Oleksandra Shchukina is the head of Smart Media, an NDI-supported civil society organization that helps Ukraine’s citizens understand key reforms. She was raised in a family with civic and patriotic values, values which have given her strength during Russia’s war against Ukraine. “I am inspired by how caring our people are, by their desire to help others. My own patriotism and national identity come from my own family,” Oleksandra says. Her parents, grandparents, and great grandparents devoted their careers to civic life in Kharkiv, working as teachers, professors, and priests.

On August 9, an estimated 22 million Kenyans went to the polls to elect their next president. Despite being one of the most competitive elections in the country’s history, it resulted in a peaceful transition of power and a step forward in Kenya’s democratization process.

Making Democracy Work by Improving Government Communication and Public Engagement in The Gambia

For the first time ever, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteurs for Human Rights Defenders and for the Right to Peaceful Assembly and Association have explicitly recognized election observers, in particular nonpartisan citizen observers, as human rights defenders and called on member states to “enable independent and impartial election observation by all monitors, including from abroad.”

When Muammar Gaddafi’s 42-year autocratic rule came to an end in 2011, Libya turned its eye towards a new form of government, one in which the Libyan people’s interests would be represented under democratic principles. After decades of a government-enforced ban, political parties are emerging across Libya, giving Libyans the opportunity to organize their political beliefs under a collective banner.

Against the backdrop of full-scale war, missile attacks and infrastructure outages, Ukrainian citizens, civil society, political parties, media, business leaders and key democratic institutions continue to drive recovery and reconstruction planning.

In 2022, it is hard to imagine Armenia's parliament without young professionals in the corridors, rushing into a committee session, a parliamentary hearing, or patiently taking notes while talking to citizens at the reception center. You may even run into a group of young professionals sitting at the cafeteria preparing for important national and international events. Many of these young professionals are NDI Parliamentary interns and fellows.

The United Nations has designated September 15 as “International Day of Democracy.” Its stated purpose is to enable the global community to “review the state of democracy in the world” and advance the goal of ensuring democracy may be “made into a reality to be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere.”