NDI - Rwanda

Election Rwanda Parliamentary 2011

vrao — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 02:46:24 +0000

NDI activity to be determined

NDI E-news: Democracies in Transition, African Elections | March 2011

fgalleto — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:25:16 +0000

<MMString:LoadString id="insertbar/table" /> </mmstring:loadstring>

March 2011

Emerging Democracies Learn from Transition Experiences of Other Countries

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

Sergio Bitar, who helped found the Party for Democracy during Chile's democratic transition, recently returned from Cairo.

Democratic transitions take time and patience. Each country is different, seeking to adapt the principles common to all democracies to its unique character and circumstances.

But there are also lessons to be learned from the experiences of other nations that have made the shift from autocracy to democracy — a process that has just begun in Tunisia and Egypt, where citizens are deciding on new constitutions, leaders, political parties and other elements of their new societies.

In Tunisia, NDI recently brought experts from Bulgaria, Hungary and Portugal to meet with Tunisian political party leaders to share experiences from their countries' democratic transitions. Similarly, in Egypt, transition leaders and experts from Chile, Indonesia, Poland, Romania and Serbia are meeting with civil society and party leaders. They were able to discuss a range of issues including relations with the military, reconciliation processes, coalition building, and electoral and constitutional reform.

Krastyo Petkov, involved in the democratic transition in Bulgaria, with NDI Senior Program Officer Gabriella Borovsky in Tunis.

Against this backdrop, 50 experts from Europe and North America met in Brussels this month as part of an ongoing transatlantic dialogue on democracy support, co-chaired by by Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament; Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. secretary of state and chairman of NDI; Javier Solana, former EU high representative for the common foreign and security policy; and Vin Weber, former U.S. representative and board member of the National Endowment for Democracy. In a statement, the participants expressed their support for democratic reform movements and called on the transatlantic community to emphasize democracy assistance within the transatlantic relationship.

NDI also hosted a roundtable for rising democratic powers, including representatives from Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa, on democracy support. These countries have valuable experience in democratic and economic development, but they are often not present in discussions on democracy support because they tend to be neither major donors nor recipients of development assistance.

As part of the two-day roundtable, Indonesia's ambassador to the U.S., Dino Patti Djalal, spoke about his country's transition to democracy and compared it to events unfolding in the Middle East and North Africa. "My advice to many of the countries undergoing democratic transitions is, don't let fear drive you," he said in a talk at NDI.

Youth Academy Empowers Tomorrow's Political Leaders in Rwanda

People under the age of 25 comprise two-thirds of Rwanda's population, but they are largely excluded from political life. NDI's recently expanded Youth Political Leadership Academy helps young leaders acquire practical political skills needed to have a say in their country's future. Read more»

Film Urges Nigerians to "Activate the Power of their Thumb"

As Nigeria prepares for presidential, legislative and gubernatorial elections, a new short film, "My Vote Fit Change Naija," urges Nigerians to vote as a peaceful means to achieve change in their country. Produced by Youngstar Foundation and NDI, the film links voting to potential improvements in jobs, roads, electricity and health care, and stars a number of famous actors from the Nigerian film industry. Read more»

Election Monitors Note Minor Problems as Niger Peacefully Elects New President

Peaceful elections in Niger this month received praise from nonpartisan citizen election observers, despite a number of administrative problems surrounding the voting. NDI's partner, the Nigerien Association for the Defense of Human Rights, trained 2,025 observers who were stationed in all of Niger's eight regions on election day. Read more»

West African Election Observers Promote Credible Elections

In West Africa, some elections have led to successful transfers of power, while others have been marked by widespread fraud. Citizen election observation groups from 11 countries have formed the West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON) to help ensure accountability, increase honesty and accuracy, and improve the credibility of elections in the region. Read more»

NDI Reports: Spring 2011

The new issue of NDI's newsletter, NDI Reports, explores how the mapping of election data can identify trends or anomalies in election results, examines recent advances and setbacks in women's political participation, and reports on a new global network for citizen election monitors.

Read the newsletter or browse the archives»

First Parhamovich Fellow Bringing More Young Women into Politics

Two years after her visit to the U.S., Ferdos Majeed, the Institute's first Parhamovich fellow, helped to launch the Young Women's Leadership School in Iraq. Read more»

Tijuana Civic Groups Use Opinion Research to Strengthen Police Reform Proposal

A recent study conducted by NDI's partner, the Citizen Coalition for Public Security, shows that while residents of Tijuana believe security improvements have been made, the perception of municipal police is still largely negative. The coalition is using the data to work with local elected officials on making improvements in public security. Read more»

Policymakers Share Strategies to Help Roma Minorities

A summit meeting held recently in Romania brought together officials from eight countries in Central and Eastern Europe who are responsible for policies to assist Roma minorities. Though there are an estimated 10 million Roma in Europe, they remain largely excluded from the political system due to discrimination, segregation and poverty. Read more»

NDI Celebrates 100th Annual International Women's Day

Hon. Nora Shimming-Chase (right) speaks with a participant at NDI's International Women's Day event in South Africa.

The 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, an annual observance of the achievements of women around the world, was celebrated this year with a recognition of past triumphs and calls to action for promoting women's equality. NDI marked the occasion with events in Colombia, Kosovo, South Africa and Washington, D.C.

