NDI - Youth

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

fgalleto — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:24:40 +0000

To encourage young Jordanians to participate in politics, the Al-Hayat Center for Civil Society Development has launched a campaign focused on engaging and registering young voters for Nov. 9 parliamentary elections. The campaign is based in part on the findings of a survey conducted by Al-Hayat, in partnership with NDI, designed to uncover young people's attitudes toward political involvement and specifically their experiences in the previous election in 2007.

More than 65 percent of Jordanians are under the age of 30, and 43 percent of potential voters are 18 to 25. Those demographics carry the potential for accelerated political reform, provided the country's young people, who have historically been excluded from the political process, decide to make their voices heard.

The survey sampled 2,100 Jordanians between the ages of 18 and 30 from the country's 12 governorates. The participants also represented a cross section of education levels, marital statuses, professional sectors and sexes. The survey asked questions about difficulties encountered at polling stations, efficacy of campaign literature and advertisements, and respondents' overall confidence in the role of parliament. It also asked the young people to estimate their anticipated level of participation in the upcoming elections.

jordanelection.com

The results of Al-Hayat's survey are available publicly through a user-friendly website, www.jordanelection.com, where activists, researchers, candidates and policymakers can track trends in specific youth subgroups, particularly first-time voters. For instance, the survey showed that young people strongly support domestic election monitoring, which is useful information for activists pressing the government to allow civil society organizations to observe the election process.

To help visualize results and make better connections across regions, the findings are displayed on a colorful interactive map divided into national, regional and governorate levels. The data can also be explored by gender, age and education level, giving the user detailed demographic information. The website's simple design combined with its in-depth presentation of the survey data is a powerful tool for designing a variety of election-related youth programs.

The results revealed a number of concerns over previous elections and how future polls will be conducted. For example, participants said that during the 2007 elections they faced overcrowded polling centers and witnessed vote-buying and other violations. For this year's elections, respondents expressed a continued lack of confidence in parliament and said they do not have information on how Jordan's recently-amended electoral law might affect procedures for the November polls.

Using the survey results, Al-Hayat tailored its campaign to address those issues of particular concern in hopes that it would encourage young people to participate. In cooperation with local authorities and civil society organizations Al-Hayat has been holding roundtables where its staff and volunteers engage directly with young Jordanians, answering questions about registration and the new electoral law and encouraging youth to participate in the political process. More than 800 young people have participated in these events so far, and Al-Hayat will hold them throughout the summer.

Al-Hayat has also created a series of posters and videos promoting the importance of youth participation, and encouraging young voters to register and research candidate platforms before voting. These videos are listed as "most viewed" on the increasingly popular Jordanian website 3alarasi, which carries short videos and caricatures on current social and political matters.

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Pictured above: One of three posters produced for Al-Hayat's voter participation campaign. The Arabic reads: "'Shall I participate... Shall I not participate...' Building a prosperous future does not depend on luck; build your own future and participate in the parliamentary elections. Participate."

Published on August 19, 2010

Political Parties in Sierra Leone Pledge Open, Safe, Inclusive Elections

fgalleto — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:14:05 +0000

All of Sierra Leone’s eight registered political parties have signed an “Open and Safe Elections Pledge” to promote an electoral atmosphere free of violence and intimidation and to encourage women to participate in the election process. The country is slated to have presidential, parliamentary and local elections on Nov. 17.

The pledge is in part a response to interparty violence, which had begun to cast a shadow on the Nov. 17 polls. Last September, youth from the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) threw stones at the presidential candidate of a major opposition party, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). SLPP youth responded by torching APC party offices. The violence spread to include an assault on a local APC chairwoman, and young supporters of both parties attacked each other during a January by-election. Tensions between the parties remain high.

Sulaiman Bai Sesay, secretary general of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), signs the pledge. UDM is one of eight signatories to the pledge.

