The tribal violence that often erupts in remote areas of Yemen undermines order and government institutions and provides a haven for terrorist activity, poverty and illiteracy. These areas, vast and almost inaccessible, and the commonplace killings and hopelessness among populations stuck in a vortex of tribal conflict were characterized in a 2005 Pulitzer Prize winning series in The Washington Post.

As co-editor of the recently published book Semi-Presidentialism in Central and Eastern Europe, Sophia Moestrup, NDI senior program manager for Central and West Africa, examines the effects of “semi-presidentialism,” on democratization in the region since 1990. “Semi-presidentialism” – a regime situation where there is a directly elected president as well as a prime minister responsible to the legislature – exists in more than half of all Central and Eastern European countries.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his leadership in addressing apartheid in South Africa, Archbishop Tutu will receive the 2008 W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award for his global efforts on behalf of democracy since the 1992 democratic transition in South Africa.

Isabel Emerson is NDI's resident director in Angola. In her role, she works with political parties and civic organizations to promote public input in the policy process and increase interaction between citizens and their elected representatives. She also worked with Angolan nonpartisan election monitoring groups and civil society organizations on voter education programs in the lead up to the country's historic elections after decades of war.

The struggle for democracy in Burma will be a focus of NDI’s 2008 Democracy Awards Luncheon as the Institute honors two champions of that cause – Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Women’s League of Burma.

Christiane Amanpour, chief international correspondent for CNN, will serve as master of ceremonies at the Dec. 15 luncheon in Washington, D.C.

In a video conference with more than 50 journalists and political activists from Côte d’Ivoire, Chris Fomunyoh, NDI’s senior associate for Africa, offered insights on the U.S. electoral process, the outcome of the presidential and congressional contests, and the role of youth, women and media in the historic 2008 election. With Côte d’Ivoire’s long-delayed presidential election expected soon, participants were eager to hear how Ivorian political parties could learn from the grassroots organizing techniques successfully employed during this election.

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