NDI - Latin America & the Caribbean

Mexican Men and Women Work Together to Elect More Women to Office

fgalleto — Thu, 06 May 2010 21:03:29 +0000

"Why women, why now?" was the question posed to over 300 participants, both male and female, participating in a week-long series of training sessions across Mexico aimed at giving women candidates the skills and tools they need to get elected to office.

The answers — that democracy works best when women have an equal voice in the process and that upcoming local elections are a great opportunity to elect more women — were emphasized throughout the events as the women learned about message development, targeting women and young voters, and recruiting and keeping campaign volunteers.

Though gender quotas have led to an increase in the number of women running for and elected to office in Mexico in recent years, women hold only 5 percent of municipal and state elected positions. They frequently receive ballot placement that lessens their chances of winning, and they receive less public financing and fewer opportunities for training.

In collaboration with the Fox Center and Mexico's three major political parties — the National Action Party (PAN), the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) — NDI is working to help women gain campaign skills that are already familiar to their male counterparts.

The training kicked off at the Fox Center in San Francisco del Rincón on April 15 with a speech by former President Vicente Fox. Fox offered words of encouragement to the participants, saying that women in Mexico today have risen to the challenge of being more active in politics, the economy and social organizations.

"I believe Mexico has been changing rapidly on this issue. The 2000 election changed many things that had been limited or prohibited before, particularly for women," said Fox, whose victory in that election broke the country's tradition of one-party rule. "I believe that nowadays women have taken the challenge. Women are active in politics, in the economy, civil organizations, but they need programs like this to keep opening doors."

Trainers emphasized strategic aspects of running a campaign, such as message development, targeting messages to specific demographics, scheduling and time management. They also addressed some of the "soft" skills, often familiar to male candidates, such as projecting confidence through voice and presence, negotiating and debating with opponents, and tips for surviving a campaign.

"After these workshops you're aware that you are not alone. You belong to a broad network of women around the world struggling to hold decision-making positions in politics," Cathy Allen, CEO of the Seattle-based Connections Group, told the participants.

The trainers who came from outside Mexico included Allen and Roula Attar of NDI's Jordan office. They joined Julian Quibell, Keila Gonzalez and Rocio Alvarez from NDI's office in Mexico.

This year, 15 states in Mexico will hold elections for governors, local legislators and mayors. Many attendees were women who are either already running for office or strongly considering it.

Pictured above: Vicente Fox meets participants

Published May 7, 2010

City Hall Still a Reach for Women in Mexico | March 7, 2012

fgalleto — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:05:18 +0000

New York Times | Link to story »

The small-town party bosses told her to forget it. Her husband, too, scoffed at the idea as preposterous. And deep down, María Teresa Domínguez had her own doubts.

Could she run for mayor of Cuernavaca, the capital of Morelos State and a haven for Mexico City weekenders? Was there any chance she, a woman in a city whose institutions have long been dominated by men, could win? Hadn’t her mother always told her that she belonged at home?

Link to story »

Citizen Development Roadmaps Gain Lawmakers’ Attention in Haiti

rrunyan — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:52:31 +0000

Two years after the devastating January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the country is attempting to rebuild with the help of development proposals prepared by citizens. These efforts, known as roadmaps, or “cahiers de charges,” have been endorsed by elected officials across the country as a way to demonstrate that they are listening to citizens and have set specific goals for reconstruction and development efforts.

Workshop discussion before the presentation of the cahier de charges in the department of Nippes

Haitians’ primary concerns are the economy, education and security, but many people have been unaware of government efforts to address those issues. NDI has helped connect citizens and government officials through a series of dialogues across the country that have included civil society representatives and local authorities, such as mayors, city councilors and other officials. Through these dialogues, the participants developed 10 roadmaps, one for each of Haiti’s local government jurisdictions, known as “departments.”

