The importance of democracy support was the subject of a dynamic discussion this summer by a broad array of policymakers from both sides of the Atlantic who met in Washington, D.C., for the first installment of a dialogue aimed at bolstering cooperation on democracy and human rights between the European Union (EU), the United States and the broader transatlantic community.  The dialogue took place as the administration seeks to recalibrate the U.S. approach to democracy support and as the EU seeks to build greater coherence on democracy assistance policy among its member states.

“Our job,” said NDI Chairman Madeleine Albright at the opening session, “is to make dynamic and unapologetic support for democracy as practical an instrument of foreign policy as possible.”

“It is our job to convince policymakers that democracy belongs in the forefront of their thinking -- because there is nothing more pragmatic or realistic than supporting democratic aspirations and institutions across the globe,” Albright continued in her prepared remarks.

Former Secretary of State Albright co-chaired the dialogue along with Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament; and former U.S. Rep. Vin Weber, a former chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy. Javier Solana, former EU high representative for the common foreign and security policy, while not able to be present at the opening conference, has also agreed to serve as a co-chair of the two-year dialogue.

Through a series of conferences and working groups, the dialogue is engaging senior U.S. and European policymakers who are knowledgeable on democracy support, including current and former members of Congress and the European Parliament, EU and U.S. administration officials, as well as experts from think tanks, academia, and the broader democracy support and transatlantic policy communities.

Each year of the dialogue will result in the publication of a policy paper containing a set of specific, actionable recommendations for strengthening transatlantic cooperation on democracy support. The first paper will focus on policy; the second on implementation, building on the outcomes of the first year.

The opening conference featured a panel discussion at the National Press Club with Albright, Buzek, Weber and two additional dialogue participants: Maria Leissner, Sweden’s ambassador for democracy, and Ana Palacio, former foreign minister of Spain. Katty Kay, Washington correspondent for BBC World News America, moderated the discussion that focused on today’s challenges to democracy promotion.

“There is not one form of democracy that fits everywhere, but we have learned a great deal about how to promote democracy around the world,” Weber said. “We know that the empowerment of women is central to democracy, and it doesn’t look the same in an Islamic country as it is might in Poland or the Czech Republic. We know that an independent media is important, and we know that the activities of NGOs need to be far separated from the state.”

Buzek stressed the importance of inclusion when talking about democracy support. “We must try to deliver the message of democracy on different levels, on the level of civil society and on the level of government,” he said.

The link between democracy and development was also a large part of the discussion.

“We prefer to regard democracy as part of development,” Leissner said, “…you’re not only poor if you don’t have enough food to put on your table. You’re also poor if you don’t have any political power.”

The closing conference of the first-year dialogue will take place in early 2011, likely in Brussels. The dialogue is being organized by NDI with primary support from the EU Delegation to the United States. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for Democracy and the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Other organizations engaged in the dialogue include the Atlantic Council, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the European Council on Foreign Relations, the European Network of Political Foundations, the European Partnership for Democracy, Freedom House, Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

Pictured Above: NDI Chairman Madeleine Albright addresses a question from the BBC’s Katty Kay (l) while Jerzy Buzek (r), president of the European Parliament, listens during the panel at the National Press Club.

See video of the complete National Press Club event

Published August 5, 2010