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.

Iraqi officials seeking to create peace from conflict joined with Northern Ireland experts this fall for first-hand lessons in how the “Troubles” there have been turned into a developing peace over the last 10 years. Nine senior members of Iraq’s Council of Representatives took part in an NDI-sponsored study mission to Belfast to gain a comparative perspective on many issues common to both societies – such as ending sectarian discord, brokering peace agreements and power sharing – through meetings with major players from all facets of the Northern Ireland conflict.

Founded in 2000 to promote greater participation of women in politics, the 50/50 Group has grown from a handful of women meeting in borrowed space in Freetown to a nationally recognized organization actively engaged in building a new post-war Sierra Leone in which women can share equally with men in the political decisions that affect their lives.