NDI - Political Parties

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

fstovall — 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

Iraqi Political Party Activists Work Together to Forge National Reconciliation

jfrant — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 20:59:02 +0000

Forty-four young activists from across Iraq’s political landscape have joined together to craft policy solutions to address the pressing concerns of the country’s marginalized communities. Comprised of women, youth, and minority representatives from 10 political parties and five civil society organizations, the 44 activists mirror Iraq’s complex sectarian landscape.

“With so many pressing political, security, and humanitarian challenges, the voices of Iraq’s marginalized communities are often not heard,” NDI’s Iraq Country Director, Ancuta Hansen, explained. “Empowering politically-minded youth from within these very communities can fill this void and help pave the way for national reconciliation.

NDI launched its “cross-party working group” initiative in Erbil on October 27th, convening the participants for a three-day joint plenary session. Members were introduced to a range of topics and skills they will employ in the coming year as they identify shared issues of concern, craft policy solutions, and engage with decision-makers.

“With this initiative, we are showing to the world that the new Iraqi generation has come together to work as one,” a Baghdad-based participant noted. “This was exactly the right moment to form these working groups,” another added. “We are jointly developing ideas and discussing solutions to people’s problems.”

With coaching from NDI, the participants reached consensus on six priority issues that the marginalized communities are facing, including:

countering violent extremism;
reforming the national educational curriculum to promote greater tolerance;
stimulating the local farmers;
providing fair access to job opportunities to graduates;
establishing a corruption hotline; and
improving connectivity between the government and the minority populations in rural and remote areas.

By the conclusion of the workshop, participants formed six thematic policy groups to work on each of these six issues. “We were able to find common points on small scale solutions,” a Kurdish participant said. “That is how [reconciliation] is going to happen --step by step, slowly. This brings us closer to consensus on the bigger issues,” he added.

Yezidi woman: “The value [from my participation in this initiative] is my personal happiness. I want to thank all the other women I met here for their openness and tolerance. I feel that I am accepted… they embraced me. I’ve participated in other training sessions but I’ve faced obstacles in communicating with the other participants. Here, it’s easy.”

This month, the six thematic groups will start reaching out to constituents to further develop policy options. The working groups will ultimately present their policy recommendations to key decision-makers in political parties, parliament and the government and have elements of their proposal integrated into election platforms and legislative initiatives ahead of the 2017 elections.

“The formation of these working groups would not have been possible without buy-in from senior party leadership across the board,” Political Party Director Ognian Boyadjiev commented. “In many ways, it represents the culmination of NDI’s programming on policy development, citizen outreach, and national reconciliation over the past two years.”

As these young Iraqi activists continue to put their differences aside to collaborate on shared priorities, they offer a note of optimism for Iraq’s future. “I feel excited,” a working group member explained, “because I am contributing as a young person to national reconciliation.” Another participant quickly added: “This training planted the seed for mutual understanding. That’s what we need for the future -- unbiased cooperation between people from different parties.”

This program is implemented with funding support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

Published on November 21, 2016

Honduran Political Party Leaders Send Unified Message for Women’s Political Participation

jfrant — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 19:37:54 +0000

“This battle will liberate us; we want to be involved in the decision making process. Women will not continue to be used as fillers,” declared Socorro Torres, coordinator of the Honduras Interparty Women’s Network (Red de Mujeres Interpartidarias de Honduras, or the Network). Torres’s comments were in response to the historic ratification of a pact between members of Honduras’s leading political parties, affirming women’s equality in political participation.

On October, 20, 2016, party leaders and aspiring presidential candidates from seven of Honduras’s ten political parties met in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa to ratify the “Political Parity and Alternation Pact” (Pacto Político por la Paridad y la Alternancia). The pact commits aspiring presidential candidates to push their parties to place women in top positions of party lists, ensuring the application of the principle of parity (50 percent women and 50 percent men on party lists) and mechanisms for alteration (rotating between female and male candidates on the ballot). Alternation allows women and men to have an equal chance of being seen on the ballot as compared to ballots that list male candidates first.

“This battle will liberate us; we want to be involved in the decision making process. Women will not continue to be used as fillers” - Socorro Torres, coordinator of the Honduras Interparty Women’s Network

The pact signing was the culmination of a campaign conducted by NDI partner Honduras Interparty Women’s Network (Red de Mujeres Interpartidarias de Honduras), a group that brings together female political party leaders across ideologies to develop policies that promote and defend women’s political participation. The campaign, which was called “The Pilgrimage of the Braid” (La Peregrinación de la Trenza), sought to build public pressure on the heads of political movements and aspiring presidential candidates to sign the pact and openly commit to upholding women’s political rights. During the pact signing ceremony, each candidate received a symbolic braid (trenza) with their respective party colors and held the collective braid to emphasize the parties’ shared commitment.

“We want to exercise democracy when we participate on equal terms,” agreed Cinthya García member of the Interparty Women’s Network.

The Honduras Interparty Women’s Network has been advocating on behalf of women for many years. Previous to the pact, in 2012 the network successfully advocated for the reform of Article 105 of the Election and Political Organizations Law (Ley Electoral y de las Organizaciones Políticas, LEOP), guaranteeing the principle of gender parity and mechanisms for alternance.

