In 2022, it is hard to imagine Armenia's parliament without young professionals in the corridors, rushing into a committee session, a parliamentary hearing, or patiently taking notes while talking to citizens at the reception center. You may even run into a group of young professionals sitting at the cafeteria preparing for important national and international events. Many of these young professionals are NDI Parliamentary interns and fellows.
The United Nations has designated September 15 as “International Day of Democracy.” Its stated purpose is to enable the global community to “review the state of democracy in the world” and advance the goal of ensuring democracy may be “made into a reality to be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere.”
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, countless individuals and organizations across Ukraine have risen to the challenge of supporting their communities and addressing challenges that have emerged as a result of the war. The Rizni.Rivni project, launched in collaboration between the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and a group of Ukrainian LGBTQI+ equality organizations in 2020, has played a key role in that effort.
For the past three years, Women’s Advisory Boards (WABs) in Iraq have engaged with local officials to advance projects and policies that respond to the needs of their communities through a gendered lens in order to improve the lives of some of society’s most vulnerable members. This summer, more than 100 WAB members and guests came together for a conference in Erbil to celebrate their progress and to share ideas to further elevate women’s influence in policy-making.
In August 2022, the National Democratic Institute’s research team in Ukraine designed and deployed a national telephone survey to gauge the impact of the full-scale war on the lives of everyday Ukrainians and identify opportunities and challenges on the road to Ukraine’s democratic transition.
Youth engagement is becoming increasingly important in Tanzania, a country with one of the fastest growing youth populations in the world. Currently, an estimated 61 percent of the population is under the age of 35, making up a clear majority. Despite this, a recent study by the Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) found that only 23 percent of council positions at the local level were contested by young people in the 2020 general elections.
A growing number of authoritarian powers have weaponized corruption and information operations to influence elections, policymaking and civic discourse in other countries to benefit their political or geostrategic objectives. From Moldova to Myanmar, interference and disinformation in elections and national politics have become the rule rather than the exception.
Over the last two years, new elements to Colombia’s national elections have contributed to improving political accessibility for traditionally marginalized populations.
Ana Usharek, or “I Participate,” is an umbrella suite of programming that provides young Jordanians and marginalized groups with knowledge and skills to be more active in Jordanian civil and political life.
