NDI - Europe: Central and Eastern

Kosovo Fellow to Connect Women Leaders at Local, National Levels

fgalleto — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:27:43 +0000

As a young Kosovar Albanian subjected to Slobodan Milosevic’s dictatorship, Aferdita Syla, like tens of thousands of other young people, faced discrimination in education and virtually every other aspect of her young life. Her fundamental rights of citizenship were wholly denied. She had little in the way of realizing her dreams to live a normal life in a normal country.

Syla poses with Albright. “You can’t imagine how it is to meet the person who was there at the right time to make the right decisions to save your nation,” she said.

Milosevic’s rule provoked open conflict in 1999, and an estimated 800,000 Kosovar Albanians were forcibly and violently expelled by Belgrade, fleeing to neighboring countries, where they lived as refugees. At 24, Syla became one of them, escaping to Macedonia.

“I never thought that I’d be able to go back home again,” she said. But she did go back home – in the summer of 1999 after international intervention led to Kosovo’s break from Serbia.

Syla began working with the International Rescue Committee seeking to help people rebuild their lives. Later, she ran a local nongovernmental organization, Gjilan Youth Center, that helped Kosovo’s young people focus on their futures in the aftermath of the turmoil. In 2005 she joined the Kosovo government serving as a political advisor and a liaison with local and international organizations. And in 2008, Syla joined NDI, focusing on women’s issues in a country where women were disproportionally impacted by the decade-long conflict.

“This is the past,” Syla explained. “And I am recounting it so that we can learn from it. The past belongs to history; we must not let it interfere with our present and political future.”

Today, from NDI’s office in Pristina, Kosovo’s capital, she manages the Informal Group of Women Parliamentarians, a caucus of women lawmakers seeking to improve the participation of women in all of the country’s institutions. Although there is a 30 percent quota for women in parliament, and Kosovo’s president is a woman, there are no women political party leaders or women mayors.

Syla and Amb. Constance Morella

Because Kosovo is just beginning to build its political institutions, having declared independence in 2008, Syla said now is the time to ingrain gender equality in the Kosovar political tradition. “We want to have real equality,” she said. “Everything is fresh. This is actually to our advantage. That’s why we need to act now: because we are just starting.”

As part of her work with the women’s caucus, Syla developed a proposal to link women parliamentarians with women leaders in local government. She believed that connecting women at these different levels of government would help them build support for better public policy at the grassroots level. Ultimately, Syla hoped the project would improve the image of women politicians and inspire young women to enter politics and see themselves as future leaders of their country.

With that idea she applied for NDI’s Andi Parhamovich Fellowship – and she won. The annual award brings one woman from an NDI in-country office or partner organization to Washington, D.C., for three months to conduct research for a project geared toward building democracy and increasing women’s political participation in her own country. The fellowship is named for Andi Parhamovich, an NDI staff member who was killed in Iraq in 2007.

When the fellowship was first established, NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright said, “It is named in her honor, but it was Andi who brought honor to the name and work of NDI, through her dedication and courage.”

For Syla, Albright was instrumental in ensuring Kosovo’s sovereignty and security. When Syla traveled to Washington, D.C., for the fellowship, she was able to meet her hero.

“You can’t imagine how it is to meet the person who was there at the right time to make the right decisions to save your nation,” she said.

In Washington, Syla is researching women’s political participation initiatives in the U.S. and other countries. She is also meeting with women’s groups that focus on increasing women’s political participation at all levels, such as the bipartisan Women Legislators of Maryland, to learn how they function as a group and what mechanisms they use for outreach. The six-month pilot program that results from Syla’s efforts will target five of Kosovo’s 37 municipalities and connect women across party and ethnic lines to focus on local issues.

Building a democracy is a long-term process, Syla said, but, slowly, and by increasing the level of women’s political participation, democracy in Kosovo is becoming a more tangible reality.

Read more:

Published May 4, 2012

Slovakia Elects First Roma Representative to Parliament

fgalleto — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:03:28 +0000

Slovakia made history in April when Peter Pollak took his seat in parliament as the country’s first Roma citizen elected to nationwide office. His victory in March’s parliamentary elections is the culmination of a decade-long journey of grassroots organizing, coalition building and setbacks at the ballot box that ultimately, through perseverance and support, paved the way to his breakthrough this year.

After the election, NDI sat down with him to discuss his journey to parliament.

Pollak campaigns in Rudnany Settlement.

In a region where Roma are treated as second-class citizens, with few opportunities to escape poverty and reverse centuries of discrimination and isolation, Pollak’s victory is a testament to his resilience. In Slovakia, Roma, who have been largely excluded from the political arena, make up an estimated 8 to 10 percent of the country’s 5.4 million citizens.