However, on September 9, 2016, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (Tribunal Supremo Electoral, TSE), which is the governing authority in the enforcement of LEOP, issued a controversial regulation that the network said contradicts the spirit of the law. The regulation upholds parity, but weakens the alternation clause by only requiring political parties to begin alternating between female and male candidates starting at the third, fourth or fifth position on the ballot, depending on the number of deputies per department. Georgina Sierra, legal representative for the network, clarified that “with the new regulation we are barred from all institutional guarantees and the probability that a woman is elected is almost null.”

The pact signing ceremony was organized by Honduras Interparty Women’s network with the support of NDI, the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

NDI is working with a multi-partisan Women’s Political Participation Working Group to create more equitable conditions for candidates aspiring to run for public office through a cross-party gender agenda supporting women’s political participation, reducing violence against women, promoting women’s economic empowerment and building gender sensitive budgets. The Women’s Political Participation Working Group’s collective actions have garnered the support of feminist movements, rural women leaders, micro entrepreneurs, LGBTI activists, as well as international donor representatives.

NDI’s work with political parties in Honduras to advance gender equality policies and women’s political leadership ahead of the 2017 elections is conducted with support from the National Endowment for Democracy.

Published on November 11, 2016

Progress and Priorities in Tunisia: Tunisian Citizens Express Their Views

jfrant — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 15:50:10 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

11/04/2016

Resource Type:

Public Opinion Research

Language:

English, Arabic

Since March 2011, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has conducted regular qualitative research in Tunisia to provide political and civic leaders with objective information about citizens’ attitudes. From August 20 to 27, 2016, NDI organized its 16th round of research—the fifth round conducted since the 2014 elections—to gauge citizens’ opinions on the performance of the parliament and members of parliament (MPs), assess their views on some pressing matters facing the country, and ascertain their awareness of and expectations for the upcoming decentralization process and local elections.

Following a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Habib Essid, newly-appointed Prime Minister Youssef Chahed in August 2016 formed a unity government—the country’s seventh since the 2011 revolution. Upon taking office, PM Chahed announced his government’s priorities as fighting corruption and terrorism, promoting economic growth, and balancing the budget. In addition, negotiations among political parties and labor unions this summer culminated in the signing of the “Carthage Agreement,” which set out a framework for a more inclusive government and consensual reform priorities. With significant economic reforms and a framework for decentralizing government services and authority still forthcoming, however, most Tunisians continue to feel that the gains of the revolution have yet to meaningfully impact their daily lives.

As the transition progresses, local elections and decentralization are Tunisia’s next steps toward credible, representative governance at all levels. For the first time in their history, Tunisians will democratically elect the municipal and regional councilors whose decisions directly impact their communities. At the time this round of qualitative public opinion research was conducted in late August, the High Independent Authority for Elections (ISIE) had announced a municipal election date of March 27, 2017, but this date was subsequently indeterminately postponed.

Citizens participated in 12 focus group discussions across Tunisia, sharing their views on the following topics:

The direction of the country and priorities that affect citizens’ daily lives;
The performance of parliament and the extent to which it is fulfilling its key roles;
Awareness of and expectations for the decentralization process and its anticipated
impacts on the country, their region, and themselves;
Views on possible local council prerogatives and on various means of citizen engagement that could be used by local councils;
Views on the economy and what citizens feel needs to happen moving forward to address challenges in this area; and,
Views on corruption and what citizens feel needs to happen moving forward to addressmchallenges in this area.

Findings demonstrated that overall, citizens felt Tunisia was going in the “wrong direction,” voicing concerns of corruption and economic degradation. Respondents had a more positive outlook regarding security, citing the lack of terrorist attacks during the month of Ramadan for the first time since the revolution. Concerning the parliament, many respondents did not fully understand the role of parliament and felt less confident in the institution compared to a year before. Many respondents were also unclear on how the process of decentralization would work in Tunisia. However, once given an explanation of the process, respondents viewed the process favorably.

For further findings and additional information, please refer to the full report, available in English and Arabic.

English

Arabic

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Young Party Leaders Around Zambia Call For Peaceful Elections

jfrant — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 12:53:14 +0000

Tensions two days before Zambia’s August 11 elections are high. As incidents of violence perpetrated by political party cadres against other parties increased, young party activists – typically blamed for the violence – worked across parties to publicly disavow the violence. After an NDI training on conflict mitigation, youth leaders organized a series of public events and marches to call for ending the violence. Organized in partnership with NDI’s Zambian partners – Young Women in Action (YWA), the Council of Churches of Zambia (CCZ) and the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) – these events demonstrate the resolve of youth from competing political parties to denounce violence before, during or after the elections. Media coverage of these events has reached a broader audience with the simple, but powerful message that violence has no place in the election.

