Russia
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By Michael Allen on January 20, 2010
Authoritarian regimes have deliberately targeted and intensified attacks against human rights and democracy advocates over the past year, according to the annual review of Human Rights Watch. [read full story]
Posted in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Blogs, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Human rights, Kenya, National Endowment for Democracy, Regions, Sri Lanka, authoritarianism, democracy, democracy promotion, democracy support, dissidents | Tagged Afghanistan, authoritarian, azerbaijan, burundi, china, democracy, Democratic Republic of the Congo, dissidents, Egypt, ethiopia, human rights watch, Kenya, National Endowment for Democracy, NGOs, non-governmental organizations, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, turkmenistan, uzbekistan |
By Michael Allen on October 29, 2009
Nowhere is corruption’s corrosive effect on development and democracy more evident than in Russia.
“It is difficult to overstate the role of corruption in Russia, which in many ways is the glue that holds together the disparate groups dominating Russia’s current political system,” write Dimitri K. Simes and Paul J. Saunders. “Because of corruption, Russia’s political [read full story]
Posted in NGOs/Civil society, Russia, authoritarianism, corruption, democracy and development, rule of law | Tagged Russia |
By Michael Allen on July 9, 2009
Civil society groups will play a vital role in creating a fresh start between U.S. and Russian societies to match the “reset” in inter- governmental relations, President Barack Obama told Russian activists.
Real change “typically comes from the bottom-up,” said the former community organizer. “By mobilizing and organizing and changing people’s hearts and minds, you then [read full story]
Posted in Eastern Europe, Russia | Tagged civil society in Russia, obama, Russia |
By Michael Allen on July 6, 2009
A loosening of Russia’s restrictive NGO law ahead of a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama is being applauded by civil society groups and human rights activists, who nevertheless stress that the changes cover only a third of NGOs and Russia’s human rights record remains poor.
The reforms place limits on the amount of NGO internal [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Eastern Europe, NGOs/Civil society, Russia, authoritarianism, corruption, dissidents, foreign policy | Tagged Carnegie Moscow Center, Center for Development of Democracy and Human Rights, civil society, David Satter, Dmitiri Medvedev, garry kasparov, Lev Ponomarev, liberalization, Masha Lipman, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, modernization, NGO law, Other Russia, Paul Klebnikov, Pavel K. Baev, Russia, solidarity, Stanislav Markelov, tandemocracy, Vladimir Putin, Vladislav Surkov, World Movement for Democracy, Yuri Dzhibladze |
By Michael Allen on June 9, 2009
A sustainable democratic breakthrough in Russia needs a combination of pressure from below, elite commitment to structural reform and extensive encouragement from abroad, according to Lilia Shevtsova of the Carnegie Moscow Center. But none of these essential drivers currently exist, she told Democracy Digest.
More likely scenarios are continued stagnation or a “systemic crisis and implosion, [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Democracy assistance, Eastern Europe, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, Regions, Russia, authoritarianism, corruption, democracy promotion, promoting democracy | Tagged authoritarianism, civil society in Russia, Democracy Digest, democratic regression, Dmitri Medvedev, Indem Foundation, Levada Center, Liberal Mission Foundation, liberalism in Russia, Lilia Shevtsova, NGO law, reset U.S.-Russian relations, Russia, Russia's political elite, Russian democrats, Russian liberals, Russian nationalism, systemic crisis, Valdimir Putin, Vladislav Surkov |
By Michael Allen on May 27, 2009
“Encouraging the emergence of a full-fledged democracy” is an essential component of a successful Russia strategy for the Obama administration, argues Democratic analyst Samuel Charap. The U.S. must also make Russia a part of the solution to international problems and be prepared to confront the challenges presented by both an assertive Russia and a declining [read full story]
Posted in Eastern Europe, Russia, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, promoting democracy | Tagged authoritarianism, authoritarians, Russia, selectively capitalist kleptocracy |
By Michael Allen on May 21, 2009
Russia’s crisis is worse than the rest of the world’s, writes Anders Åslund, due to inadequate reforms, extraordinary corruption and dependence on commodity exports. Although Dmitri Medvedev and his “ambitious technocrats” are ostensibly in charge, they have been unable to implement the necessary reforms as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin remains the de facto dominant power.
The [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Eastern Europe, Human rights, NGOs/Civil society, Russia, authoritarianism, corruption, economic crisis | Tagged authoritarianism, civil society, corruption, democracy, Human rights, NGOs, Russia, tandemocracy, Vladimir Putin |
By Michael Allen on May 19, 2009
Freedom House, Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
have organized a conference marking the release of a new report: Undermining Democracy: 21st Century Authoritarians. As they note:
In recent years, a distinct set of powerful authoritarian states – including Iran, China, Russia, Venezuela, and Pakistan – have advanced alternatives to democratic models of government. Their [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, China, Democracy assistance, Events, Failed states, Pakistan, Russia, Soft power, Venezuela, authoritarianism, democracy promotion, promoting democracy | Tagged authoritarian resurgence, authoritarianism, Authoritarianism 2.0, authoritarians, china, Freedom House, iran, pakistan, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia, Undermining Democracy, venezuela |
By Michael Allen on May 4, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009. All Day – Conference. The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy – 10th year anniversary annual conference on “How to Improve Relations With the Muslim World: Challenges and Promises Ahead.” Events begin at 9 a.m. Agenda highlights: — 9 a.m.: Geneive Abdo of the Century Foundation; Cecile Coronato of [read full story]
Posted in Asia, Backlash, Cuba, Cuba, Democracy assistance, Elections, Eurasia, Events, Human rights, Islam/politics, Latin America and the Carribean, Middle East and North Africa, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, Pakistan, Publications, Russia, authoritarianism, corruption, democracy promotion, dictatorships, dissidents, promoting democracy | Tagged Arab democracy, Building Democracy in Southeast Asia, Center for International Private Enterprise, Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, civil society, corruption, Democracy and Security, Democracy and Security in Pakistan, Democracy in the Middle East, Democracy in the Muslim World, economic decline and democratic stability in Latin America, Freedom House, Human rights, Journal of Democracy, Moldova, Muslim World, National Endowment for Democracy, pakistan, Russia, Social Factors in Cuba, The Next Founders: Voices of Democracy in the Middle East, Transparency |
By Michael Allen on April 20, 2009
Russia’s nascent civil society is at risk of “serious deterioration” as a result of the relentless campaign against independent voices, a veteran dissident said today. The country’s human rights community and democracy advocates lack the capabilities and means” for countering the attacks, Lyudmila Alekseyeva told a Washington, DC, meeting organized by Freedom House.
Activists were “very [read full story]
Posted in Backlash, Democracy assistance, Eastern Europe, Europe, Events, NGOs/Civil society, National Endowment for Democracy, Russia, authoritarianism, dissidents, promoting democracy | Tagged authoritarianism, civil society, Human rights, National Endowment for Democracy, Russia |
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