News from NDI: Senator Mikulski, Afghanistan's First Lady Headline 2015 Madeleine K. Albright Luncheon

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May 2015

“When women show power that each one of us can make a difference, together we make change,” said Senator Barbara Mikulski, D-MD, one of the featured speakers at NDI's 2015 Madeleine K. Albright luncheon on May 12.

The annual luncheon, hosted by NDI Chairman and former Secretary of State Albright, honors the worldwide efforts of grassroots women’s organizations to promote the participation and leadership of women in politics. Senator Mikulski and Afghanistan First Lady Rula Ghani headlined the event.

At the luncheon, NDI awarded its 2015 Albright Grant to the Worker Women Social Organization (WWSO), based in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

"Afghan women are among the strongest women I have ever had the privilege to know,” Ghani said. “They are the glue that keeps society together, they are the conscience that goads the leaders onto the right path. They are hardworking, persistent, resourceful, and they are tough.” Read more »

Senator Barbara Mikulski Receives NDI’s Democracy Award

At its May 12 luncheon, NDI honored Senator Mikulski with its W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award for her decades of leadership advocating for democracy and the advancement of women and girls.

The award was presented by NDI Chairman and former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, who said, "Senator Mikulski exemplifies NDI’s commitment to ensuring democracy is inclusive of all citizens.” Read more »

NDI Launches Campaign to Address Violence Against Women in Elections

Women worldwide are disproportionately affected by electoral violence. In fact, they face the prospect of physical harm at four times the rate of male voters during elections, according to a report by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.

NDI is launching a campaign to counter acts of election violence that are directed at individuals because of gender and that seek to undermine, delay or otherwise influence an electoral process. Read more »

Campaign School Graduates Help Lebanese Youth Consider Outreach Strategies

Despite political and regional challenges in Lebanon, young party activists are eager to find ways to enter politics.

That's why young Lebanese activists, representing five political parties, gathered outside Beirut in April for a campaign school to learn how to build outreach strategies for local elections and create messages that address voter interests. Read more »

NDI's Chris Fomunyoh Discusses Burundi Violence with PBS NewsHour

NDI's Christopher Fomunyoh, director for Central and West Africa programs, spoke with PBS NewsHour about the recent violence in Burundi.

"This is a hugely destabilizing factor for the entire Great Lakes region," said Fomunyoh. "We are seeing tens of thousands of new refugees fleeing into a situation that is so volatile. Ultimately the Great Lakes could convulse again into a humanitarian catastrophe and then it becomes a global responsibility for the world to be called upon to send resources." Read more »

Public Hearing in Cartagena on Disability Policies

In Cartagena, Colombians with disabilities have long struggled for passage of public policies that address their needs. But now, thanks to the efforts of one of NDI’s Colombian civic partners, that situation has started to change.

In April, Cartagena held its first public hearing as part of a 16-month advocacy campaign to push for special municipal policies that will improve the daily lives of the city’s citizens with disabilities. Read more »

Get to Know NDI: Maka Meshveliani, 2015 Andi Parhamovich Fellow

“Helping more women get elected in Georgia are both personal and professional passions of mine that luckily coincide,” said Maka Meshveliani, NDI's 2015 Andi Parhamovich Fellow and a senior program officer in Georgia.

Meshveliani sat down for an interview in which she describes herself as “invested” in championing women in politics. Watch the interview »

Southern African Opposition and Ruling Political Parties Convene to Discuss Policy Strengthening

Leaders from opposition and ruling parties in seven Southern African nations came together recently in Pretoria, South Africa, for the region’s first conference focused exclusively on policy development.

At the conference, rival political parties put aside partisan differences to discuss ways to improve how policies are developed to reflect the concerns and priorities of citizens in their respective countries. Read more »

Key Findings in Public Opinion Research from Georgia and Moldova

Voters in Moldova are frustrated that they receive little information, much less solutions to their problems, from parties and government, according to a newly released NDI public opinion survey. See what else is on Moldovans' minds ahead of next month’s local elections. Read more »

According to an NDI poll released this month, Georgians are concerned about the bread and butter issues of jobs, the rising cost of living and providing for themselves and their families. NDI surveys public opinion to help Georgian partners diagnose and address issues of public concern by providing accurate, unbiased and statistically sound data. Read more »

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DemocracyWorks is a blog written by staff members of the National Democratic Institute.