NDI - Kenya

Institute Feels Kenya is Ready For General Election

fgalleto — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:10:45 +0000

Source:

NTV

Article Link:

Published Date:

05/05/2012

A report by a delegation that has been studying Kenya’s situation, finds that "remarkable progress" in Kenya's preparation for upcoming elections. However, it warns that the politicization of the ICC process remains a risk to peaceful elections. The delegation held 25 meetings with government representatives, the independent electoral and Boundaries Commission, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, political parties, civil society and religious groups. The delegation says full implementation of the constitution remains key to ensuring lasting peace. The group makes 44 recommendations that it says if implemented, will midwife peaceful elections.

Watch the interview with former President Quett Ketumile Masire, head of the NDI delegation, and Patrick Merloe, NDI director of elections programs»

Statement of the National Democratic Institute Pre-Election Delegation to Kenya

fgalleto — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:22:46 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

05/05/2012

Resource Type:

Statement

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the statement	377.61 KB

NDI Pre-Election Delegation Finds "Remarkable Progress" in Kenya Election Framework

fgalleto — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:19:01 +0000

Immediate and Concerted Efforts Needed to Prevent Violence, Remove Uncertainties

Remarkable progress has been accomplished in reforming the framework for Kenya’s elections, an NDI delegation found during a pre-election assessment mission. Nevertheless, immediate and concerted efforts are needed to prevent political violence and to remove uncertainties in the electoral environment that could threaten the integrity of elections.

Ayo Obe speaks at the delegation's press conference announcing its findings, with President Quett Ketumile Masire.

Immediate and Concerted Efforts Needed to Prevent Violence, Remove Uncertainties

The delegation included former President of Botswana H.E. Quett Ketumile Masire; Chairperson of the National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone Dr. Christiana Thorpe; U.S. and global human rights advocate Martin Luther King, III; Nigerian Legal Practitioner and civil liberties advocate Ayo Obe; NDI Senior Associate and Director of Electoral Programs Patrick Merloe; and NDI Senior Associate and Director for Southern and East Africa Dr. Keith Jennings. The delegation visited Nairobi April 29 - May 5.

The mission’s purposes were to consider the state of electoral preparedness, review the broader political environment, examine factors that could affect the credibility of the electoral process and offer recommendations to support increased dialogue and consensus building towards peaceful, credible elections.

The delegation held 25 meetings with representatives of the government of Kenya, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, political parties, civil society and religious groups. Based on its meetings, the delegation offered 44 recommendations that would remove uncertainties that can impair fair elections and undermine public confidence.

Read the full statement»

Watch an interview with Patrick Merloe, NDI's director of election programs»

Related:

Published May 6, 2012

Kenya: Citizens to Be Educated On Political Parties Act | April 14, 2012

fgalleto — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:47:16 +0000

AllAfrica | Link to story »

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will hold forums on the registration and operation of political parties in a 10-day public sensitization initiative starting on Monday.

The sensitization program is co-sponsored by IEBC and the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Link to story »

Campaign Manual Launched | Jan. 24, 2012

fgalleto — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:16:43 +0000

The Star | Link to story »

A manual to guide politicians on effective campaign strategy has been launched. The book, Leadership and Campaign Academy, was developed the the National Democratic Institute to provide insights on how to assess ones strengths and weaknesses.

The book highlights specific provisions of the new constitution and other relevant legislation that touch on the conduct of political campaigns and political parties. It also provides guidelines into effective communication that is geared towards endearing the electorate to the candidates.

Link to story »

Leadership & Campaign Academy Candidates' Manual

ntekeei — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:36:19 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/31/2012

Resource Type:

Manual

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the manual (Part I)	1.93 MB
Read the manual (Part II)	1.57 MB

Kenya: Lessons From Norway Elections | Oct. 25, 2011

fgalleto — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:22:39 +0000

AllAfrica.com | Link to story »

During a recent training trip for Kenyan political parties in Oslo, Norway sponsored by the National Democratic Institute, we got a first hand feel of open democracy as practised by the Norwegians. The purpose of this trip was to enhance party democracy and how it can positively impact on the national political psyche.