His first campaign attempt was in 2005 regional elections, but his path to politics began several years earlier. In 2001, he participated in NDI’s youth leadership academies, designed to promote political participation by young people, and he became actively involved with the Institute after the launch of its regional Roma political participation program in 2004. Engagement in NDI’s activities equipped Pollak with the knowledge and skills to take the next steps in his political career. Moreover, he was able to connect with like-minded activists in Slovakia and around the region.

During the 2005 campaign he conducted the first ever door-to-door campaign in segregated Roma settlements with a team of more than 70 volunteers.

In 2009, Pollak ran again, unsuccessfully, for the regional government. But his campaign efforts increased his visibility among both Roma and non-Roma communities – an important step in his political future.

His last unsuccessful bid for elective office came in 2010 parliamentary elections, when he was a candidate on the list of a mainstream political party, Most/Hid, which ran on the platform of inclusion and support for minorities.

When the government collapsed last fall, new elections were scheduled for March, and Pollak had another chance. This time, he joined a new political movement – Ordinary People, Independent Personalities (OLaNO) – to take a top-10 spot on its party list. When OLaNO won 16 seats on March 10, Pollack was among them.

After the election, NDI sat down with him to discuss his journey to parliament.

You grew up in a segregated Roma settlement in Levoca (north central Slovakia). Living in this environment, there is little opportunity for education and advancement and limited access to resources. How were you able to overcome these constraints to complete your secondary education and university degree?

My parents, although living in a poor and not very inspiring environment, always led me to value education and hard work. I was lucky to attend elementary school in my town and most of my classmates were non-Roma kids. After finishing high school, I had to work hard manual labor to make a living and support my family – as did many of my peers. But, with the support of my family and education, I was able to overcome limits and attain a university degree.

What was the motivation for your civic and political activism?

Like many other young Roma, I realized that I have limited opportunities because of the fact that I am a Roma. I always wanted to change that. I refused the fate and life path that a racist society would draw for me. I tried various ways to change the situation until I realized that the best means of positive change dwells in political participation and Roma must reach elected offices.

"I tried various ways to change the situation until I realized that the best means of positive change dwells in political participation and Roma must reach elected office."

On March 10, you were elected to the National Council of the Slovak Republic, becoming the first Roma member of parliament in Slovak history. However, this was not your first campaign. You ran for regional office in Kosice in 2005 and 2009, and for national parliament in 2010. What changed in this election campaign that enabled you to win?

This campaign was different because for the first time we had a full-time campaign manager. For the first time, because of our fundraising, we were able to pay this person so he could dedicate all of his time to our campaign. We also improved at identifying our potential voters, which enabled us to target our messages more effectively. This time we mostly focused on the Roma middle class, with the exception of a few settlements where I have a good reputation and solid support, in contrast to our previous campaigns when we targeted Roma from segregated settlements. The main reason for this decision was that the middle-class Roma are not easily manipulated during the elections. They are not targets of vote-buying, thus are more reliable as voters.

We used every opportunity to talk to middle-class Roma. For example, we attended Roma dance balls – February is a popular month for balls. During these events we had a chance to communicate with many Roma who were leaders of their communities, successful entrepreneurs and authorities. In these balls we altered our door-to-door campaign to be a table-to-table campaign and it worked very well.

We also designed campaign strategies to target non-Roma.

"My previous campaigns gave me a strong and supportive team of volunteers who knew what to do and how to do it."

One of the key factors of our success was the support from the Ordinary People, Independent Personalities (OLaNO) party. The president of the party expressed his public support to me and this gesture created strong interest from national and regional media, which gave me a chance to present my messages. This also helped us fundraise more efficiently. For example, we advertised for free in regional advertising magazines that reach 1.5 million households in Slovakia, and enjoyed interviews and free advertising on the radio.

However, without my previous three campaigns I would not have been elected. My previous campaigns gave me a strong and supportive team of volunteers who knew what to do and how to do it. I systematically worked with my team over seven years and built support among my voters.

In this campaign, you ran on the list of a mainstream political party and you received many non-Roma votes. How do you see cooperation of Roma politicians and activists with non-Roma parties and mainstream politics on the local, regional and national level?

Roma are a heterogeneous group with many differences and therefore it is very difficult for a Roma ethnic political party to be successful. A Roma political party can succeed only if it is able to get non-Roma votes. More and more Roma try to find their place in mainstream political parties, but in the past they were not very successful. One of the reasons I was elected to the parliament is the fact that a strong mainstream party – though new and not very traditional – put me in a high position on the electoral list and supported me as a Roma candidate publically.

NDI’s regional Roma political participation program in Central and Eastern Europe is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy. The initiative seeks to increase Roma political participation by equipping Roma civic and political activists with the skills to advocate for policies to improve the lives of marginalized groups, effectively represent their communities, run well-organized campaigns and share their expertise with emerging activists in their country and neighboring states.

