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democracy promotion
By Michael Allen on March 12, 2010
“It has become fashionable to say that the Bush administration made ‘egregious’ errors promoting democracy in the Arab world,” writes Steven A. Cook at the Council on Foreign Relations.
But, while Cook opposed invading Iraq, he insists that the previous administration was otherwise commendable in addressing the Arab world’s democracy deficit.
The “forceful, public support for [read full story]
Posted in Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, autocrats, democracy, democracy promotion, promoting democracy | Tagged civil society, democracy deficit, democracy promotion, promoting democracy in the Arab world, promotion of democracy |
By Michael Allen on March 11, 2010
The democratic West is consistently failing to pull the emerging democracies into partnerships and alliances on issues as diverse as climate change and sanctions against Iran, writes Nikolas K. Gvosdev.
Contrary to expectations of engaging them in a revived Community of Democracies, “southern democracies” like Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, India and Indonesia show a disturbing inclination [read full story]
Posted in Africa, Asia, China, India, autocrats, democracy, democracy promotion, democratization, emerging democracies |
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 9, 2010
Is the Obama administration hesitant to make democracy promotion a priority? The Carnegie Endowment’s Robert Kagan and Aroop Mukharji hint as much.
But they are more concerned to celebrate Colombia President Álvaro Uribe’s decision not to seek a fourth term of office:
Democracy is being undermined across South America, where hyper-presidencies and constitutional change have become commonplace. [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, autocrats, democracy, democracy promotion, democratization, promoting democracy | Tagged promoting democracy, wave of autocracy |
By Michael Allen on March 8, 2010
He was a man who “thought big and acted big” and whose enthusiasm for democracy was so passionate that he even liked politicians!
Gerardo LeChevallier was known as “el tigre” for his unflappable commitment to democracy, today’s memorial service at the Organization of American States heard. He was a “passionate player” who daily risked his life [read full story]
Posted in Haiti, Latin America and the Carribean, National Democratic Institute, Organization of American States, Regions, democracy, democracy promotion, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on March 8, 2010
When Suharto’s military dictatorship and the economy collapsed simultaneously in 1998, observers expected Indonesia to lapse into chaos and violence. The prevailing scenarios held that without an autocratic figure to hold it together, the country would Balkanize or fall prey to fundamentalist Islam.
Instead, while the threat of radical Islamist terrorism has not dissipated, the country [read full story]
Posted in Asia, Indonesia, Islam and democracy, Islam/politics, autocrats, corruption, democracy, democracy and development, democracy promotion, promoting democracy, rule of law |
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 |
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