Zambian youth march through the main streets of the city of Kitwe in Copperbelt Province. Photo by Andisen Zulu

Tensions one day before Zambia’s August 11 elections are high. As incidents of violence perpetrated by political party cadres against other parties increased, young party activists – typically blamed for the violence – worked across parties to publicly disavow the violence. After an NDI training on conflict mitigation, youth leaders organized a series of public events and marches to call for ending the violence. Organized in partnership with NDI’s Zambian partners – Young Women in Action (YWA), the Council of Churches of Zambia (CCZ) and the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) – these events demonstrate the resolve of youth from competing political parties to denounce violence before, during or after the elections. Media coverage of these events has reached a broader audience with the simple, but powerful message that violence has no place in the election.

On July 16, 2016, 60 youth marched through the main streets of the city of Kitwe in Copperbelt Province, wearing their party regalia, and singing songs disavowing political violence. Led by political party Youth Ambassadors who participated in NDI’s conflict mitigation program, the youth reversed the usual campaign behavior by helping their peers from competing parties replace torn campaign posters.

Photo by Andisen Zulu

A vehicle sporting campaign posters of three competing parties joined the Kitwe march. The solidarity peace walk was featured in the main news hour of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC TV2) and Muvi television.

Several days later, on July 23, Lusaka Youth Ambassadors held a solidarity march in the Zambian capital. Sixty-six young men and women from six parties began at the Kabwe roundabout, wound their way along Cairo Road in downtown Lusaka and ended up at the historic site of the Freedom Statue. Youth ambassadors spoke and pledged peace. Police provided security but did not speak at the event. The event was covered by radio stations such as Hot FM and ZNBC.

Meanwhile, in Eastern Province, Youth Ambassadors organized two events, one in the provincial capital of Chipata on July 29, and the other one in Katete, on August 4. The Youth Ambassadors collaborated with the Zambia Police and the Anti-Political Violence Youth Ambassador drama group on a march through the main streets of Chipata. At the invitation of the Youth Ambassadors, the police and the church addressed the crowd of 100. The Police Commissioner for Eastern Province praised the young party members for the initiative and encouraged them to maintain peace. Pastor Shumba, from the SDA church, encouraged the youth to be peaceful in all they do.

Photo by Andisen Zulu

In Katete, the six Eastern Province Youth Ambassadors organized 60 young men and women from each of the six political parties (ten from each party) to march in solidarity along the main streets and market of Katete. Donning party regalia and holding party banners, the youth sang solidarity songs and were joined by onlookers and marketeers. The Zambia police provided security and assigned four senior police officers to attend the event. The director of police operations Mr. Mazuba, was one of the key speakers and stated that the police want political parties to co-exist and campaign peacefully. A pastor from the Evangelical Fellowship in Zambia gave the keynote address and encouraged youths to work together to end political violence. Each of the six ambassadors was given an opportunity to speak and pledge peace. The event was covered by the ZANIS and Mpangwe FM Radio.

Dramatic reenactment of the lead-up to election violence in Katete. Photo by Andisen Zulu

Photo by Andisen Zulu

Southern Province Youth Ambassadors are planning to bring together 50 young people from six political parties in a workshop on how to maintain peace after elections. Various topics will be explored which include gender and non-violence, nature of violence in Zambia and the history of Zambian politics. This will be followed by an event using dance, songs and poems to mobilize people. The Southern Province Youth Ambassadors will deliver messages on the need for the public to desist from political violence by embracing peace.

Together, these and other independently organized events reflect the interest of young Zambian leaders to take a public stand and model civil and peaceful behavior between political parties. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), these events are helping to support peaceful political activism.

NDI Mourns the Passing of Abner Mikva

jfrant — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 18:51:35 +0000

Photo Credit: Kate Gardiner

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) mourns the passing of Abner Mikva, who served his country in all three branches of government -- as a Congressman from the Chicago area, as chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and as White House counsel under President Clinton. "Ab Mikva represented my hometown in Illinois," said NDI President Kenneth Wollack. "In my family, he was revered as a legal scholar, a liberal icon, and a politician of the highest integrity. He embodied the best traditions of public service and inspired a younger generation of activists." Even after leaving public life, Mikva remained committed to democratic politics. He and his wife Zoe established the Mikva Challenge, which engages inner-city youth in the political process.

Mikva, who served on the Institute's Senior Advisory Committee, co-led two NDI international observer missions to the 2004 presidential elections in Ukraine, from where his parents had immigrated. The first mission found that "fundamental flaws in the process subverted its legitimacy," pointing to "systematic intimidation, overt manipulation and blatant fraud." That poll triggered the so-called Orange Revolution followed by a repeat election a month later. The second Mikva-led delegation observed a very different election that was largely peaceful, orderly and credible.

"Whether at home or abroad, Abner Mikva stood for democratic rights and personal freedom," Wollack said. "We at NDI will always honor his legacy."

Published on July 6, 2016

NDI Campaign Schools Prepare Thousands of First-Time Candidates in Ukraine

njankowicz — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 18:16:33 +0000

To prepare a new generation of political leaders in Ukraine, NDI adopted a cascade training approach to equip thousands of candidates, many of whom lacked any political experience, with basic campaign skills.

