On Dec. 15 , the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs hosted the 2008 Democracy Luncheon, honoring Archbishop Desmond Tutu and presenting its fourth annual Madeleine K. Albright Award to the Women’s League of Burma. As part of the Win with Women Global Initiative, the Madeleine K. Albright Grant honors organizations that work to increase women’s participation in political and civic life. The recipient was selected from a competitive pool of applicants based on the strength of their proposal to train young women leaders.  

By Masih Alinejad

By Geneive Abdo
Middle East analyst, The Century Foundation

In advance of Jan. 31 provincial elections in Iraq, nearly 1,000 candidates took part in NDI training programs on campaign skills such as messaging and get-out-the-vote strategies.

Speaking at briefings on Capitol Hill, Erin Mathews, NDI director for Iraq programs, described how the elections provided insight into the dynamics at work as Iraq continues its democratic transition.  She noted, for example, a major shift among voters away from extremist and religious parties.