Link to story »

NDI Encourages Kenyans to Take Advantage of International Support and Offers of Mediation

fgalleto — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:53:47 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/03/2008

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the release	64.24 KB

Election Stories Unfold on a Map

rrunyan — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:23:32 +0000

NDI and its partner organizations use digital mapping to enhance transparency and provide information on elections and other events. The type of information conveyed is not new to election observing, but how it’s conveyed – powerfully and visually – provides a snapshot that could be lost in a statistical report.

Map of Bahrain shows that the most populous areas (in blue) and super polling centers (green pins) do not overlap.

A map of Bahrain showing population density and polling center locations for last October’s parliamentary elections appears to have something incongruous. So-called super polling centers – established to relieve pressure on overcrowded polling stations and offer voters a conveniently located alternative – are not in any of the most populated districts.

Green pins representing the 10 super centers are all located outside the map’s blue-shaded areas where most people live, raising questions about the centers’ use.

NDI and the Bahrain Transparency Society, a local civic group, used this map powered by the Ushahidi platform – an organization that got its start mapping reports of violence after Kenya’s 2007 elections – to illustrate a point that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Bahrain is just one location where NDI and its partner organizations use digital mapping to enhance transparency and provide information on elections and other events. The type of information conveyed is not new to election observing, but how it’s conveyed – powerfully and visually – provides a snapshot that could be lost in a statistical report.

At www.afghanistanelectiondata.org, a site NDI launched after the 2009 presidential election, visitors can find layers of demographic, ethnographic, topographic and security information that can be applied to Afghanistan election data from 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2010. Visitors can run customized queries with the results displayed as lists, charts and maps that can show, for example, which candidates had more votes in areas where fraud was identified or numbers of reported security incidents were higher.

Because trying to understand such extensive and diverse data sets can be difficult, the mapping tools present them visually, making it much easier for election officials, political parties, civic groups, journalists and others to “see” what took place in an election.

“Maps and other visualization tools provide a powerful way for complex data to tell a story,” said Chris Spence, NDI’s chief technology officer. “They give our partners and others the chance to identify trends and make other data with geographical information to identify possible political or administrative problems. For example, if election monitors report voting material shortages in polling stations, we can quickly establish whether these problems are unique to a specific area so that election officials can be alerted and take corrective action. It’s much more difficult to make this kind of rapid assessment if you’re looking at the data in a spreadsheet or report.”

Map of Burma with colored circles showing the nature of campaign violations and circle sizes indicating the number of reports

The Burma Election Tracker website was launched, with NDI assistance, by dozens of Burmese groups based on the Thai border. It mapped hundreds of reports from Burma’s November elections coming in from a network of trained reporters across the country. The reports were color-coded based on the nature of the abuse, so the color and size of dots on the map made it clear where there were, for example, the most incidents of violence and intimidation, limits on polling station access or campaign restrictions.

But the power of maps with political information isn’t just about “putting dots on a map on election day,” Spence said. “An important component includes providing as much supporting information about the electoral or political environment as possible so that the reports can be interpreted effectively. It’s also important to have plans in place to use the reports for additional political activity or otherwise respond to the situation.” For the Burmese activists, this included a series of outreach activities to focus regional and international attention on the situation during the moment of opportunity created by the first general election in the country since 1990.

Maps are just one approach to visualizing complex data sets. There are a number of new and evolving visualization tools that are promising for conveying information and telling stories that political parties, civic groups and other actors in emerging democracies will use to increase their voice, create political space and hold governments accountable.

Visit www.ndi.org/democracy_and_technology for more information on NDI’s work with information communication technologies.

This story was originally published in the Spring 2011 edition of NDI Reports. You can read the entire newsletter here: www.ndi.org/NDI-Reports-Spring-2011/index.html. Please visit NDI’s complete newsletter archive at www.ndi.org/newsletter_archive to read newsletters dating back to 1987.

On My Way | Jan. 10, 2011

fgalleto — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:39:37 +0000

ONE | Link to story »

"On Friday I boarded a plane for a trip to Kenya and Tanzania. Traveling to Africa with ONE is always exciting but this trip has a special twist to it...