At any given time, nearly 75 percent of NDI country programs have a dedicated component addressing women's political participation, a recognition of the words of NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright that "the political participation of women results in tangible gains for democracy, including greater responsiveness to citizen needs, increased cooperation across party and ethnic lines, and more sustainable peace."

The Rwanda Youth Political Leadership Academy

fgalleto — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:57:07 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

04/25/2011

Resource Type:

Brochure

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Download the brochure	484.25 KB

Youth Academy Empowers Tomorrow’s Political Leaders in Rwanda

fgalleto — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:19:23 +0000

While young people under 25 comprise approximately two-thirds of Rwanda’s population, historically they have lacked meaningful opportunities to engage in politics. To provide Rwandan youth with practical political skills, NDI has expanded the successful Youth Party Leadership Academy to two cities, in order to serve 80 under-35 activists from all 10 of Rwanda's registered political parties.

While young people under 25 comprise approximately two-thirds of Rwanda’s population, historically they have lacked meaningful opportunities to engage in politics. An older elite has traditionally made the country’s political decisions, and during the 1994 genocide, political leaders mobilized disaffected youth for violent ends. But today, many young Rwandans hope to channel their untapped power into productive and peaceful political expression.

Since September 2008, NDI has helped Rwandan political parties organize and communicate with supporters. This includes training young activists who are joining parties in increasing numbers and who are often receptive to new ideas about party organizing, democracy and technology that can help parties reach new voters and win more support.

To provide Rwandan youth with practical political skills, NDI partnered with the Rwandan Consultative Forum of Political Organisations to create the Youth Party Leadership Academy (YPLA) in Kigali last year. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the academy included three months of intensive political training, as well as a study mission to Accra, Ghana, for the top-performing students. There participants learned firsthand from their Ghanaian counterparts how young people can participate actively in political parties — and support peaceful, democratic politics in the process.

This month, the Institute launched an expanded academy in two locations: the capital, Kigali, and the southern city of Butare. The academy brought together 80 under-35 activists from all 10 of Rwanda’s registered political parties for three seminars a week over 10 weeks. Sessions are led by international and local practitioners and academics, and address political party organizing, political communication, good governance, building a political career, ethical leadership, negotiation and conflict prevention, and using technology for political organizing, among numerous other topics.

NDI Resident Director Amy Pritchard has high hopes for the students. "They’re an incredibly dynamic and engaged group," she said. "We are focusing on the role political parties play in Rwanda's government, elections and civic life, and are working on teaching skills that will improve the students’ and their parties’ leadership abilities."

Meanwhile, the 34 graduates from the first academy are putting their new skills to good use. Last year, the Social Democratic Party nominated YPLA graduate Theodomir Niyonsenga to serve as its second deputy general secretary. During last year’s presidential elections, graduates Claudette Mukabaseyba, Pie Nizeyimana, Telesphore Hakorimana and Sada Uwase were invited to join the forum’s national election observation mission, while others served as political party agents at polling stations, trained fellow party members in campaign skills, or helped to organize campaign rallies and get-out-the-vote efforts. Two YPLA graduates ran in last month’s local elections and one, Angélique Mukunde, was elected vice mayor for economic affairs in the capital’s Kicukiro district.

Related:

Pictured above: U.S. Ambassador W. Stuart Symington greets YPLA student Yves Bariyanga at a reception following the academies' launch in Butare.

Published March 22, 2011

Women’s Participation Gains Ground, Faces High Hurdles

rrunyan — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 23:05:53 +0000

Where women have gained a political voice around the world, there have been tangible gains for democracy, including greater responsiveness to citizen needs, increased cooperation across party and ethnic lines, and more sustainable peace.

Afghan women candidates speak at a pre-election rally in Kabul.

In places as diverse as Timor-Leste, Croatia, Morocco, Rwanda and South Africa, an increase in the number of female lawmakers has led to legislation dealing with discrimination, domestic violence, family codes, inheritance, and child support and protection. In Rwanda, for example, since assuming 56 percent of the seats in parliament in 2008, women have been responsible for forming the first cross-party caucus to work on controversial issues, such as land rights and food security.

“There is a growing recognition of the untapped capacity and talents of women and women’s leadership,” NDI President Kenneth Wollack said in congressional testimony last June. In the last 10 years, the rate of women’s representation in national parliaments globally has grown from 13.9 percent in 2000 to 19.1 percent in 2010.

This move toward more women’s participation was evident in several elections in 2010. The number of Lebanese women elected to municipal offices increased from 201 in 2004 to 530 in 2010. The increase was particularly noteworthy because it came without the help of a quota law, a technique used in a number of countries in the Middle East and elsewhere to ensure a specified number of seats for women.

In Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Jordan women won parliamentary seats with the help of new quota laws; but in Afghanistan and Jordan two additional women were elected in their own right outside the quota. In Afghanistan, more than 60 percent of the 406 women candidates, including more than a third of the 69 women who won, attended campaign schools that NDI organized with a curriculum tailored to address challenges particular to Afghan women. In Jordan, 12 of the 13 women who won participated in NDI’s candidate training program.

NDI leadership training session for women activists in Kyrgyzstan

Though quotas continue to be the most effective means for jumpstarting women’s representation, studies conducted by NDI indicate that quotas by themselves have not removed the obstacles that many women confront. Getting a quota law passed is an important step, but ensuring that it is carried out is sometimes the real hurdle.