The fear that violence will escalate during the campaign season has kept some citizens, particularly women, from running for office. But parties hope to change that with the pledge, which was developed by a coalition of civil society organizations with input from the political parties and support from NDI.

Alhaji Mohamed Warisay, the national coordinator of Democracy Sierra Leone, one of the groups in the coalition that drafted the pledge, applauded the political party representatives for signing the pledge and urged them to include women, youth and persons with disabilities in candidate lists and as full partners in the political process.

Candidates are usually chosen by party leaders, and women are often passed over. Though they make up 52 percent of the population, women serve in less than 20 percent of elected posts. They have a hard time competing in politics because of poor access to campaign funding, traditional thinking that women should not hold public office, and harassment and intimidation by male opponents. Young people and the disabled face similar barriers. By signing the pledge, the parties agree to “empower our party’s women, youth and disabled candidates for parliament and local council with campaign, transportation and financial assistance.”

Patrick Taylor, president of the Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues, lauded the pledge, which commits parties to pass within a year a policy promoting the political participation of people with disabilities. He urged the parties to create a disability wing to work toward the full participation of people with disabilities in parties and politics.

The pledge has provided a code of conduct that civil society groups can use as they monitor how political parties have performed regarding women, youth and the disabled during the campaign period. The coalition members will meet with party leaders periodically to assess adherence to the pledge and recommend ways to improve compliance.

To spread awareness of the pledge among the general public, coalition members have been discussing it on national radio, and they presented each party with a laminated copy of the pledge to hang in their offices.

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Published April 12, 2012

Nigerian Film Challenges Young Citizens to Engage with Elected Leaders

ntekeei — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:48:20 +0000

A civic education film recently released in Nigeria asks the question, in Nigerian pidgin, “Aftercount, I Vote Wetin?” or “I Voted, Now What?” It was made by the Youngstars Foundation, a Nigerian nonprofit organization, with the goal of encouraging younger Nigerians to stay involved in the political process between elections. The group is run primarily by young people and has reached tens of thousands of youths in rural and urban Nigeria.

Cast and crew prepare to film a scene on the set of “Aftercount, I Vote Wetin?”

Approximately one-third of Nigeria’s 170 million people are between the age of 10 and 24, according to the United Nations. The foundation seeks to inspire this large youth population to become community leaders.

The film tells the story of a young man named Jairo and his journey from citizen to activist as he attempts to bring water to his village after his sister is injured carrying water home across a dangerous intersection. With help from a local civic group, Jairo lobbies his state representative to address water access problems. In the process, he gains a better understanding of cooperation and about the power of citizens to bring about positive change.

Watch the film

Produced with technical and financial assistance from NDI, the film stars two popular Nigerian actors, Ali Nuhu and Lilian Esoro, and Nigerian musician Jeremiah Gyang, who donated their time to the film. Esoro said she joined the project because she wanted young Nigerians “to learn that it’s actually easy to communicate with the people they voted into power because their votes actually count.”

Youngstars released an accompanying handbook to help aid discussions about political engagement at viewing parties across the country. To further promote the film, the movie’s theme song will be released to radio stations across Nigeria.

“I Vote Wetin?” is the second film collaboration between NDI and the Youngstars Foundation. The first film, “My Vote Can Change Nigeria,” (“My Vote Fit Change Naija”) highlighted the importance of voting. The film reached an estimated 45 million Nigerians around the country and abroad through social networking sites, television broadcasts and youth-initiated viewing parties.

NDI has been actively supporting Nigeria throughout its recent election cycles, which have seen significant improvements over previous polls. NDI fielded a long-term international observation mission for the parliamentary and presidential elections in 2011. The Institute also provided financial and technical assistance to two coalitions of Nigerian civil society organizations that deployed more than 30,000 Nigerian domestic election monitors. NDI’s partnership with one coalition, Project Swift Count, included the use of a statistical observation method known as a parallel vote tabulation (PVT), or “swift count,” which the group used to verify the accuracy of the official results for the presidential and 11 gubernatorial elections that took place in 2011 and 2012.

