The National Democratic Institute is the world’s largest publisher of Arabic-language resources and reference materials on democracy support. Its Arabic-language publications center is located in Lebanon and translates, publishes and distributes new materials on behalf of the Institute and other organizations on an ongoing basis. Learn more about the Institute’s Arabic library below.

By Gazelle Javantash

During a recent visit to Iran for the Nowrouz (Iranian new year) holiday, I had the opportunity to sit with family, students, workers and other average Iranians. While Nowrouz is not usually a time when politics becomes the center of conversation, this year was different. As I traveled across Iran, people were buzzing about the upcoming presidential election, the state of the economy and the shocking withdrawal of former president Mohammad Khatami from the presidential race just three days before the New Year holiday.

By Geneive Abdo
Iran Analyst, The Century Foundation

In Iran’s dynamic political landscape, few issues unite conservative and reformist leaders, and even fewer topics inspire broad-based public enthusiasm. But Iran’s nuclear program has proven to unify a country that is habitually – some might say, congenitally – divided.

By Kaveh-Cyrus Sanandaji
Middle East Center, St. Antony's College, University of Oxford

PML-N Vice President Senator Syed Zafar Ali Shah has called for quotas for tickets for general election for women in national/provincial elections in addition to seats already reserved for women. 

• “There are no restrictions and no law on the nomination and assessment of women candidates.”
  – Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaye, Guardian Council spokesman, quoted by Mehr News Agency, April 11

Stigma, misinformation and denial have impeded efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic that afflicts more than 20 percent of the population in some countries in Southern Africa. With powers to oversee spending, pass laws and influence government priorities on behalf of citizens, members of parliaments are well placed to make an impact.

But a survey by NDI and the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) found that legislators were “not taking full advantage of their constitutionally mandated powers to address the HIV/AIDS crisis.”