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.

Ferdos Majeed Mohammed Ameen of Iraq will be the first recipient of the Andi Parhamovich Fellowship, named in honor of an NDI staff member.

Ms. Ameen has worked with NDI in Iraq since 2005 and was personally inspired by Andi Parhamovich, who was killed in Baghdad in 2007 while riding in a convoy that came under attack. Today Ms. Ameen works with NDI to strengthen civil society in Iraq and to encourage the political participation of women in her country. Ms. Ameen has expressed disappointment and frustration at the situation faced by women in Iraq, but has turned that frustration into a passion to contribute to change.

The Parhamovich Fellowship was created to honor Andi’s dedication to the participation of women in politics, to democracy, and to reconciliation between people of different ideologies and faiths. The fellowship is awarded each year to a young woman who is deeply involved in building and consolidating democracy in her own country. Recipients of the fellowship come to the Washington office of NDI for training and research.

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• Empowerment program inspires women to engage in Iraqi political process»