Published April 23, 2012

Persistence by Rights Group in Macedonia Leads to a Significant Win for Citizens with Disabilities

rrunyan — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:59:49 +0000

It took many years, but disabled citizens in Macedonia now legally have the right to equal treatment under the law.

The change came late last year when the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia ratified the U.N. Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a set of government commitments to give full rights to disabled persons rather than treating them as objects of charity and institutionalization. Macedonia’s ratification of the convention resulted from a long-term advocacy campaign led by a disability rights group that overcame considerable political and institutional obstacles to see its goal realized.

Poraka members visit Assembly Speaker Trajko Veljanoski to urge ratification of the U.N. Convention.

It took many years, but disabled citizens in Macedonia now legally have the right to equal treatment under the law.

Historically, Macedonia’s approach to disability emphasized segregation for disabled children, menial employment for disabled adults, and carried few if any policy tools to integrate disabled people into mainstream society. Left with few options and often confronting social stigma, many families institutionalized disabled relatives. Ratification of the U.N. convention means, in broad terms, a start to correcting past wrongs and to the meaningful integration of disabled citizens into the country’s social and economic life.

Heading the effort for ratification was the Republic Center for the Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability, or Poraka, a nationwide, nongovernmental organization representing the rights and interests of more than 20,000 Macedonian citizens with intellectual disabilities. It engaged members of parliament and the public in a wide-reaching campaign that included lobbying party leaders, publishing opinion pieces and organizing international conferences to garner the parliamentary support needed to ratify the convention, which the government had signed in 2007.

That effort began in earnest in 2009, when Poraka decided it needed help navigating the political and legislative process in Macedonia and approached NDI for assistance. The Institute was involved in a multi-year program funded by the National Endowment for Democracy to support legislative advocacy efforts by Macedonian civic groups. With NDI training on public outreach, media relations, and policy assessments, Poraka developed a legislative strategy and public awareness campaign that eventually led to ratification. Along the way, the group built an advocacy model that could be used by other civic activists in the country.

“This campaign was a long time coming and we are so delighted that our hard work paid off,” said Vasilka Dimovska, program manager at Poraka. “The experience really transformed the way we as an organization think about legislative advocacy and our role in the democratic process. We will apply the lessons learned as we begin to monitor how the convention is carried out.”

Poraka’s campaign began with an opinion column in one of the biggest dailies, Dnevnik, arguing for immediate ratification. At the same time, Poraka designed and produced campaign materials, posters, leaflets and an informational brochure under the banner: “So that Rights Become a Reality!”

Poraka leaders went on the road to brief chapters around the country on the initiative and to strategize on how to lobby members of parliament in their home districts. Poraka representatives met with MPs across the country in 20 constituency offices that NDI had helped to develop five years ago. They even lobbied Assembly Speaker Trajko Veljanoski during a tour of the legislature.

Despite Poraka’s best efforts, politicians missed promised deadlines for ratification, including the 2010 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

A signed pledge by a political party, promising ratification within the first 100 days of the new parliament

But disappointment bred determination to put more pressure on the government. A political crisis last year that led to early elections in June gave Poraka another opportunity--this time in the heat of the election campaign.

Assisted by NDI, Poraka designed an election strategy that involved gathering written pledges from leaders of the main political parties to ratify the U.N. Convention within 100 days of the new parliament convening. In two weeks, Poraka secured pledges from 10 parties. The campaign was widely covered by the national press; Poraka representatives appeared on TV, radio and in national newspapers almost every day during the campaign.

While success did not come within 100 days, parliament did ratify the convention, by unanimous vote, this past December – in time to mark the 2011 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Ten days later, PORAKA and NDI organized a roundtable on the ratification and the related obligations for the Macedonia government. The event gathered more than 60 participants from organizations and groups active in the disability equality movement, and was opened by the Minister for Labor and Social Policy.

At the celebratory gathering, the discussion turned to the challenge of ensuring that words on paper in 2011 lead to real improvements in people’s lives in 2012.

Related

Published on March 27, 2012

In Kosovo, Women Reach Beyond ‘Soft’ Issues in the Media

fgalleto — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:00:33 +0000

When the Kosovar government released its ambassadorial nominations last fall, there was a glaring omission — no women were on the list. A group of women members of parliament (MPs) protested at a news conference, which led the government to increase the number of women nominees to one-third.

But when the national television station reported on the press conference, it played traditional wedding music over what the women were saying, making it look more like a party and distracting from the serious message the women MPs were trying to get across.

The Women’s Caucus hosted the event ‘Women's Portrayal in the Media.’

This is just one example of how Kosovar women are often portrayed by the media. To address the problem, the Kosovo Women’s Caucus partnered with NDI to bring together journalists and politicians to discuss the depiction of women – especially women politicians — in the media.

