Backlash
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By Michael Allen on April 21, 2009
The United States will keep the issues of “political prisoners, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, [and] democracy” on the agenda of any future engagement with Cuba, President Barack Obama insisted at the end of the Summit of the Americas last Sunday.
The U.S. represents “a set of universal values and ideals – the idea of [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Cuba, authoritarianism, democracy promotion | Tagged authoritarianism, Backlash, civil society, communism, democracy in Cuba, democratic pluralism, democratization, Human rights |
By Michael Allen on March 26, 2009
Several of Nigeria’s leading civil society groups in the country, including four partners of the National Endowment for Democracy, have condemned as “unlawful and arbitrary” the government’s dismissal of the head of the country’s National Human Rights Commission. Mrs. Kehinde Ajoni was appointed for five years and her contract was not due to end until [read full story]
Posted in Africa, Backlash, Human rights, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy | Tagged Africa, Backlash, Human rights, National Endowment for Democracy, NGOs/Civil society, Nigeria, Women's rights, Women’s rights |
By Michael Allen on March 24, 2009
Growing political intolerance and polarization have returned to Nicaragua as President Daniel Ortega’s Government of Reconciliation and National Unity proves to be anything but. Pro-government Sandinista gangs have physically attacked opposition groups criticizing last year’s allegedly fraudulent elections.
“Nicaragua has come a long way from the heady days of 1990, when Chamorro’s election win appeared to [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Elections, Latin America and the Carribean, media | Tagged Backlash, Elections, media, nicaragua |
By Michael Allen on March 16, 2009
The United States should make democracy consolidation a principal strategic objective in order to prevent a “reverse wave” of state implosions, a new report suggests. The Obama administration should ditch the “toxic” concept of democracy promotion with its implication of coercive democratization and instead create greater incentives for democratic reform, according to an analysis from [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Democracy assistance, Global, democracy promotion, foreign policy, promoting democracy | Tagged Backlash, Democracy assistance, democracy promotion, foreign policy, Global, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on March 10, 2009
History suggests that the unprincipled appeasement of dictators is “the road to hell”, former Czech president Vaclav Havel said yesterday. Democracy is more than a set of processes or institutions, and democratic activists must recapture and rekindle the “spirit of democracy”, he told a Prague meeting on European Union approaches to democracy assistance.
“Long standing experience [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Democracy assistance, National Endowment for Democracy, Regions, democracy promotion, promoting democracy | Tagged Backlash, Democracy assistance, democracy promotion, National Endowment for Democracy, promoting democracy |
By Michael Allen on March 4, 2009
Has democratic liberalism reached its apex? Is it facing decline and retreat before the forces of nationalism, Islamism, and dictatorship?
Freedom House’s Arch Puddington puts things in perspective by comparing current challenges to the threats of the 1970s:
“You had Communism taking over Southeast Asia-Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos. You had strongmen with quasi-Marxist instincts ruling much of Africa. [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Global, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, promoting democracy | Tagged authoritarianism, Backlash, democracy promotion |
By Michael Allen on March 4, 2009
The world’s largest democracy goes to the polls next month when India’s 714 million voters cast their ballots in a five-phase parliamentary election stretching from April 16 to May 13. Observers suggest that the results will highlight the rise of regional politicians at the expense of national parties, such as the Congress and Bharatiya Janata.
South [read full story]
Posted in Asia, Backlash, Elections, Islam/politics, National Endowment for Democracy | Tagged Asia, Backlash, democracy, Islam, National Endowment for Democracy |
By Michael Allen on February 25, 2009
It’s been said that a pessimist is simply a well-informed optimist. But the very well-informed Thomas Carothers cautions against the democratic pessimism prompted by the rise and resilience of global authoritarianism, the backlash against democracy assistance and the end of the Third Wave of democracy.
“[A]lthough the condition of democracy is certainly troubled in many places, [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Democracy assistance, Global, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, economic crisis, promoting democracy | Tagged authoritarianism, Backlash, Democracy assistance, democracy promotion, global solidarity, obama |
By Michael Allen on February 13, 2009
Authoritarian regimes have become adept at creating government-organized NGOs as a “tool of choice for undemocratic governments to manage their domestic politics while appearing democratic.” Part of a concerted backlash against bona fide democratic actors, GONGOs also deflect attention and resources from genuine democratic actors, creating a misleading impression of a healthy civil society.
It [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Eurasia, Human rights, authoritarianism, media | Tagged authoritarianism, azerbaijan, Backlash, Eurasia, Human rights, media, obama |
By Michael Allen on February 10, 2009
Assistance to young democracies during their difficult years greatly increases their chances of success, new research suggests. ”Difficult initial conditions do not necessarily mean democratization is doomed,” argues Ethan Kapstein, co-author of The Fate of Young Democracies.
Examining emerging democracies against a backdrop of an anti-democratic backlash and deteriorating quality of democracy even within free [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Democracy assistance, Global | Tagged Backlash, Democracy assistance, Global, young democracies |
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