In 2013, Ukrainians took to the street to reject the corruption, injustice and disrespect for human rights that characterized the regime of then President Viktor Yanukovych. The series of protests that began on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) became known as the Revolution of Dignity. Inspired to take Ukraine’s reform into their own hands, thousands of activists across Ukraine seized a unique opportunity to run for elected office for the first time.

In the aftermath of the Revolution, NDI’s January 2015 focus groups demonstrated that popular dissatisfaction with the political elite was not confined to the former president and his immediate circle. Strong demand for new leaders at all levels was evident among the supporters of all the main political parties, including former supporters of the Yanukovych administration. Citizens sought new entrants into political life with clean track records of service in their communities.

To prepare this new generation of political leaders, among both the voters and the parties, the Institute adopted a cascade training approach to equip thousands of candidates, many of whom lack any political experience, with basic campaign skills.

NDI trained 151 trainers from seven Ukrainian parties on skills related to public speaking, message development, women’s political participation, data and targeting, voter contact, message testing, managing volunteers, small donor fundraising and campaign planning. Participants were also trained in adult education and training skills. Party trainers then conducted second-tier trainings based on the same curriculum with aspirants considering running for local office and campaign managers. The party trainers went on to conduct 311 second-tier trainings for more than 5,000 candidates who ran in the October 2015 local elections.

NDI Campaign Schools Prepare Thousands of Candidates in Ukraine

NDI campaign schools in Ukraine prepared 151 trainers and thousands of candidates to join the country's new generation of political leaders.

Posted by National Democratic Institute - NDI on Wednesday, June 29, 2016

To extend the program’s reach, the Institute produced nine short online videos on each of the main modules covered in the trainings. Additionally, NDI prepared and published a written manual that includes more detailed information on each aspect of campaign planning and implementation and, in cooperation with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, additional materials on the new electoral system that was introduced a few months prior to election day. The manual incorporates best practices on local electoral campaigns with customized sections and examples that specifically relate to the Ukrainian context and includes guidance on the role of elected officials for those whose campaigns were successful.

The success of this training program motivated political parties to continue the training process. Since the local elections, NDI started training new party trainers and is helping political parties to develop their training departments. These trainers often play an important role in establishing internal party communication, thanks to their work in many different local branches. After all, the work of party trainers is more than sharing knowledge and experiences; they help to better organize and strengthen the party as a whole, and encourage new faces to get involved in politics.

NDI and our partners would like to thank the donors who have made this effort and efforts like these possible. These candidate trainings were supported by the U.S. State Department through its Fundamental Freedoms Fund program, Global Affairs Canada and the United State Agency for International Development.

Published on June 29, 2016.

Latin American Party Leaders in Lima Identify Reform Agenda

jfrant — Fri, 27 May 2016 17:14:59 +0000

In spite of significant democratic advances, citizens across Latin America are dissatisfied with the performance of democratic institutions and elected officials. Corruption, insecurity, inequality, and lack of economic opportunity and avenues to participate in public life have fueled protests across the region.

Political parties are an example of institutions that many citizens consider “out of touch.” However, parties remain the few institutions that offer citizens meaningful choices in governance, avenues for political participation and opportunities to shape their country’s future. They therefore remain fundamental to the healthy functioning of democratic systems. In many countries in Latin America parties are facing serious crises of confidence, representation and legitimacy that further distance them from citizens. In a recent Latinobarómetro survey, only four out of every 10 Latin Americans felt any affinity towards a political party. Without functioning political parties, the role of civil society to advocate for their priorities becomes far more difficult, if not impossible.

Faced with these challenges, 25 political leaders from Latin America met in Lima, Peru, on March 2 at NDI’s invitation to discuss the difficulties facing political parties globally and successful approaches taken in the region to foster political and electoral reforms and build more effective, transparent and representative political organizations for citizens in the region. Over two days of discussions with academics and experts in party organizations, party leaders from nine countries across the region, representing different ideologies and experiences, both parties with decades of experience and recently organized political movements, discussed how to confront this reality by strengthening confidence in democracy and rebuilding ties between citizens and political organizations. To encourage participants to set aside political constraints and have honest conversations, discussions were held off-the-record.

The need to strengthen party ideology, as well as ensuring consistency between parties’ principles and values and their actions, took up a large part of the conversation. Participants noted that many citizens see parties as only focused on elections, and less concerned about governance and how to improve people’s lives. As a Mexican political leader observed, parties need to use “lasting visions, solid principles, identity, a good brand, coalitions and alliances for the purpose of good government, not just electoral triumphs.”

The leaders also shared their strategies on how to more effectively connect with constituents. “Ideas are what allow for sustainability, strategic value and connecting with constituents,” said a political leader from Argentina. A party without ideas cannot put together political proposals in a coherent manner and therefore cannot respond to society’s needs and regain its trust.

Participants agreed that parties must change to keep up with their own societies. The internal structures of parties should be strengthened in a way that allows for the active participation of all party members, with the understanding that society has been evolving and that historically marginalized groups like youth and women should have more and better representation at all levels within political parties. Participants remarked that contemporary society is less hierarchical, which requires citizens to actively participate, be better informed and be included in the decision-making process.

