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.

NDI has conducted programs on civic education, advocacy, domestic election monitoring and women's political leadership in Lebanon since 1996. In 2001, NDI opened an office in Beirut to help Lebanese citizens influence the decisions and policies that affect their lives, often through civil society organizations and coalitions.

A strong civil society is essential to giving citizens options for getting involved in the decision-making processes that affect their lives. In Lebanon, NDI has provided training and technical assistance to more than 20 multi-sectarian and issue-based organizations in order to conduct programs that engage citizens, particularly women and youth, in the democratic reform process.

Political Context

Since Syria withdrew its military presence from Lebanon in 2005, civil society leaders and political reformers’ had hoped that political liberalization would follow. Those hopes were frustrated in part due to the instability of the security situation and by a deadlocked parliament that would not elect a new president.

In May 2008, after 18 months of political deadlock and indecision Lebanese leaders convened in Doha, Qatar and signed an agreement that allowed for the election of Lebanese Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Michel Suleiman as president. The agreement also included a new electoral law that created administrative reforms, which were implemented during the June 7, 2009 parliamentary elections. Since then, the Lebanese cabinet recently passed several reforms to election law, but municipal elections are scheduled to be held May 2, 2010, before the new election law could be approved by parliament.

Arabic Publications Center

With an Arabic publications center that provides translation, publication and distribution of training materials throughout the Middle East and North Africa, NDI Lebanon serves as a regional resource. The center has played a critical role in strengthening civic organizations as they promote democratic reforms. Demand for the center's work has been increasing since its inception in 2001.

• Publications in Arabic»

Citizen Education and Advocacy

Through a nationwide citizenship education and advocacy program known as Citizen Lebanon, NDI is working to support and empower citizens to identify and solve problems in their local communities. Founded on the Institute's expertise in adult civic education, community action and grassroots advocacy programs, NDI has partnered with seven local NGOs and is also working with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to ensure long-term organizational, financial and management development of the program.

• Watch a short documentary about the Citizen Lebanon program:
• Civic Participation Terminology: A Guide to Frequently Used Terms and Phrases»

Strengthening Electoral Processes

NDI international election observers outside of a polling center in Beirut during the parliamentary elections on June 7, 2009

The complex and unrepresentative nature of Lebanon's existing electoral law has long been a matter of concern for citizens across the political spectrum. Since 2005, NDI has been consulting a group of over 80 Lebanese civil society organizations working to promote a new and more inclusive electoral law through a multi-faceted advocacy campaign known as the Civil Campaign for Electoral Reform (CCER). In 2008, CCER became the first civil society group to attend parliamentary committee meetings as legislators were drafting the new electoral law. Since the new election law did not include all improvements that civil society has been calling for, NDI continues to support CCER in a nationwide voter education campaign and in its ongoing advocacy efforts for further reform.

The 2010 municipal elections present an opportunity to strengthen citizen participation in the Lebanese electoral process. Building on a partnership of over 14 years, NDI continues to work with the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE), the first domestic election monitoring group in the region, to increase civil society's ability to observe elections and increase public confidence and participation in the electoral process.

Enabling voters to make more informed choices with the help of online tools and resources remains a priority for NDI. The Institute continues to work closely with Nahar al-Shabab and IT Lebanon to implement Vote Match, a web-based tool designed to help voters decide which party to support based on policy positions. The tool proved particularly useful during the June 2009 parliamentary election and has been further developed in order to include matching tests for the 2010 municipal elections.

• Final Report on the 2009 Lebanese Parliamentary Elections»
• Statement of the NDI election observer delegation to Lebanon's 2009 parliamentary elections»
• NDI delegation assesses pre-election political climate in Lebanon»
• Conference fosters information sharing in Middle East on technology and elections»

Women's Political Participation

Lebanese women are among the best educated and most involved in public life in the region, yet they remain dramatically underrepresented in the political power structure, usually gaining power through their familial affiliation to political men. NDI works with women candidates through initiatives like SHARIKY – Baladiyat 2010, which supports women candidates through training workshops, consultative sessions, one-on-one mentorship and public forums.

• Leadership academy raises aspirations for young Middle Eastern women»
• Training future political leaders at the young women leaders academy»

Youth and Local Government

Participants of the Step Forward program strategize ways to engage more youth in the electoral process

In Lebanon's current political environment, young men and women tend to engage in identity politics. It is critical to encourage reform-minded youth to engage in public life so that a new political future can emerge in Lebanon. In partnership with the Development for People and Nature Association (DPNA), NDI leads a competitive six-month youth and local politics training program known as Step Forward. Since 2006, the program has taught four groups of participants an intensive curriculum that builds practical understanding of local government and how to campaign effectively.

Budget Analysis and Advocacy

The national budget is understood by few Lebanese and citizens would be hard pressed to find information on the subject. The Institute is partnering with the Lebanese Physically Handicapped Union (LPHU) to lead the Lebanon Budget Project (LBP), an initiative aimed at strengthening civil society's ability to understand, monitor and analyze the budget. The LBP conducts budget analysis training and budget reporting, sometimes in coordination with the Institute of Finance (the training institute of the Ministry of Finance), to raise awareness about the process. Through dialogue with the government, the LBP is working to influence the formation of the budget.

Monitoring the Parliament

Lebanon has a long parliamentary tradition but the transparency and accountability of parliament is weak. Lebanese citizens have no access to centralized information about the performance or voting record of their elected officials. In the interest of promoting accountability, NDI began providing technical assistance to Nahwa Muwatiniya (Na-aM) on its Lebanese Parliamentary Monitor (LPMonitor) project. NDI helped Na-aM develop monitoring criteria, establish a systematic research strategy and publish statistics about parliamentary activity. The Institute also provided communications and media training to members of the team who conduct interviews and hold public meetings. NDI continues guiding research efforts and working to improve the website's database technology.

Public Opinion Research

In Lebanon's fluid political climate, a lack of in-depth qualitative research disconnects voter concerns and aspirations from policy decisions. To help remedy this situation, NDI partnered with the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS) to establish the first independent Focus Group Research Center (FGRC) in Lebanon to help civic and political actors to better understand and value the viewpoint of citizens on public affairs and policy issues. Recent focus group reports have shed light on public opinion toward electoral reform, the appeal of religious-based political parties, the country's level of citizenship education, women's participation in political parties, and how citizens' public policy priorities relate to their selection of Members of Parliament.

Policy Development

NDI is working with the Youth Shadow Government (YSG) of Nahar al-Shabab to assist them in drafting and presenting evidence-based policy reform plans to relevant Cabinet Ministers. The Policy Development Program draws on NDI's extensive local and international practitioner network, as well as in-house expertise, to train and support participants in developing policy papers and communicating them strategically and effectively to decision-makers. Through an intensive and focused training and consultancy process, the program aims to increase civil society's participation in the policy-making process.

Contact Information

For more information about these programs, use our contact form or contact:

Washington, D.C.
Lindsay Workman, Program Manager
(202) 728-5404

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