“What does it matter if there is a quota in so many countries if we’re not reaching that number?” said Susan Markham, NDI’s director of women’s political participation. “In many countries, it’s on the books, it’s a law, but the number of women nominated by their political parties does not reach the quota level or we would have a much higher percentage of women in office.”

In Kenya, where a newly-passed constitution stipulates that 30 percent of all government leadership – not just elected officials – must be women, the first board that was created to help implement the constitution did not meet the 30 percent mark.

The legislature in the West African country of Burkina Faso passed a gender quota law in 2009 requiring that 30 percent of the candidates on political party lists be women. It held the promise of new opportunities for Burkinabe women, traditionally marginalized politically. But since the law was enacted, there has been little progress on implementing it in time for local and legislative elections to be held in 2011 and 2012, respectively. NDI helped establish the Coalition for the Implementation of the Quota Law – a group composed of eight Burkinabe civil society organizations and three political parties – which has evaluated the technical challenges of applying the quota law in the upcoming elections and produced recommendations on how to address them.

Helping parties understand the benefits of including women is one key to implementation, Markham said. “If your party gets more votes, and thus more seats, with women, then male members of the party don’t have to lose their seats,” she said.

Political parties’ reluctance to include women, coupled with the opportunities parties afford women when they do embrace equity, leads Markham to characterize parties simultaneously as “the greatest entry point and barrier to women in politics.”

NDI organized training programs on communication and political strategy for potential women candidates in Guatemala.

NDI’s political party programs focus on building the skills and knowledge of women party activists, as well as working with party leaders to recognize the value of women as voters, party leaders and candidates. NDI’s Win with Women Global Initiative, convened in 2003 by NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright, has focused exclusively on internal political party reforms that strengthen women’s roles.

The Institute also continues to work with women once they’ve gained office. NDI supports the creation and development of parliamentary caucuses that have helped harness the power of women legislators to increase their influence, add a gender perspective to policy development and address priority issues for gender equality through legislation. These groups often present a unique opportunity within legislatures for multi-party debate, giving women’s caucuses the ability to have a larger role in legislative, civic and political processes.

Many parliamentary caucuses also work to make women better legislators and political leaders by conducting training programs and other activities that help round out their knowledge and skills. Some caucuses include women’s branches or wings within political parties that can impact how parties operate and the policies they advocate. Other broader caucuses include party activists, elected women and leaders from civil society organizations who work together to advocate for change.

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

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

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

<MMString:LoadString id="insertbar/table" /> </mmstring:loadstring>

Sept 15, 2010

Happy Democracy Day!

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

"Democracy is...in our hands." Photo by Kaylene George of South Africa, one of 12 winners of the Democracy Photo Challenge.

NDI wishes you a happy International Day of Democracy, an annual global celebration of human rights, the rule of law and other principles that unite democracies around the world. This day, Sept. 15, was designated by the United Nations to reaffirm the universality of democratic values and recognize the aspirations of people around the world to have a say in how they are governed and make free choices about how they live their lives.

In more than 70 countries around the world, NDI's main mission is to support and strengthen democratic institutions. Here are some recent examples of our work.

In Afghanistan, Supporting Elections with People, Technology

An Afghan voter casts his ballot in the 2009 election

In three days, Afghans will go to the polls to elect members of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of the Afghan National Assembly. The Institute is fielding an international observation mission, as well as working with candidates, political parties, polling agents and domestic observers. NDI is also publishing election updates looking at issues surrounding the polls and analyzing conditions on the ground throughout the country.
NDI has also recently updated its internationally recognized website, afghanistanelectiondata.org, which allows users to analyze and visualize election data from 2004, 2005 and 2009, with 2010 data coming soon.

In Kenya, Observing the Constitutional Referendum and Beyond

NDI has actively supported Kenyan efforts to strengthen democratic institutions since 1993.
The country's recent national referendum to approve a new constitution was lauded by international and domestic election observers. The Elections Observation Group (ELOG), a coalition of civic and faith-based Kenyan organizations and a partner of NDI's, observed balloting around the country and released a statement verifying the accuracy of the results,
which they confirmed using a parallel vote tabulation, or "quick count." NDI's board of directors, led by Chairman Madeleine K. Albright, recently met in Nairobi, pledging organizational support in the coming months as Kenyans build the legal framework to support the constitution.

In Kyrgyzstan, Supporting the Electoral Process and Women Candidates

Daschle discusses recent developments and challenges with civic leaders in Kyrgyzstan.

In Kyrgyzstan, citizens recently approved a new and first of its kind constitution in the region that significantly limits presidential power in relation to parliament.
Despite challenges that still lie ahead, the country has made progress on democratic reforms, NDI Vice Chair and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle concluded following a recent trip to the country.
Now, as Kyrgyzstan looks ahead to parliamentary elections in October, NDI is working with women candidates, training them on campaign and leadership skills, public speaking, and working within political parties to more fully integrate the women candidates into existing party structures.
NDI will also continue its assistance to the Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society, a domestic election observation group planning to monitor the parliamentary elections.

In Liberia, U.S. Congressional Delegation Reaffirms Commitment to Legislative Research

On a recent trip to Liberia, members of the U.S. House Democracy Partnership (HDP) visited the new legislative library that it, NDI and the U.S. Agency for International Development are helping to build. The eight visiting House members also had the chance to attend a town hall meeting in the Liberian town of Kakata. "Our delegation had been invited to attend not as participants, but as observers — as witnesses to Liberia's fragile but maturing democracy..." Reps. David Price, D-N.C., and David Dreier, R-Calif., wrote about the experience.