Noting that politics has a tendency to focus on individual personalities, a party leader from Chile said, “Any institutional design should push for structures that prioritize the collective over the individual.”

Political parties can make use of new information and communications technology to bring citizens closer to the political system and political organizations. These technologies can also complement traditional community organizing approaches that parties still use as the primary way to facilitate in-person contact with constituents.

Another topic of discussion was the importance of political party financing, transparency, and integrity, as well as the need to overcome the negative incentives to engage in clientelism and eliminate the relationship between politics and lawlessness. A Central American political leader said, “We should not underestimate the risk of corruption because it is an issue that deeply hurts the viability of political parties.”

The findings from this meeting in Lima will allow NDI, through its regional program Red Innovación, to update existing party strengthening materials and develop new ones that can address the most pressing challenges faced by political parties. Red Innovación already offers a platform for party activists to share experiences and take virtual courses on several issues identified by the party leaders as priority areas, such as increasing transparency and using new technologies for closer communication with citizens.

Through the Red Innovación network and peer-to-peer discussions of party leaders like the Lima Forum, NDI will continue to share experiences and help political parties to implement best practices in areas such as improving constituent relations, creating participatory platforms, strengthening party think-tanks, accountability and transparency and promoting the use of new technologies in politics, among others. In addition, NDI is expanding this discussion globally through its Party Renewal Initiative, which explores different types of reform needed to help parties adapt to the societal and technological changes of the 21st century.

Published on May 27, 2016

Getting Closer to Citizens: A Manual on Outreach for Elected Officials

jfrant — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 15:45:27 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

04/14/2016

Resource Type:

Manual

Language:

English, Arabic

This manual captures the lessons learned and best practices for constituency outreach, based on the experience of the 14 Moroccan members of parliament and their assistants who were trained by the National Democratic Institute.

Media Type:

Manual

English

Arabic

Attachment	Size
Download in Arabic	3.86 MB
Download in English	3.85 MB

Moroccan Elected Officials Share Best Practices for Constituency Outreach in New NDI Guide

jfrant — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 15:27:18 +0000

Morocco’s hierarchical political culture has not traditionally encouraged members of parliament (MPs) to engage with citizens about their priorities. Nor do citizens have much experience or confidence in raising concerns with their elected officials. This constituent gap has undermined the development of more representative and responsive government in Morocco.

Amid a wave of citizen protests in 2011, Morocco passed a constitutional amendments that expanded the parliament’s powers and included explicit provisions relating to good governance and to citizens’ inviolable rights and freedoms, with the aim of responding to popular demands for greater governmental accountability. Along with ensuing reforms, the constitutional revision has provided a legal framework for the government’s efforts to mitigate the disconnect between citizens and their elected officials.

Since 2013, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has worked to address this problem by assisting 14 MPs to establish local offices across Morocco to engage directly with their constituents. In March, as part of this ongoing effort, NDI brought together Moroccan elected officials, political party leaders, and members of the international community for the launch of its new constituency outreach manual, Getting Closer to Citizens: A Manual on Outreach for Elected Officials (English, Arabic). The manual captures the lessons learned and best practices for constituency outreach, based on the experience of the 14 MPs and their assistants who were trained by NDI under a two-year program supported by the U.K. Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO), as well as local elected officials with whom NDI collaborates through its ongoing United States Agency of International Development-funded (USAID) program in support of political parties.

Morocco Constituency Outreach Program Results
Number of constituency office visits by citizens	+32,150
Citizen casework received	+9,600
Citizen cases resolved	+2,800
Written and oral questions raised by MPs in parliament	+1,270

Khenifra MP Assistant Naima meets with Ms. Boubker to discuss her case.

MP El Bayed of Casablanca Ain Chok meets with citizens to discuss the lack of public lighting in their neighborhood.

MP Tchikito discusses the delayed opening of a hospital with hospital administrators.

Khenifra MP Assistant Naima meets with Ms. Boubker to discuss her case.

Constituent outreach is a central role of elected officials. Engaging with citizens to learn about their concerns and priorities helps elected leaders represent public interests in decision-making, and develops public trust. NDI assisted the MPs in applying constituent outreach techniques to directly engage with citizens and to advocate on their behalf. Through one-on-one office meetings, public events and door-to-door canvassing, the MPs became more closely tied to to citizens’ needs. Each MP was supported by an NDI-trained constituency office assistant, who was responsible for receiving constituents in the local office, managing casework, and liaising with the MPs.

To assist political parties and local elected officials in improving their responsiveness to citizens, the Institute has convened targeted trainings on outreach and inclusive policy development techniques, such as drafting informational brochures and holding public forums. With NDI’s help, political parties have also leveraged social media platforms and digital technologies to foster their communication with constituents.

At the launch event, NDI presented a short video it produced to highlight the dedication, commitment and effort of the 14 MPs, the MPs’ assistants, and local elected officials to engage with citizens in their community and address their needs and concerns. MPs who participated in the program shared how their experience in conducting citizen outreach helped them to better understand citizen priorities, and to ultimately be better advocates for them in parliament.

