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Our Perspectives

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


02/03/2011	The Way Forward in the Middle East MSNBC Albright appeared on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow show on Feb. 3 to discuss the developing situation in the Middle East and the role the United States and nongovernmental organizations can play in supporting the will of the people in Egypt and elsewhere in the region. “Frankly this is not a story that the United States can control,” Albright said. “This is definitely the Egyptian people and they are being remarkable, the way they protested for a number of days peacefully, really voicing their views.” “[At NDI] we have been working within Egypt for a long time in terms of developing of various aspects of civil society and talking to various opposition groups who are prepared to participate in a fair and free election.” Read More
02/01/2011	Mubarak Supporters' Offensive Heightens Volatility in Egypt PBS NewsHour NDI Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa appeared on the PBS NewsHour to discuss the situation in Egypt. "After President Mubarak promised a transition, the first step appeared to be to release the thugs on the protesters, and then the army, in their first real test, stood by and allowed this violence to occur...Transition to something new doesn't start with unleashing violence." Read More
01/24/2011	Is the Arab World Ready for Regime Change? NPR Interviewed about the Jasmine Revolution taking place in Tunisia, Leslie Campbell, director of Middle East and North Africa programs for NDI, explains that now other regimes in the region recognize that threats to their power may always be bubbling under the surface. "Events in Tunisia have shown that it doesn't take years of building up civil opposition for a regime to crumble," he says. Read More
01/21/2011	Election Aftermath and the Rule of Law in Afghanistan Foreign Policy Writing in Foreign Policy, Grant Kippen and Scott Worden, both members of the NDI international observation mission to Afghanistan's 2010 elections, urge the Afghan government to follow the country's election law and not undermine it by using a five-member panel appointed by President Hamid Karzai to nullify the election results. "The international community and the Afghan government need to focus on upholding checks and balances in the existing Afghan legal framework rather than try to create a new one to suit a particular political need. To travel down the path the government of Afghanistan is currently taking will only create future electoral chaos and confusion, further undermining the rule of law and democratic development." Read More
01/20/2011	Recent Developments in Liberia Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa In a speech to the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa, Deputy Regional Director for Central and West Africa Barrie Freeman looks ahead to the elections in Liberia. "One of the useful purposes of an election is that it provides citizens with an opportunity to take stock of their country's democratic practices and institutions, and reinforces the connection of elected leaders to voters. Liberians are committed to taking the country forward on its democratic path but know that this path is strewn with obstacles." Read More
12/29/2010	NDI's Chris Fomunyoh Discusses Cote d'Ivoire on the PBS NewsHour PBS NewsHour Appearing on the PBS NewsHour, Chris Fomunyoh, NDI’s senior associate and regional director for Central and West Africa, emphasized the importance of a quick resolution to the stalemate in Cote d'Ivoire, or the Ivory Coast. “We must remember that over five million Ivorians participated in this electoral process,” Fomunyoh said. “And they had hoped, for the most part, that these elections would be the culmination of all of the peace agreements that have been negotiated over the years that have postponed the elections, which ordinarily would have been conducted in 2005. “And so here we are, a month after the elections, all of this fighting and people still waiting to get an outcome that can give them a sense that Ivory Coast is in the process of healing and national reconciliation.” Read More
12/01/2010	Party-building in the Middle East International Journal Writing in the International Journal, Leslie Campbell, NDI’s senior associate and regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, examines four case studies of ways that citizens in the Middle East have gotten more involved in strengthening local democracies. From party-building in Yemen and the Palestinian territories to expanding women's participation in Morocco and monitoring elections in Egypt, Campbell demonstrates that "the citizens of the Arab world prefer to be able to choose their leaders, believe that democracy is the best way to order their societies, and demonstrate a desire to participate in the governance of their communities and nations." Read More
10/27/2010	The Youth Bulge in Africa: Opportunities for Constructive Engagement in the Political Process The National Intelligence Council NDI Vice President Shari Bryan looks at demographic factors in sub-Saharan Africa in this speech she gave to the National Intelligence Council, and how they will impact the future of democracy in the region. "At NDI, we recognize the potential risks of the youth bulge, but we also take the optimistic view that the participation of young people is fundamental to the success of a democratic society. NDI has found that when the aspirations of youth are constructively channeled into the political process – for example, through election monitoring, community organizing, or becoming active political party members – they can become agents of positive change and contribute to sustained peace. Often they find that well organized and peaceful political action allows them to work directly with their adversaries, tribal and ethnic enemies." Read More
10/01/2010	Getting Convergence Right Journal of Democracy The linkages between democracy assistance and development aid are explored in depth in this article by NDI President Kenneth Wollack and Director of Governance K. Scott Hubli. Wollack and Hubli contend that integration between democracy and development organizations may not be a desirable goal or the best lens through which to view developments within the two communities. "If instead the evolution within the two communities is seen within the framework of increased complimentary or mutual reinforcement (rather than integration)," they write, "the future trajectory of the two communities may also become clearer." Read More
09/20/2010	Violence, Turnout, Fraud Remain Top Concerns in Afghan Election Efforts PBS NewsHour On the PBS Newshour, Scott Worden, former head of the Electoral Complaints Commission in Afghanistan and a member of NDI's election observation mission for the 2010 polls, talks with Gwen Ifill about voter turnout, fraud, the security situation, and what the parliament's role is going forward. "There was better planning for security, and, hopefully, the local races, with local political players being elected, would have a positive impact on reducing the violence. Unfortunately, from the reports that have come in so far, it seems like there was about the same level of violence this year, if not a little bit more." Read an interview with Worden in Voice of America» Read More