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Published April 12, 2012

Young Moroccans Express Disappointment with Reforms, Political Parties

ntekeei — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:31:14 +0000

Earlier this year, Morocco saw an unprecedented rise in political engagement as young people, inspired by popular uprisings elsewhere in North Africa, rallied fellow citizens into the streets. Mass demonstrations against corruption, inequality and the monarchy’s hold on power pushed King Mohamed VI to call for revisions to Morocco’s constitution.

After Moroccans approved the revised constitution in a July 1 referendum, NDI organized 12 focus groups with young people, ages 18 to 25, in six urban and rural locations across Morocco. The focus groups sought to gauge youth attitudes on political, social and economic issues; their expectations for political reform and the new constitution; and their thoughts on the country’s future.

Young Moroccans in Fes. Photo by Andrew Farrand, program officer.

While some young Moroccans expressed optimism about the future, many described the recent reforms as superficial, saying they have yet to see tangible improvement in their everyday lives. Participants showed only minimal knowledge of political parties, their leaders and their ideologies. However, they did offer suggestions for ways parties could gain more trust: increase youth involvement, open regular communication between citizens and leaders, and build transparency within parties.

Expectations are high for political and economic gains, despite limited knowledge of the new constitution. One woman from Marrakech said, “I have no idea about the content of the new constitution, but I wish things like free medical care and health services were included within. … Briefly, I need something tangible.”

With the Nov. 25 legislative elections nearing, the report, Youth Perceptions in Morocco: Political Parties and Reform, outlines many of the challenges political leaders in Morocco face in trying to help young people to engage constructively in building their country’s new future.

Related:

Published Nov. 20, 2011

Youth Perceptions in Morocco: Political Parties and Reforms

ntekeei — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:07:07 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

11/20/2011

Resource Type:

Focus Group

Language:

Arabic, English

English

Arabic

Attachment	Size
Read the report (بالعربية)	314.74 KB
Read the report (English)	257.06 KB

Declaration des Jeunes des Parties Politiques et de la Societe Civile de la Commune de Dixinn-Conakry

fgalleto — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:11:29 +0000

Published Date:

10/22/2011

Resource Type:

Declaration

Language:

French

Attachment	Size
Read the declaration (French)	2.29 MB

Young Guineans Promote Peaceful Elections

fgalleto — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:01:52 +0000

Young leaders from Guinean political parties and civil society have pledged to promote peaceful elections and encourage adherence to the country’s code of conduct for legislative elections scheduled for later this year. The public declaration grew out of an Oct. 22 meeting in the capital, Conakry, attended by young leaders representing 29 political parties and grassroots organizations.

A young leader signs the declaration in Conakry.

Engaging young people is particularly significant in Guinea, where research has shown that they are more likely than other segments of the population to violate the Guinean code of conduct and resort to violence when expressing political discontent.

After more than 50 years of authoritarian rule, Guinea held its first competitive presidential election last June. Because no candidate received a majority, a runoff was held between Alpha Condé and Cellou Dalein Diallo. At times, the campaign period became tense and episodes of election-related violence broke out. However, after Conde's victory at the polls, Diallo moved quickly to calm tensions by accepting the results and urging his supporters to do the same.

The threat of election-related violence persists. Parties will face off again in upcoming legislative elections, set for Dec. 29. In July, Condé survived an assassination attempt, followed by nationwide demonstrations by the opposition in September about the organization of legislative polls. Political tensions remain high. Raising awareness of the code of conduct -- which condemns violence and intimidation by party members -- among Guinean youth and publicizing pledges to adhere to it are expected to help curb violence during the current campaign period.

To help emphasize the provisions of the code, NDI is organizing a series of forums for youth leaders in all five communes of the capital and in each of the country’s seven regional capitals. The October meeting that produced the public declaration was one of these sessions.

