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.
Related Articles
Democracy Updates
Despite their 20 percent share of the population, Mayan women in Guatemala have limited political and economic power. They have the country’s highest rates of poverty and illiteracy, and, according to an NDI-supported study, are far less likely to vote than any other sector of the population.
To help overcome these challenges, NDI has published a series of training guides to help Mayan women acquire the concrete skills needed to pursue political leadership opportunities.
Partner Spotlight
Linking women across continents, languages and faiths is part of the success story of iKNOW Politics – an online portal through which women in politics network and share information, knowledge and expertise.
In-Country Perspectives
Gerard Latulippe, NDI’s resident director in Haiti, has been in Washington coordinating NDI’s efforts in response to the Jan. 12 earthquake. NDI has been supporting Initiative Committees that are mobilizing to support national and international relief efforts. Latulippe was in Port-au-Prince when the earthquake hit and describes the harrowing circumstances as well as NDI’s ongoing efforts.
Political Leadership Program
“There is no other vehicle where one can obtain so many of the necessary tools to grow as a political leader.”
— 2006 Political Leadership Program participant
In recent years, public opinion polls have reflected a growing "crisis of confidence" in political parties in Latin America. Many traditional political parties have lost their popular support, and in a number of countries new organizations of political representation such as citizen groups and social movements have emerged to mobilize voters and field candidates in elections. The failure of parties to fulfill their essential role of representing and aggregating citizen interests has contributed to diminished confidence in other institutions.
In response to requests from senior political party leaders from more than a dozen countries in the region, in 1999 NDI launched the Political Leadership Program (Leadership Program, LP) to strengthen the leadership skills and ability of emerging political leaders to promote the modernization and renewal of political parties.
The Leadership Program of 2009-2010 will be implemented in three phases: 1) a series of national academies for 30 young political party leaders from each of the participating countries — Ecuador, Mexico and Peru; 2) six participants from each of these three countries will be selected to participate in a regional seminar to take place in Colombia; and 3) the participants of the regional seminar will return to their countries to implement concrete party-strengthening projects that will receive NDI technical assistance.
Through its ten years of existence and participant projects supported by NDI, the Leadership Program has fostered ongoing regional reform efforts with 56 major political parties and movements across the ideological spectrum, representing both governing and opposition parties in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.
Participant Profile
National Leadership Academies
Regional Seminar
Party Strengthening Projects
Contact Information
Contribute
Search
In this section
Our Programs in ...
Select a country:
Related Publications
National Democratic Institute | 2030 M Street, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20036-3306 | tel: 202.728.5500 | fax: 202.728.5520