Prime Minister Garry Conille Cites Cahiers de Charges in Senate Address

In an address to the Haitian Senate on Oct. 13 Prime Minister Garry Conille included recommendations from the “cahiers de charges.” Examples of the citizen requests he cited included:

Infrastructure: Build an airport and port in the South department; roads in the Grand'Anse department; finish building the Miragoane-Baraderes road in the Nippes department
Tourism: Add professional tourism agents in the North department; establish tourist attractions, such as the residence of Toussaint Louverture in Ennery and the residence of Jean-Jacques Dessalines in Marchand-Dessalines in the Artibonite
Agriculture: Provide professional training and credit for rural farmers in the Northwest department; rebuild agricultural infrastructure, such as irrigation systems, in the Artibonite department and set up a training center for agricultural experts
Education: Provide additional schools and support to overcome the low local school attendance rate of only 37 percent in the Center department

These discussions opened the door for citizens to work with decision-makers to address the issues identified in the cahiers. And during 2010 legislative elections, the cahiers guided discussions during 15 debates, helping candidates understand the reconstruction and development needs in each department.

After the elections, NDI helped Haitian community groups, called Initiative Committees (ICs), follow up with members of parliament (MPs) to encourage them to act on the priorities outlined in the cahiers that they supported during the campaign.

In a statement to the Senate in October, Prime Minister Garry Conille cited specific proposals from the cahiers (see sidebar). Likewise, a group of senators and deputies went on national television to ask the new government to use the cahiers recommendations to make sure citizens’ needs are addressed.

In July, IC leaders began presenting the cahiers to legislators at public forums organized at the departmental level and have reached almost 30 MPs to date. These forums were conducted in eight departments: Artibonite, Center, Grand'Anse, Nippes North, Northeast, South and Southeast. Through these efforts, legislators discussed the recommendations with citizens, local authorities and grassroots groups. Follow-up meetings have underscored the interest and demand for continued interaction between elected officials and citizens.

Related:

Read local press coverage of the cahiers in Le Matin and Le Nouvelliste (in French)»
Read the English translations of both news articles»
Post-Election Haiti: What Happens Next?»

Published Jan. 4, 2011

Colombian President Signs Anti-Discrimination Law

ntekeei — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:08:21 +0000

A landmark anti-discrimination law, described by one supporter as “an homage to equality,” was signed into law last month by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. For the first time, it levies prison sentences for acts of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or nationality.

The law is “a form of justice,” said President Santos. “It was time to get tough on this and to ensure the protection of the rights of those discriminated against.”

A group of activists gathered outside the senate just moments before initial passage of the law.

The law is “a form of justice,” said President Santos. “It was time to get tough on this and to ensure the protection of the rights of those discriminated against.”

The legislation was in large part the result of tireless efforts by two local NDI partners. A key figure behind the bill’s drafting and passage was Luis Ernesto Olave, national coordinator of Afro-Colombian issues for the Independent Movement of Absolute Renovation (MIRA), the political party that introduced the bill. Olave participated in NDI’s leadership program for emerging political leaders last year.

The law will “settle an historic debt with the Afro-Colombian population, which continues to face racism,” said Senator Carlos Baena of MIRA.

The legislation originally sought to address racism alone, but to ensure passage, Representative Alfonso Prada of the Green Party expanded the bill’s scope to include discrimination against other vulnerable groups. He was the one who described it as “an homage to equality.”

In the lead-up to passage, NDI helped arrange meetings of the Afro-Colombian Round Table to identify how political parties and Afro-Colombian civic groups could work together to support the legislation. The Institute helped create the forum, made up of party and civil society leaders, to discuss how best to work with legislators on Afro-Colombian issues.

As a result of one of the meetings, more than 60 women’s, Afro-Colombian and LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) leaders coordinated a visit to the Senate on the day of the vote to advocate for its passage. These leaders included groups from the heavily Afro-Colombian department of Chocó and the post-conflict Montes de María region, where NDI focuses its work in Colombia.

Working with all eight major parties to encourage inclusion of under-served sectors of society, NDI helped several parties create secretariats for women and for ethnic affairs. These played an important role in garnering congressional support to pass the anti-discrimination bill.

“With the passage of this law, Congress takes a step forward in recognizing vulnerable populations,” said Germán Rincón Perfetti of the National Secretariat of Women for Peace (Mujeres por la Paz).

