image of a compass
NDI

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.

Home

Responding to Citizen Concerns, MPs Work to Expand Health Care in South Sudan

doc-checks-patient-382px.jpg
A member of the Bangladeshi medical corps checks a patient's blood pressure in Kator. Photo by Victor Geri Ayub, NDI resident officer.

Doctors and nurses from a U.N. hospital in South Sudan are treating patients in Munuki and Kator, two communities outside the capital that had no access to health care until now. The presence of the hospital staff grew out of a town hall-style meeting that was a first-time opportunity for residents of those communities to meet with their elected members of parliament.

Teen Activist Receives Pakistan's National Peace Award

Yousufzai-382px.jpg
Yousufzai (left) address an NDI political parties event.

Malala Yousufzai, a 13-year-old girl from the tribal area of Swat, has been awarded Pakistan’s first ever Peace Award for Youth for her bravery in reporting the details of a bloody Taliban insurgency in the region.

Yousufzai wrote anonymous diaries for the BBC that related how the Taliban were blowing up schools for girls and engaging in killings and beheadings.  In the absence of media reports, Yousufzai’s was the only voice the world was hearing from Swat.

Colombian President Signs Anti-Discrimination Law

Colombia Anti-Discrimination Photo, 382px

A group of activists gathered outside the senate just moments before initial passage of the law.

A landmark anti-discrimination law, described by one supporter as “an homage to equality,” was signed into law last month by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. For the first time, it levies prison sentences for acts of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or nationality.

The law is “a form of justice,” said President Santos. “It was time to get tough on this and to ensure the protection of the rights of those discriminated against.”

Guatemalan Quick Count Aided Public Confidence In Presidential Runoff Results

Guatemala Round 2 Elections Photo, 382px

A Citizen Action data entry volunteer enters data from an observer into a database.

Election observation efforts by Guatemalan citizen groups, including NDI’s partner Citizen Action (Acción Ciudadana), helped increase public confidence in the integrity of last month’s presidential runoff election and head off a repeat of problems associated with the first round of voting. 

Lebanese Group Using New Policy Platform to Advocate for More Humane Drug Law

PolicyLebanon 382px

A forum held by PolicyLebanon.org yields discussion on domestic policy issues.

In 1998, Lebanon revised its drug law, decriminalizing drug addiction and treating it as a public health issue, a first step toward viewing addiction as a social and health problem. But in the years since, judges and civil society representatives have found shortcomings in the statute, which they say include a lack of access to healthcare and a tendency to ignore drug users’ civil rights. Tired of waiting for government action, civil society organizations across Lebanon have begun advocacy campaigns of their own.

Stay Informed

Sign up for email updates
 

Contribute

Our Programs in ...

Select a country:

National Democratic Institute | 455 Massachusetts Ave, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20001-2621 | p: 202.728.5500 | f: 888.875.2887