NDI’s Political Party Strengthening Institute (PPSI) was established in 2014 to bring together senior party leaders from across Southern Africa to foster greater inclusiveness, peer-to-peer learning and collaboration with the goal of enhancing engagement between political parties and constituents. Since its inception, NDI has successfully organized five institutes over its five year period with participation from the top-three vote earning political parties in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.

The World Health Organization estimates 15 to 20 percent of the world’s population (approximately one billion people) as having a disability. Persons with disabilities are the world’s largest minority group and more than 80 percent of the world’s persons with disabilities live in developing and post-conflict countries. The disability community remains largely excluded from public life and is underrepresented in parliaments and political parties, limiting their ability to directly engage in decisions that impact their lives.

On October 22nd, 2019, the National Democratic Institute awarded comedian Trevor Noah with the Leadership in Democracy Award at NDI's annual Democracy Gala. With a focus on honoring the role humor plays in democracy, the dinner brought together over 460 democracy activists, members of Congress, labor and non-profit organizations, corporate supporters and members of the administration to celebrate humor as a vital form of free speech.

From October 2-4, former African heads of state, civil society activists and journalists came together to participate in the Constitutional Term Limits Summit in Niamey, Niger. The Summit focused on existing challenges of democratic consolidation and solutions to ensure the peaceful transfer of executive power across the continent. 

Peaceful and credible elections are essential for democracy to thrive. When elections are peaceful, free and fair, it can help facilitate a smooth transfer of power from one administration to another and confer legitimacy on elected officials. Despite its importance, the process of electing leaders in Nigeria has been plagued by a myriad of problems ranging from voter intimidation and suppression, to harassment and outright violence etc.

Freedom of the press is an integral element of democracy. The media plays an important role in informing citizens about current political events, including legislative actions. Lawmakers, in turn, use the media to inform and engage with their constituents. Many citizens rely upon  media outlets to inform their political decisions. During elections, the media are among the primary sources of information for voters on candidates and their platforms, voter registration procedures, and critical information on election day.