Given the novelty of constituent offices in Morocco, it was unclear whether MPs would fully embrace them as effective platforms for outreach, or whether constituents would respond positively to their efforts. Today, there is little doubt: the outreach offices have been very effective. Specific examples of this project’s impact include:

In September 2015, Khadija Boubker, a young widow struggling to support two daughters in the Khenifra region, visited MP Fouad Hajir, a participant in NDI’s constituency outreach program, to inquire about a government policy that offers financial assistance to help widows care for their children. Following an initial discussion about the new policy, which was enacted as part of the 2014 finance law, MP Hajir and his office assistant helped Khadija submit an application to the local government for assistance. Three months later, the government approved Khadija’s application and began sending her monthly payments of 350 dirhams to support care for each of her children. Khadija was extremely appreciative of the assistance she received through the constituency office. “I have to thank MP Hajir and his assistant Naima for the great service they are providing to our community. There are many illiterate widows like me in this region who feel lonely and abandoned in trying to support our children, and the constituency office offers an important outlet for us to share our problems and seek the appropriate assistance. I have told many other women about my experience in the office who have since visited the office to meet their MP. We are so appreciative of the MP and his staff.”

In April 2015, Bouaddi Halima’s son, Moncef, was born with a cleft lip and palate, a common but serious genetic malformation that can cause difficulty for infants in feeding. Feeling panicked, Bouaddi contacted MP Hajir’s office to seek recommendations for medical assistance for Moncef. After doing some research, the MPs’ assistant, Naima, found a vendor in Casablanca who could deliver a special bottle that would allow Moncef to feed correctly and get proper nourishment. Naima also identified an international organization represented in Casablanca, called Operation Smile, which specializes in facial surgery and could treat Moncef’s condition. Since April, Moncef has received ongoing treatment from Operation Smile, and is currently on track for full recovery in early 2016. “No words can explain how grateful my family is to Assistant Naima,” said Bouaddi. “Her assistance enabled my child and entire family to smile.” After discussing with Bouaddi how widespread this issue is in the Khenifra region, Operation Smile organized a medical caravan to the region to serve other infants born with this condition.

In mid-2014, Mohamed Benmouh’s house in Tiznit was destroyed by the local government without any prior notice, because it was identified as a safety hazard to neighbors due to its dilapidated condition. At a loss for how to deal with the situation, Benmouh visited MP Lahsen Bounouari’s constituency office to seek assistance. MP Bounouari and his office assistant, Mohamed Solhi, immediately contacted the Ministry of Justice to seek compensation for Benmouh. Although the process took several months, the government ultimately provided Benmouh with funding to build a new home. “I am so grateful for the assistance that MP Assistant Solhi provided to solve my case. I never thought that my concerns would be heard at the level of the parliament or national government before this experience. This office makes us feel like our MP is so much closer to the community,” said Benmouh.

NDI’s constituent outreach manual, developed in joint support from the FCO and the USAID, contains examples of successful outreach techniques in other countries that can be adapted to the needs of elected representatives in Morocco. It will serve as an ongoing guiding resource to encourage future parliamentarians, newly elected regional, and local councilors improve their citizen engagement efforts.

Youth Academies Prepare a Generation of Honduran Democratic Leaders

jfrant — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 22:37:30 +0000

Roberto Mena wasn’t exactly sure what the Youth Leadership Academy was, but he knew he wanted to be a part of it.

A 26-year-old Honduran from the state of Cortes, Mena is an active participant in local politics. In fact, politics runs in his family, which includes political leaders who founded a local chapter of the Anti-Corruption Party (Partido Anti-Corrupcion, PAC), an opposition party that emerged from the political crisis following the 2009 coup d’etat against the Manuel Zelaya government.

In April 2014, Mena participated in his first Youth Leadership Academy organized by NDI. The gatherings, which were held annually since 2011, brought together youth leaders from eight of the 18 Honduran states, representing a broad array of political parties and civil society organizations.

Roberto Mena wasn’t exactly sure what the Youth Leadership Academy was, but he knew he wanted to be a part of it.

There was a lot to discuss. The capital of Cortes, San Pedro Sula, is currently ranked one of the most dangerous and violent cities in the world. Mena, like many other young Hondurans, has witnessed increased violence, corruption, lack of economic opportunities and weakened democratic institutions.

“I believe that these problems can be solved if citizens are willing to take the initiative, propose changes and find solutions that work for their country,” Mena said.

Through short lectures and exercises, promising young Honduran leaders learned about communication and leadership skills, negotiation tactics for political discussions, democratic values, use of information and communication technologies, conflict resolution and human rights, and democratic practices within democratic institutions. The skills they learned will help them to become leaders within their organizations and reinforce democratic institutions in Honduras.

“The Academy is a diverse space where we have learned to understand and tolerate different political views to agree on solutions to problems needed in Honduras” said Mena during the fifth and final Youth Leadership Academy session held from February 19 to 21, 2016.

The final academy gathered graduates from the previous four sessions to refine their leadership knowledge and to continue to provide a space for interaction and discussion about the future of the country.

