Initiative Committees Working to Distribute Aid and Information in Haiti
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12 brought suffering and destruction to a country that was already facing major development challenges. The situation on the ground changes daily as Haitian and international relief efforts try to help the millions of citizens who now lack food, water, medical care and shelter.
In response, members of a Haitian network of community organizing groups, or Initiative Committees (ICs), are mobilizing to support national and international relief efforts. Developed over more than a decade with NDI support, the ICs are present in 179 municipalities across the country and involve 35,000 Haitians and 3,500 civic organizations, including 400 women's groups.
Read More »NDI Partner Groups Commend Ukrainian Elections, Offer Recommendations Before Runoff
Following the Ukrainian presidential election on Jan. 17, two election observation groups issued statements recognizing that the vote was an improvement over the 2004 presidential election. However, the groups urged that the recommendations issued in their reports be adopted before the runoff election in February. The recent vote marks the first presidential election since 2004, which ended in popular protests of the results, known as the Orange Revolution.
Opora, a nonpartisan network of Ukrainian election monitors, issued a report stating it was "pleased" with the high voter turnout and characterized election day as "calm."
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