Democracy and Technology

Civil society organisations in Egypt and Tunisia are investigating quicker, more effective ways of monitoring elections using text messaging (SMS).

Tunisia is expecting an election in six months, and the Egyptian government has promised to hold a presidential election "very soon".

Link to story »

Language English

Read more about North Africa: SMS to Help Monitor Elections in the Arab World | Dec. 2, 2013

Privacy and Surveillance are the Elephant in the Room at OGP Summit | Nov. 1, 2013

TechPresident | Link to story »

Privacy, surveillance and the closing of political space for openness and transparency activists in many countries was the hot issue at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit in London that was left largely unaddressed by the OGP member countries present.

Language English

Read more about Privacy and Surveillance are the Elephant in the Room at OGP Summit | Nov. 1, 2013

Award Recipients Discuss Technology’s Role in Democracy

Five winners of NDI’s 2013 Democracy Award gathered at the Institute yesterday for a panel discussion about how technology can be used to improve the way governments and citizens interact.

Young people in Kosovo, Europe’s newest country, are impatient. They make up half of the population and are keen to see Kosovo integrated into Europe as a democracy, but they struggle to have a voice in the democratic process. Many youth activists are turning to social media to make their voices heard. NDI is helping them.

In celebration of its 30 years of strengthening democracy around the world, NDI honored a group of civic innovators at a Dec. 10 dinner and awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The 21 government officials, political leaders, entrepreneurs and civic activists from 13 countries are at the forefront of efforts to use technology to expand opportunities for citizen participation and to make governments more transparent and accountable.

Jack Dorsey, chairman and co-founder of Twitter, and Samantha Power, U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, will be among the speakers at the National Democratic Institute’s Democracy Dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 10, in Washington, DC, which marks the Institute’s 30th anniversary.

Twitter Chair Jack Dorsey and UN Representative Samantha Power to Speak at NDI 30th Anniversary Democracy Dinner Honoring Civic Innovators

WASHINGTON–Jack Dorsey, chairman and co-founder of Twitter, and Samantha Power, U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, will be among the speakers at the National Democratic Institute’s Democracy Dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 10, in Washington, DC, which marks the Institute’s 30th anniversary.

Afghanistan “ElecTech” conference engages government officials on the power of technology in elections

The legitimacy of Afghanistan's next government will hinge in large measure on whether next April's elections are regarded as credible, particularly in light of fraud that marred the country’s polls in 2009 and 2010.

NDI Establishes Silicon Valley Presence

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Given the increasingly important role that technology is playing in democratic reform efforts globally, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has named Sarah Oh to serve as its partnerships representative in Silicon Valley. Oh will be based at the Impact Hub in San Francisco, a collaborative working space that describes itself as part innovation lab, part business incubator and part community center.

NDI Establishes Silicon Valley Presence

Given the increasingly important role that technology is playing in democratic reform efforts globally, NDI has named Sarah Oh to serve as its partnerships representative in Silicon Valley. Oh will be based at the Impact Hub in San Francisco, a collaborative working space that describes itself as part innovation lab, part business incubator and part community center. She will be responsible for liaising with NDI partners and tech innovators in Silicon Valley and throughout the Bay Area.