“We all know the power the media has,” said Alma Lama, board member of the Women’s Caucus. “Media is the message and the messenger. It has a big impact on politics, the national debate, and above all the lives and mindset of the people who consume it.”

Those in attendance, including editors, reporters, media directors, EU representatives and MPs, discussed some of the challenges women face with media coverage, such as being seen as experts only on “women's issues.”

“A woman is able to speak on energy, the economy, justice, foreign policy, agriculture, transportation or health,” said Teuta Sahatqija, chair of the caucus. But in the current environment, women are “only invited [on television] when talking about soft issues.”

At the end of the meeting, the caucus and journalists agreed that the media would take steps to cover women and men more equally in all coverage — not just women in power, but also average women citizens. Participants asked the media representatives to work to maintain a gender balance both on screen and off by nurturing and promoting women journalists in equal numbers to men. Participants also called on members of civil society organizations to consider including media monitoring as part of their activities to hold the media accountable for unfair or unequal treatment of women and men in the press.

MPs didn’t blame only the media, however, and called on their political parties to suggest women for interviews on ‘hard’ issues. “If I only blame the media that I was not in the debate, I am wrong,” said Safete Hadergjonaj, chair of the budget committee in the Kosovo Assembly and member of the Democratic Party of Kosovo. “I have to blame my party that has not given me the opportunity to be part of televised debates on the budget or the economy.”

The meeting was covered widely by the media, including in Kosovo’s biggest daily newspaper and in a number of television and Internet news stories.

NDI's Kosovo Assembly Strengthening Program is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Related:

Published March 20, 2012

Hans Zimmer Adds Gypsy Flavor to 'Sherlock Holmes' Score | Jan. 6, 2012

fgalleto — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:08:45 +0000

LA Times | Link to story »

As a certain British super-sleuth might observe, there was nothing elementary about the path that Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer took to bring Gypsy folk music into his soundtrack for "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows."

Accompanied by two NDI representatives, Zimmer and his colleagues visited a number of Slovakia's Roma settlements and met with local politicians. "We get to this village and it's like out of the 12th century," Zimmer recalled of one stop. "There is no running water, there's no electricity."

Link to story »

Nenad Simovic

ntekeei — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:58:48 +0000

Nenad Simovic is the resident country director for NDI's Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) programs. He assists select political parties in both entities of BiH in developing policy platforms that respond to citizen concerns and reform priorities. In this capacity, Mr. Simovic has overseen and analyzed results of local polling and public opinion research, working with the leadership of NDI's partner parties to integrate the results of this public opinion research into party policies before discussing them with civil society representatives in public forums and town hall meetings. Mr. Simovic manages NDI's offices in Sarajevo and Banja Luka.

Prior to his time in Bosnia, Mr. Simovic was based in NDI’s Kosovo office, where he worked primarily with Kosovo Serb political parties, including senior government and political party officials, but also with media, foreign embassies, international organizations, aid agencies and research institutions to support Kosovo Serbs’ political and civil society initiatives. His service at NDI includes work with political party and civic leaders throughout the Balkans, including Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania, as well as in Jordan and Iraq. From 1999 to 2007, Mr. Simovic was the regional expert for campaign planning and political party organizing with NDI in Serbia.

Before joining the Institute, Mr. Simovic worked for the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, first as CEO and later as Advisor of the President. Earlier, he practiced law in Serbia as the legal representative of trade unions, NGOs and Serbian opposition political parties. He was also a member of Yugoslavia’s Federal Electoral Commission and the Republic of Serbia’s Central Election Commission for the 2000 elections. Mr. Simovic was the regional campaign manager for the Democratic Opposition of Serbia in 2000, after which the Serbian opposition overthrew Milosevic’s regime.

Mr. Simovic holds a master’s degree from the University of Belgrade.

Democracy is a natural human need – interview with Madeleine Albright

ntekeei — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:25:56 +0000

Source:

LiberteWorld

Article Link:

Published Date:

01/12/2012

In an interview with LiberteWorld, NDI Chairman Madeleine Albright said the world is seeing a fourth wave of democratization. In that regard, she speaks about the connections between the third wave of democratization in Central and Eastern Europe and the fourth wave in the Middle East and North Africa.

"People everywhere want to be able to make decisions about their own lives. Democracy is a natural feeling for people and I have never agreed with those who say X country or X area is not ready for democracy."

Democracy Activists Pay Tribute to Václav Havel and His Ideals

fgalleto — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:16:21 +0000

Political dissidents from China, Syria, Iran, Ethiopia, Cuba and Burma joined NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright and others to pay tribute to the life and work of Václav Havel at the National Endowment for Democracy. Havel, a playwright and political activist who went on to become the president of Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic, died last month at the age of 75.

