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“There is no other vehicle where one can obtain so many of the necessary tools to grow as a political leader.”
— 2006 Political Leadership Program participant
In recent years, public opinion polls have reflected a growing “crisis of confidence” in political parties in Latin America. Many traditional political parties have lost their popular support, and in a number of countries new organizations of political representation such as citizen groups and social movements have emerged to mobilize voters and field candidates in elections. The failure of parties to fulfill their essential role of representing and aggregating citizen interests has contributed to diminished confidence in other institutions.
In response to requests from senior political party leaders from more than a dozen countries in the region, in 1999 NDI launched the Political Leadership Program (Leadership Program, LP) to strengthen the leadership skills and ability of emerging political leaders to promote the modernization and renewal of political parties.
The Leadership Program of 2009-2010 will be implemented in three phases:
- A series of national academies for 30 young political party leaders from each of the participating countries – Ecuador, Mexico and Peru;
- Six participants from each of these three countries were selected to participate in a 2010 regional seminar in Colombia; and
- The participants of the regional seminar will return to their countries to implement concrete party-strengthening projects that will receive NDI technical assistance.
Through its ten years of existence and participant projects supported by NDI, the Leadership Program has fostered ongoing regional reform efforts with 56 major political parties and movements across the ideological spectrum, representing both governing and opposition parties in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.
Participant Profile
Using a competitive application process, NDI selects young political leaders, who range in age from 25 to 35, on the basis of five years of political experience and a track record of leadership and political activism. The selection process emphasizes a balance in governing and opposition parties, internal party movements, gender, ideologies and key geographical regions. The Leadership Program provides a neutral setting for party leaders, even those from polarized societies, to meet and exchange views with counterparts from other countries.
Graduates of the program from 1999 through 2009 include 278 young political leaders – mayors, municipal councilors, legislators, legislative advisors, indigenous political activists and leaders of youth movements, among others. Spanish-speaking U.S. participants from the Democratic and Republican parties have also participated in the program to share their party experiences.
National Leadership Academies
“The LP seminar is like finding one of those books that has everything you ever wanted to learn but nobody had the decency to tell you of its existence.”
—2006 LP participant
The program objectives are to:
- Enhance participants’ leadership skills, including their ability to develop and carry-out party-strengthening projects; and
- Improve understanding of party development, renewal processes, mechanisms and experiences.
The national academies provide training on leadership development themes including: strategic and project planning, leadership skills, party internal democracy, transparency and outreach to new sectors. From these academies, six participants from each country will be selected to participate in a regional seminar.
Regional Seminar
The regional seminar will take place in Colombia in 2010 and will include 18 of the participants from the national academies of Ecuador, Mexico and Peru. Drawing on high-level Latin American, European and U.S. political party experts and trainers, NDI helps young politicians develop necessary leadership skills, including communication and political negotiation. Leading political practitioners also provide an overview of mechanisms to reform or democratize parties and improve their outreach to citizens.
“The impact of this program is so strong that there has been an obvious before and after in my political career.”
—2003 LP participant
