In Yemen, tribal conflict is a backdrop affecting the country's economic development, governance and national stability. Disputes over land claims and competition for resources and government services often lead to violence and cycles of revenge killings that can extend over a decade, hindering the work of government and international development agencies, and isolating citizens from the state.

Iraqis are becoming increasingly frustrated about the delay in the formation of a new government five months after last spring's parliamentary elections, and a majority of them believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to a recent public opinion poll conducted by NDI.

The survey, based on 4,000 interviews conducted June 21-26, showed that while no one choice for prime minister had a majority, the leading candidate among those polled was Ayad Allawi, representing the Iraqiyya coalition, which got the most votes in the March 7 elections.

“Parliament and Me,” a new radio talk show in Angola, is working to establish a connection between elected representatives and their constituents as the country rebuilds after a 27-year civil war. The hostilities, which ended in 2002, left the country with its infrastructure in pieces, no nationwide communications network and a lack of certified professionals in everything from accounting to medicine to construction. Now, citizens are looking for ways to participate in the political process to shape their country and benefit from its economic growth.