NDI provided information and tools to political parties involved with the Afro-Colombian Round Table on representation of Afro-descendant communities. The Institute’s work in Colombia focuses on helping integrate under-represented groups into the political system and on protecting their rights. Colombia’s Afro-descendants, who are concentrated in coastal areas, have long been discriminated against and face high hurdles for achieving effective political participation. Eighty percent of Afro-Colombians live in extreme poverty.

Discriminatory practices have made it particularly difficult for Afro-Colombians and women to win elective office. In response to a new requirement on parties that 30 percent of candidates be women, NDI trained hundreds of Afro-Colombian women candidates from coastal areas on skills needed to run for office.

Related:

Published Dec. 20, 2011

Guatemalan Quick Count Aided Public Confidence In Presidential Runoff Results

ntekeei — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:10:43 +0000

Election observation efforts by Guatemalan citizen groups, including NDI’s partner Citizen Action (Acción Ciudadana), helped increase public confidence in the integrity of last month’s presidential runoff election and head off a repeat of problems associated with the first round of voting.

A Citizen Action data entry volunteer enters data from an observer into a database.

Election observation efforts by Guatemalan citizen groups, including NDI’s partner Citizen Action (Acción Ciudadana, AC), helped increase public confidence in the integrity of last month’s presidential runoff election and head off a repeat of problems associated with the first round of voting.

During that initial September poll, candidates and parties raised concerns about delays in the release of results, which were also blamed for several incidents of violence, including the burning of election materials.

For the Nov. 6 runoff, AC, the Guatemalan chapter of Transparency International, released projected results that confirmed the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (Tribunal Supremo Electoral, TSE) results. AC’s quick count tally, based on its observations at a statistically representative sample of polling places, differed by only 0.22 percentage points, well within the count’s 1 percent margin of error.

For both elections, AC dispatched approximately 3,500 observers to the country’s 333 municipalities, working as a member of Election Watch (Mirador Electoral), a coalition of citizen groups that organized observation activities for both rounds. Observers noted that during the second round Guatemalans were able to vote without problems at 93 percent of the observed polling stations, a 20 percent increase from the first round. During the runoff, 97 percent of observed polling stations had party poll watchers from two parties. Observers help parties independently verify the impartiality of poll workers and whether there are irregularities in the election process.

The runoff pitted former army general Otto Perez Molina of the Patriotic Party (Partido Patriota) against businessman Manuel Baldizón of the Renewed Democratic Freedom Party (Libertad Democrática Renovada). Despite expectations of a tight race, Perez Molina won 54 percent to Baldizón’s 46 percent.

With NDI assistance, Guatemalan election observation groups, including Election Watch, will draw on their election reports to help develop and advocate for electoral reforms to improve future elections. Campaign spending is one area expected to receive attention; both participants in the runoff far surpassed the campaign spending limit set by electoral law and regulated by the TSE.

From the May 2 start of the campaign period through the end of the second round on Nov. 6, AC’s Anti-Corruption Legal Assistance Office (Centro de Asistencia Legal Anticorrupción) received over 500 complaints related to the electoral process. During the first round, reports included illegally transporting voters for one municipality to another, vote buying, voter intimidation and campaigning outside of the permitted campaign period. There were fewer reports during the second round.

Nearly half of all problems reported involved voters whose names were missing from the voter registry, and almost one-third involved ballot shortages. In the first and runoff rounds, some 17 percent and 7 percent of voters, respectively, experienced problems related to identification cards—such as the fact that some were damaged and therefore not accepted. As Guatemala transitions to new voter cards, both old and new ID cards were accepted, adding a complicating element to the voting process.

Prior to the election, approximately 1.3 million voters were added to the voter rolls — particularly women, youth and indigenous people. This meant that for the first time women represented the majority of the seven million registered Guatemalan voters. According to electoral authorities, turnout among registered voters was approximately 69 percent during the first round and 61 percent during the second round —considerably greater than the 2007 elections, when turnout in the two rounds was 60 percent and 48 percent, respectively.

