In addition to the devastating health and social impacts, the pandemic leaves in its wake a crushing public debt burden and a steep increase in debt service payments. Global sovereign debt is at the highest levels in 50 years and triple 2008 levels. In 2021, 25 of the world’s most poverty-stricken countries spent more on debt service payments than on health, education and social protection combined.

Crises are inevitable, and increasingly becoming the new normal. At all levels, governments will experience a crisis, and they must be prepared to address them head on in order to save lives and ensure national and citizen security in the long term. The pandemic spotlighted the importance of government preparedness in addressing crises, showing that most were unprepared in the face of the unexpected.

While March 11, 2020, is the day COVID officially became a global pandemic, the end date remains uncertain. Restrictions have been lifted in most of the world; yet health risks persist and countries are struggling to recover from the economic and social aftermath. The most prescient ones are capturing lessons from the COVID pandemic and  preparing for the next wave or new pandemics. 

In a region challenged by weak rule of law and limited civic space, civil society leaders in the northern Central America countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras anticipated the possibility of government overreach and power grabs under the guise of COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. With this foresight, these leaders sought to play active watchdog roles to promote transparency and public accountability.

In times of crisis, partnerships matter more than ever. Groups and individuals must find ways to join forces to meet immediate challenges, while also building muscle memory to deal with future troubles. Many of NDI's civil society partners are at the forefront of the COVID pandemic response through sharing information, providing social services, monitoring government and influencing policy making. Other partners continue to demand democratic governance and fight for basic human rights under increasingly complex political circumstances.

“We cannot achieve the goals set out in the Malawi 2063 national agenda if young people are left behind.” These are the words of Precious Mafunga, a fellow of the National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) Next Generation Leaders’ Academy and member of the Quota4Youth initiative. While many in Malawi are frustrated with the slow pace of change regarding the inclusion of young people in politics, Precious and the Next Generation fellows are committed to taking action to change the face of politics in Malawi.

Members of Georgia’s Sakrebulos (Local Assemblies) succeeded in improving responsiveness to community needs by bringing citizens into the local budgeting process. This is thanks to assistance from The National Democratic Institute (NDI) and a guidebook developed by the Institution on municipal budgets under its USAID funded program, “Elections and Political Processes Support in Georgia.”