By Birgitta Ohlsson, Director Political Parties, National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Putin’s attack on Ukraine has done more to unite the world’s democracies than anything since the end of the Cold War. It’s impossible to imagine a stronger, more convincing and more important game-changing story in modern times about why democracy matters. If a brutal authoritarian regime in Russia attacking the young democracy of Ukraine doesn’t make the case for freedom … what does?
Washington, DC – The Government of Botswana and the National Democratic Institute will co-host an “International Summit on Constitutionalism and Democratic Consolidation in Africa,” in Gaborone, Botswana from July 6-8, 2022. The summit will build on an earlier Summit in Support of Constitutional Term Limits, held in October 2019 in Niamey, Niger Republic.
A NDI statewide poll in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), conducted in December 2021 found that a minority of respondents in Republika Srpska (RS) at 34%, support Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik’s declared intention to withdraw the RS from state institutions, with 35% favoring RS independence. Forty-eight (48)% of RS respondents are against the withdrawal of the RS from state institutions, and 45% of RS respondents are against independence. Avoiding inter-ethnic violence (72%) and focusing on the economy (69%) were seen as more pressing than promoting Serb unity (49%).
Around 70 countries in the world still criminalize same-sex relationships. In 11 of these countries, there is evidence of the death penalty occuring or being ‘allowed” for same-sex relationships. A quarter of the world’s population believes that being LGBTQI+ should be a crime.