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Obama Meets with MPs at NDI Center in Burma
President Obama met in Naypyitaw, the capital of Burma, also known as Myanmar, with 13 members of parliament from various parties and both houses to discuss the country’s democratic progress. The meeting was hosted at NDI’s Parliamentary Resource Center, which is supported by USAID. The meeting included a wide-ranging discussion of the country’s democratic reform process, the capacity needs of the parliament and ways in which the international community could more effectively encourage reform through the legislature. Read more »
Nigerian Electoral Commission Introduces Anti-Voter Fraud Technology
Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled a new technology to deter electoral fraud: an electronic reader for voter registration cards. The device was presented to the public on Oct. 31 in the presence of local election monitoring and advocacy groups that will be key to ensuring that the new procedures are rolled out smoothly on election day. Read more »
Constituency Outreach in Morocco Bridges Gap between Citizens and Elected Officials
Under a dusty sky in Marrakech, 80 families looked on as construction vehicles demolished the shanty town they once called home. The families, who had long struggled on the margins of this vibrant city, greeted the demolition with hope. They knew that, once the rubble had cleared, in its place would rise new and affordable homes for their families thanks to the vigorous advocacy efforts of their member of parliament, Milouda Hazib. Read more »
New Online Initiative Gives Voice to Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The description of Anne Marie Makombo’s blog reads: "Because your perspective counts. I created this blog to share with you what’s happening in the world, especially in my country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)." Makombo was the first of 30 women to post a blog as part of the NDI-supported Molongi Initiative, a platform to help Congolese women involved in politics use technology to communicate, share information on issues they care about and raise their public profile. Read more »
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Central American Legislators Promote a Regional Approach for Security Policy
To help policymakers create a cross-border approach to combat violence in Central America, NDI is co-organizing an ongoing series of Interparliamentary Forums on Security and Violence Prevention Policies with support from the National Endowment for Democracy and USAID. The next forum will convene next summer in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Read more »
With a Successful Election Process, Opportunity for Politicians to Respond to Citizens' Concerns in Tunisia
The conduct of a credible first round presidential election on Oct. 26 in Tunisia represents an important achievement contributing to the country’s ambitious democratic transition, according to the preliminary observations of an international observation mission fielded by NDI. Read more »
Vice President Biden Discusses Value of Checks and Balances in Visit to Turkey
The importance of separation of powers in government and citizen participation were the themes of a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, between Vice President Biden and the Checks and Balances Network, a coalition of civil society organizations working for greater democracy and pluralism. "Our founders concluded that a concentration of powers was the most corrosive thing that can happen to any system," Biden said of the U.S. system. "We still believe that." The Checks and Balances Network represents 204 civil society organizations that span all 81 of Turkey’s provinces. Read more »
Women from Sudan and South Sudan Act Together on Gender Issues
Women leaders from Sudan and South Sudan are working together for women’s rights, despite their countries’ partition in 2011. While relations between their countries are severely strained, the women discovered that they face common challenges in achieving greater rights for women. Together, they defined their objectives as advocates and worked on developing the expertise to achieve them. Read more »
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With more than 30 African countries slated to hold elections before December 2016, "this is a critical time for democracy and elections in Africa," Johnnie Carson, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for Africa, said during a round table discussion held at NDI. "The terms, conditions and regulations under which the elections over the next two years are going to be held...will determine whether Africa’s democratic trajectory continues to move forward, whether it flattens out or whether it starts to move backwards," Carson said. 