Mirador Electoral Members

Citizen Action (Acción Ciudadana, AC)
Association for Development, Organization, Services and Sociocultural Studies (Asociación para el Desarrollo, la Organización, Servicios y Estudios Socioculturales, DOSES)
Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, FLACSO)
Central American Institute for Political Studies (Instituto Centroamericano de Estudios Políticos, INCEP)
More Women, Better Politics (Más Mujeres, Mejor Política, MMMP)
National Network of Mayan Youth Organizations (Red Nacional de Organizaciones de Jóvenes Mayas, RENOJ)

Related:

Published Dec. 9, 2011

News Coverage of Haiti Cahiers des Charges - English Translations

rrunyan — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:14:43 +0000

Published Date:

11/03/2011

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Le Matin article (English translation)	102.49 KB
Le Nouvelliste article (English translation)	116.18 KB

Guatemalan Civic Groups Preparing to Observe Nov. 6 Presidential Runoff

ntekeei — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:43:18 +0000

While Guatemala prepares for its Nov. 6 presidential run-off election, citizen groups are working to safeguard the credibility of the election process as they did in the first round of voting on Sept. 11. This election pits Otto Perez Molina of the Patriotic Party against Manuel Baldizón of the Renewed Democratic Freedom Party.

NDI trainers assist preparing data entry volunteers in the quick count data processing center, or cueva, on Sept. 11, 2011.

Citizen Action (Acción Ciudadana, AC), the Guatemalan chapter of Transparency International, will conduct a “quick count,” an advanced observation technique to accurately characterize the quality of voting and counting and project results based on actual votes cast at a statistical, random sample of polling sites observed.

AC is part of a coalition of citizen groups known as Mirador Electoral (Election Watch) that has organized observation activities, including campaign expense tracking, the participation of women and the indigenous population, and the reporting of results on election night.

On the day after the first round election, AC released quick count projections that confirmed the results announced by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (Tribunal Supremo Electoral, TSE) within a 1 percent margin of error. These results were widely covered in the media, which helped to increase public confidence in the integrity of the election process, particularly in light of delays in the release of official results on election night. Similar checks will be provided for the race between Molina, who received 36 percent of the first-round vote, and Baldizón, who tallied 23 percent.

For the Sept. 11 election, AC dispatched approximately 3,500 observers to all of the country’s 333 municipalities. By midday, AC reported that nearly 99 percent of polling stations had the necessary electoral materials, including the registry of voters, tally books, complaint forms, indelible ink, ballot boxes and stamps and seals. Ninety percent of polling places had more than two observers from political parties. With observers at the polls, parties can independently verify that poll workers were impartial and voting and vote-counting was free of fraud. This increases confidence in the electoral results and reduces the chances that any single party will question the outcome.

AC also analyzed gender representation among poll workers, finding that 44 percent of polling station presidents were women. The observers said that Guatemalans were able to vote without problems in 73 percent of the observed polling places. In stations where problems did occur, nearly half involved voters who did not appear in the voter registry, while almost a third involved a lack of sufficient ballots. Some 17 percent of voters experienced problems related to identification cards, which was less than expected since Guatemala is transitioning to new voter cards and both the old and new forms of identification were accepted.

Between Sept. 10 and the poll closing on Sept. 11, AC’s Anti-Corruption Legal Assistance Office (Centro de Asistencia Legal Anticorrupción) received 165 complaints related to the electoral process. These included reports of transporting voters for one municipality to another, vote-buying, voter intimidation and campaigning outside of the permitted period.

Prior to the election, some 1.3 million voters were added to the voter rolls—particularly women, youth and indigenous citizens. As a result, women for the first time represented the majority of the seven million Guatemalans registered to vote. In addition, Guatemala will have its first woman vice president since both run-off contenders have women running mates.

Despite these advances, women were elected to only 5 percent of 491 congressional and municipal positions. Women won 19 of 158 congressional seats and seven of 333 mayoralties. Of those municipalities, 110 will be led by indigenous mayors. This represents just 33 percent for an indigenous community that makes up nearly 50 percent of the population and a decline from the 2007 elections, which saw indigenous leaders win 123 of the country’s mayoralties.

Looking toward the run-off, Mirador Electoral has pointed out that both finalists have surpassed the ceiling for campaign spending set by electoral law and regulated by the TSE. Mirador is advocating that the candidates publically release information on the source of their campaign contributions. While Mirador expressed confidence in the TSE’s independence, the coalition has encouraged analysis of why the reporting of the official results was delayed on election night.

