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.

Project on Middle East Democracy | Link to story  » "In an effort to 'uncover young people's attitudes toward political involvement and specifically their experiences in the previous election in 2007,' the Al-Hayat Center for Civil Society Development and the National Democratic Institute have 'launched a campaign focused on engaging and registering young voters for [the] Nov. 9 parliamentary elections.'

The number of Lebanese women elected to municipal offices more than doubled this year, increasing from the 201 elected in 2004 to 530 who were successful in this year’s polls. The increase was particularly noteworthy because it came without the help of a quota law, a technique used in a number of countries in the Middle East and elsewhere to ensure a specified number of seats for women.

The Young Women Leaders Academy (YWLA), a year-long program that aims to inspire and empower young Middle Eastern women to pursue political careers in their home countries, culminated in a two-week retreat in Madison, Wisconsin, last month, where participants met with elected women leaders from across the state and honed their leadership skills and political aspirations. The participants are now back in their home countries, where they are pursuing a range of options, from starting their own advocacy organizations to running for elective office.

Author:  Ken Wollack Publisher:  National Democratic Institute Published Date:  06/09/2010 Resource Type:  Testimony Language:  English Media Type:  PDF Copyright Information:  2010

Saba Net | Link to story  » "Speaker of the Parliament Yahya al-Rae'i praised on Monday the growing relations with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) for International Affairs and the joint programs co-organized by the parliament and the institute.

Arab Reform Bulletin | Link to story  » "As Jordan heads toward parliamentary elections to be held by the end of 2010, recommendations to reform the electoral system made by the nongovernmental National Center for Human Rights (NHCR) have touched off a firestorm of debate in Jordanian political circles.

Saba Net | Link to story  » Deputy Speaker of Parliament Himiar al-Ahmar and NDI Resident Director Heather Therrien discussed aspects of developing the joint cooperation program between the parliament and the institute. The program includes training parliamentary members and staff with special focus on the committees of media, culture, tourism, health, education, financial affairs, local authority, human rights and constitutional and legal affairs.

With women becoming increasingly prominent in North African politics, NDI brought together more than 60 women from across the region who are both established and emerging as political and civic leaders to discuss the importance of women's political engagement. The group, from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, met in Casablanca, Morocco, March 13–14, a site that was chosen in part because of the record 3,406 new women councilors who were voted into office during last year’s municipal elections.

Young people age 35 and under make up more than half of Algeria's population, but they are largely absent from political life. Broad confidence in the government is lacking, with youth seeing no clear benefit to getting involved at even the most basic level in their communities. The political system provides few openings for young people to participate in a constructive manner. Their mounting frustration is sometimes taken out through street protests, which can turn violent.

Author:  National Democratic Institute Publisher:  National Democratic Institute Published Date:  03/01/2010 Resource Type:  Report Language:  Arabic, English NDI recently published the Institute’s Final Report on the June 7, 2009 Lebanese Parliamentary Election. The polls were held under a new electoral law agreed to in 2008 by all parties and were also the first in post-war Lebanon to be held in one day. To demonstrate international support for Lebanon’s democratic development and provide an impartial assessment of the electoral process, NDI deployed long-term observers, fielded two pre-election delegations during the campaign period and organized an election day observation mission.