“You, the youth, heirs of the Guinea of tomorrow, must mobilize and be invested in all phases of the electoral process as both voters and candidates,” said Anna Diallo, democracy and governance advisor in Guinea for the U.S. Agency for International Development, at the opening forum. She was joined by officials from the Ministry for Youth and Youth Employment, the Code of Conduct Monitoring Committee and the Council of Elders along with more than 60 youth leaders from 15 political parties and 14 civil society organizations.

At the meeting, participants stressed the importance of registering electoral complaints through legal means, such as formally registering complaints, rather than addressing them through violence. The Code of Conduct Monitoring Committee (CCMC) was created to hear complaints about parties’ actions during and after the campaign and to address them fairly. Attendees were encouraged to report code violations to the local- and national-level branches of the CCMC.They also discussed productive ways for young people to get involved in the electoral process, such as running for office or working with civil society organizations to educate voters and get out the vote.

Attendees decided to publish the declaration condemning violence as a way to share the results of the discussion with their peers who were unable to attend.

Despite their different political affiliations and backgrounds, everyone agreed that political parties’ frequent use of ethnic and regional appeals contributed to a pervasive mistrust among Guineans and was detrimental to the political process and the country. Attendees acknowledged their own responsibility to advocate for nonviolence in their organizations and communities. These commitments, along with those expected from the forums still to be conducted, will be collected and distributed through the media and civil society organizations before the December vote.

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Published Nov. 16, 2011

Understanding Yemen - Tomorrow’s Youth Challenges Yesterday’s Tribes | Oct. 6, 2011

fgalleto — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:07:30 +0000

Voice of American | Link to story »

"If you look at the elite level and particularly in Sana’a, you’re seeing a competition among traditional rivals playing out,” said Leigh Miles, the Yemen program manager for the National Democratic Institute in Washington, D.C. Miles has spent six years watching Yemen’s political changes.

She observes several overlapping movements of opposition to Saleh that have risen in recent months to offer a ruling transition in Sana’a: the Joint Meetings Party, which spawned the Preparatory Committee for National Dialogue, and the political interests of the northern tribes in the leadership of Brigadier General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a relative of the president, and Sheikh Sadique al-Ahmar, the head of the Hashid confederation and Yemen’s sheikh of sheikhs.

Link to story »

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

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

Sept. 15, 2011

Happy Democracy Day!

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

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

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

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

Pakistan to Extend Political Reforms to FATA

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

Ensuring Women and Young People Take Part in the Political Process

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

Celebrate Democracy with these Upcoming Events

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

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

Toward Better Elections in Africa

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

Coming Together for Common Goals

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

Public Opinion Research for Better Policy Platforms

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

NDI's Washington Office is Moving

NDI's new office

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

Young Women Gain Confidence, Mentors from Leadership School in Iraq

fgalleto — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:20:15 +0000

Over the last eight years, Iraqi women have become increasingly active in politics, taking on some of the country’s most vexing issues — peace and security, economic empowerment, social justice, education and the environment. Their goal is to achieve consensus across regional, political and sectarian lines in a nation where coexistence and compromise are not everyday occurrences.

One tool in this effort has been the National Platform for Women, a collaborative initiative by Iraqi political party members and civil society activists to spell out recommendations for government policy. Published in January 2010, the platform is a reference point for citizen forums and advocacy campaigns that Iraqi women are conducting in provinces across the country.

Another tool is the Young Women’s Leadership School, created by NDI this year for women ages 18-30. The school’s first 25 graduates were from a mix of nongovernmental organizations and political parties. Participants were selected from more than 100 applicants on the basis of their achievements and past civic engagement.

They met three times between January and May for intensive study and discussion on topics such as leadership, management, communications, social media and advocacy. During the sessions, young women also learned strategies for overcoming cultural stereotypes and personal barriers that could limit their success in the political arena.

Al-Raidat Alumnae Mentorship Network

NDI developed an online alumnae network for female participants of its programs in Iraq. Called “al-Raidat,” the feminine plural for “leaders” or “pioneers” in Arabic, the network’s name reflects the groundbreaking work that women are accomplishing across Iraq.