Mirador Electoral Members

Citizen Action (Acción Ciudadana, AC)
Association for Development, Organization, Services and Sociocultural Studies (Asociación para el Desarrollo, la Organización, Servicios y Estudios Socioculturales, DOSES)
Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, FLACSO)
Central American Institute for Political Studies (Instituto Centroamericano de Estudios Políticos, INCEP)
More Women, Better Politics (Más Mujeres, Mejor Política, MMMP)
National Network of Mayan Youth Organizations (Red Nacional de Organizaciones de Jóvenes Mayas, RENOJ)

Related:

Published Oct. 31, 2011

Hondurans Lack Confidence in Democracy Two Years after Coup, Study Shows

ntekeei — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:02:35 +0000

Honduras has taken important steps to restore its democracy since a coup d’état two years ago, but Hondurans remain polarized and frustrated with the quality of their political institutions.

A majority lacks confidence in all of the country’s institutions, from political parties and the courts to the army and the presidency, according to Democracy in Honduras: Political Values and Civic Engagement in 2011, a new NDI publication based on public opinion research conducted earlier this year.

Honduras has taken important steps to restore its democracy since a coup d’état two years ago, but Hondurans remain polarized and frustrated with the quality of their political institutions.

The 2009 coup, carried out by the military under Supreme Court orders, was triggered when President Manuel Zelaya attempted to rewrite the constitution, which critics saw as a veiled effort to overturn a ban on presidential re-election. Public support for the country’s political institutions has recovered poorly since the crisis, and new institutions formed since the coup have garnered the confidence of only a quarter of the population.

A majority of Hondurans (52 percent) has no confidence in the National Front of Popular Resistance (FNRP), a civic coalition led by Zelaya that is pressing for a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution; only 22 percent support it. They similarly voiced little support for the military (23 percent,) the president (18), the judiciary (14) and Congress (7). The study found that Hondurans are open to reforming their constitution but not to allowing presidential re-election.

Overall, Hondurans have low confidence in democracy and are pessimistic that it will promote economic growth and citizen security. Half of Hondurans think democracies do a poor job of maintaining order, and 59 percent think that democracy is bad for the economy. Corruption also undermines support for democracy, according to the study. Hondurans directly exposed to corruption were statistically less likely to show confidence in democratic institutions.

Political parties are held in particularly low esteem, even though Honduras has historically had a stable two-party system. Half of the supporters of both the Liberal and National parties, which have governed Honduras for most of its history, said they would consider supporting new parties in future elections.

Honduran youth are particularly alienated from democratic institutions and electoral politics. They’re three times more likely not to vote than older Hondurans because many young people lack identification documents. With three out of every four Hondurans under the age of 35, Honduran institutions from political parties to electoral authorities need to identify effective ways to address the frustrations of young people to ensure the long-term consolidation of Honduran democracy.

The findings also show some positive signs. Although Honduran women consider themselves less politically informed than men, they vote in similar numbers, and their overall political participation is on par with the rest of the region. Findings indicate that Hondurans are active in civic associations and more likely to participate in such groups than elsewhere in the region, providing a strong basis for building effective democratic participation.

Democracy in Honduras, written by Professor Neil Nevitte of the University of Toronto with a forward by NDI Resident Director Salvador Romero Ballivián, is a joint effort by NDI and the Let’s Do Democracy (Hagamos Democracia) NGO network.

The survey was conducted in January and February 2011 with a representative sample of approximately 1,200 adults in Honduras. It was made available to political parties and other institutions in Honduras to help them understand the challenges facing the country’s institutions and assist in the design of strategies to make Honduras a more inclusive, stable and representative democracy.

Related:

Published October 28, 2011

Democracy in Honduras: Political Values and Civic Engagement in 2011

ntekeei — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:14:18 +0000

Author:

Neil Nevitte

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Resource Type:

Survey

Language:

English, español

Attachment	Size
Read the report (English)	8.9 MB
Lea el informe (español)	7.01 MB

Informes de Mirador Electoral 2011 (Guatemala)

rrunyan — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:47:29 +0000

Author:

Mirador Electoral

Publisher:

Mirador Electoral

Published Date:

09/11/2011

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

Spanish

Attachment	Size
Comunicado de Prensa No. 1	298.65 KB
Comunicado de Prensa No. 2	447.6 KB
Comunicado de Prensa No. 3	206.03 KB
Comunicado de Prensa de la Segunda Vuelta No. 1	259.66 KB
Comunicado de Prensa de la Segunda Vuelta No. 2	275.22 KB

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.

