Although it infects indiscriminately, COVID-19’s fallout will inevitably impact people differently around the globe. Beyond immediate health risks, the pandemic’s ripple effect will compound and deepen the socio-economic challenges already faced by marginalized communities, especially in places where public officials have traditionally demonstrated an unwillingness or inability to consider their needs.    

In Libya, NDI's new youth debates program, called "Voice of Change" demonstrates the important work that can be done despite the ongoing conflict in the country. Debates are often one of the first real opportunities that young people have to engage in the basic tenets of democracy. The skills that students develop in preparing arguments on policy topics, in presenting those arguments and in being judges in their effectiveness last a lifetime. Through each debate, more people are introduced to democratic ideas and the pros and cons of political party and government policies.

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.

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.