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Our Perspectives

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


01/02/2012	Egypt's Military Raids Pro-Democracy Groups The Kojo Nnamdi Show Leslie Campbell, director of Middle East and North Africa programs, discusses the recent raids on nongovernmental organizations in Egypt with Kojo Nnamdi. They discuss the political situation in Egypt and the work the Institute has been conducting in the country since 2005. Read More
12/28/2011	'Not wanting to take it anymore' Winnipeg Free Press NDI's Les Campbell, regional director for Middle East and North Africa programs, compares 2011's Arab Spring to the fall of the Berlin Wall in this article about the Tunisian spark that started the protests across the region. "These are tectonic shifts," said Campbell of the changes in Arab governance. "It was unimaginable a couple of years ago. But at the same time it has been a long time coming. ... This is about human dignity and people not wanting to take it anymore." Read More
12/19/2011	Vaclav Havel, the principled president The Washington Post In a eulogy to Vaclav Havel, who died Sunday, NDI Chairman Madeleine Albright writes that he was a man preoccupied with moral values, ethics and a belief in democratic institutions. "Havel was steadfast in pursuing a moral universe, but he never suffered from the illusion that he lived in one. The urgency in his voice came less from lofty expectations of human character than from the distress he felt at those who accepted injustice simply because it was easier to look away than to resist." Read More
11/22/2011	Catalyst of Reform: The Arab Spring in Africa Africa Center for Strategic Studies The Arab Spring's prominence across North Africa is energizing governance in sub-Saharan Africa, a new report released by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies suggests. At the same time, the report's authors say that the desire for democratic rule throughout the Arab Spring is not the key motivator for democratic change in Africa. In fact, Africa has been democratizing for the past two decades. “The continent aspires to be governed differently,” Chris Fomunyoh, NDI regional director for Africa, said. Read the report: Africa and the Arab Spring: A New Era of Democratic Expectations Read More
11/05/2011	Women Win Big in Tunisia Vote Miller-McCune Philip N. Howard, who served as part of the NDI election observation team during Tunisia's recent elections, writes that women are the big winners coming out of the election. According to Howard, women will fill nearly one-third of the 217 constituent assembly seats, which is more than the number of women serving in the U.S. Congress. Howard also writes that technological investments in elections administration benefitted voter turnout, especially women's turnout. "Certainly, the country has a way to go. On its own, putting lots of women into political office will not guarantee a good constitution. But the election reveals the high expectations Tunisians have for their new leaders, and that people here want their leaders to represent diverse interests." Read More
10/28/2011	The real success in the Tunisian elections is an authentic, democratic process The Seattle Times Philip N. Howard, an NDI election observer during Tunisia's recent elections, writes that the big story to take away from the first elections of the Arab Spring is that the election process was the biggest victory. Howard writes that, thanks to the use of digital media and other technology, there was a real effort to draw voters into the election process and to enfranchise them. "Watching the elections as an official observer, I had the genuine sense that election administrators really wanted to enfranchise as many people as possible." Read More
10/28/2011	Final poll results confirm Ennahda victory The Majalla Marwan Muasher, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment and an NDI electoral observer during Tunisia's recent election, speaks to reporter Jacqueline Shoen about the election results, saying the challenge for Tunisia is to write a constitution that allows for political party pluralism and diversity. Muasher also reflects on what these elections mean for other regions of the Arab Spring where some of the first elections since their revolutions will occur in the coming months. “I think that the waves of change are going to come to the region and will not spare anyone.” Read More
10/26/2011	Democracy Wins in Tunisia The Daily Beast Former Rep. Jane Harman, a member of NDI's election observation delegation to Tunisia, write in The Daily Beast about Sunday's elections in Tunisia and it's implication around the Arab world, including challenges and women's political participation. "Today, in Tunisia, democracy wins. Its new leaders are mindful of the opportunity and responsibility to their own people and the region. They can be hailed as the future, or they can blow it." Read More
10/20/2011	Albright: Gadhafi's Death A 'Watershed Moment' NPR Talk of the Nation On Oct. 20, former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed by rebel forces near his hometown of Sirtre. NDI Chairman Madeleine Albright talks to Neal Conan about what she says is an "important day" for both Libya and the "Arab Awakening" community. Albright also discusses the U.S. and NATO's involvement in Libya, where they joined together in air strikes against Gaddafi forces. Read More
10/06/2011	Understanding Yemen - Tomorrow’s Youth Challenges Yesterday’s Tribes Voice of America A union of tribes that formed a country in 1990, Yemen has faced poor leadership since its inception. The Saleh regime, Yemen's current and long-standing regime — empowered by the loyalty it bought from numerous tribes — is now threatened by the changing attitudes of tribesman and the growth of the youth population. Read More