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The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

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The latest stories from NDI.

HIV/AIDS and Governance in the Southern Africa Region
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The HIV and AIDS pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on Africa, particularly in the southern region, where as much as 20 percent of the population in many countries are affected. While political leaders in countries throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are making a concerted effort to respond to this public health emergency, other leaders struggle to meet the political, economic and social challenges the epidemic poses.

Enhancing Domestic Election Monitoring in Southern Africa
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Multiparty democracy was adopted in nearly every country in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the 1990s in response to domestic popular pressure as well as encouragement from the international community. These changes fundamentally altered politics in the region, resulting in historic transitional elections in Namibia (1990), Zambia (1991), Angola (1992), Lesotho (1993), Malawi (1994), Mozambique (1994), South Africa (1994) and Tanzania (1995). These elections were not always close, but did offer citizens real choices and the chance to participate as voters.

Transparency and Good Governance in African Extractive Industries
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Revenues from oil should spur economic growth and social development in developing countries. In many resource-rich countries in Africa, however, the lack of accountability and transparency in the management of these revenues exacerbates poor governance and often fuels cycles of corruption, conflict, and poverty. As the international community seeks alternatives to Middle Eastern oil and new reserves enter production, Africa’s oil revenues will multiply over the coming decade.

Africa Political Party Finance Initiative
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Political party finance and political corruption scandals are by no means exclusive to Africa. However, whereas a wide range of literature has been published on Western Europe, North American and Australia, relatively little research exists on the way these issues impact the continent and possible solutions to the problem. In February 2003, NDI launched the Africa Political Party Finance Initiative (APPFI), one of the first attempts to understand and evaluate the challenges of political party financing in Africa.

Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean

NDI Honors Liberian President Johnson Sirleaf and 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone
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NDI celebrated pioneering African women at its 2007 Democracy Luncheon by bestowing its two highest honors on Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first woman to head an African country, and the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone, which is dedicated to promoting greater participation of women in that nation’s politics.

President Johnson Sirleaf received the 17th W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award. The 3rd annual Madeleine K. Albright Grant was awarded to the 50/50 Group.

Asia
Asia

Over the last decade, a number of Asian nations have rejected authoritarian regimes and are moving toward a more democratic form of government. These nations are dealing with the second-generation democratic issues of legislative development, corruption prevention, citizen participation, and constitutional and electoral reform.

Middle East and North Africa
Middle East and North Africa

The transition to democratic government is slow and often difficult in the Middle East and North Africa, yet unmistakable changes have occurred. Political liberalization in several countries has created space for contested elections to be held, for political parties and citizens’ groups to organize, for legislatures to assert their power and for the media to speak more freely.

Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub Saharan Africa

Democracy Dialogue

NDI President Kenneth Wollack (center), with Lorne Craner (left), the president of the International Republican Institute, and Ambassador Robert Neumann at a panel discussion.

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