Browse: Home /
dictatorships
By Michael Allen on March 10, 2010
The trial of Hissène Habré, Chad’s former dictator, will be “the first trial by the courts of one country against the former head of state of another,” writes human rights lawyer Reed Brody – if it takes place.
Twenty years ago, Souleymane Guengueng watched hundreds of his fellow inmates in Chad’s notorious jails die from torture [read full story]
Posted in Africa, Chad, Human rights, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, autocrats, dictatorships, rule of law |
By Michael Allen on March 3, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010 – 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM – The Iraqi Elections & the Changing Politico-Security Environment in Iraq – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. – Featuring keynote speaker Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, this one day conference presents a number of panels and experts discussing key issues of security and [read full story]
Posted in Africa, Analysis, Asia, Backlash, Blogs, China, Democracy assistance, Egypt, Elections, Fragile States, Iran, Iraq, Islam and democracy, Islam/politics, Journal of Democracy, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, National Democratic Institute, National Endowment for Democracy, Publications, Religion and Democracy, Russia, Soft power, Tools/technology, Women, accountability, authoritarianism, autocrats, backsliding, color revolutions, corruption, democracy, democracy and development, democracy promotion, democracy support, democratic reform, democratization, dictatorships, dissidents, economic crisis, emerging democracies, foreign policy, governance, media, promoting democracy, protests, religious freedom, rule of law, smart power, solidarity, state-building | Tagged Broadcasting in UN Blue: The Unexamined Past and Uncertain Future of Peacekeeping Radio, Center for International Media Assistance, Dalia Ziada, democracy in Mexico, Democratization in Africa, freedom of the internet for democracy, Human rights, Human Rights in the North Caucasus, Iraqi Elections, Islam and Religious Freedom, Islamic Republic of Iran, Mark Lagon, Mexican Media Under Attack, Mobilizing for Women's Rights and Eliminating Violence against Women, National Endowment for Democracy, Restoring America’s Reputation, Second Geneva Summit for Human Rights, velayat-e-faqih, Women in a Changing China, Women's Learning Partnership, Yemen, Zalmay Khalilzad |
By Michael Allen on February 22, 2010
Are authoritarian states successfully promoting their interests and projecting their soft power while the world’s democracies experience a bout of timidity and isolationism? Or are the autocratic states inherently flawed, failing to provide any sustainable alternative to liberal democracy?
A new book by Azar Gat raises a fundamental issue, writes Gideon Rachman in The Financial Times.
“The [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, authoritarianism, autocrats, democracy, democracy and development, democratization, dictatorships |
By Michael Allen on February 11, 2010
North Korea’s political system has little to do with Stalinism or communism, argues Christopher Hitchens:
…we should instead regard the Kim Jong-il system as a phenomenon of the very extreme and pathological right. It is based on totalitarian “military first” mobilization, is maintained by slave labor, and instills an ideology of the most unapologetic racism and [read full story]
Posted in autocrats, communist regimes, dictatorships | Tagged Christopher Hitchens, Stalinism, totalitarian |
By Michael Allen on February 11, 2010
The significance of today’s largely abortive demonstrations for the Iran’s Green movement is exercising analysts and activists. The Islamic Republic’s security apparatus managed to stifle the opposition’s attempt to hijack the 31st anniversary celebrations of the Islamic revolution.
“It’s pretty clear that Greens everywhere will feel demoralized… The overall feeling is one of disappointment,” a well-placed [read full story]
Posted in Featured, Iran, Islam and democracy, Islam/politics, Labour/labor unions, Middle East and North Africa, autocrats, democracy, democratization, dictatorships, dissidents, protests | Tagged 22 Bahman, Abbas Milani, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Basij, democracy movement, democratic change, democratic revolution, Fatimeh Haghighatjoo, Green movement, Green opposition, Iran Democracy Project, Islamic Republic, labor, radicalism of totalitarians, radicalization, Rasool Nafisi, Reuel Marc Gerecht, Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Revolutionary Guards, strikes, Velayat Faqih |
By Michael Allen on February 4, 2010
“If the U.S. thought relations between the United States and Iran were strained after the Mossadeq coup, just wait until Washington betrays the Green movement.”
Those cautionary words from an Iranian activist were heard on Capitol Hill yesterday at a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing addressing the issue of how the United States can best support [read full story]
Posted in Democracy assistance, Featured, Iran, Islam/politics, Middle East and North Africa, National Endowment for Democracy, Soft power, democracy support, dictatorships, foreign policy, promoting democracy, protests, sanctions | Tagged Green movement, Iran Democracy Fund, J. Scott Carpenter, Washington Institute for Near East Policy. |
By Katherine Bannor on January 25, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010- 12 noon. Ukraine After the First Round of Elections. Discussion with David Kramer, senior transatlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The Woodrow Wilson Center: One Wilson Plaza; Reagan Building; 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW. Full details at 202-691-4000, or http://www.wilsoncenter.org.
Monday, January 25, 2010- 6p.m. The Obama Administration’s [read full story]
Posted in Analysis, Backlash, Democracy assistance, Elections, Events, Human rights, Islam and democracy, Islam/politics, NGOs/Civil society, National Democratic Institute, National Endowment for Democracy, Zimbabwe, authoritarianism, autocrats, backsliding, color revolutions, communist regimes, corruption, democracy, democracy and development, democracy promotion, democracy support, democratization, dictatorships, dissidents, emerging democracies, foreign policy, governance, promoting democracy, protests | Tagged Concertacion, democratic consolidation, Participatory Institutions, State Capacity, tibet |
By Michael Allen on January 19, 2010
The United States will continue to engage Burma’s ruling military junta in an effort to promote democratic reform, a senior official said today.
But Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell conceded that engagement had delivered little more than a “mixed bag” of results.
The ruling military junta’s plans for “elections” later this year combined its efforts to [read full story]
Posted in Asia, Burma, India, Indonesia, Thailand, democracy promotion, democracy support, dictatorships, engagement, foreign policy, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on January 14, 2010
Why Are There No Arab Democracies? asks Larry Diamond in the latest issue of The Journal of Democracy. The January 2010 issue, which marks the Journal’s twentieth anniversary, also includes a must-read analysis of Populism, Pluralism, and Liberal Democracy by Marc F. Plattner. The full text of these articles is available online here.
You will need [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Closed societies, Democracy assistance, Elections, Failed states, Islam and democracy, Islam/politics, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, authoritarianism, autocrats, color revolutions, communist regimes, democracy, democracy and development, democracy promotion, democracy support, democratization, dictatorships, dissidents, economic crisis, emerging democracies, foreign policy, governance, legislatures, populism, promoting democracy, rule of law, state-building |
By David Lowe on January 11, 2010
The practice of promoting democracy in other countries has received heightened scrutiny since the period following the attacks of 9/11, when it was made a key component of the foreign policy of President George W. Bush. With the advent of the Obama Administration came speculation about whether the premises on which democracy promotion is based [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, China, Democracy assistance, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, authoritarianism, autocrats, color revolutions, democracy, democracy and development, democracy promotion, democracy support, democratization, dictatorships, foreign policy, promoting democracy |
Recent Comments