Browse: Home /
Democracy assistance
By Michael Allen on March 15, 2010
The United States remains committed to promoting democracy in the Middle East, a senior State Department official insisted today, but the pace and content of reform will be determined by local actors and the specific conditions within Arab states.
“Economic and social development are prerequisites for sustainable democracy,” said Tamara Wittes, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Elections, Featured, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, authoritarianism, autocrats, democracy, democracy and development, democracy promotion, democracy support, democratic reform, democratization, foreign policy, promoting democracy | Tagged Arab exceptionalism, authoritarian regimes, democracy promotion, democratic reform, democratic values in the Arab world, Middle East Partnership Initiative, political liberalization, promoting Arab democracy, promoting democracy in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Tamara Wittes |
By Michael Allen on March 15, 2010
Tuesday, March 16 – 10:00 am to 11:30 a.m. Disappearing God Gap: Religion’s Role in the 2008 Presidential Elections and Beyond – The Brookings Institution, Saul/Zilkha Rooms, 1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC – In a new book by religion and politics experts Corwin Smidt and Kevin den Dulk, The Disappearing God Gap? (Oxford University [read full story]
Posted in Africa, Analysis, Asia, China, Democracy assistance, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Elections, Eurasia, Europe, Events, Fragile States, Global, Human rights, Iran, Iraq, Islam and democracy, Islam/politics, Latin America and the Carribean, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, Pakistan, Regions, Religion and Democracy, Russia, Ukraine, Women, Zimbabwe, accountability, authoritarianism, autocrats, color revolutions, democracy, democracy and development, democracy promotion, democracy support, democratic reform, democratization, dictatorships, dissidents, economic crisis, emerging democracies, foreign policy, freedom of expression, governance, legislatures, media, promoting democracy, religious freedom, rule of law, sanctions, solidarity | Tagged Analyzing the Political Elite of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Democracy in Ukraine, Freedom House, Governance in the West Bank, Internet freedom, Islamism and Neo-secularism, Michael Posner, Obama Administration’s Russia Policy, Politics, post-Orange Revolution transition, radicalization, Russian Anti-Americanism, Security and Human Rights in the North Caucasus, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Transparency, Why There Is No ‘European Islam’, Zimbabwe |
By Michael Allen on March 11, 2010
Promoting democracy is a vital element in the war of ideas against violent extremism, writes James Glassman, former U.S. undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs.
Public diplomacy and public relations are not the same thing, and efforts to improve the image of the United States will be less effective than active solidarity with [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Iran, Islam and democracy, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, Religion and Democracy, democracy, democracy promotion, democracy support, foreign policy, promoting democracy, solidarity, totalitarianism | Tagged civil society, infrastructure of democracy’, Iran’s Green Movement, James Glassman, Muslim democrats, rule of law, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, totalitarian, violent extremism, war of ideas |
By Michael Allen on March 11, 2010
The Obama administration has bridled at criticism of a purportedly realist reversion on promoting democracy. But Hillary Clinton’s State Department seems to have overcome an initial reticence to consider civil society groups as serious interlocutors, at least in Pakistan, this anecdote suggests:
Shamila Chaudary — a self-described “backbencher” — had toiled for years as a faceless [read full story]
Posted in Asia, Democracy assistance, NGOs/Civil society, Pakistan, democracy promotion, promoting democracy
By Michael Allen on March 11, 2010
Today’s must-read is Vin Weber’s demolition of a recent critique of the National Endowment for Democracy by ill-informed libertarian Shikha Dalmia which rehashed some old myths about the NED and democracy assistance in general.
He’s rather gentle on Ms. Dalmia’s shaky grasp of international politics (she entertains the illusion that “Communism has … evaporated, and democracy [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, democracy, democracy promotion, dissidents, foreign policy, north korea, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on March 8, 2010
Sadly, Burma VJ didn’t win the Oscar for best documentary. The film features covertly filmed footage of the 1988 Saffron Revolution filmed by a small group of video journalists — the “VJs” of the film’s title — working the Oslo-based exile group Democratic Voice of Burma, a grantee of the National Endowment for Democracy.
But it’s [read full story]
Posted in Asia, Burma, Democracy assistance, National Endowment for Democracy, authoritarianism, democracy support, freedom of expression, media, promoting democracy | Tagged Burma VJ, Democratic Voice of Burma |
By Michael Allen on March 5, 2010
This weekend will see something rare: an election in the Arab world in which the winner can’t be predicted in advance. Aside from the predictably confessional alignments of Lebanese elections, Iraq’s March 7 parliamentary poll is the region’s only election where there is a real prospect of political power changing hands.
The campaigns have been genuinely [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Elections, Iraq, Islam and democracy, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, Religion and Democracy, democracy promotion, democracy support, democratic reform, democratization, emerging democracies, promoting democracy, state-building |
By Michael Allen on March 5, 2010
Innovative approaches to democracy support in the Middle East and North Africa, voter registration systems and democracy activists’ testimonies are but a few of the initiatives and publications highlighted in the latest newsletter from the World Movement for Democracy.
Later this month, the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy launches its new publication, “Beyond Orthodox Approaches – [read full story]
Posted in Analysis, Backlash, Democracy assistance, Elections, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, accountability, corruption, democracy, democracy promotion, democracy support, democratization, emerging democracies, foreign policy, freedom of expression, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on March 5, 2010
A North Korean factory worker was publicly executed by firing squad this week after conveying news out of the secretive communist state via his illicit cell phone, Associated Press reports:
The man, surnamed Chong, made calls to the defector using an illegal Chinese mobile phone, the broadcaster said, citing a North Korean security agency official it [read full story]
Posted in Closed societies, Democracy assistance, Human rights, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, Tools/technology, communist regimes, freedom of expression, media, north korea |
By Michael Allen on March 4, 2010
National Endowment for Democracy
Currently available opportunities include: Administrative Assistant – CIMA, Program Assistant – Asia, Program Assistant – Europe, Program Officer for Asia, Program Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, Database/Web Developer, and Senior Director of Finance. Further details here.
International Republican Institute
Currently available DC-based opportunities include: Online Communications Specialist, Deputy Press Secretary, Program Assistant [read full story]
Posted in Africa, Asia, Backlash, Center for International Private Enterprise, China, Democracy assistance, Eastern Europe, Elections, Eurasia, Europe, Funding Sources, Global, International Republican Institute, Latin America and the Carribean, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, National Democratic Institute, National Endowment for Democracy, Religion and Democracy, Russia, Solidarity Center, Tools/technology, Transparency, Women, accountability, authoritarianism, democracy, democracy and development, democracy promotion, democracy support, democratic reform, democratization, dissidents, emerging democracies, foreign policy, freedom of expression, promoting democracy, religious freedom, rule of law |
Recent Comments