In Jordan, Al-Hayat Addresses Youth Apathy in Political Process

More than 65 percent of Jordanians are under the age of 30, and 43 percent of potential voters are 18 to 25. Youth have historically been excluded from the political process, so the Al-Hayat Center for Civil Society Development has launched a campaign focused on engaging and registering young voters for the Nov. 9 parliamentary elections.

The campaign is based in part on the findings of a survey conducted by Al-Hayat and NDI, designed to uncover young people's attitudes toward political involvement.

Women Gain the Confidence, Skills and Network to Win Elections in Lebanon

When Lebanese voters went to the polls this year to select municipal officials, they voted in more than twice the number of women as in 2004, going from 201 elected women to 530. One factor in this dramatic increase was the help provided women candidates by the Shariky program, an NDI project that supports women candidates through training and mentoring.

Yemeni Youth Break New Ground in Resolving Tribal Conflict

In Yemen, tribal conflict is a backdrop affecting the country's economic development, governance and national stability. Disputes over land claims and competition for resources and government services often lead to violence and cycles of revenge killings.

NDI helped 40 young men and women under the age of 30 come together in July to form the country's first cross-tribal youth council, which is already helping to solve disputes about school placement and land boundaries.

Interviews with NDI Staff Present an "In-Country Perspective" in Mexico, Rwanda

Mexican Civic Groups Bring Public Security Concerns to Politicians

Julian Quibell, who directs NDI’s programs in Mexico, sat down for an interview on how NDI is bringing civil society and candidates for local office together in a collaborative dialogue to help address Mexicans' concerns about security, violence and organized crime.

In Rwanda, NDI Promotes Political Party Dialogue and Peaceful Competition

Fifteen years after the genocide that devastated Rwanda, the country is still dealing with its lasting impact on politics and governance. Prior to the presidential election, we sat down with Gaston Aín, then country director in Rwanda, to learn more about the political landscape, the role of young people and NDI's work with political parties.

Democracy Is... Initiative Celebrates Winning Photos, Videos

"Democracy is the state of being free to act and look different from the way others do." Photo by Kaveh Baghdadchi of Iran, one of 12 winners of the DPC.

The Democracy Is... initiative is celebrating the winners of the Democracy Photo Challenge and Democracy Video challenge today in New York City.

"As a photographer, I am inspired by the quality of the content we've seen in the Photo Challenge," said jury co-chair Louie Psihoyos, Academy Award-winning documentary director and photographer. "But it is as an activist that I am most moved. These images allow us to experience life through the eyes of another and better understand how they experience democracy."

The Photo Challenge winners were asked to complete the phrase "Democracy is..." with an image and caption. Twelve winning photos were chosen by the public on Picasa, and are now on display at the United Nations in New York City. See the winning photos»

The Video Challenge participants completed the same phrase with a three-minute video. This year's winners were in New York for the celebration as part of their grand prize. They hail from Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Nepal and Spain. Watch the winning videos»

Democracy Updates | Partner Spotlights | In-Country Perspectives |

Democracy Dialogue | Publications | Employment

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

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

Author:

Shari Bryan

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/27/2010

Resource Type:

Speech

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Download the statement	117.41 KB

In Rwanda, Staff Work to Promote Political Party Dialogue and Peaceful Competition

fgalleto — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:38:42 +0000

Fifteen years after the genocide that devastated Rwanda, the country is still dealing with its lasting impact on politics and governance. Rwandans are looking to their government to deal with issues such as poverty and regional integration, and they are hoping for responsiveness from politicians and political parties. With presidential elections approaching, we sat down with Gaston Aín, NDI’s former country director in Rwanda, to learn more about the political landscape, the role of young people and NDI’s work with political parties.

How does the 1994 genocide continue to influence life in the country?

Rwandans have made a lot of progress on the political front, on the economic front and on the front of reconciliation and national unity. The government conducts a survey once a year to reflect on social conditions. When you look at the results of these surveys you see that the level of trust among Rwandans has grown a lot. In the aftermath of the genocide only 7 percent of Rwandans said they trusted their neighbor; now it’s closer to 50 percent.

The government is trying to create a system centered on the Rwandan citizen regardless of religion, geographic origin and ethnic group. So the country held a commemoration of the genocide in April and we saw an amazing demonstration of people participating – soccer stadiums filled with people, peace walks from one place to another and memorials. The population seems to not want the genocide to repeat.

You work a lot with political parties in Rwanda. How does that help with the reconciliation process?

If you asked me to summarize in a single sentence what we are trying to do in Rwanda, we are trying to help Rwandese people develop the tools to compete for power in a peaceful way.

In a recent survey, 51 percent of Rwandans said they considered a multiparty system to be a necessary feature for Rwanda. That means that half the population considers that parties are not necessary.

We have to bear in mind that in 1994, parties were used as instruments of violence. Because of what happened in 1994 and how parties were used to instill hatred, people do not trust them. We are trying to reverse that idea because political parties are a great avenue for participation and for joining with people who have similar beliefs. So far we have been successful in building up a solid partnership among the 10 registered political parties of Rwanda.

