By Michael Allen on March 17, 2010
A “deluge of events” is hitting Cuba’s communist regime, notes Yoani Sanchez, the island’s leading dissident blogger:
The first drops fell at the beginning of January, with the death of several dozen patients in the Havana Psychiatric Hospital from starvation and cold. The flood of problems intensified with the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, pushed to [read full story]
Posted in Blogs, Cuba, Latin America and the Carribean, communist regimes, corruption, dissidents, engagement, freedom of expression, protests |
By Michael Allen on March 17, 2010
Pro-government goons harassed and abused the Ladies in White dissident group as the women marched in Havana to highlight the 2003 “Black Spring” imprisonment of 75 dissidents.
With dissidents’ hunger strikes attracting international attention, Oscar-winning director Pedro Almodovar has signed a petition demanding the release of Cuba’s political prisoners while Amnesty International marked the anniversary [read full story]
Posted in Cuba, Featured, Human rights, Latin America and the Carribean, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, communist regimes, corruption, democracy, dissidents, freedom of expression, protests | Tagged Amnesty International, Black Spring, Carlos Saladrigas, Cuba Study Group, democracy activists, Ladies in White, Marifeli Perez-Stable, National Endowment for Democracy, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, Pedro Almodovar |
By Michael Allen on March 16, 2010
The Islamic Republic of Iran is “plagued with despotism,” a leading opposition figure said today, while another Green Movement leader called on activists to demonstrate their independence from foreign powers.
Former parliament speaker Mehdi Karoubi was speaking ahead of the Iranian New Year that prompted a major mobilization of security forces in a show of force [read full story]
Posted in Regions | Tagged despotism, Green movement, Islamic Republic of Iran, Mehdi Karoubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi |
By Michael Allen on March 16, 2010
Did last weekend’s regional elections indicate growing voter fatigue with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s ruling party? Or is his power vertical pretty much intact with the elections providing a convenient safety valve to defuse growing social unrest?
United Russia saw its share of the vote fall in seven of eight regional legislatures as voters registered their [read full story]
Posted in Eurasia, Featured, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, Russia, authoritarianism, corruption, dissidents, protests, rule of law |
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 15, 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.
Center for International Private Enterprise
Currently available opportunities include: Finance Officer, Program Assistant – Eurasia and [read full story]
Posted in Africa, International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, National Endowment for Democracy, Zimbabwe | Tagged Center for International Private Enterprise, International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, National Endowment for Democracy |
By Michael Allen on March 15, 2010
President Barack Obama’s visit to Indonesia is both personal and political, writes the Brookings Institution’s Lex Rieffel. One of the trip’s objectives is to raise the global profile of the world’s most important and least known country, including its “impressive transition from 30 years of authoritarian rule………… to become arguably the most democratic country in [read full story]
Posted in Asia, Elections, Featured, Indonesia, Islam and democracy, Islam/politics, NGOs/Civil society, accountability, democracy, democratization | Tagged authoritarian rule, collusion and nepotism, compatibility of democracy and Islam, compatibility of democracy and sharia, democracy conference in Jakarta, democratic transition, Democratic Transition and Consolidation, equating democracy with liberalism, Human rights, Indonesia and democracy, Islam and democracy, KKN: corruption, pluralism, secularism, shari'a |
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 12, 2010
“As a human rights defender, I am hoping that the Zimbabwean Government will learn …., that it is not proper for a citizen to be abducted, tortured, and kept incommunicado for weeks on end without being tried,” said Jestina Mukoko yesterday. The executive director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, a grantee of the National Endowment [read full story]
Posted in Africa, Human rights, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, Zimbabwe, accountability, democracy support, dissidents |
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 |
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