Size
Kenneth Wollack's Testimony	42.9 KB

HDAC Program Offers Comparative Look at Legislative Committee Work

ggreene — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:27:02 +0000

Eighteen committee and subcommittee chairs from four House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) partner countries - Afghanistan, East Timor, Haiti and Liberia - participated in a week-long program on the function of committees within the U.S. House of Representatives. The program was sponsored in conjunction with NDI, the International Republic Institute and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

At a Sept. 15 reception on Capitol Hill, the visitors had the opportunity to meet with HDAC members, including Chairman David Price (D-NC) and Reps. John Boozman (R-AR), Lois Capps (D-CA) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE). Pictured (l to r): Senator John Ballout of Liberia, Rep. Price and Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC).

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Published Sept. 29, 2008

Representatives of Nine Legislatures Take Part in Washington Program to Improve Parliamentary Research and Administration

vrao — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:00:44 +0000

High-level officials from nine legislatures around the world seeking to improve parliamentary research and administration in their lawmaking bodies came to Washington to participate in a two-week program put on by the House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) in association with a number of organizations including the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Representatives from legislatures in Afghanistan, East Timor, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Macedonia and Mongolia, all HDAC “partner” countries, met in early December for a Parliamentary Staff Institute in the Library of Congress. Those attending included secretaries general, clerks, chiefs of staff, legal counsels, directors of research and specialized analysts.

The goal of HDAC, formed in 2005 and led by Chairman David Price, D-NC, and Ranking Member David Dreier, R-CA, is to strengthen democratic institutions in emerging democracies through the provision of expert advice by Members of Congress, administrative officers and staff. The International Republican Institute (IRI), the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and USAID participated with NDI in coordinating the program. The institute was modeled after the Frost-Solomon Task Force Parliamentary Institutes conducted by CRS in the early 1990s that focused on specific topics of relevance to legislative support service staff.

In addition to their sessions on Capitol Hill, the participants traveled to Annapolis, MD, to observe the Maryland General Assembly – a state legislature with a smaller budget and constituency, and closer to scale with their own parliaments. A particular highlight was the chance to witness first hand the sophisticated voting technology used by the Maryland Senate. The visitors cast “votes” electronically and watched as they were tallied on a large screen, demonstrating one technology that can be used to record votes in a legislature.

During most of the institute, the participants were split into two tracks – administrative and research. The administrative track met with U.S. congressional staff who provided a glimpse into how various aspects of the House of Representatives are administered, including press relations, security, legislative recordkeeping and information technology. The participants also discussed issues facing their own parliaments and how U.S. models might be applicable, often engaging in valuable exchanges with other delegations. When talking about their respective administrative experiences, Afghan Secretary General Ghulam Hassan Gran and Liberian Secretary of the Senate J. Nanborlor F. Singbeh “high-fived” over a meeting table in a show of solidarity after discussing how their parliaments face similar issues and challenges.

On the research track, participants had a unique opportunity to engage with librarians, researchers and analysts at CRS through job shadowing and mentoring sessions. CRS staff spoke about the research process, stressing objectivity and proper sourcing techniques, while offering suggestions on better outreach to clients and MPs and anticipating issues that could require research services. Former Frost-Solomon Task Force co-directors and CRS staff members Bill Robinson, and Francis Miko as well as Canadian Parliament Research Service’s Hugh Finsten consulted on the research track programming and served as the resident research experts throughout the institute.

Following a session on research quality control, B. McCarthy Weh II, Liberian Senate director of research, was enthusiastic about the potential for applying these principles to research in Liberia. Weh said he was keen to bring the quality control techniques he learned back to his own research service to improve its quality and efficiency.

Describing the opportunity to participate in the institute as a “dream realized,” Mr. Singbeh of Liberia echoed all of the delegations in expressing gratitude to the program organizers for putting together a comprehensive curriculum on parliamentary research and administration. Many also expressed interest in maintaining communication with one another, as well as their new congressional staff member contacts, to share progress in their respective parliaments as a result of lessons learned during the institute.

Pictured above: The administrative track attends a panel session on the role of committees in the U.S. Congress led by Staff Director and Minority Staff Director of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Bob King, and Yleem Poblete.