The hub of the network is the website, www.al-raidat.org, which connects past and present NDI partners to one another and to resources for social and political activism. Al-Raidat provides members with the opportunity to reach out to other female leaders in the region, ask for and receive strategic advice, share news events and personal successes, and learn about effective strategies for achieving their goals.

One recent example is Fenik Kamal, a young Iraqi woman who organized a program on human rights—a critical issue in her province of Sulaymaniyah. Committed to changing her community and her society, Kamal worried in the days leading up to the session whether the attendees would listen to her and whether they would be receptive to her presentation.

Kamal reached out to her mentor, an alumna of NDI’s Multi-Party Women’s Caucus program, who encouraged her to believe in herself and shared tips for effective training, including how to open the program and how to keep participants’ attention. Reassured by her mentor’s support and armed with time-tested techniques and suggestions, Kamal overcame her doubts and staged a successful event.

The school focused on concrete skills that the women could put into practice immediately to influence their career development and involvement in politics. They practiced negotiation techniques, such as framing arguments in ways that are persuasive to both adversaries and potential allies.

They also learned management styles and strategies for handling diverse groups of employees or political partners. “It is important to give others the opportunity to express themselves, their thoughts and their ideas in a participatory manner,” said a participant from Baghdad about lessons learned. “Respecting other people’s opinions and learning to be open-minded with my opinions is an important component of successful teamwork.”

To practice their message development and communications skills, participants conducted a series of mock press conferences on personal status law and unemployment — two issues that impact young women in Iraq.

One group argued for amendments to legal parameters for marriage. Another group argued that the current personal status law — which includes provisions for individual rights such as marriage, divorce and inheritance — does not contradict either Islamic law or Iraqi tradition. Rather, participants suggested that conditions be placed on marriage laws to ensure that women’s rights are protected. The groups delivering press conferences on unemployment also chose two sides. One advocated for private sector development by improving laws to encourage foreign investment. The other maintained that the government is responsible for increasing job opportunities by reducing the age of retirement and launching new public works projects.

The school also emphasized building strong relationships among the participants to form a network of young women leaders who can help each other for years to come. Participants shared their personal experiences with discrimination, racism and sexism. By exploring common stereotypes held by Iraqis as well as gender stereotypes in the Arab world, the young women built bridges across sectarian, regional, political and linguistic lines and found a support network.

Over the course of the leadership school, each participant designed a project to carry out in her organization, political party or university. NDI advisors provided individual feedback to help the women frame priority issues, collect data to support their causes, and identify supporters, opponents and coalitions. NDI also helped pair the young women with mentors — experienced Iraqi women who have achieved success in politics or community activism — to provide ongoing guidance as the young women work on their advocacy projects in the coming six months.

According to a participant from Muthanna, “The school showed me that a leader is powerful, firm and not afraid of a challenge, especially if her work is aligned with her principles.”

Related:

Published Sept. 8, 2011

Youths Agree to Renounce Violence | Sept. 1, 2011

fgalleto — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:07:05 +0000

Times of Zambia | Link to story »

"Youths from different political parties have resolved to renounce the use of violence against their political opponents and have resolved to condemn all those who abuse youths as tools of violence.

"According to resolutions of the non-violence youth workshop held in Lusaka on Tuesday organized by the Young African Leaders initiative and supported by the National Democratic Institute, the youths also resolved that they would at all times condemn all those who abuse youths to perpetrate violence."

Link to story »

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Zambia: Youths Agree to Renounce Violence»

Afghan Internship Graduate Starts Her Own Youth Program

fgalleto — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:55:36 +0000

Working as an intern in the Afghan parliament in 2007, Atifa Safi helped members and parliamentary committees write reports, take minutes, conduct research and analyze data. She had the opportunity to contribute to the legislative process while seeing the workings of government close up, and the lawmakers benefited from the help that she and other interns provided. When she graduated from the program when it ended in 2008, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she could do more for young people.

