Citizen Participation

Bridging the Divide: Youth and Parties Roundtable Discussion

NDI is implementing a program initative to identify opportunities for engagement and collaboration between youth-led organizations and political parties. As part of the initiative, NDI hosted a roundtable discussion of twenty experts in the youth and democracy development space in order to brainstorm potential solutions for bridging the divide between youth and parties. This resource is a public summary of the discussion's contents and the resulting recommendations for development practitioners.

Bridging the Divide: Youth and Parties One Pager

This one-pager summarizes NDI's program work aimed at identifying opportunities for collaboration between youth-led organizations and political parties.

November 27, 2019

How NDI Supports the Political Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities

The World Health Organization estimates 15 to 20 percent of the world’s population (approximately one billion people) as having a disability. Persons with disabilities are the world’s largest minority group and more than 80 percent of the world’s persons with disabilities live in developing and post-conflict countries. The disability community remains largely excluded from public life and is underrepresented in parliaments and political parties, limiting their ability to directly engage in decisions that impact their lives.

October 22, 2019

#KnowYourLimits Say Participants at the Niamey Summit on Constitutional Term Limits

From October 2-4, former African heads of state, civil society activists and journalists came together to participate in the Constitutional Term Limits Summit in Niamey, Niger. The Summit focused on existing challenges of democratic consolidation and solutions to ensure the peaceful transfer of executive power across the continent.

October 18, 2019

#VoteNotFight Campaign Empowers Nigerian Youth

Peaceful and credible elections are essential for democracy to thrive. When elections are peaceful, free and fair, it can help facilitate a smooth transfer of power from one administration to another and confer legitimacy on elected officials. Despite its importance, the process of electing leaders in Nigeria has been plagued by a myriad of problems ranging from voter intimidation and suppression, to harassment and outright violence etc.

October 11, 2019

Nigerien Journalists Revamp Skills in Preparation for the Critical 2020 Electoral Cycle

Freedom of the press is an integral element of democracy. The media plays an important role in informing citizens about current political events, including legislative actions. Lawmakers, in turn, use the media to inform and engage with their constituents. Many citizens rely upon media outlets to inform their political decisions. During elections, the media are among the primary sources of information for voters on candidates and their platforms, voter registration procedures, and critical information on election day.

Declaration in Support of Constitutionalism for Democratic Consolidation and the Peaceful Transfer of Power in Africa

A conference on Constitutionalism and Term Limits attended by former African heads of state, civil society leaders and media professionals gathered in Niamey, Niger, from October 2 to 4, 2019, at the invitation of NDI and its partners, the Kofi Annan Foundation, OSIWA and the Africa Forum, to discuss constitutionalism, democratic consolidation and the peaceful transfer of executive power across the continent. The participants extend their sincere thanks to the Government of Niger and His Excellency President Mahamadou Issoufou for hosting the conference.

August 29, 2019

Sri Lanka: Sarvodaya Developing the Next Generation of Youth Leaders

At a critical time in Sri Lanka’s history, youth engagement has become a priority for impactful development in the country. In Sri Lanka, youth make up almost a quarter of the population, a number which is expected to increase. To bolster youth political participation, NDI partnered with Sarvodaya, a longstanding civic society organization in Sri Lanka, and their ‘Deshodaya (good governance)’ program to encourage youth to play an active role in the democratic development of the country.

Tunisian Citizens Express Their Views on the Parliament, Upcoming Elections and Political Parties

After having been postponed on many occasions for technical and political reasons, Tunisia held municipal elections May, 6, 2018. More than 53,000 candidates, representing 2,074 lists all over the country, ran for seats on municipal councils. Municipal elections represented an important landmark for the implementation of Article Seven of the Tunisian Constitution. As a result, the national government has begun to delegate power and responsibilities to the municipal councils, in a process of decentralization that will last for Many years.

Focus Group Report: Iraqi Citizens Continue to Demand More Responsive Governance

With funding provided by the Government of Canada, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) recently conducted qualitative public opinion research in five provinces in Iraq: Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk, Ninewa, and Salahaddin. Results show that the most pressing need among Iraqi citizens in provinces formerly occupied by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is finding job opportunities and improving their economic situation. This is seen as a precondition for satisfying other necessities which the government is failing to provide, mainly water and electricity.