Stories

February 22, 2017

Liberian Women are Getting Ready to Lead in 2017

When Liberians go to the polls on October 10, they will see more women on the ballots. That is, if 138 “women’s leadership boot camp” graduates have anything to say about it.

Although in 2005 Liberians elected Africa’s first woman head of state, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, women continue to be underrepresented as voters, political party leaders and activists, and elected officials. Less than 10 percent of Liberia’s legislators are women, and nearly 10 percent fewer women than men were registered to vote in the last election.

February 21, 2017

Political Parties in Latin America Consider How to Modernize and Adjust to New Realities

Through its Innovation Network (Red Innovación) regional program, NDI is taking advantage of the impact and reach of new technologies to allow for the exchange of best practices between civil society and government across Latin America. From January 11 to 13, Red Innovación brought a group of 10 political leaders from 10 countries across the region together with Chilean politicians.

February 21, 2017

Being True to U.S. Values Means Supporting Stability and Freedom through Democracy Assistance

“The notion that there should be a dichotomy between our moral preferences and our strategic interests is a false one. Our ultimate foreign policy goal is a world that is secure, stable, humane, and safe, where the risk of war is minimal. Yet, the reality is that hotspots most likely to erupt into violence are found, for the most part, in areas of the world that are nondemocratic -- places that have been defined by the Defense Department as the ‘arc of instability.’ These are places that experience ethnic conflict and civil war; they generate refugee flows across borders; they are places where terrorists are harbored and illegal drugs are produced.”

February 17, 2017

Trainings Spark Civic Engagement in Cambodian Communities

When Cambodian voters cast their ballots in June 2017, local leaders will be chosen to represent their communities on the Commune Council. This election presents a rare chance to draw attention to local government, its unique challenges, and its accountability to citizens. Recognizing this opportunity, the Cambodian Civil Society Partnership (CCSP) launched its Civic Engagement in Democratic Development trainings, designed to strengthen collaboration between elected representatives and their constituencies.

February 6, 2017

Multiparty Forum of Women Members of Congress Strengthens Women’s Political Participation in Guatemala

In Guatemala, women are underrepresented in politics and face significant barriers to entry in the political arena, including discrimination and violence. Although women comprise 51 percent of the population, they only hold 15 percent, or 24 out of 158, of the seats in congress. To reduce obstacles and increase political participation, NDI trains women candidates and recently elected women to build skills to effectively govern and advocate for initiatives that are beneficial to all women.

January 31, 2017

Bridging the Gap: Syrians Work with Policymakers to Shape their Communities

Opposition-held areas in Syria provide an opening for civic activism and political expression that is not possible in parts of the country still controlled by the Assad regime. In these places, official government services no longer exist. To address this gap, NDI works with the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) and the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), which along with local councils have stepped in to act as governing bodies and provide much-needed services to communities in crisis.

January 18, 2017

Young innovators in MENA, US pitch ‘civic tech’ ideas to improve their communities

Their ideas include an online platform to combat misinformation during Middle East and North Africa election campaigns, an app to support Arabic-speaking victims of domestic violence in the United States, and a blockchain-based system to protect property ownership rights in Libya.

January 12, 2017

Welcome to the New NDI.org

NDI is proud to launch a completely redesigned website. The new website, unveiled to the public on January 12, preserves the best features of the old website, while updating underlying technology and refreshing the design to improve usability and meet modern web standards. The new site features a more visually-engaging and mobile-friendly design, deep social media integration and a re-structured information architecture that will make NDI’s work more accessible than ever before.

January 6, 2017

Celebrating the Successes of Women and Youth Activists in Kosovo

Kosovo is Europe’s youngest country, having declared independence in 2008 following United Nations’ oversight in the wake of armed conflict with Serbia. Fittingly, Kosovo boasts Europe’s youngest population. Kosovars young and old are building sovereign institutions of government and are creating a culture of civic activism.