Atifa Safi

As a fourth year student at Kabul University studying law and political science, her specific assignment was to work with the Internal Affairs and Legislative Commission, participating in its daily administrative tasks as well as providing parliamentarians with analysis on the interpretation of laws and regulations.

During the intern program, carried out by NDI in 2006-2008, 130 students participated from universities located in Kabul, Nangarhar, Bamyan and Herat provinces. Safi was chosen from a pool of more than 700 applicants seeking the kind of lasting experience that can be gained only from an inside look at how government operates. Through the program, interns were placed in the parliament and their local government equivalent, Afghanistan’s provincial councils.

Both the participants and the institutions cited the program’s benefits. In addition to their administrative, analysis and research duties, the interns were exposed to high-ranking figures from both inside and outside of government. They attended a number of forums where key topics were discussed with high-level participants. All told, interns generated more than 30 comprehensive research papers.

Safi graduated from the program when it ended in 2008 and now works at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation (FES), a nonprofit German political foundation engaged in democracy promotion and international dialogue on economic, social and political development. There, she became project coordinator for the Young Leader Forum program, which helps young people in Kabul and the provinces develop leadership skills.

But Safi couldn’t shake the feeling that she could do more for young people. “The NDI internship program was so productive for me and I learned so much from it,” she said, “that I thought to create a similar program at FES to benefit more students.”

Following through on that desire and building on her own intern experiences, Safi started an FES program to place students as interns at provincial councils across the country. The councils, which are the only face of government that most Afghans ever see, range from nine to 29 members, depending on the province’s population. The councilors’ job is to ensure that citizens’ views are reflected in provincial development planning; to monitor and evaluate development programs; to manage conflict among tribes, villages and districts; and to oversee provincial development spending.

Councils in the provinces of Balkh, Baghlan, Bamyan, Herat, Khost, Ningarhar and Parwan are participating in the FES internship program. As part of an initial one-year pilot program, the interns have six-month placements with those councils, for a total of 14 the first year.
While employment is hard to find in Afghanistan, Safi said she is hopeful that the experiences the interns are gleaning in the provinces will help them find jobs that, like hers, will contribute to democracy and good governance in the Afghanistan.

Related:

Published Aug. 29, 2011

Aswat Community Connects Activists in the Middle East and North Africa

fgalleto — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:10:34 +0000

The Arab Spring uprisings have underscored the tremendous impact that social media can have on advancing democracy. In recent months, activists in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have used the Internet to rally the public and organize widespread demonstrations that have toppled two longstanding autocratic leaders and presented a significant challenge to several more. The lines between blogger and activist blurred as bloggers led protest movements and activists took to the Internet to spread their messages.

Graffiti in post-revolutionary Tunis

But the use of the Internet for political organizing is not a new idea. In 2005, recognizing social media's potential, NDI launched Aswat, an online community requested by activists and reformers from throughout the MENA region who were seeking to make governments more responsive, transparent and effective in delivering results that matter in people’s lives. Aswat, which means “voices” in Arabic, is available in Arabic, English, Farsi and French.

Through Aswat, users can create private and public groups that encourage collaboration, networking and dialogue. An interactive calendar highlights important human rights events, and there is an extensive library of resources in all of Aswat’s languages on such topics as activism, political parties and governance.

Aswat programs have trained hundreds of activists on the use of social and new media. For one member, Bassem Samir of Egypt, the connections he made both online and in person at an Aswat training last December in Rabat, Morocco, helped him get advice and moral support during the Egyptian revolution. After that session, activists and trainers formed a group on the site to continue trading advice and experiences, a connection they maintained even after the Egyptian government cut the Internet and group members had to continue their conversations using landlines.

The rise of social media has also allowed citizens in authoritarian regimes to challenge state censorship by putting their stories online. To help citizen reporters learn tenets of accuracy and objectivity, NDI trained members of the Aswat community on professional standards of journalism.

