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.

Sheila Fruman is NDI’s senior resident director in Mauritania. She held similar postings for the Institute in Macedonia and Pakistan. She brings to NDI more than 25 years experience as a social and political activist with extensive expertise in grassroots organizing, government, politics, elections, media and the trade union movement. She has worked internationally supporting democracy development in Algeria, Macedonia, Montenegro and Ukraine. Between her NDI postings, she headed external relations for the U.N. Joint Election Management Body in Afghanistan. A native of Vancouver, she previously served as communications director for three Canadian premiers. She has worked in numerous election campaigns and appeared regularly as a political commentator on Canadian media. As a founding member of Vancouver Co-op Radio in the 1970s, she pioneered live broadcasts of city council meetings and was active in advocating electoral reform. She earned an MA in Political Communication and a BA in Sociology.