Ninety-five youth have participated in Youth Leadership Academy activities throughout the country over the last five years. These young leaders, like Mena, are motivated to get involved in the Honduran political process and promote democratic practices that ensure the inclusion of diverse viewpoints from a wide range of actors. Participants in the 2013 Youth Leadership Academy created the first youth forum for democratic values in the country. This activity, organized in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, gathered representatives of various political parties to present their party platforms and proposals to interested youth. Participants in the 2014 Academy organized a televised debate on national television with young leaders and representatives of political parties, academia and businesses to discuss the views of their organizations on freedom, transparency, democratic values, youth participation and gender equity.

Activities during the Youth Leadership Academies also emphasized leadership that promotes inclusion and rejects discrimination on the basis of political affiliation, gender, race or sexual orientation. “Honduras needs leaders who can offer solutions to our current problems” Mena said, “[and] the Academy gives us that space to discuss and debate ideas as a group and jointly agree on proposed solutions. This has been the greatest result of this activity.”

During the 2012 and 2013 elections, NDI supported a leadership academy for women candidates. One-third of the 33 female deputies elected in 2013 participated in this academy. NDI continues supporting women legislators as they develop a multi-partisan legislative agenda to promote women’s political participation.

In a stark demonstration the challenges Honduras still faces with regard to gender-based discrimination, Paola Barraza, a 2014 graduate from the Youth Leadership Academy and openly transgender woman, was killed on January 24, 2016, presumably in a transphobic hate-crime since she had received several threats and attacks before her death. NDI issued a statement to pay tribute to her memory.

NDI organized the Youth Leadership Academy with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Published on March 18, 2016

With Democracy at Risk in the Balkans, Political Leaders Look in the Mirror

erodriguez — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 23:27:23 +0000

The Balkans are experiencing a fair share of instability these days these days. External factors—the refugee influx, the Eurozone crisis, Russian economic and political influence, and a pre-occupied European Union—are contributing to uncertainty about political stability and the region’s prospects for joining the European Union. Domestic political conflicts, both inter-ethnic and partisan, suggest that countries in southeastern Europe have some distance to go in becoming stable democracies. Still, progress is evident, even in these challenging environments.

Party Leaders Discuss Building Political Integrity in the Balkans

The Balkans are experiencing a fair share of instability these days. External factors—the refugee influx, the Eurozone crisis, Russian economic and political influence, and a pre-occupied European Union—are contributing to uncertainty about political stability and the region’s prospects for joining the European Union. Domestic political conflicts, both inter-ethnic and partisan, suggest that countries in southeastern Europe have some distance to go in becoming stable democracies.

Still, progress is evident, even in these challenging environments. More people are politically active than before, especially women and youth. Politicians are engaging citizens more than in the past. Long-marginalized groups, such as persons with disabilities and the LGBTI community, are asserting their rights through politics.

NDI has supported participatory, transparent, and inclusive politics in southeastern Europe for 25 years. Political parties play critical roles in this process. In holding political leadership and exercising governmental power, political parties decide the laws, budgets, and policies that impact citizens' lives. How parties wield their power—the degree to which power is shared, transparent, and responsive—was the subject of a NDI forum in Belgrade in February 2016 comprising 30 political leaders from nine countries.

Funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) as part of NDI's Southeastern European Political Party Initiative, the forum marked the first time that so many party leaders in the region--representing governing and opposition parties, as well as center-left, liberal, and center-right affiliations--gathered to discuss these important and sensitive topics.

Governor Howard Dean Addresses Political Party Representatives.

NDI Board member and former Vermont governor Howard Dean set a reflective tone in keynote remarks. Politicians, he said, spend 90 percent of their time in office figuring out how to remain there, and 10 percent of their time seeking to accomplish what they set out to do in the first place.

Party leaders invoked Governor Dean's admonition in ensuing discussions, which also featured representatives of NDI’s liberal, conservative, and social democratic political party partners in Western Europe. In candid fashion, they laid bare concerns about their parties: how they are run, how women and others are held back from leadership positions, how civic advocates are spurned rather than engaged, how they are insufficiently constructive in parliament, in the media, and out on the campaign trail, and how they should use their power to improve public confidence in the democratic process, which has been fading for some time. Party leaders discussed strategies on communicating with the electorate. They reflected on whether or not they are sufficiently inclusive of all their various constituencies and explored how to improve inter-party relations to avoid political crises. Perhaps most important, they focused on how to build political integrity, both internally and vis-a-vis independent institutions like the judiciary.

By turns confessional and revival, the forum enabled leaders to speak about problems and solutions in a variety of areas. It sparked a number of side discussions between political opponents on how to shore up democratic rules that enable fair political competition between them. It gave NDI the opportunity to feature new and dynamic ways of engaging citizens through communication technology. Despite their political differences, party leaders left the forum with the shared reckoning of the need to meet their democratic obligations, and with collective responsibility to improve how their parties are performing.

Feedback on the forum’s substance and on its collegial and constructive tone was very positive. NDI will organize future leader gatherings on party development and political reform to help politicians lead their parties to accomplish what they are elected to do.