In most cases, we had to start with trainings on the functions of a political party in a democracy – how a political party becomes an avenue to aggregate interests, to unify visions, to compete for power, to train members for government. We also train on how to recruit, because in the past parties would recruit to feed ethnic hatred. Now the idea is, “I’m trying to invite you to come with me to propose a better policy on housing or education or security.” This is a huge change of culture and change of mind. We’ve trained 1,000 leaders from the 10 registered political parties.

How does the youth academy fit into this on going process?

Fifty percent of the Rwandan population is under 25. What happens in Rwanda, but also around the world, is that parties call on young people to do campaigning, but when it comes time to run the country, they are not invited to sit at the table. In a way, they are used as cheap labor. In a country like Rwanda, where young people are so much of the electorate, they need a stronger voice in political parties.

So we decided to offer training to 40 aspiring politicians under the age of 30. Each party identified four candidates, two women and two men, each with a bachelor’s degree and good knowledge of French and English. We then got what we considered to be the best scholars in different disciplines and we organized a youth academy. The courses lasted for three months and totaled 75 hours of theoretical and practical knowledge.

We covered topics such as good governance and political parties, how to pursue a political career, negotiation, ethical leadership, basic ideologies. For example, we had Patrick Mazimhaka, the only Rwandan to have been vice chairman of the African Union, teaching negotiation and conflict resolution. He had just gotten back from Sudan, where he was doing a review of the comprehensive peace agreement, and he used that experience as his lesson plan. He split the class into groups. There was a guerrilla movement, the government, a semi-autonomous region. They were negotiating independence, security, language, cultural issues, tax issues and tax collection. It was interesting and it was a competition; the team that got the best deal would win.

Now the four best performing students are going on a study trip to Ghana to exchange experiences with the Ghanaian youth and the Ghanaian members of congress. Ghana is recognized as a country that has competitive politics and we thought it would be a good opportunity for students to see how a full-fledged democracy works, a system where power alternates peacefully.

Are you seeing any effects of the political party strengthening work in the upcoming campaign?

Rwandans have made a clear decision in favor of practicing consensual politics, meaning that if you go to Rwanda, you’re going to see that political parties try not to have contradictory visions over issues of national interest, or in a political speech you’re not going to see two guys shouting at each other over the same issue. They are all part of a government of national unity, meaning that you have a major political force, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), but many other parties also have ministers in the government. That makes it very hard for most parties to criticize the current government because they are a part of it. They have to find a way to differentiate themselves from the government.

In these upcoming elections there will be four or five candidates for president. President Kagame is going to run again under the RPF banner and the Liberals and Social Democrats are going to put forward their own candidates.

We have worked with the parties to create issue-based platforms that would differentiate each party, but they’ve also all agreed to a basic plan called Rwanda’sVision 2010. It’s focused on turning Rwanda into a high-tech, highly-developed country with an emphasis on infrastructure and human resources. After such a tragedy, it’s really nice to see a nation come together and create a unified mission of what the country should be.

With a political parties strengthening project, you’re not going to see the results right away. You have to be patient. The country had 30 years of single-party rule, so you cannot expect to have fully competitive politics in just 10 years.

Pictured Above: Gaston Aín, NDI’s country director in Rwanda from October 2008 until July 2010

Published August 3, 2010

NDI E-news: NDI Celebrates 25 Years, Rwanda, Colombia | May 2010

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:16:00 +0000

May 2010

NDI Celebrates 25 Years

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe

NDI celebrated its 25th anniversary on May 10 by honoring two champions of democracy, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe and the Network of Chocó Women of Colombia, at an event hosted by NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright. Read more»

Albright described Tsvangirai as "a courageous democratic leader of our time" as she presented him with NDI's W. Averell Harriman award, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have exhibited a sustained commitment to democracy and human rights. The award also recognized the democratic aspirations of the Zimbabwean people.

"I recognize that over the past decade or more, I have become one of the better-known faces of the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe — but I am only amongst millions of my countrymen and women who believe that our nation, its people and our children deserve to live in a society free from fear of persecution, poverty and hunger," said Tsvangirai as he accepted the award. He described democracy as a process rather than an event, and pledged his commitment to moving Zimbabwe forward in that process. Read Tsvangirai's speech»

Nimia Vargas accepted the Madeleine K. Albright Grant on behalf of the Network of Chocó Women in Colombia. The network is an umbrella group of 52 civil society organizations that works to increase women's rights and political participation in western Colombia. The network will use the $25,000 grant to provide leadership training to women interested in politics. Chocó has the country's highest levels of poverty and illiteracy. Read Vargas' speech»

The dinner was also a celebration of NDI's first quarter century. The Institute premiered a film, NDI's First Quarter Century: Working for Democracy and Making Democracy Work, narrated by Christiane Amanpour of CNN. It highlighted the Institute's history of supporting political parties, civic groups, parliaments, elections and women's groups in 125 countries. NDI also published an anniversary report tracing its history and programs. Watch the film» | Read the report»

10 Days in Rwanda: Training Political Parties to Embrace Technology

Ben Fuller of the Service Employees International Union went to Rwanda as a trainer for NDI to work with young political leaders from all 10 Rwandan political parties. In this first-person essay, he recounts his impressions and experiences in the country.