The tributes emphasized Havel's empathy with those living under authoritarianism, his warm humor, his great intellect, and his constant striving to "live in truth," a major theme of his seminal work The Power of the Powerless.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma's democracy movement, sent a video message paying tribute to her long-time friend. She recounted that two days after Havel's death, a letter arrived from him offering his continued support to her and to the democracy movement in Burma. Noting that it was written only days before he died, "it was a surprise that he had remembered us at a time when he was so ill," she said.

Similarly, Li Xiaorong, a Chinese democracy activist, recalled seeing Havel deliver a letter to the Chinese embassy in Prague in January of 2010 demanding the fair trial and release of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Though the winter was particularly hard on Havel due to his illness, Li said, his concern for Liu Xioabo outweighed concerns for his own well being. "Havel speaks directly to us," she said. "We always felt that he knows intimately what a dissident writer like Liu Xiaobo faces as he or she criticizes a powerful authoritarian regime and tries to speak the truth."

Birtukan Midekssa, who is often referred to as the Aung San Suu Kyi of Ethiopia, said that she identifies with the humble green grocer in The Power of the Powerless who becomes a dissident by refusing to live the lie of authoritarianism. Havel provided "a narrative of struggle" that helped sustain her during her long periods in solitary confinement as a political prisoner.

Albright, a friend of the Czech president, recalled both personal and public moments she shared with Havel. "I recall especially the night he played host to President Clinton at the Reduta jazz club in Prague, shaking maracas and a tambourine while Clinton tried out the new saxophone that Havel had given him," she said. She also spoke of Havel's humility and his optimism. "He had an unshakeable confidence in certain basic principles about how we humans should treat one another, and about the proper relationship between citizens and the state."

President Obama and the Dalai Lama, unable to attend the memorial, sent statements in praise of Havel and his work.

Related:

Published Jan. 11, 2012

Remarks by Madeleine K. Albright at the NED Memorial Tribute to Václav Havel

fgalleto — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:05:07 +0000

Author:

Madeleine K. Albright

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/06/2012

Resource Type:

Speech

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the remarks	61.83 KB

Hans Zimmer's Roma Collaboration for 'Sherlock Holmes' Score | Dec. 8, 2011

fgalleto — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:52:59 +0000

Huffington Post | Link to story »

Any time Hans Zimmer begins a project, he panics: no matter how many iconic movie scores he has composed, the Oscar-winner fears he'll be unable to come up with even a single new harmony. But as soon as Zimmer began reading the script for director Guy Richie's second Sherlock Holmes film, he knew exactly what he had to do. It was, if you'll forgive the expression, elementary.

In the end, Zimmer discovered more than he bargained for. Because he set up the trip through former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and the nonprofit National Democratic Institute, he saw a side of the Roma that few foreigners ever do.

Link to story »

Read more like this:

Vaclav Havel, the principled president

ntekeei — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:52:10 +0000

Source:

The Washington Post

Article Link:

Published Date:

12/19/2011

In a eulogy to Vaclav Havel, who died Sunday, NDI Chairman Madeleine Albright writes that he was a man preoccupied with moral values, ethics and a belief in democratic institutions.

"Havel was steadfast in pursuing a moral universe, but he never suffered from the illusion that he lived in one. The urgency in his voice came less from lofty expectations of human character than from the distress he felt at those who accepted injustice simply because it was easier to look away than to resist."

Hans Zimmer Collaborates with Roma Musicians on New Film Score

fgalleto — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:52:57 +0000

When Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer set out to write the score for the new Sherlock Holmes film, he knew he wanted to collaborate with Roma musicians. With NDI’s assistance, Zimmer visited Roma towns and settlements, primarily in Eastern Slovakia. Roma, sometimes called Gypsies, are virtually unrepresented in government, and therefore enjoy very few of the benefits other Europeans take for granted.

Hans Zimmer visits with Roma musicians in Zehra, Slovakia.

When Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer set out to write the score for the new Sherlock Holmes film, he knew he wanted to collaborate with Roma musicians. "I went there to find musicians we can work with," Zimmer recently told the Huffington Post. "Not out of a sense of authenticity, partly because of inspiration, and partly because every time I heard a recording from these people, it just sounded different, it sounded like stuff I couldn't do in Hollywood or London."

With NDI’s assistance, Zimmer visited Roma towns and settlements, primarily in Eastern Slovakia. Roma, sometimes called Gypsies, are virtually unrepresented in government, and therefore enjoy very few of the benefits other Europeans take for granted. "If you're a Roma kid and you want to go to school, because your settlement is so far from your school, you have to take the bus, but because there is only unemployment, you can't afford to get the bus," Zimmer explained. "So it's this vicious circle where you can't afford to get an education because you can't afford the bus fare. The housing is beyond anything I've ever seen." Read more»

Related:

Published Dec. 15, 2011

NDI E-news: Women's Leadership, Zambia, Focus Group Research | October 2011

ntekeei — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:54:53 +0000

October 2011

Women Seeking Leadership Roles to Make Change

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

Women running for office in the Democratic Republic of Congo learn to use iKNOW Politics. Photo courtesy of NDI_DRC.

