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By Michael Allen on March 9, 2010
Contrary to recent portrayals of a self-confident, newly assertive China assuming its place as a global hegemon, the country’s leadership “is in crisis mode”, according to a new Stratfor analysis.
Meanwhile, the ruling Communist Party’s second-highest ranking official today conceded the danger of social instability, emphasizing that the regime’s priorities would be to enhance social security [read full story]
Posted in Asia, China, Featured, authoritarianism, autocrats, communist regimes, democratic reform, democratization, freedom of expression |
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
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 |
By Michael Allen on March 3, 2010
The apparently stable advantage of democracy over autocracy disguises worrying erosion in the quality of democracy, a new analysis suggests.
Democracy has not lost its normative appeal, but even established democracies have experienced “significant setbacks” in the freedoms of assembly, association and the press, as well as declines in political participation, civil liberties and social capital, [read full story]
Posted in Africa, Analysis, Asia, China, Cuba, Cuba, Elections, Europe, Featured, Georgia, Kenya, Latin America and the Carribean, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, Russia, Turkey, Vietnam, authoritarianism, autocrats, backsliding, corruption, democracy, democracy and development, democratization, economic crisis, emerging democracies, freedom of expression, governance, media, rule of law |
By Michael Allen on March 1, 2010
Following the death of Cuban prisoner of conscience Orlando Zapata Tamayo, the island’s communist authorities have been arresting and harassing dissidents. The World Youth Movement for Democracy highlights other disturbing cases and calls for action:
At approximately 7pm on February 23, human rights activist of the Cuban Youth Movement for Democracy Cristian Toranzo Fundichely, regional winner [read full story]
Posted in Cuba, Cuba, Latin America and the Carribean, communist regimes, dissidents, freedom of expression | Tagged cuba, Cuban prisoner of conscience, New Castro, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, Same Cuba, World Youth Movement for Democracy |
By Michael Allen on February 26, 2010
This week’s meeting of African democracy advocates in Pretoria ended on a high when South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma signed the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance.
Only four states – Mauritania, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and Burkina-Faso – have ratified since it was adopted by the African Union in January 2007.
The fragility of African [read full story]
Posted in Ethiopia, Human rights, NGOs/Civil society, autocrats, democracy promotion, democratic reform, freedom of expression, governance, promoting democracy |
By Web on February 23, 2010
Wednesday, February 24 – Saturday, February 27 – “Voices from Afghanistan” Exhibit – Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE – On February 24, a new exhibit at the Library of Congress will display some of the thousands of hand-painted scrolls and letters received by Radio Azadi, RFE/RL’s popular Afghan radio station. [read full story]
Posted in Afghanistan, Democracy assistance, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Elections, Failed states, Fragile States, Haiti, Human rights, Iraq, Islam and democracy, Islam/politics, Kenya, Labour/labor unions, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, Regions, Transparency, Women, authoritarianism, corruption, democracy, democracy and development, democracy promotion, democracy support, democratic reform, democratization, dissidents, engagement, foreign policy, freedom of expression, governance, media, promoting democracy, protests, rule of law, solidarity | Tagged and Google, Broadcasting in UN Blue, Center for International Media Assistance, Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, china, counter-extremism, Democracy & Democracy Promotion, Democracy Promotion in the Muslim World, democratic governance, Geneva Summit for Human Rights, International Labour Organization, Iraqi Elections, Islam and Religious Freedom, Lech Walesa, National Endowment for Democracy, Post-Conflict Reconstruction, Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow, Rethinking Human Development, Role of the U.S. in Encouraging Pro-Democracy Movements, Tariq Ramadan, the Internet, Vaclav Havel, Violence against Women, Voices from Afghanistan, Women’s Rights in the Middle East and North Africa |
By Joshua Marks on February 19, 2010
Threats and attacks against Congolese human rights defenders and media have continued and bode ill for civil society activists as the 2011 national elections approach.
This evening in DRC, the national TV station (RTNC) attacked several pro-democracy groups, partners of the National Endowment for Democracy, for seeking to undermine the Congolese state, an accusation similar to [read full story]
Posted in Africa, Democracy assistance, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Human rights, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, Publications, dissidents, freedom of expression, media, promoting democracy |
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