Stories

NDI Mourns the Assassination of Burundian Member of the East African Parliament, Hafsa Mossi

Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter on July 1 honored former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright with the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. The award recognizes exceptional service and personal sacrifice motivated by patriotism, good citizenship, and a sense of public responsibility.

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) mourns the passing of Abner Mikva, who served his country in all three branches of government -- as a Congressman from the Chicago area, as chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and as White House counsel under President Clinton. "Ab Mikva represented my hometown in Illinois," said NDI President Kenneth Wollack.

July 5, 2015

Meeting with Prime Minister Highlights NDI Democracy Work in Bangladesh

Senior NDI representatives met in Dhaka with the honorable prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, last month. The delegation was in Dhaka to discuss recent developments and the Institute’s programs in Bangladesh. The delegation met with the prime minister privately after attending an Iftar -- a meal eaten after sunset during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- at her residence.

Five years after Tunisia’s political revolution, NDI’s public opinion research -- conducted in February 2016 -- found that many citizens continue to find their aspirations unmet by the country’s transition. One year after electing a new president and legislature, the majority of respondents report that their confidence in parliament has decreased, but they still hope for more engagement and communication from their elected leaders.

June 1 marked the beginning of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Pride month, celebrated around the world to promote equality rights for gender and sexual diversity. That same day Honduran LGBTI community leader, rising political figure, and friend to many at NDI, René Martínez, was murdered. A likely victim of a hate crime, Reny, as he was popularly known, was considering running for Congress next year with the governing National Party (Partido Nacional).

NDI was selected as one of 20 winners out of hundreds of entrants for HP’s Living Progress Challenge. This challenge was designed to aid millions of people around the world who are excluded from opportunities due to limited access to technology or education by connecting good ideas from the nonprofit sector with top tech talent.

On May 22, 2016, with the holding of local elections, Burkina Faso’s 19-month political transition came to an end. With 2.6 million of 5.5 million registered voters casting ballots (a participation rate of 47.65%), Burkinabe went to the polls to elect local councilors, who are responsible for government at the commune level and who will later convene to elect mayors from among their ranks.

For the average Liberian, finding information on one’s legislator can be a daunting task. With no bill-tracking system or plenary record, citizens are often left in the dark about their lawmakers’ performance. Civil society groups face steep obstacles to advocacy because basic information is hard to come by. This lack of transparency about the bill-making process, committee membership, and hearing schedules make effective legislative engagement in Liberia a significant challenge.

NDI Mourns the Assassination of Burundian Member of the East African Parliament, Hafsa Mossi

NDI Chairman Madeleine Albright Receives DOD Award for Distinguished Public Service

NDI Mourns the Passing of Abner Mikva

Meeting with Prime Minister Highlights NDI Democracy Work in Bangladesh

NDI Research: Tunisians Hope Local Elections Will Deepen Democracy

NDI Mourns Tragic Assassination of Honduran LGBTI Activist René Martínez

NDI Mourns the Murder of British Member of Parliament Jo Cox

NDI Wins Award from HP for Gaming Tool

Helping Women and Youth Be Competitive Candidates as Burkina Faso Vote Brings Political Transition to an End

Liberian Lawmakers Watch: New Tools Shed Light on Parliamentary Performance before the General Elections

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