"Success without democracy is improbable. Democracy without women is impossible."
— NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright

Around the world, women in ever-increasing numbers are taking steps to join in the political process at all levels of government. Partnering with men and supporting each other, women are running for office, rising in the ranks of political parties and advocating for issues that matter in their lives.

In Egypt, where the first post-uprising election will begin Nov. 28, women are working to overcome obstacles presented by both law and custom to win election to the parliament that will draft the country's new constitution. NDI campaign schools are helping them learn about campaign strategies, message development, voter contact, public speaking and the country's complex electoral code as they prepare their candidacies.

In the Balkans, women from political parties are working together across ethnic lines and national boundaries to inject new life into stalled politics. They are championing new education policies that will help women become more entrepreneurial and establishing networks that will help them exchange best practices and overcome barriers to women's participation in politics.

At the campaign school in Cairo.

In Kazakhstan, women make up 58 percent of the civil service but hold less than 9 percent of high-level positions. Women and men from across the country came together last month to draft an action plan to boost opportunities for women to reach decision-making positions in government. The plan calls for a cabinet-level Ministry of Gender Development, creating training schools for women, encouraging women in rural areas to participate in politics and other measures.

During the Democratic Republic of Congo's last legislative elections, fewer than 1,100 of 9,000 candidates were women. To encourage more women to run in November elections, NDI held a campaign school where women interested in parliament learned what it takes to win. Hundreds of women turned out to learn about iKNOW Politics, an online network dedicated to the advancement of women in politics.

In Zambia, Observers Cite Accurate Results, Peaceful Process

Zambia’s Civil Society Election Coalition deployed more than 9,000 highly-trained monitors around the country to observe the voting and counting in last month’s elections. About 1,000 of those were assigned to a nationally representative sample of polling stations. Their conclusion, stated "with great confidence," was that the results announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia accurately reflected the votes cast and that the process was generally smooth and peaceful. An NDI pre-election observation mission in August, led by Quett Ketumile Masire, former president of Botswana, and NDI Vice Chair Thomas Daschle, pointed out “noteworthy challenges” in the electoral environment and said the country could move forward significantly if its elections were credible and peaceful. Read more»

Liberian Elections Generally Peaceful, Orderly

The Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC), a coalition of seven civil society organizations and a partner of NDI's, fielded 2,000 election monitors to polling locations across the country to observe Liberia's presidential and legislative polls. Based on preliminary reports, the ECC called the elections "generally peaceful and orderly," and urged political parties to respect the official vote totals, expected later this month. Read more»

Key Reforms Needed to Clean Up Afghan Elections

Political and civil society representatives are calling on the Afghan government to carry out critical reforms to clean up the country's fraud-plagued election system. These include increased transparency in election management bodies, improvements to political parties and a better election law. Representatives of civil society, election agencies, parliament, local government, political parties, academia and the media all worked together to come up with an action plan to advance future reforms. Read more»

Citizen Organizations Work to Bolster Parliaments and Public Engagement, Survey Finds

A new report by NDI and the World Bank Institute examines the efforts of some 190 parliamentary monitoring organizations that are monitoring 82 parliaments around the world. These groups are helping citizens sift through and make sense of vast amounts of parliamentary information on such topics as voting records, the content of floor debates and committee deliberations to ensure that citizen interests are represented and legislators are held accountable. Read more»

New Focus Group Research Released in Tunisia, Kyrgyzstan, Somalia

Public opinion research can help governments, political parties and civil society better respond to the issues citizens care about most.

In Tunisia, where this month's constituent assembly elections will be the first competitive poll in the country's history, focus group research shows a widening divide between citizens and decision-makers. Citizens are frustrated by a lack of economic opportunities and perceive political parties as debating issues unrelated to their daily lives. Read more»

In Kyrgyzstan, where voters will choose a president Oct. 30, unemployment and corruption are top issues for voters. Focus group research found that ethnic tensions were still strong, but had been supplanted by unemployment and corruption as issues of top concern. Read more»

In Somalia, new research shows rising popular support for writing a new constitution. Somalis are eager to contribute to their country's future, and want a Somali-led response to conflict and greater inclusion in the transition to a permanent government. Read more»

Importance of Authentic Elections and Unhindered Election Observation Stressed at OSCE Warsaw Meeting

