When a state of emergency was announced in Kyrgyzstan in March, youth organizers were leading projects to help address some of the local infrastructure issues affecting their communities, such as parks that had fallen into disrepair or poor street lighting. With COVID-19 forcing everyone to remain home, six student organizers from the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek took action to ensure momentum was not lost. With support from NDI, these activists seamlessly pivoted their organizing efforts into the online space. 

As Georgia approaches its parliamentary elections on October 31, 2020, NDI partners are hard at work creating an environment that will ensure all Georgians have access to accurate information necessary for a free and equal election environment. To protect digital space, civil society leaders from Georgia are monitoring social media and working to increase transparency prior to the elections.

Authoritarian actors threaten to undermine democratic ideals around the world. That’s why this month, NDI featured a conversation among incredible leaders  to discuss Disinformation, Cybersecurity,  and Defending Digital Democracy as part of the International Leaders Forum held on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention (and this year held virtually.)

In a wide ranging discussion, one common theme emerged. We know what works: the strongest counter to disinformation is good governance and trust in institutions. 

Microcredit programs are often seen as solutions to help the most vulnerable. In Côte d’Ivoire, CARE International and the National Democratic Institute are exploring how microcredit can also enhance civic participation. 

Local governments are on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis globally, not only in managing the public health response, but also with regard to educating and communicating with citizens. Officials are continuing to develop and implement measures to address complex citizen needs today, while also looking ahead to prepare their communities for the new realities of a post-COVID world. Concurrent with the pandemic are challenges such as disinformation, citizen skepticism, and the need for greater transparency and accountability across all functions of government. 

The protests in the United States sparked by the high-profile deaths of George Floyd and other Black Americans have evoked widespread sympathy across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and comparisons to the anti-government protest movement in the region in recent years. However, when it comes to the widespread racial discrimination towards Black communities in the Arab world, there has been little acknowledgement of the need to address the issue.

The participation of women in Armenian politics is nothing new – in the early-20th century, Armenia first granted women’s suffrage, elected women parliamentarians and appointed women ambassadors. Yet, in Armenia today, women represent less than a quarter of the National Assembly and even smaller percentages in executive and high-level government leadership roles.