Crushing Dissent in Cuba

fgalleto — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:00:45 +0000

Source:

Boston Globe

Article Link:

Published Date:

08/19/2011

This editorial in the Bostong Globe criticizes the Castro government for increasing violence and attackes on the Ladies in White, a nonviolent protest group in Cuba. The group made up of women whose husbands, brothers and fathers are dissidents imprisoned by the Castro regime.

"In one attack, the Miami Herald reported last week, the women were assaulted with “steel bars, rocks, and fists’’ as they left Mass in the cathedral of Santiago, the island’s second-largest city. At least eight of the women ended up in the hospital, where they required stitches and other treatment for their wounds. According to Elizardo Sanchez, one of Cuba’s leading human-rights activists, the attacks have left dissidents deeply alarmed; they know that no one 'would dare order such beatings and so much violence without the approval of the central government.'"

Political and Civic Leaders Work to Restore Democratic Dialogue in Honduras

rrunyan — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:19:51 +0000

A constitutional crisis and coup d’etat tore fault lines across Honduran society in 2009, and the rifts have yet to heal. To help Hondurans reconcile their differences and revive their democracy, NDI launched a series of eight “democracy dialogues” to bring together leaders of traditional political parties, civil society and the organized resistance to the coup for a structured, respectful interaction.

Salvador Romero, NDI's resident director in Honduras, leads the discussion during one of the dialogues.

The first two forums were held in the northern port cities of La Ceiba and San Pedro Sula on June 22 and 23, and two more took place in the capital city of Tegucigalpa on July 7 and 14. NDI will continue to host democracy dialogues into the fall.

It was “the first time that all the departmental political forces have sat around the same table to discuss the problems facing this nation,” a participant in the La Ceiba forum said. A party leader who attended the San Pedro Sula forum called it a “collective catharsis.”

The first two dialogues brought together regional leaders from the five registered parties - the Liberal, National, Christian Democratic, Democratic Unification and the Social Democratic Innovation and Unity parties - as well as the National Popular Resistance Front, a coalition of grassroots organizations and individuals. These groups, which feel disaffected from the political system, have called for a constituent assembly and new constitution.

The forums allowed delegates to discuss the problems and challenges facing Honduras, including disenchantment with and distrust of democracy, poverty and inequality, and a lack of citizen security in a country that has the highest murder rate in the world among nations not at war.

The participants agreed on a number of actions and priorities to pursue through future collaboration:

expanding mechanisms for citizen participation, such as referenda;
holding presidential and regional authority elections at different times,
create more avenues for political participation by youth, women and other traditionally marginalized groups;
increasing the advancement of public sector employees based on merit rather than political party connections;
developing mechanisms to limit vote buying in campaigns; and
supporting education as a means to improve the quality of Honduras’ economy and democracy.

Efforts to convene a constituent assembly to rewrite the Honduran constitution continue to make headlines and represented the only significant point of disagreement during the dialogues.

In Tegucigalpa, the most recent dialogue focused on the evolution of political parties. Honduras is grappling with the split of the Liberal Party into a faction supporting the efforts of the former President Manuel Zelaya -- who was forced into exile following the 2009 coup and is now back home -- to transform the National Popular Resistance Front into a rival political party and those who remain loyal to the Liberal Party brand.

Attendees included representatives from all five traditional political parties, magistrates from the country’s election tribunal, city officials, journalists, academics and labor organizers. They agreed that the political party system in Honduras is in a phase of a historic transition and requires reforms to integrate new demands for political participation by women, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, Afro-descendants, youth and indigenous populations. Participants also concurred that parties can do a better job of aggregating interests and negotiating political conflict.

A group of experts, including Harry Brown, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Panama researcher; Catalina Soberanis, former president of the Congress of Honduras; and Victor Hugo Cárdenas, former vice president of Bolivia, presented case studies in party system evolution from around the region.

