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.

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.

“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.

On the occasion of the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) organized a House Democracy Partnership (HDP) exchange with the International Republican Institute (IRI) and in collaboration with ParlAmericas. 

The exchange featured a parliamentary gathering for over 50 legislators from more than 20 countries across the Americas and the Caribbean with the goal of shedding light on the importance of legislatures in addressing solutions to shared regional challenges.