A July workshop focused on introducing citizen journalists to ethical and professional standards of traditional media, something they haven’t always adhered to. Participants discussed challenges faced by citizen journalists during the Egyptian and Tunisians revolutions and what they could have done differently as the revolution was unfolding. Sessions also addressed basic journalistic writing, ethics and fact-checking, what makes a story have lasting impact, and how citizen journalists and professional journalists can interact and help each other. Local reporters, anchors, videographers and producers provided individual consultations with citizen journalists. At the end of the workshop, the participants developed a code of ethics for citizen journalists to be posted on Aswat and other social networking sites.

Since its founding, Aswat has emphasized its role as a space for members to debate freely, organize effectively and mobilize quickly. But in light of the recent transformative politics, the site is now focused as well on equipping activists and reformers with skills and tools to help them adjust to the new political situation emerging in the region. Aswat now includes a wealth of information on post-revolution experiences and democratic transitions.

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Published July 28, 2011

Imagining the Road Ahead: Citizen Attitudes About Tunisia and the Constituent Assembly Election Period

fgalleto — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:26:26 +0000

Author:

Nicole Rowsell, Ian T. Woodward

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

07/14/2011

Resource Type:

Focus Group Report

Language:

English, Arabic

English

Arabic

Attachment	Size
Read the report (بالعربية)	532.97 KB
Read the report (English)	411.92 KB

Opinion Research Shows Tunisians Concerned About The Future

fgalleto — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:18:15 +0000

Nearly six months after Tunisia’s street-inspired uprising led to the overthrow of its longtime ruler, a gradual political transition is taking root. But as political leaders in Tunis negotiate the contours of the transition and debate the country’s new identity, citizens face everyday challenges ranging from unemployment to lack of security. These hardships are compounded by uncertainty and the threat of instability posed by the persistent conflict in neighboring Libya.

Protesters march on a highway leading to downtown Tunis. Banner reads "We will not return from the Ministry of Youth without a job."

Qualitative public opinion research conducted by NDI in cities across Tunisia from late May to early June reveal citizens’ apprehension about the future and expose a fundamental disconnect between the political discussions in the capital and the priorities of Tunisians. The study, which took place in the midst of a nationwide debate over the postponement of constituent assembly elections, explored citizens’ attitudes toward the political transition, political parties and institutions.

NDI’s findings point to a citizenry that continues to register profound concern about the direction of the country, particularly outside the capital. Among the key findings:

Unemployment is a principal concern among Tunisians, followed by personal security. Lack of economic progress is the prime cause for discontent with the political transition.
Tunisians remain divided over whether the country is headed in the right or wrong direction. Pessimism applies to the economy, security and discontent with political elites, while optimism is linked to gains in freedoms of expression and association.
Citizens prefer that politicians refrain from using Islam as a tool to gain votes, and largely feel that the state should be separate from, but be respectful of, religion.
The postponement of constituent assembly elections was a divisive issue among citizens, and the lack of transparency and inclusivity in the debate over a delay provoked concern.
Significant opposition exists to a 50/50 gender quota included in the electoral decree — requiring candidate lists to alternate between men and women — for a variety of reasons, including opposition to a role for women in politics, an opinion largely held by men, and a preference to focus on competency over gender. Women tend to feel, however, that women candidates are uniquely able to represent them in government.
Awareness of political parties and the details of the October elections is low. Tunisians lament the lack of information available on the transition, admit to little knowledge of party platforms and want greater in-person engagement from parties on specific, concrete platforms.

The study confirms the vast gap that exists between Tunisian citizens and decision-makers, echoing the results from a first round of qualitative research conducted by NDI in Tunisia in mid-March with youth from across the country. The Institute is sharing the full results with those involved in Tunisian politics, including political parties, civil society organizations and the transitional government, with the aim of helping them to respond to citizens’ interests as elections approach.

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Published July 14, 2011

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