News from NDI: [FILM] The Match That Sparked A Revolution for Democracy in Tunisia

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November 2015

“The yearning to express one’s views without fear comes as naturally to people who dwell near the Mediterranean or Red Seas as it does to those living along the Potomac,” said Secretary Madeleine K. Albright in her remarks at NDI's annual Democracy Award Dinner. “For all who take issue with that statement I have a simple response: go and visit Tunisia. Because what is happening there, in the birthplace of the Arab Spring, disproves the conventional wisdom that democracy is unattainable in that region.” Read more »

NDI’s Matt Dippell Quoted in New York Times Column

NDI's global debate program adviser and deputy regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Matt Dippell, was quoted in a column by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tina Rosenberg. The article credits a movement for candidate debates for shifting African elections away from identity politics and toward campaigns that focus on the issues.

“Africa is a leader in this [candidate debates] movement,” Dippell said. “In the last 10 years there has been a remarkable wave of debates, and interest in holding more.” Read more »

Burmese Vote in the Country's First Open National Election in 25 Years

Millions of Burmese citizens went to the polls on November 8 to vote in the country’s most competitive elections since 1990, and the first national elections in 25 years with participation from the major opposition party. NDI supported four civil society organizations monitoring the elections, deploying over 5,000 citizen-observers. Read more »

The Global Summit Changes the Conversation on Open Government

The 2015 Global Summit of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) marked a global shift in the open government movement, broadening its scope to include engagement beyond the executive branch and “going subnational.” Read more »

New Guide Helps Parties Understand Tech ‘Dos and Don’ts’

NDI launched a new website to serve as a resource for political parties that want to use technology to improve the way they function. “Technology: A Planning Guide for Political Parties” gives advice on common pitfalls political parties experience and potential pathways for success when implementing technology projects. Read more »

NDI Convenes Gathering of Candidate Debate Moderators

“A moderator is not the show or star of the program. The candidates and issues are,” said Bernard Shaw, CNN anchor emeritus and two-time moderator and panelist of U.S. presidential debates, addressing the third International Debate Best Practices Symposium -- the largest ever global gathering of candidate debate moderators. Read more »

NDI Poll on LGBTI Issues in the Balkans is a Call to Action

Young, educated and urban residents in six countries in the Balkans show measurable support for LGBTI rights, but most respondents to a regional poll released by NDI do not believe that LGBTI people should be able to live openly based on equal rights. The poll is a guidepost and a call to action to LGBTI groups seeking equal rights for their communities. Read more »

Political Leaders Share Coalition Best Practices in New Publication

In a new NDI and Oslo Center publication, experienced political leaders who have worked in party coalitions in their own countries share their perspectives on how to make coalition-building efforts successful. Read more »

DemWorks Blog | Successful Observation of Côte d’Ivoire Election Builds Credibility of Civil Society

A largely peaceful presidential election held on October 25 was the first since Côte d’Ivoire’s disputed 2010 poll. Successful citizen election observation efforts helped civil society organizations in Côte d’Ivoire establish their credibility, which was damaged after conflicting reports in 2010 helped fuel post-election violence. Read more »

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