National Democratic Institute | NDI

image of a compass

News and Views

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


January 11, 2010	'Hillary effect' cited for increase in female ambassadors to U.S. The Washington Post There are now 25 female ambassadors to the U.S. stationed in Washington. That compares with five as recently as the late 1990s. Current U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former secretaries Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine K. Albright, the first woman to serve in that role for the United States, are partly credited in this Washington Post article for inspiring the uptick."Claudia Fritsche, the ambassador from Liechtenstein, a principality that only gave women the right to vote in 1984, said the Albright-Rice-Clinton sequence has 'a worldwide effect. . . . It's inspiring, motivating and certainly encouraging,'" the article says. Read More
December 16, 2009	Forgoing Democracy is Forgoing Human Rights Roll Call Almami Cyllah, the regional director for Africa for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), comments on the connections between human rights and democracy. He emphasizes the fact that they are interconnected, and that the advancement of human rights is aided by furthering democracy. "Electoral democracy is not only a fundamental right and desirable end in itself, but it's a means of advancing other human rights. Free and fair elections necessitate freedom of speech and assembly. And although elections sometimes result in violence, no other processes have so consistently delivered nonviolent transitions of political power. Once developed, a tradition of free and fair elections bolsters other rights, enabling citizens to hold their governments more accountable." Read More
December 14, 2009	Remarks on the Human Rights Agenda for the 21st Century State Department Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a speech at Georgetown University on the Obama administration's human rights agenda. "Our human rights agenda for the 21st century is to make human rights a human reality, and the first step is to see human rights in a broad context. Of course, people must be free from the oppression of tyranny, from torture, from discrimination, from the fear of leaders who will imprison or "disappear" them. But they also must be free from the oppression of want – want of food, want of health, want of education, and want of equality in law and in fact...Human rights have both negative and positive requirements. People should be free from tyranny in whatever form, and they should also be free to seize the opportunities of a full life. That is why supporting democracy and fostering development are cornerstones of our 21st century human rights agenda." Read More
December 7, 2009	Is Democracy a Dirty Word? The American Prospect Tara McKelvey of The American Prospect examines the history of "democracy promotion," focusing on the Obama administration's approach and contrasting it to the Bush administration's. McKelvey writes that the Obama administration is focusing on international efforts such as agricultural programs, women's rights, and economic development rather than on elections, and she looks at the future of democracy assistance work with that approach. Read More
December 1, 2009	Democracy in Development: Global Consultations on the EU's Role in Democracy Building Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance The European Union seeks to be a major player in the area of democracy building throughout the world. How can the EU improve its policies, its approach and its engagement with partners in this area? International IDEA asked these questions in a series of global consultations. The results revealed gaps between the EU’s objectives and the perceptions of its partners. To address the gaps, four key areas to strengthen the EU’s policies and actions are proposed. Read More
November 16, 2009	The Importance of "Democracy Promotion" The Huffington Post J. Brian Atwood, Dean of the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and NDI Board Member, writes in the Huffington Post about the importance of democracy promotion and the need to continue supporting new democracies so that they don't become "illiberal." Atwood encourages the Obama administration to pursue the goal of promoting democracy. Read More
November 13, 2009	Arab Autocracy The New York Times Rami Khouri, the editor-at-large of the Daily Star, examines the autocratic history of the Arab world, and predicts a youth movement that could lead to greater democracy among Arab nations. Read More
November 12, 2009	Listen to the Afghan People The New York Times Ambassador Karl Inderfurth, a member of NDI's election observation mission to Afghanistan, co-authors an opinion piece in the New York Times with Ambassador Theodore Elliot, Jr. Together, they examine the results of a recent opinion poll of Afghans, and the implications it has for the future of security, women's participation and democracy in the country. Read More
September 28, 2009	To Win Seats on Local Councils, Afghans Campaign Hard but get Little Power in Return The Boston Globe The Boston Globe examines the recent elections for provincial councils across Afghanistan, and their contribution to the future of the country. Susan Carnduff, NDI's Kabul-based director, contributes her thoughts about the provincial council's contribution to the future stability of the country. Read More
September 25, 2009	Elliott Abrams on How to Promote Democracy Foreign Policy ForeignPolicy.com's blog, "Shadow Government," looks at the discussion between Kenneth Wollack, President of NDI, and Elliott Abrams, former deputy national security advisor under Bush, that took place at the Foreign Policy Initiative conference. They discussed differing views on whether, and how, the U.S. should be engaged in democracy programs around the globe. Read More