–

Published on Jan. 23, 2008

NDI 2005 Annual Report

vrao — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

12/01/2005

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the report	6.23 MB

Manual Observador/ A KOMEG: Eleisaun Presidensial 09 De Abril 2007

vrao — Thu, 17 May 2007 04:00:00 +0000

Author:

KOMEG

Publisher:

KOMEG

Published Date:

04/09/2007

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

Tetun

Attachment	Size
Read the manual (Tetun)	1.48 MB

NDI Election Watch: East Timor 2007 Elections

vrao — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

04/06/2007

Resource Type:

Newsletter

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Issue 1: April 6, 2007	85.66 KB
Issue 2: April 27, 2007	99.89 KB
Issue 3: May 30, 2007	586.43 KB

NDI to Honor World Leaders Who Personify Two Decades of Democratic Development

vrao — Fri, 19 Nov 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

11/22/2004

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the release	6.91 KB

NDI Reports: A Review of the Activities of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs

vrao — Mon, 21 Jul 2003 04:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

12/01/2008

Resource Type:

Newsletter

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Spring 2011: Digital Mapping, Women's Participation, Domestic Monitoring	1.2 MB
December 2008: Making Democracy Deliver	2.37 MB
Summer 2008: Kosovo, Pakistan, Sudan	571.9 KB
Summer 2007: Youth, Women, Technology	801.33 KB
Summer 2006: Bosnia, Liberia, West Bank and Gaza	462.92 KB
Fall 2005: Kosovo, Iraq, Kuwait	865.42 KB
Spring 2005: Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan	813.77 KB
Spring 2004: Win With Women, Elections in Eurasia	615.17 KB
Fall 2003: Celebrating 20 Years	808.11 KB
Spring 2003: Women's Leadership in Yemen, Nepal, Senegal	468.06 KB
Fall 2002: Democracy in the Middle East, Cuba	547.6 KB
Spring 2002: Asian Political Parties, Afghanistan	528.32 KB
Winter 2001: Sept. 11, Nicaragua, Belarus	507.47 KB
Summer 2001: Election Monitors in Central & Eastern Europe	683 KB
Spring 2001: Mexico, Peru, Serbia	732.14 KB
Winter 2000: Zimbabwe, Croatia, Thailand	2.52 MB
Winter 1999: Indonesia, Nigeria, Azerbaijan	3.23 MB
Fall 1999: Nigeria, Indonesia, Morocco	1.29 MB
Winter 1998: Kenya, Poland, Northern Ireland	2.26 MB
Summer 1998: Hong Kong, Ukraine, Ghana	2.01 MB
Winter 1997: Nicaragua, South Africa, Ghana	2.93 MB
Summer 1996: Russia, International Leaders Forum	2.98 MB
Spring 1996: West Bank Gaza, Bosnia, Burundi	2.4 MB
Winter 1995: West Bank Gaza, Ukraine, Malawi	3.28 MB
Fall 1995: South Africa, Russia, Yemen	2.22 MB
Summer 1995: Haiti, Peru, Malawi	2.68 MB
Spring 1994: South Africa, Mexico, Ethiopia	3.43 MB
Summer 1993: Russia, Namibia, Nicaragua	3.52 MB
Spring 1993: Cambodia, South Africa, Yemen	3.71 MB
Spring 1992: Romania, South Africa, Bolivia	1.99 MB
Winter 1991: Zambia, Poland, the Baltics	2.05 MB
Summer 1991: Zambia, Mexico, Bangladesh	1.26 MB
Spring 1991: Namibia, Russia, Senegal	1.36 MB
Winter 1990: Poland, Namibia, Bangladesh	1.33 MB
Fall 1990: Former Soviet Republics, Haiti, Bulgaria	2.07 MB
Summer 1990: Eastern Europe, Dominican Republic, Haiti	2.7 MB
Spring 1990: Hungary, Nicaragua, Panama	1.3 MB
Winter 1989: Pakistan, Argentina, Chile	1.59 MB
Fall 1988: Chile, Pakistan, Nicaragua	1.26 MB
Summer 1988: Costa Rica, Panama, Chile	1.61 MB
Spring 1988: Tunisia, Chile, Paraguay	1.28 MB
Winter 1987: Haiti, Chile, Nicaragua	1.84 MB
Fall 1987: Haiti, Uruguay, Nicaragua	1.43 MB
Spring 1987: Argentina, Philippines, Haiti	1.22 MB
Spring 1986: Philippines, Brazil, Northern Ireland	2.26 MB
Summer 1986: Chile, South Korea, Northern Ireland	2.92 MB
Winter 1986: Mondale Assumes Chairmanship, Argentina, Haiti	3.96 MB
Summer 1985: Senegal, Northern Ireland, South America	1.15 MB