"We focused on building political party messages not based on personality or aimless cheap shots and dissention, but originating instead from party platforms built on well thought-out public policy."

Mexican Men and Women Work Together to Elect More Women

Though gender quotas have led to an increase in the number of women running for and elected to office in Mexico, women hold only 5 percent of municipal and state elected positions. NDI partnered with the Fox Center and Mexico's three major political parties to help women gain new campaign skills.

Over 300 male and female participants took part in a week-long series of training sessions that emphasized the strategic aspects of running a campaign as well as some of the "soft" skills needed to win an election.

NDI Partners Pursue Transparent Election Season in Colombia

It's election season in Colombia, where historically polls have been marred by violence, allegations of fraud and intimidation by armed groups allied with candidates. Legislative elections took place on March 14 and the first round of the presidential election is set for May 30.

NDI and its local partners are working to increase transparency around the elections. In addition to supporting a domestic election monitoring group, NDI has also aided in organizing candidate debates and better campaign finance reporting.

Young Leaders Learn, Network at East Africa Political Academy

In East Africa, where large youth populations can feel disconnected and overlooked by governments with aging leaders, the Regional Youth Political Leadership Academy (RYPLA) hopes to boost the leadership skills and political networks of young leaders beginning their political careers.

NDI created RYPLA in partnership with the Kristdemokratiskt Internationellt Center in Sweden for a select group of political party members, age 22 to 35, who aspire to elected office or party leadership. Last year, the group met three times and learned tools and strategies for organizing campaigns, reaching out to constituents and crafting a political message.

Vote for your Favorite Video!

Voting has begun for the Democracy Video Challenge. The DVC is a global project to celebrate democracy through film. Three finalists have been chosen from each of six regions of the world and the winners will be chosen by the public. Films complete the phrase "democracy is..." in under three minutes.

Winners receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., New York and Hollywood, where they will meet with government officials and film and television producers. Voting will remain open through June 15 and winners will be announced shortly thereafter.

The DVC is sponsored by the U.S. State Department in partnership with NDI, the Center for International Private Enterprise, the International Republican Institute, the International Youth Foundation, the Motion Picture Association of America, New York University, NBC Universal, the Recording Industry Association of America, TakingITGlobal, William Morris Endeavor, YouTube and the USC Annenberg School for Communication.

Watch the finalists' videos and vote»

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

Congress Looks to Women as Agents of Change

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read Wollack's testimony»

Related:

Pictured above:Wollack testifies at the Subcommittee hearing

Published on June 14, 2010

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

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

Author:

Ken Wollack

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

06/09/2010

Resource Type:

Testimony

Language:

English

Media Type:

PDF

2010

English

Attachment	Size
Kenneth Wollack's Testimony	42.9 KB

Great Lakes Policy Forum: Implications of the Rwandan Elections

fgalleto — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:31:19 +0000

Start: 06/04/2010 00:00

End: 06/04/2010 12:00

Timezone: Etc/GMT

Start: 06/04/2010 00:00

End: 06/04/2010 12:00

Timezone: Etc/GMT

Location:

NDI, 2030 M St, NW Fifth Floor

In the second forum in a series focusing on elections, the Great Lakes Policy Forum explored Rwanda's upcoming elections. The forum reviewed political party strengthening efforts, explored electoral issues, and hosted a discussion on predictions for the election and the implications of those predictions. What will the 2010 elections mean for open democracy in Rwanda? What does this mean for the region?

The Great Lakes Policy Forum is a project of Amnesty International, USA, The Ansari Africa Center of the Atlantic Council, The Committee on Conscience of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Council on Foreign Relations Africa Policy Studies, Nitze School of Advanced International Studies Africa Studies Program, Refugees International, Search for Common Ground, U.S. Institute of Peace Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Africa Program and NDI.

Speakers:

Gaston Aín, NDI Rwanda country director: Aín directs a program that has provided organizing and communications skills to hundreds of party activists representing every registered political party. He also oversaw NDI's organization of the Youth Party Leadership Academy, a pilot project to provide young Rwandan political party activists with skills to play leading roles in Rwanda's future. NDI's projects are conducted in collaboration with the Rwandan Political Party Forum. Aín has more than 12 years of experience in politics, government and international development. Before joining NDI, he worked for the Organization of American States (OAS), where he served as adjunct director of the Secretary General's Good Offices Mission to Ecuador and Colombia. He served as chief of staff to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs at OAS from May 2007 to May 2008. In a previous position with the OAS, he worked as a political advisor to the Special Mission for Strengthening Democracy in Haiti from May 2005 to May 2006. In Haiti, Aín was responsible for helping political party leaders gain a better understanding of the electoral law and of rules and norms for observing elections and safeguarding election results. Aín also worked for the legislature and the government of the city of Buenos Aires from 2000 to 2003.
Anastase Shyaka, executive secretary of the Rwanda Governance Advisory Council: Shyaka is currently the executive secretary of the Rwanda Governance Advisory Council, a newly established national institution mandated for promoting and monitoring good governance in public, civic and corporate domains. He received the 2007 Fulbright Award as a scholar in residence at George Mason while studying social and political change in contemporary sub-Saharan Africa. He has been the chairman (Rwanda) of the National Consultative Committee on Fast Tracking the East African Political Federation and the director of the Centre for Conflict Management at the National University of Rwanda. Shyaka was also a member of the Thematic Technical Task Force for the UN-AU joint International Conference on the Great Lakes Region — Peace & Security Cluster and provided research expertise to many national institutions, including the Rwanda Parliament and various national commissions; and to international institutions, including UN agencies, AU, EAC, COMESA, and the Regional Centre for Small Arms. He has conducted studies related to electoral processes and political space in Rwanda. He has also conducted various programs of capacity building for political parties both at national and regional levels and is the lead researcher on a completed study (to be soon published by the Senate of Rwanda) on political pluralism and power sharing in Rwanda.
He has published books and articles, given papers in a wide range of conferences. Some of his publications include Performance of Past and Present Political Parties in Rwanda, UNR, 2009 (co-edited with Prof. Charles Gasarasi); Conflicts en Afrique des Grands Lacs — revue Critique des Mécanisme, Internationaux/ Conflicts in the Great Lakes of Africa: Critical Review of International Mechanisms, UNR, 2004; Rwanda: Identité et Citoyenneté, UNR, 2003 ( co-edited with Prof Rutembesa Faustin and Prof Josias Semujanga); Conflits en Afrique des Grands Lacs et Esquisse de leur Résolution, 2003.
Susan Page, deputy assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of African Affairs: Page is a Harvard-trained lawyer with 22 years of experience and spent 15 consecutive years working and living throughout sub-Saharan Africa. She has served as a political officer, legal advisor, and diplomat with the U.S. State Department, USAID and the United Nations. She has testified before Congressional committees, served on numerous panels and been interviewed by media outlets such as BBC (TV), Radio France International, NPR and VOA on a range of African issues. She is a fluent French speaker.
Prior to this assignment, Page was regional director for Southern and East Africa at NDI. From 2002-2005, Page served as the legal advisor to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Secretariat for Peace in Sudan sponsored by the State Department. During this period, she was an integral member of the IGAD-led mediation process and was instrumental in negotiating and drafting key provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) for the Sudan.

Page received an A.B. in English with high distinction from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. She has also studied at St. Andrews University in Scotland and conducted research on children and women's rights in Nepal through a Rotary International post-graduate fellowship.
Nancy Welch, program officer, National Endowment for Democracy (NED): Welch oversees and evaluates grants to grassroots civil society organizations in the Great Lakes region, particularly Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda, where she has worked and traveled extensively. Prior to joining the NED, Welch assisted the financial services and integrated rural development department at ACDI/VOCA in Washington, D.C., and worked on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and democracy and governance programs at the USAID mission in the DRC. While living in Dakar, Senegal, Welch helped design educational programming and promoted regional arms control initiatives at the Mouvement Contre les Armes Légères en Afrique de l'Ouest. She holds a B.A. in French and sociology from Goucher College, MD.

Moderator:

Martin Kimani, deputy director, Ansari Africa Center at the Atlantic Council: In addition to his work at the Atlatic Council, Martin is an associate fellow at the Conflict, Security and Development Group at King's College London where he wrote his doctorate on the role of religion and race in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Prior to his recent return to London, Martin served in a senior advisory position to a regional security program for the six member states of the InterGovernmental Authority on Development in the Horn of Africa. He simultaneously held the position of senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies. The stint in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was preceded by his work as head of the Africa Division at Exclusive Analysis Ltd., a provider of political risk analysis and forecasting to Lloyd's of London and as a teaching fellow at the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College. Martin has published in the Guardian, Granta Magazine, The East African, Süddeutschen Zeitung, Chimurenga, Farafina and Juxtapoz. He also comments on development policy, conflict and terrorism on various BBC television and radio shows and in Australia, New Zealand, Kenya and Rwanda. He is a fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative and the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and is on the board of Storymoja Africa, a regional publishing company.

In the second forum in a series focusing on elections, the Great Lakes Policy Forum explored Rwanda's upcoming elections. The forum reviewed political party strengthening efforts, explored electoral issues, and hosted a discussion on predictions for the election and the implications of those predictions. What will the 2010 elections mean for open democracy in Rwanda? What does this mean for the region?

10 Days in Rwanda: Training Political Parties to Embrace Technology

fgalleto — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:31:08 +0000

Ben Fuller of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) went to Rwanda as a trainer for NDI to work with young political leaders from all 10 Rwandan political parties. He recounts his experience in this piece that originally appeared on the SEIU blog.

On a warm rainy day in April, I found myself in an all-too-familiar position; sitting behind a projector talking through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in political campaigns and answering questions about how to use databases, websites, mobile phones and email to organize, educate and activate voters to build political strength. While this is a workshop I have presented countless times in my role with the SEIU political department for the past three years, I was not in one of the familiar SEIU locals or campaign offices where I might normally deliver the seminar. Instead, I was in an office overlooking a lush green valley in Kigali, Rwanda.

I came to this small land-locked country in central Africa as a guest-lecturer with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), a non-governmental organization whose mission is to help democracy flourish in developing countries worldwide. My workshop covered the basics of online campaign and political party management using ICT.

My audience was a group of 50 young leaders (18-30 years old) representing the 10 political parties in Rwanda. The group of 50 participants — college students, professionals and regionally elected officials — included some of the most influential political youth leaders in the country. These political leaders were participating in a 10-week Youth Party Leadership Academy ("The Forum"), a joint project of NDI and the Rwandan Forum for Political Parties.

