National Democratic Institute | NDI

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News and Views

Commentary from experts on the directions and challenges of democracy assistance programs.


September 9, 2011	Bahrain Needs U.S. Attention Now Washington Post This Washington Post editorial urges President Obama not to forget about Bahrain's ongoing struggle for democracy. After including Bahrain in his speech about the Middle East in May, there has little U.S. follow up, and no senior U.S. officials have visited to encourage a transition. "Bahrain has become the hidden story of the Arab Spring. While the popular uprisings in Libya, Syria and Yemen have dominated the news in recent months, far less attention has been paid to the tiny but strategic Persian Gulf emirate, which hosts the U.S. 5th Fleet. That’s partly because Bahrain’s ruling al-Khalifa family deflected criticism from the massive crackdown it launched in March by promising to initiate a dialogue with its opposition and implement political reforms. The regime, however, hasn’t delivered — and now it is risking a new explosion of unrest that could destabilize not just Bahrain but the region around it." Read More
September 8, 2011	Finding Hope in Libya New York Times Nicholas Kristof, writing in the New York Times, looks toward the future of Libya. Citing the rebels lack of violence toward Gaddafi loyalists, their methodical planning for the transition, and their general tolerance of different opinions and viewpoints, he sees a case for cautious optimism. "Countries like the United States, France, Britain and Qatar did something historic in supporting a military operation that was largely about preserving lives, not national interests. While plenty can still go wrong, my sense is that Libya is muddling along toward a future far better than its oppressive past." Read More
September 8, 2011	The Stakes are far too High for America to Sit on the Sidelines Bellingham Herald Writing in the Bellingham Herald, Lawrence J. Haas makes the case for increasing democracy assistance to the Arab world and beyond. The U.S., he argues, has used democracy support as a foreign policy goal since World War II, and the results are evident in the country now involved in the Arab Spring. "All told, more than 10,000 Egyptians have participated in democracy and governance programs that were funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Individuals and groups in other countries of the region received money and training from the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute - both of which are funded by the quasi-governmental National Endowment for Democracy and from Freedom House, a private non-profit organization." Read More
September 1, 2011	How Can We Support Democracy throughout the World? Le Banquet Carl Gershman, president of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), sits down with Le Banquet to discuss democracy programs and philosophy. In the interview, Gershman starts by saying, "There are people in all countries trying to achieve democracy, and they should be aided and assisted." He goes on to discuss the role of NDI and other organizations under the NED umbrella. The interview leads into a discussion of the Arab world and the recent uprisings across the region that have come to be known as the Arab Spring. "In fact, I believe that the Middle East revolutions have already had a larger global impact than the world-changing revolutions of 1989. This is because they were carried out by non-Western peoples who were once colonial subjects, so people throughout the world can identify with them. They were made by the people themselves at great sacrifice and against great odds, giving hope to others now facing obstacles that seem insurmountable ... They were triggered from within by pent-up anger, revolutionary hope, and the affirmation of human dignity and self-respect." Read More
August 26, 2011	Eastern Congo’s Rule by the Ruthless Washington Post Michael Gerson, writes about the difficulties of bringing thousands of militias into the security forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo in this oped for the Washington Post. He also discussed the role of good governance in the stability of the country and region. "In America, we are engaged in a debate about the size and role of government. But eastern Congo demonstrates the consequences of government’s absence. A state of nature — even an Eden of bougainvillea and natural wealth — is ruled by the most ruthless. Resources become a curse, propping up corrupt elites. Houses are surrounded by barbed wire, potholes consume the streets, the electricity flickers and helplessness becomes a habit." Read More
August 19, 2011	Crushing Dissent in Cuba Boston Globe This editorial in the Bostong Globe criticizes the Castro government for increasing violence and attackes on the Ladies in White, a nonviolent protest group in Cuba. The group made up of women whose husbands, brothers and fathers are dissidents imprisoned by the Castro regime. "In one attack, the Miami Herald reported last week, the women were assaulted with “steel bars, rocks, and fists’’ as they left Mass in the cathedral of Santiago, the island’s second-largest city. At least eight of the women ended up in the hospital, where they required stitches and other treatment for their wounds. According to Elizardo Sanchez, one of Cuba’s leading human-rights activists, the attacks have left dissidents deeply alarmed; they know that no one 'would dare order such beatings and so much violence without the approval of the central government.'" Read More
August 18, 2011	Pakistan Amends Tribal Laws Said to Fuel Militancy Washington Post Receiving rare domestic praise, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari authorized long-discussed reforms allowing political parties to campaign in the northwestern tribal region and relaxing dated laws that hold entire tribes accountable for one person’s crime. The changes chip away at measures that are widely viewed as violating the fundamental rights enjoyed by the rest of Pakistan’s 180 million people — and that have inspired little loyalty to the state among residents of the borderlands. The reforms are the result of more than two years of dialogue and advocacy by the people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Under the amended laws, political parties can attempt to win and represent voters, and residents will be able to appeal political agents’ decisions before a new tribunal. Women, children and people older than 65 are exempt from collective punishment, and the national auditor is authorized to scrutinize political agents’ use of state funds. Read More
August 12, 2011	How American Aid is Lifting Liberia Washington Post Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf makes the case for continuing U.S. development assistance to Liberia. In areas of health, infrastructure and service delivery, U.S. aid has helped Liberians transition from civil war to political stability and a growing economy. Johnson Sirleaf cites improvements to health and sanitation, which help fight disease and allow children to grow into healthy adults, and improvements to infrastructure, which allow women to participate more fully in economic life and children to get the most out of their education, all made possible in part through U.S foreign aid. "Like most other developing countries, Liberia aspires to outgrow the need for aid. We look forward to a day when our economy thrives, when our children no longer suffer from preventable diseases and when the women of our country can move beyond mere subsistence and have genuine opportunity. That day has not yet come. But American aid is helping us get there." Read More
August 4, 2011	Chuck Manatt, One of America's Great Democracy Activists, Both Here and Abroad Huffington Post In this Huffington Post article, John Sullivan, executive director of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) honors the memory of Chuck Manatt, a leading advocate for democracy. In 1983, Manatt helped create the National Endowment for Democracy and became the founding chairman of the National Democratic Institute. Under Manatt’s leadership, the NED and its core affiliates - including NDI, CIPE, the International Republican Institute, and the Solidarity Center – gained credibility and made real progress in promoting democratic institutions abroad. Manatt’s illustrious career also spanned politics and law: he served as chairman of the Democratic National Convention from 1981 to 1985 and established a law firm, Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips. Read More
July 29, 2011	A Conversation with Brian Atwood – Part One USAID Maya Worman interviews former NDI chairman and USAID administrator Brian Atwood, who currently serves as head of the Development Assistance Committee at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In the first part of the interview, Atwood warns against the use of long term development resources as a solution for short term problems. Read More