Speaking for the United States at the annual human rights meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Patrick Merloe, NDI's director of electoral programs, emphasized the importance of a genuinely competitive electoral process — before, during and after election day. Citing Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Macedonia as examples of recent, well-run elections in the OSCE region, Merloe stressed the crucial role that citizen and international monitors have in assessing the validity of an election. Read more»

President Ouattara: Reconciliation and Security Reform Key to Recovery in Côte d'Ivoire

The president of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, stressed the importance of reconciliation following months of violence and displacement in his country during a Washington, D.C., appearance. "The process will be long, but we are determined and I believe we will get there," he said Sept. 23 at an event cosponsored by NDI. Read more or watch the speech»

Don't Miss NDI's 2011 Democracy Award Dinner

Join NDI Nov. 7 as we celebrate the Arab Spring and honor three supporters of democracy at our annual Democracy Award Dinner. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will give the keynote address. The W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award will posthumously honor Geraldine Ferraro, Richard Holbrooke and Charles Manatt for their lifelong commitment to democracy. Appropriate Communication Techniques for Development (ACT), an Egyptian women's group advocating full inclusion of women in the new Egyptian political order, will receive this year's Madeleine K. Albright grant. Buy your ticket»


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

Women in the Balkans Work Together to Challenge Norms and Push through Barriers

rrunyan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:54:11 +0000

In Europe’s Balkan region, where citizens are trying to overcome ethnic conflict, political polarization and struggling economies in hopes of joining the European Union, women are seizing a larger role in democratization efforts. Increasingly, they are working together across ethnic and partisan lines to inject new life into stalled politics.

Women from various liberal political parties discuss ways for women to advance in politics with Susan Markham, NDI's director for women's political participation.

It’s a new undertaking for women who have traditionally been excluded from the political process. To help in this new-found mission, NDI brought together women politicians from liberal parties throughout Central and Eastern Europe to talk about how to bring down barriers to women’s political participation and advance policies that address issues such as unemployment and poverty, which are among their priorities.

One example was a discussion about how political parties need to champion education policies that will help women become entrepreneurs. “Women in the region want to start up their own businesses, but they don’t have the confidence to do it and feel they need support along that path,” said Edita Stefanic, a professor at the University of Osijek in Croatia, who participated in the dialogue. “We can be there for each other in the region, learn together and exchange the best practices.”

“It became clear to us during the event that our sister parties should set up, develop and maintain a network within the region that would strengthen and support women,” said Sabina Mujezinovic, vice president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDS) of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “As liberal parties – which support individual responsibility and initiative – we should be recognized as promoters of women’s entrepreneurship and become leaders in the creation of policies at all levels supporting this goal.”

Following the conference, the women’s wing of the Croatian Social Liberal Party launched a women’s entrepreneurship Internet portal to provide information and assistance related to starting and managing a business.

Participants also explored how to elect more women, take more prominent positions within a party and build leadership skills. As liberal women, participants tended to favor competitive efforts to win seats beyond policies, such as quotas or women’s wings, that provide for structural guarantees for women in politics. Still, participants concluded that special measures are often necessary to overcome barriers to gender equality.

At the conference, Susan Markham, NDI’s director for women’s political participation, talked about the Institute’s experience with different tactics in promoting women in public life around the world. She discussed the contribution of women in building more representative and responsive governments that are more accountable to citizens.

The gathering was part of NDI’s regional political party development initiative in Central and Eastern Europe, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy. NDI works with liberal, social democratic and conservative parties to bring “sister” parties from other parts of Europe to join in the conversations. Among other objectives, the initiative helps connect women across borders. Germany’s Friedrich Naumann Stiftung and the Dutch People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy supported the conference as co-sponsors.

Related:

Published September 27, 2011

NDI E-news: Democracy Day, Libya, Pakistan, African Elections | Sept. 2011

fgalleto — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:15:40 +0000

Sept. 15, 2011

Happy Democracy Day!

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

"Independence!" A woman casts her ballot in the January referendum creating the new country of South Sudan. Photo by Susan Stigant, senior program manager.

Sept. 15 is International Day of Democracy, an annual global celebration of human rights, the rule of law and other principles that unite democracies around the world. The day 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.

Nowhere have those aspirations been more prominent this year than in North Africa, where popular uprisings have ousted dictators in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. In Libya, the Institute has been working closely since April with the National Transitional Council (NTC) as it creates a plan for a constitution, elections, national security and the protection of civil liberties. In a country where political parties have been outlawed and maligned for 40 years, NDI is helping fledgling parties create platforms and attract supporters. Writing in the Washington Post, Les Campbell, NDI regional director for Middle East and North Africa programs, expressed optimism about the prospects of a successful transition and outlined the positive steps the council has taken already. Matyas Eörsi, resident country director in Benghazi, spoke to NPR about the high expectations — globally and in Libya — facing the country's new government.