A Secure Future: A Focus Group Report on Public Attitudes Regarding the Defense and Security of East Timor

vrao — Tue, 01 Jul 2003 04:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

02/28/2003

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English, Tetun, Indonesian, Portuguese

Tetun

Attachment	Size
Read the report (English)	341.66 KB
Read the report (Tetun)	353.36 KB
Read the report (Indonesian)	336.31 KB
Read the report (Portuguese)	354.21 KB

Government Within Reach: A Report on the Views of East Timorese on Local Government

vrao — Fri, 31 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/01/2003

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English, Tetun, Portuguese

Tetun

Attachment	Size
Read the report (English)	304.23 KB
Read the report (Tetun)	278.98 KB
Read the report (Portuguese)	276.15 KB

Carrying the People

vrao — Tue, 12 Feb 2002 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute University of East Timor (UNTIL)

Publisher:

University of East Timor (UNTIL)

Published Date:

02/01/2002

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

Tetun

Attachment	Size
Read the report (English)	495.38 KB
Read the report (Tetun)	480.83 KB
Read the report (Portuguese)	501.75 KB

Timor Loro Sa'e is our Nation: A Report on Focus Group Discussions in East Timor

vrao — Fri, 13 Apr 2001 04:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/01/2001

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English, Portuguese

Portuguese

Attachment	Size
Read the report (English)	97.62 KB
Read the report (Portuguese)	88.22 KB

Civic Updates

vrao — Wed, 21 Feb 2001 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

05/01/2010

Resource Type:

Civic Update

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Issue 35: GOTV, Voter Information & Voter Education (Jan. '11)	1.04 MB
Issue 34: Structuring and Maintaining Partnerships (Sept. '10)	306.87 KB
Issue 33: Political Process Monitoring (May '10)	419.89 KB
Issue 32: Defending Space for Citizen Participation (Aug. '09)	204.87 KB
Issue 31: Best Practices for Meaningful Citizen Engagement (April '09)	540.61 KB
Issue 30: Context Matters (Jan. '09)	311.87 KB
Issue 29: Voice, Space and Accountability (Aug. '08)	869.11 KB
Issue 28: Communications Tools (May '08)	207.88 KB
Issue 27: Using Information and Communications Techonologies (Jan. '08)	486.89 KB
Issue 26: Working with Marginalized Populations (Sept. '07)	283.24 KB
Issue 25: Ten Years of Civic Updates (July '07)	258.56 KB
Issue 24: Making Democracy Deliver (Feb. '07)	413.86 KB
Issue 23: Positive Partnerships with Local Groups (May '06)	268.06 KB
Issue 22: Political Activism for People with Disablities (Dec. '05)	458.7 KB
Issue 21: Local Fundraising and Volunteer Recruitment (July '05)	221.65 KB
Issue 20: Tips from NDI Practioners (April '05)	561.26 KB
Issue 19: Get Out The Vote (Dec. '04)	496.75 KB
Issue 18: Involving Youth in the Political Process (July '04)	277.27 KB
Issue 17: Monitoring as a Driver of Change (Feb. '04)	488.58 KB
Issue 16: Citizen Surveys and Other Organizing Tools (Nov. '03)	546.03 KB
Issue 15: Making University Connections (Aug. '03)	579.18 KB
Issue 14: Focus Groups (May '03)	334.74 KB
Issue 13: Civic Forum (Nov. '02)	279.56 KB
Issue 12: Coalition Building (Jan. '02)	195.45 KB
Issue 11: Assessment Methods (Aug. '01)	84.74 KB
Issue 10: Partnership Approaches (April '01)	109.87 KB
Issue 9: What's Voting All About? (Oct. '99)	82.5 KB
Issue 8: Global Seminar on Advocacy and Democracy Development (June '99)	481.85 KB
Issue 7: How Civic Programs Increase Women's Participation in Processes (Dec. '98)	962.34 KB
Issue 6: Post-Conflict and Ethnic Divided Societies (July '98)	120.75 KB
Issue 5: Assessing Programs (March '98)	81.99 KB
Issue 4: Training (Nov. '97)	98.85 KB
Issue 3: Resources and Communication (July '97)	74.43 KB
Issue 2: Advocacy (April '97)	94.31 KB
Issue 1: Program Highlights from Around the World (Feb. '97)	121.71 KB