"And, working with the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic institute (both DC-based and supported by the US Government), we will meet with a group of Kenyan women who are working to change the way government works in their country."

Link to story »

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

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

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»

Democracy Updates | Partner Spotlights | In-Country Perspectives |

Democracy Dialogue | Publications | Employment

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

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

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»

Democracy Updates | Partner Spotlights | In-Country Perspectives |

Democracy Dialogue | Publications | Employment

Engaging Young People in Politics in Conflict and Post-Conflict Settings

fgalleto — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:28:08 +0000

Author:

David Larson

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

05/01/2007

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Download the guide	443.03 KB

The Youth Bulge in Africa - Opportunities for Constructive Engagement in the Political Process

fgalleto — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:17:55 +0000

Author:

Shari Bryan

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/27/2010

Resource Type:

Speech

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Download the statement	117.41 KB

NDI Partners with Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to Strengthen Parliaments

fgalleto — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:42:06 +0000

NDI and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) have signed an agreement 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.

A memorandum of understanding was signed in Nairobi Sept. 8 by the secretary-general of the CPA, William F. Shija, and the president of NDI, Kenneth Wollack.

A memorandum of understanding was signed in Nairobi Sept. 8 by the secretary-general of the CPA, William F. Shija, and the president of NDI, Kenneth Wollack. Shija attended the signing ceremony in advance of the 56th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference hosted by the Kenyan Parliament. Wollack was in Nairobi attending NDI's first board meeting held outside the United States. NDI Board member Tom Daschle, former U.S. Senate majority leader, also participated in the ceremony.

NDI and CPA will continue to work together to develop and promote the use of the CPA's "Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures," a guide to good parliamentary practice developed in 2006 by a CPA Study Group that drew on a number of technical inputs, including an NDI discussion document. The CPA benchmarks are being used around the world to help parliaments self-assess their procedures and processes to identify areas where democratic governance can be improved.

Wollack and Daschle noted NDI's past successful cooperation with the CPA and looked forward to additional partnership at the global level and in Commonwealth parliaments where NDI has a parliamentary strengthening program. For his part, Shija welcomed the formal partnership as a vehicle for the 175 national and subnational legislatures of the Commonwealth to work with NDI to strengthen developing parliaments.

NDI and the CPA also collaborate with other international organizations on parliamentary strengthening, including the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank Institute.

Related:

Pictured above: Kenneth Wollack (left) and William F. Shija at the signing ceremony in Nairobi

Published September 21, 2010

NDI - Kenya

Institute Feels Kenya is Ready For General Election

Statement of the National Democratic Institute Pre-Election Delegation to Kenya

NDI Pre-Election Delegation Finds "Remarkable Progress" in Kenya Election Framework

Immediate and Concerted Efforts Needed to Prevent Violence, Remove Uncertainties

Ayo Obe speaks at the delegation's press conference announcing its findings, with President Quett Ketumile Masire.

Immediate and Concerted Efforts Needed to Prevent Violence, Remove Uncertainties

Kenya: Citizens to Be Educated On Political Parties Act | April 14, 2012

Campaign Manual Launched | Jan. 24, 2012

Leadership & Campaign Academy Candidates' Manual

Kenya: Lessons From Norway Elections | Oct. 25, 2011

NDI Encourages Kenyans to Take Advantage of International Support and Offers of Mediation

Election Stories Unfold on a Map

On My Way | Jan. 10, 2011

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

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

READ MORE

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

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

In Afghanistan, Supporting Elections with People, Technology

In Kenya, Observing the Constitutional Referendum and Beyond

In Kyrgyzstan, Supporting the Electoral Process and Women Candidates

Read more»

Read more»

Read more»

Read more»

Mexican Civic Groups Bring Public Security Concerns to Politicians

Read more»

In Rwanda, NDI Promotes Political Party Dialogue and Peaceful Competition

Read more»

READ MORE

Engaging Young People in Politics in Conflict and Post-Conflict Settings

The Youth Bulge in Africa - Opportunities for Constructive Engagement in the Political Process

NDI Partners with Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to Strengthen Parliaments