Tim Berners-Lee, the British engineer, computer scientist and MIT professor who is credited with inventing the World Wide Web, singled out for praise one of NDI's technology projects in a talk at the Technology Education Design (TED) conference in Long Beach, Calif. The conference brings speakers from around the world to talk about technology, creativity and ways their work can change the world.

An innovative online mapping tool for analyzing election results data from Afghanistan's Aug. 20 presidential election using demographic, ethnographic, topographic and security information was launched last month by NDI. The tool also identifies areas that had significant electoral irregularities.

Provincial councilors (PCs) in Afghanistan have seen their roles change and expand  since their offices were created four years ago. Many of them had little political experience, so they’ve had to learn on the job. NDI has played a significant role in that learning process.

While the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced on Nov. 2 that a presidential runoff is not required, the systematic and widespread fraud that deeply marred the 2009 Afghan electoral process remains unaddressed.  A rigorous and impartial inquiry by noted international and Afghan experts concerning the failures in the 2009 election process is needed to reduce tensions, establish credibility for future Afghan elections and reinforce the legitimacy of the Afghan governing institutions and the effectiveness of international electoral assistance. 

In a Nov. 3 statement, NDI called for a rigorous, impartial, high-level inquiry into the failures of the election process that allowed systematic and widespread fraud surrounding the Aug. 20 presidential balloting. The inquiry is needed “to reduce tensions, establish credibility for future Afghan elections, and reinforce the legitimacy of the Afghan governing institutions and the effectiveness of international electoral assistance,” the Institute said.