On October 24, 2007, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) presented its third annual Madeleine K. Albright Grant to the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone. Founded in 2000 to promote greater participation of women in politics, the 50/50 Group has grown from a handful of women meeting in borrowed space in Freetown to a nationally recognized organization actively engaged in building a new post-war Sierra Leone in which women can share equally with men in the political decisions that affect their lives.

NDI has honored the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone with the 2007 Madeleine K. Albright Award. Founded in 2000 to promote greater participation of women in politics, the 50/50 Group has grown from a handful of women meeting in borrowed space in Freetown to a nationally recognized organization actively engaged in building a new post-war Sierra Leone. Its efforts in advance of the country’s 2002 elections contributed to a dramatic increase in opportunities for women to run as candidates and play more meaningful roles in their political parties.

On June 27, 2007, NDI, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, and the Union of Local Self-Government Units (ZELS) joined together to strengthen links between the citizens of Macedonia and their elected representatives by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation to support NDI’s Constituency Office Assistance Project. This NDI initiative is currently opening 65 offices across Macedonia — up from 46 during the previous mandate.