The National Democratic Institute (NDI) conducted national public opinion research to understand the main concerns of Solomon Islanders, including their awareness of public policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic and attitudes toward vaccines.

The acceleration of climate change presents an existential threat to programming in the democracy and governance field, and it is fundamentally changing how NDI works. Although individual actions on their own may not be enough to halt climate change, organizations, businesses and governments must recognize the need to integrate environmental sustainability into programming, operations and policy.

For nearly two years, Women’s Advisory Boards (WABs) in five Iraqi provinces have been assessing the unique needs of women and girls, implementing gender-sensitive community projects, and offering advice to local authorities in order to ensure that gendered perspectives are included in decision-making processes. Now, after months of researching how families in their communities are impacted by inequalities in their education systems, the WABs are developing recommendations to help increase access to education. 

Despite authoritarians’ rhetoric to the contrary, scientific evidence confirms that democracies produce higher rates of economic growth, experience fewer and less severe financial crises and provide better safety nets for the poor and vulnerable. They also achieve higher levels of gender equality and facilitate cooperation for the common good.

Situated in the Balkans region of Europe, Kosovo’s two million citizens have not been spared the ravages of Covid-19, with thousands infected and hundreds succumbing to the disease. As elsewhere, the pandemic has upended the lives of women, who have lost their jobs in hard-hit retail and hospitality sectors where they predominate, stepped forward as essential medical workers to fight the contagion, and devoted themselves as primary caregivers to children and the elderly.

In April 2021, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and its partner, the Libyan Debate and Dialogue Association (DDA), organized a National Schools Debate Championship in Tripoli, bringing together students from across the country to compete in debates on the national stage. This event -- the largest yet hosted by DDA -- was a successful opportunity to showcase the broader and ongoing work that DDA and NDI are undertaking in promoting youth engagement and political participation in Libya. 

Despite their large numbers, young Africans are less likely to vote and are often not represented in decision-making or political institutions. Recognizing the critical role political parties play in political processes, NDI launched the Political Party Leadership Institute (PPLI) in 2020 to enhance young people's participation in formal political party processes.

Disinformation, hate speech and fake news continue to grow as threats to open and democratic societies around the world, and are among the pressing issues that the National Democratic Institute (NDI) is addressing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In Libya, NDI recently launched a multi-platform campaign in partnership with the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides to raise awareness on disinformation and hate speech among youth at the local level.

In Malawi, a growing cohort of young people are entering into careers and politics and looking to reshape the future of governance and development. With over 50% of the population under 18 years old, the number of young people joining new initiatives and seeking to make a difference will continue to increase. Yet, there are limited options for young people, even once they are able to join civil society, to be recognized by older generations for their ability to provide meaningful input and given opportunities to develop new skills of engagement.