Latin America and the Caribbean Past Programs

Argentina

In 1996 NDI collaborated with the Argentine organization Women in Equality (Mujeres en Igualdad, MEI) in organizing a training-program for newly elected women legislators and in developing a database of women leaders to be considered as candidates by parties needing to recruit women candidates to meet quota legislation requirements. NDI has since collaborated regularly with Citizen Power (Poder Ciudadano) regarding anti-corruption and electoral reform programs throughout the region.

In 2003, NDI received funding from the Democracy Human Rights and Labor Bureau (DRL) of the United States Department of State to implement a regional pilot Program for Party Renewal (PREPA) that included representatives of training departments and think tanks of Argentine political parties. Participating organizations included Radical Civic Union (Unión Cívica Radical, UCR), Union for All (Unión por Todos), Center for Political, Economic and Social Studies (Centro de Estudios Políticos, Económicos y Sociales, CEPES) and Civic Association of Popular Studies (Asociación Civil de Estudios Populares, ACEP). This program promoted reform and renewal within parties specifically through the departments responsible for training the party base and leadership and designing the strategies for platforms and reform. Results from this program included the establishment of a policy driven training institute in Buenos Aires by UCR; the implementation of a consultative statutory reform process by Union for All; and the adoption of more participatory training methodologies by ACEP.

Since 2008, through its regional Political Partner Network (PPN), NDI has collaborated with the Network of Political Action Foundation (Fundación Red de Acción Política, RAP) to conduct workshops with their network of emerging political leaders from across the Argentine political spectrum. Topics addressed in these workshops include best practices and case studies of political party reform, candidate selection, political fundraising, campaign management, recruiting and mobilizing volunteers, and governance skills for local elected officials. RAP is a nonpartisan foundation that seeks to strengthen the relationship between political parties and civil society and to improve the capacity of individual leaders through workshops, seminars and courses.

Bolivia

Political Party Strengthening

From 2004-2009, NDI helped political parties and organizations adopt democratic, transparent and responsive practices as established under Bolivian law. In addition to various citizen and indigenous groups, participating political organizations included Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR), National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Fearless Movement (MSM), Plan Progress (PP), Democratic and Social Power (PODEMOS) and National Unity (UN).

In 2006, 10 parties and citizen groups, including MAS, MNR, PODEMOS and UN, debated substantive policy issues through three public candidate debates prior to the constituent assembly elections. The parties of the leading presidential candidates in the 2005 general elections, including MAS, MNR, PODEMOS and UN, also presented their parties’ economic proposals for discussion at a series of NDI-organized events.

From 2003-2005 NDI prepared 40 party trainers on participatory training methodologies from eight parties, including Nationalist Democratic Action (ADN), MAS, Pachakuti Indigenous Movement (MIP), MIR, MNR, MSM, Christian Democrat Party (PDC) and UN. These trainers replicated the training on the topics of internal democracy, transparency and outreach to new sectors with members of their parties.

From 2000 – 2003 and 2007, NDI engaged 31 Bolivian youth party members in its regional Political Leadership Program. Participants represented ADN, Free Bolivia Movement (MBL), MAS, MIR, MNR, New Republican Force (NFR), PODEMOS, Civic Solidarity Union (UCS) and UN. This program sought to strengthen the leadership skills and ability of emerging political leaders to promote the modernization and renewal of political parties. The one-year program began with an intensive leadership development seminar and continued in-country with the emerging leaders implementing party-strengthening projects.

Responding to party requests for technical assistance, in 1993 NDI conducted an international seminar on political party legislation pertaining to the topics of party fundraising, constitutional recognition of political parties and internal party democratization.

Political Parties and Poverty

Troubling levels of inequality and poverty affect a large percentage of the Bolivian population, presenting challenges to democratic institutions. In 2004 and 2007, NDI conducted two assessments on the incentives for Bolivian political parties to pursue poverty reduction strategies. NDI used the assessment findings to facilitate dialogue among political and civic actors in six Bolivian departments on poverty reduction.

Women’s Political Participation

In 2008-2009, in collaboration with local Bolivian partners, NDI conducted a series of multiparty women’s leadership workshops to prepare and empower women for successful political participation and potential public office candidacy.

In partnership with the Simon Bolivar Andean University (UASB), NDI conducted a 2007 political leadership training academy for 35 emerging women leaders to strengthen their ability to effectively engage in politics as well as promote a network of politically active women leaders. Participants represented a broad cross section of civil society groups and political parties.

In 2004, NDI implemented a nationwide women’s leadership school, Winning with Women, which trained more than 2,000 women on political leadership skills and campaign strategies for the 2004 municipal elections, and responsible municipal management practices.

Citizen Dialogue

Through a series of community workshops in Cochabamba, La Paz and Santa Cruz, NDI worked to strengthen cross-sector dialogue between civil society, indigenous groups, political parties and elected officials regarding democratic development and reform issues. Workshop participants contributed to constructive dialogue and consensus building regarding community concerns.

Brazil

Participatory Budgets

NDI began working in Brazil in 1986 when NDI and the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany responded to requests from leaders of Brazil’s National Congress to conduct a program on legislative oversight of the budget process. The 1986 Congress was charged with drafting a new constitution that was eventually adopted in late 1988. The NDI and SUNY program was conducted in collaboration with the Pedrose Hora Foundation (Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, PMDB) and the Tancredo Neves Institute (Liberal Front Party, PFL), and helped legislators develop a constitutional structure for the adoption of federal budgets.

In May 2000, NDI brought representatives from Mozambican civic groups to Brazil to study civic participation and municipal government structures. In Porto Alegre, the delegation attended a Participatory Budget Council session where citizen delegates debated the 2000 budget and voted for budget priorities. In Fortaleza, the Mozambican delegation studied examples of public-partnership cooperation both at the municipal and state levels, including a citizen's forum created by entrepreneurs. A national seminar was conducted upon return to Mozambique at which participants shared experiences and examined ways to apply the lessons learned. NDI has also used Brazilian trainers for programs in Angola and Mozambique on constitutional development, constituent relations, local government, and political party building.

Regional Political Leadership Program

In 2001, NDI worked with young leaders from the PMDB, Brazilian Worker’s Party (PT), Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), PFL, and the Brazilian Progressive Party (PPB) as part of the regional Political Leadership Program. This program sought to strengthen the leadership skills and ability of emerging political leaders to promote the modernization and renewal of political parties. The one-year program began with an intensive leadership development seminar and continued in-country with the emerging leaders implementing party-strengthening projects. The Brazilian projects addressed youth outreach, municipal government reform and political reform.

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.