Source:
Los Angeles Times
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Published Date:
12/21/2011
Author Sarah Chayes highlights a conversation she had with a newly elected member of the Tunisian parliament in this Los Angeles Times editorial. Chayes illustrates the interactions between the left-leaning and secular opposition member and his constituents as well as the questions he grapples with regarding governance in Tunisia.
Yemen News Agency | Link to story »
Vice President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi met on Friday Leslie Campbell, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the National Democratic Institute.
During the meeting, Hadi said that the signing of the Gulf-brokered initiative and its implementation mechanism and the presidential decree of the formation of a national government will contribute to the end of the political crisis.
Pakistan Observer | Link to story »
A delegation of National Democratic Institute (NDI) headed by Mr. Kenneth Wollack, President NDI, Friday called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
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.”
Source:
Foreign Policy
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Published Date:
12/16/2011
James Traub's column, which includes a quote from NDI President Ken Wollack, grapples with the concept that "elections don't make a democracy, but they can make a democratic citizenry."
Source:
The Washington Post
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Published Date:
12/16/2011
Natan Sharansky, chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency and author of The Case for Democracy, writes that, in response to recent Egyptian elections, Western support for democracy in Egypt should focus on a free civil society and not a policy that considers Egyptian democracy's end as "already in sight."
Libyans celebrate Liberation Day in Benghazi. Photo by Megan Doherty, NDI resident program officer.
Most Libyans are eager to exercise their newfound political freedoms and participate in shaping their country’s future, but they feel disadvantaged by their lack of exposure to democratic practices and have concerns about security and their economy, according to new public opinion research undertaken by NDI.
The qualitative research project sampled citizens’ opinions through 16 focus groups in six cities in eastern, western and southern Libya from Nov. 12 to 28.
Source:
The Washington Post
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Published Date:
11/30/2011
The Washington Post Editorial Board writes that, as Egyptians voted just a few days ago, we should be reminded that Islamic political parties are not always enemies of democracy. For example, in October, Tunisia's Islamist Ennahda party won a majority of the popular vote, and it is showing itself to be committed to open political participation, the board writes.
"In any true Arab democracy, Islamist parties will win a lot of votes. As long as they are willing to play by the rules, those parties should not be treated as a specter to be feared."
Hindustan Times | Link to story »
South Asian News Agency | Link to story »
A delegation of National Democratic Institute (NDI) headed by Mr. Kenneth Wollack, President NDI called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Friday.
Country Director NDI Mr. Peter Manikas, Ms. Sandra Houston, country representative, and Deputy Country Director Jumana Ealal, were accompanying Mr. Wollack.
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