2020 has given the world another record for the books: in response to COVID-19, international financial institutions (IFIs) have mobilized unprecedented levels of lending for health and economic programs. While the current extraordinary circumstances may merit extraordinary levels of international financial support, the potential for misuse is an issue of concern as well.

Over the last year, Turkey has been confronted with a series of crises. Ongoing debates regarding the prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) and its relationship to conservative cultural norms have only been heightened in recent months as Turkey has confronted the dual threat of a lagging economy and an ongoing pandemic. As Turkish citizens have spent more time at home and the public health sector focuses on fighting the pandemic, pre-existing social challenges, such as GBV, have been exacerbated.

In Georgia, NDI partners with USAID to support civil society organizations’ (CSOs) citizen-driven advocacy campaigns. Partners identify pressing concerns in their communities, build public support around these issues and advocate to local, regional, and national authorities for their resolution. Between October 2019 and May 2020, NDI supported campaigns in the municipalities of Ozurgeti, Marneuli, and Telavi.

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.