The ongoing liberation of Mosul has generated a sense of renewed unity and optimism as it may bring a dramatic change in the lives of Iraqi citizens. The political elite is called to transform this fragile unity into responsive governance. Iraqis’ demand for inclusive democratic institutions that deliver on citizens’ high expectations has built a rare momentum for national leaders to bridge the sectarian divide and develop a strong vision for the future. 

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) is pleased to announce the launch of a new guide for political parties and party practitioners. Reflect, Reform Reengage: A Blueprint for 21st Century Parties (download) serves as a practical tool to assist parties think through specific types of reforms, helping them become more modern organizations. The Blueprint is organized by the following three sections:

Lebanon is the oldest democracy in the Middle East, granting women the right to vote and run for office in 1953. So why, more than six decades later, does Lebanon have so few women in its parliament? According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Lebanon ranks 185 out of 193 countries surveyed with only 3 percent of women in its 128-seat parliament. This low rate is not for lack of qualified women. Women now account for more than half of university graduates in Lebanon and can be found in senior level positions in the private sector, civil society, and academic institutions.

In Cambodia, women continue to be underrepresented in politics. Only three of 29 cabinet ministers are women, and there are no women provincial governors. Women make up just 20 percent of National Assembly members— though a higher proportion than many countries, it is still below the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. At the local level, only 18 percent of commune councilors are women.

Pakistan’s political parties are increasingly turning to social media to engage with the public on policy issues. Party activists from across the political spectrum produce original online content about pressing citizen concerns, using public opinion research to inform social media strategy and deploying new messaging and communication techniques to interact more effectively with citizens. Parties use these tools to develop more responsive policy proposals and create space for conversation and two-way exchange between citizens and party leaders.

Through its Innovation Network (Red Innovación) regional program, NDI is taking advantage of the impact and reach of new technologies to allow for the exchange of best practices between civil society and government across Latin America. From January 11 to 13, Red Innovación brought a group of 10 political leaders from 10 countries across the region together with Chilean politicians.

On November 29th, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) co-hosted a bipartisan event to explore the challenges to international democracy and U.S. foreign policy. Entitled a Bipartisan Celebration of Democracy, the discussion was particularly well-timed in the wake of one of the most divisive U.S. elections in recent memory, and with forces pushing back against democracy around the world.

Elections in the United States are unique -- not only due to the decentralized election framework and history of campaigning, but also for the impact that presidential results in particular have around the world. This year Americans cast their votes for 469 members of Congress and 6,064 state-level elected leaders, in addition to dozens of ballot measures in individual states.

“This battle will liberate us; we want to be involved in the decision making process. Women will not continue to be used as fillers,” declared Socorro Torres, coordinator of the Honduras Interparty Women’s Network (Red de Mujeres Interpartidarias de Honduras, or the Network). Torres’s comments were in response to the historic ratification of a pact between members of Honduras’s leading political parties, affirming women’s equality in political participation.