For more than 25 years, in more than 70 countries, NDI has worked to strengthen new and emerging democracies. This Democracy Day, consider contributing to our work and support people in North Africa and around the world who want a voice in how their countries are governed.

Pakistan to Extend Political Reforms to FATA

President Asif Ali Zardari's recent decision to extend political and legal reforms to Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is the result of a lengthy effort by political parties and other organizations to bring more democratic systems of governance to a region considered a haven for militants and religious extremists. The reforms, supported by NDI, will allow political parties to form and operate in FATA for the first time, and will amend a draconian criminal code first enacted by the British in 1848.

Ensuring Women and Young People Take Part in the Political Process

Women and youth have a significant role to play in new and emerging democracies. In Sudan, caricature art helps engage young people who feel excluded from the political process. In Burkina Faso and Iraq, women are learning the skills they need to run for office and build successful political careers. In Nicaragua, the first class of graduates to earn a certificate in leadership and political management are ready to start their political careers. And in Afghanistan, one young woman is helping others prepare for careers in government by starting an internship program that places students in provincial council offices.

Celebrate Democracy with these Upcoming Events

Save the date! NDI will hold its annual democracy dinner on Nov. 7. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will headline the event, which also includes a panel discussion on the Arab Spring. The dinner and an awards ceremony will recognize those who have spent a lifetime supporting democracy.

On Sept. 23, Alassane Ouattara, president of Côte d'Ivoire, will speak at NDI, where he will discuss his government's efforts to rebuild the country's economy and foster national reconciliation in the wake of violence following last November's election. This event is full, but will be streamed live.

Toward Better Elections in Africa

Across Africa, countries are taking steps to ensure more transparent and accountable elections. A recent referendum in Liberia was monitored by the Elections Coordinating Committee, a civil society coalition that provided a nonpartisan assessment of the process and will monitor upcoming presidential and legislative elections. In Côte d'Ivoire, which recently experienced a violent crisis in the aftermath of its November presidential election, citizen election monitors gathered to discuss their role in mitigating violence in legislative polls scheduled for later this year. And in Zambia and Mauritania, NDI fielded delegations that assessed both countries' preparedness for upcoming elections and suggested improvements.

Coming Together for Common Goals

Democracy can't solve longstanding political or cultural divisions overnight, but it can bring different groups together to discuss issues and arrive at common goals. In Bosnia, eight politicians are reaching across party and ethnic lines to tackle the country's biggest challenges together. And in Honduras, where the effects of a 2009 coup and constitutional crisis are still reverberating, a series of "democracy dialogues" is bringing people together to find common ground.

Public Opinion Research for Better Policy Platforms

Public opinion research helps political parties and governments address the issues their constituents care about most. In Iraq, people want politicians to focus on jobs, the economy, and water and power delivery. In Somalia, focus group research shows that citizens are losing faith in their transitional institutions and are looking for ways to provide ideas to move their country forward. In Belarus, citizens distrust the Lukashenko regime and blame it for current economic problems. But they remain pessimistic about the prospects for opposition parties. And in South Sudan, citizens want to end tribalism above all else, seeing themselves primarily as Southern Sudanese.

NDI's Washington Office is Moving

NDI's new office

Update your address book! As of Sept. 19, NDI's Washington, D.C., headquarters will be located at 455 Massachusetts Ave., NW, on the eighth floor. All telephone numbers will remain the same.

NDI - Europe: Central and Eastern

Kosovo Fellow to Connect Women Leaders at Local, National Levels

Syla poses with Albright. “You can’t imagine how it is to meet the person who was there at the right time to make the right decisions to save your nation,” she said.

Slovakia Elects First Roma Representative to Parliament

Pollak campaigns in Rudnany Settlement.

Persistence by Rights Group in Macedonia Leads to a Significant Win for Citizens with Disabilities

In Kosovo, Women Reach Beyond ‘Soft’ Issues in the Media

The Women’s Caucus hosted the event ‘Women's Portrayal in the Media.’

Hans Zimmer Adds Gypsy Flavor to 'Sherlock Holmes' Score | Jan. 6, 2012

Nenad Simovic

Democracy is a natural human need – interview with Madeleine Albright

Democracy Activists Pay Tribute to Václav Havel and His Ideals

Remarks by Madeleine K. Albright at the NED Memorial Tribute to Václav Havel

Hans Zimmer's Roma Collaboration for 'Sherlock Holmes' Score | Dec. 8, 2011

Vaclav Havel, the principled president

Hans Zimmer Collaborates with Roma Musicians on New Film Score

NDI E-news: Women's Leadership, Zambia, Focus Group Research | October 2011

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

READ MORE

Women in the Balkans Work Together to Challenge Norms and Push through Barriers

NDI E-news: Democracy Day, Libya, Pakistan, African Elections | Sept. 2011

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

READ MORE