Since opening an office in Honduras in April 2011, NDI has been working to promote reconciliation, enhance opportunities for the disaffected and traditionally disenfranchised to participate in politics, assist political parties in becoming more internally democratic, and empower a new generation of young leaders from all sectors of society.

The forums were co-sponsored by UNDP and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Related:

Published August 9, 2011.

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

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

August 2011

Newly Independent South Sudan Looks To Future, Permanent Constitution

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Children march in the independence day parade in Juba

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

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

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

NDI President Wollack Reflects on Returning to Burma after 16 Years

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

Aswat Community Connects Activists in the Middle East and North Africa

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

Civic Group Invites Nicaraguan Citizens to Participate in Election Monitoring

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

New Report: Political Parties in Afghanistan

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

Opinion Research Shows Tunisians Concerned About the Future

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

New Library Helps Liberian MPs Write Legislation

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

Mauritanian Parliament Seeks Citizen Input for Social Security Reform

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

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

First Class of Nicaraguan Leadership School Ready for Political Careers

rrunyan — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:32:09 +0000

The first class of graduates from Nicaragua's Certificate in Leadership and Political Management (CLPM) program are poised to jump into political careers. Already many class members have announced they will run for office in November, and some have been promoted to leadership positions within their parties.

During the strategic planning session, a group of participants from several civil society organizations work together to create a problem tree.

The first class of graduates from Nicaragua's Certificate in Leadership and Political Management (CLPM) program – which NDI reported on late last year –are poised to jump into political careers. Already many class members have announced they will run for office in November, and some have been promoted to leadership positions within their parties.

The five-part training program took place in five locations across the country: two locations in the capital, Managua; Matagalpa in the north; and Bilwi and Bluefields in the Atlantic coast regions, where most of the country’s indigenous and Afro-Caribbean citizens live. The different components focused on leadership, strategic planning, political communication and negotiation, and democracy that delivers results for citizens, including traditionally marginalized groups such as women, indigenous peoples and Afro-decendents.

Nearly 70 percent of Nicaraguans are under the age of 30, but young people in the country remain disengaged from politics and government. They also are increasingly dissatisfied with political parties and government institutions, according to the findings of a recent NDI Democracy Survey.

To bring young people into the political arena and help build the next generation’s confidence in government, a consortium of Nicaraguan and international educational institutions created the CLPM to provide political training opportunities to young women and men. The age of the CLPM’s first class ranged from 16 to 35. The 415 students who received their certificates included 191 women and 224 men – 274 young party officials from 12 different political parties and 141 participants from over 70 civil society organizations.

NDI helped organize the consortium, which includes the American University (Universidad Americana, UAM), the University of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regions (Universidad de las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe Nicaragüense, URACCAN), the Institute for Development and Democracy (Instituto para el Desarrollo y la Democracia, IPADE) and the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM).

NDI and its partners expect that, as participants progress across various fields, they’ll have opportunities to bring democratic values to a wide array of professions, including but not limited to politics.

“The seed to promote a political, economic and social transformation in Nicaragua in the next 20 years has been planted in our classroom,” said one of the students who spoke at the graduation ceremony. “Such a transformation will prove that politicians can respect the law and its institutions, and simultaneously alleviate poverty and guarantee our nation’s well-being.”

To strengthen the ties developed during the workshops, CLPM organizers intend to go beyond coursework and help form a strong alumni network. Both organizers and graduates have pledged to involve this year’s graduates in working with the upcoming CLPM classes and to seize opportunities to collaborate to strengthen the country’s democratic institutions.

“Considering what we’ve learned,” one political party participant said, “I hope we can find equilibrium in which political parties and civil society share common understandings and, furthermore, where we can build together a more democratic Nicaragua.”

The CLPM is an annual program to be carried out over five years with approximately 500 participants per year from civic organizations and all major political forces. The next class will kickoff in January 2012. The program is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

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Published July 28, 2011.

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

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Crushing Dissent in Cuba

Political and Civic Leaders Work to Restore Democratic Dialogue in Honduras

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

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First Class of Nicaraguan Leadership School Ready for Political Careers