Published March 11, 2016

Facebook and PeaceTech Lab Join NDI at Launch of Arabic-Language E-Learning Platform

jfrant — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 22:16:19 +0000

This week, NDI launched its new Arabic-language e-learning and training platform TaalamSharek.org, or “learn-engage” in English. Redesigned with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), this platform, which is also designed to be used on mobile phones, represents a new era in online engagement with and among democracy advocates in the Middle East and North Africa. The platform allows citizens to build their civic and political skills on topics such as campaign planning, elections, citizen participation, governance, and political party development.

TaalamSharek went live during an event hosted by NDI on March 2, 2016, to discuss new opportunities for online engagement in the Middle East and North Africa. As Internet penetration continues to grow in the region, local and international organizations alike are broadening their approaches to support democratic development.

“After the Arab Spring, activists lacked a concrete plan for governance, and democracy training programs were becoming increasingly in demand. People wanted information on how to gain skills in governance and how to become more involved,” said Leslie Campbell, NDI’s senior associate and regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, at the event. “Popular social media platforms are also responding to user trends and making it easier for activists around the world to organize and engage others in the issues they care about.”

“In the MENA region, there are 121 million monthly active Facebook users, and 110 million of those are most active on their mobile phones,” said Facebook representative Katie Harbath, who directs the social media platform’s global politics and government outreach.

Derek Caelin, a specialist at the PeaceTech Lab, highlighted the increasing relevance of these online tools for political development, pointing out that even local organizations in conflict-affected areas like Iraq are using technology in their outreach and development programs

TaalamSharek meets a demand from people in the Arab world who are seeking to build their political and civic skills and their understanding of the fundamentals of democracy. With over 52 e-learning modules with step-by-step trainings and more than 100 manuals and guidebooks produced and translated by NDI’s Arabic Publications Center, the platform provides educational resources in a way that is intuitive and manageable to regional partners. Activists can sign up for weekly newsletters, which highlight new resources and case studies, and feature tips on political skills. NDI will continue to develop and upload new e-learning modules and training resources on a regular basis.

The site’s resources are free and available in a wide array of formats including video, script, powerpoint, audio, worksheet, and publication, allowing the content to be more accessible to persons with disabilities and ensuring local trainers are better equipped to teach these skills to members of their community or political party.

TaalamSharek replaces an e-learning platform that was originally developed with support from the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL). The site saw a 367 percent increase in traffic since it became a regional resource in November 2014 with more than 1.3 million views in aggregate. Visitors to the site downloaded over 90,000 learning materials, including powerpoint presentations, worksheets, templates and educational publications.

Please contact the TaalamSharek team (taalamsharek@ndi.org) with any inquiries or requests for resources.

Published on March 4, 2016

Stepdown Training Toolkit on Legislative Engagement

sruiz — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 22:24:51 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

02/19/2016

Resource Type:

Training Toolkit

Language:

English

This toolkit provides information and reference materials the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has used in conducting a series of legislative advocacy/engagement workshops in Liberia under its Building Citizen Centered Political Engagement program funded by the Embassy of Sweden (EOS). This toolkit provides reference and support materials, and allows its users to organize similar trainings to assist civil society groups and to lobby and advocate with individual lawmakers and the legislature as a whole on issues of importance to citizens.

Aside from providing resources including PowerPoint presentations and agendas, this toolkit provides stepbystep guidance and suggestions on how to organize workshop logistics, identify and select a facilitator and/or trainer and present information during a workshops that vary in length from one to three days.

English

Attachment	Size
Download the Toolkit in English	2.45 MB

Public Opinion Research on Iraq's Road to Reconciliation

jfrant — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 21:33:22 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/14/2016

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

NDI recently conducted 22 in-depth interviews with tribal, religious, community, and demonstration leaders in Iraq on the topic of political reconciliation. The research was supported by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office as part of a larger project on reconciliation.

Media Type:

Report

NDI recently conducted 22 in-depth interviews with tribal, religious, community, and demonstration leaders in Iraq on the topic of political reconciliation, and a nation-wide public opinion survey. NDI’s research was conducted in partnership with Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and funded by the U.K. Foreign Commonwealth Office.

English

Attachment	Size
Download the report (English)	220.23 KB
Download the report (Arabic)	614.37 KB
Download the survey (English)	539.03 KB
Download the survey (Arabic)	781.62 KB

NDI - Political Parties

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

Iraqi Political Party Activists Work Together to Forge National Reconciliation

Honduran Political Party Leaders Send Unified Message for Women’s Political Participation

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Getting Closer to Citizens: A Manual on Outreach for Elected Officials

Moroccan Elected Officials Share Best Practices for Constituency Outreach in New NDI Guide

Youth Academies Prepare a Generation of Honduran Democratic Leaders

With Democracy at Risk in the Balkans, Political Leaders Look in the Mirror

Facebook and PeaceTech Lab Join NDI at Launch of Arabic-Language E-Learning Platform

Step­down Training Toolkit on Legislative Engagement

Public Opinion Research on Iraq's Road to Reconciliation

Stepdown Training Toolkit on Legislative Engagement