The Political Party Rhetoric of Rwanda

The week I was in Rwanda was a somber one. I was visiting the country as they commemorated the 16th anniversary of the hundred-days of genocide that devastated the country, and for a fleeting moment made Rwanda the international example of the horrors of post-colonial Africa. As I spoke with Rwandans throughout the week, it was clear that the memory of the million men, women and children killed in 1994 was still at the forefront of their minds. To many survivors and observers, the political party rhetoric of the time accelerated the onset of the genocide. The pre-genocide political party system incubated the ethnic division, provided organization, and promulgated genocidal rhetoric that led to the unimaginable massacres in 1994.

Rwanda's history made the workshop that I was leading all the more timely. NDI and The Forum deliberately focus on youth leaders, as it is their leadership that will determine the future of political parties of Rwanda.

These young political leaders are the key actors in achieving the hopeful vision of peaceful political discourse. The Forum brought all of the country's political parties together with the goal of creating an environment of sharing and common cause. All the workshops focused on the sharing of tactics, ideas and resources among parties to ensure that the Rwandan political sphere of the future will never be the breeding ground for ethnic division and genocide that it once was.

Throughout the week of classes, the local NDI and Forum staff reinforced the use of ICT to promote the participants' respective party messages. We focused on building political party messages not based on personality or aimless cheap shots and dissention, but originating instead from party platforms built on well thought-out public policy. The workshop centered on the use of free web services (Facebook, blogs and email) to provide free, accessible vehicles to move party messages. The ICT for politics workshop aims to bring political parties in line with the recent government commitment to dedicate considerable resources toward creating a new technology-based economy.

After the end of my first class, I sat and talked over coffee with a few students, each from a different party. They began asking me questions about the recent health care legislation, such as:

why the U.S. had to fight so hard for universal coverage that Rwandans (a less developed country) all enjoyed and viewed as a right;
why U.S. politics was so poisonous;
why Tea Party protesters they saw on TV were not voting in their best self-interest; and
why Democrats were so weak, despite the fact they were in power of Congress and the presidency.

I was struck that these were many of the same questions that my American friends and colleagues wonder about. What was more remarkable was that these partisans of many different parties were able to sit and talk about core ideals of government — healthcare, social security, infrastructure development — something rarely seen in the U.S. political dialogue. There was an understanding among the parties that the main goal of politics was a better Rwanda. They had seen the result of divisive politics taken to the furthest extreme, something we in the U.S. see only see shades of today.

At the end of my 10 days in Rwanda, I realized that I had learned as much about politics and healthy party interaction as the Academy students had learned about ICT in politics.

And this learning did not stop when I boarded my flight home. Through email, I have been helping the students build websites for their parties. Through technology, we are not only able to engage Americans, but realistically create a global movement of people engaged in their government.

Ben Fuller is the assistant director for the field information services department at SEIU, where he manages the development of tools and strategies for improving organizing and political work using technology.

Pictured above: Participants at the Forum.

Published on May 4, 2010

Rwanda: Youth Trained for Future Leadership | April 25, 2010

fgalleto — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:43:33 +0000

allAfrica.com | Link to story »

The 34 young leaders who graduated on Friday from the Youth Leadership Political Academy in Rwanda were urged to be the leaders of tomorrow by Anicet Kayigema, the Executive Secretary of FFPP (Forum For Political Parties). Kayigema officiated at the graduation ceremony.

NDI Resident Director Gaston Ain Bilbao said that the young political leaders were given high quality intensive training in political related issues.

"We trained them on practical political experiences and they shared experiences with several resource persons in various areas of political work such as the roles and responsibilities of political parties in a functioning democracy."

Link to story »

Rwanda: NDI Opens Youth Academy in Country | Feb. 5, 2010

fgalleto — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:48:49 +0000

AllAfrica| Link to story »

"The National Democratic Institute (NDI) yesterday joined members of the Forum For Political Parties (FFPP) to launch Rwanda's premier Youth Leadership Political Academy...

"In a ceremony attended by several political party representatives and members of the diplomatic corps, the Executive Secretary of FFPP, Anicet Kayigema, said that the Academy was being launched to equip the youth with the tools necessary for them to take interest in politics."

Link to story »

NDI - Rwanda

Election Rwanda Parliamentary 2011

NDI E-news: Democracies in Transition, African Elections | March 2011

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

READ MORE

The Rwanda Youth Political Leadership Academy

Youth Academy Empowers Tomorrow’s Political Leaders in Rwanda

Women’s Participation Gains Ground, Faces High Hurdles

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

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

In Afghanistan, Supporting Elections with People, Technology

In Kenya, Observing the Constitutional Referendum and Beyond

In Kyrgyzstan, Supporting the Electoral Process and Women Candidates

READ MORE

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

In Rwanda, Staff Work to Promote Political Party Dialogue and Peaceful Competition

NDI E-news: NDI Celebrates 25 Years, Rwanda, Colombia | May 2010

May 2010

NDI Celebrates 25 Years

Congress Looks to Women as Agents of Change

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

Great Lakes Policy Forum: Implications of the Rwandan Elections

10 Days in Rwanda: Training Political Parties to Embrace Technology

The Political Party Rhetoric of Rwanda

Rwanda: Youth Trained for Future Leadership | April 25, 2010

Rwanda: NDI Opens Youth Academy in Country | Feb. 5, 2010