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July 29, 2004, Volume 1, Number 13
DEMOCRACY DIGEST
The Weekly Bulletin of the Transatlantic Democracy Network
ISSUES
"Struggle of Ideas" Needed to Promote Democracy – 9/11 Panel
In its report last week America's bipartisan September 11 Commission threw its weight behind the view that a “struggle of ideas" will be a critical factor in defeating terrorism and jihadist ideology. In striking passages often neglected in media coverage the panel proposed that the US engage more energetically in ideological conflict with Islamic radicalism.
"We need short-term action on long-term strategy, one that invigorates our foreign policy with the attention that the president and Congress have given to the military and intelligence parts of the conflict against Islamic terrorism," the report said.
Radical Islamists will remain “impervious to persuasion,” the panel concedes, but “it is among the large majority of Arabs and Muslims that we must encourage reform, freedom, democracy, and opportunity, even though our own promotion of these messages is limited in its effectiveness simply because we are its carriers.”
The commission said the Administration should enhance public diplomacy efforts to counter the growth of anti-Americanism and should challenge traditional allies among authoritarian regimes to carry out democratic reforms. “One of the lessons of the Cold War,” the report argues, “was that short-term gains in cooperating with the most brutal and repressive governments were too often outweighed by long-term setbacks for America's stature and interests.”
Condoleezza Rice, the US national security adviser, said the panel's recommendations are consistent with the administration's current efforts. "The hearts-and-minds issues are back, maybe in an even more real way than they were in the Cold War," she said, while claiming that President Bush has pushed harder for democratization in the Middle East than any president since World War II.
Critics on both the left and right have argued that the administration has neglected the ideological dimension of this struggle. The panel's report therefore struck a chord with a variety of commentators. “We need to set up the sort of intellectual mobilization we had during the cold war,” wrote the New York Times's David Brooks, “with modern equivalents of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, to give an international platform to modernist Muslims and to introduce them to Western intellectuals.”
The struggle against radical Islam is indeed comparable to democracy's confrontation with radical secular ideologies, says Olivier Roy, author of Globalized Islam and research director at the Paris-based French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). For both Islamic fundamentalists and secular leftists a “quest for mythic, messianic, transnational movements of liberation remains the same, as does the enemy: America's imperial colossus.”
But the 9/11 panel report is thin on prescription, argues Anthony Cordesman, a former intelligence analyst with the US State and Defense departments. He charges that the panel “does not address how we can work with allies -- either governments or reform movements -- to create a positive agenda where we are seen as an ally, not trying to impose our values."
Many see the commission's report as an implicit rebuttal of those so-called "realists" who have recently argued that attempts to reform and democratize the Middle East are fundamentally misconceived. One of the more strenuous of these has been Michael Scheuer, a CIA analyst who writes, curiously, under the pen name "Anonymous." In his recent book Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror. Scheuer argues that radical Muslims are hostile to the West's modernity, democracy, and individualism, but are only provoked to more drastic action by attempts to promote democracy and other Western values and policies.
The 9/11 Commission takes an entirely different view. One of its
key recommendations, for example, states that "a comprehensive US strategy to counter terrorism should include economic policies that encourage development, more open societies, and opportunities for people to improve the lives of their families and to enhance prospects for their children's future."
Obstacle to Democratization is Statism, not Islam: CSIS Report
Cultural or religious factors are not to blame for Islamic societies' failures to democratize and modernize, according to a new report by the Islam Program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. The principal reasons are rather the excessive role of the state in the region, the weakness of the private sector, excessive military power, widespread poverty, the legacy of colonialism and the impact of the Cold War.
The report Modernization and Democratization in the Muslim World rejects the “new culturalist thesis which considers Islam “especially impervious to democratizing influences.” “Neither civilizations nor religions alone can explain the nature of Muslim states' responses to modernity,” the report contends. Previous theories failed to explain the absence of democracy in the Muslim world because they were ahistorical. Theorists like Samuel Huntington, the report charges, fail to consider the effects of colonialization, regional conflicts caused by Cold War proxy wars, and international economic organizations.
Islam "is neither a tremendous help nor a hindrance" in encouraging democracy, says Shireen Hunter, director of the CSIS Islam Program and a principal author of the report. Many Islamic concepts are conducive to democracy, says Hunter, citing the concept of baya, or consultation, which means “giving support and acceptance to a leader, and also withdrawing that if the leader did not perform for the benefit of society." Similarly, the concepts of shura (consultation), ijma (consensus), and ijtihad (interpretation) help to cultivate democratic sensibilities in Islamic contexts.
Economic development does not necessarily lead to democratization, says the report, but by fostering new economic and social groups which challenge the state's authoritarian prerogatives, some economic models do create “a more propitious environment for transition to democracy.”
"Most Muslim countries, unfortunately, at one time or another adopted statist economic policies and did not adopt policies for a stronger middle class and privatization," Hunter argues. "Society becomes stronger when economic reliance on the state becomes less," she continues. "Development of the private sector and development of political parties will strengthen civil society."
The report proposes specific steps to encourage democratic reform, including: rewarding countries that show a commitment to reform, notably democratization; improving education; reducing income disparities through job creation; reducing the military's political and economic role; encouraging civil society development; and promoting regional economic cooperation.
The CSIS report calls for "reviving the spirit of earlier democratizers and reformers in the Muslim world" as well as renewing the latent rationalist and progressive traditions of Islam as tools for building democracy.
Other scholars of this subject contend that Islam is already experiencing a “sharp, focused challenge to the assertions of religious orthodoxy.” Abdou Filali-Ansary, director of the London-based Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations cites such thinkers as Abdolkarim Soroush (Iran), Abdelmajid Charfi (Tunisia), Fazlur Rahman (Pakistan), and Mahmud Muhammad Taha (Sudan) as reformists who are “subjecting … traditional frameworks to scrutiny and attempting to separate the core ethical principles of Islam from the various historical adaptations that conservatives have enshrined as sacred.” Perhaps these new currents of thinking among Islamic scholars can help nurture the economic and political changes the CSIS report contemplates.
Democracy Promotion a Global Priority, says EU Presidency
"The major global issues of our time are combating terrorism, furthering human rights and democracy, economic development and action against poverty,
declared Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. The Netherlands currently holds the EU's rotating presidency and Balkenende was presenting the Dutch presidency's priorities to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 21 July. "Cooperation with our transatlantic partners, with whom we have such an enormous amount in common, is also extremely important," he continued.
Democracy Demands Transatlantic Co-operation,
says EU Foreign Policy Chief
Transatlantic co-operation is the only way to guarantee a more secure and democratic world, Javier Solana, the EU's high representative for foreign policy, likewise declared this week."When the US and the EU have the same opinion on a problem in the world then the probability of solving that problem becomes much larger,” noting that the US is “ready to accept the EU as an equal partner."
“The transatlantic relationship is irreplaceable,” Solana explained, noting that the US and Europe “belong to the same family and share the same ideas and values.” At the same time Solana pressed for an “effective and balanced partnership,” a diplomatic appeal for greater consideration for allies on the part of the U.S.
Syrian Cyber Dissidents Jailed
Three Syrians were sentenced on 25 July to between two to four years in jail on charges of sending "false information" to a Gulf-based electronic newspaper, a human rights group reported. A state security court in Damascus sentenced Haytham Kutaysh to four years, his brother Muhannad Kutaysh to three years, and journalist Yahia Al Aous to two years in prison, said the Association of Human Rights in Syria.
They were accused of "transmitting to a foreign country information which should have stayed secret," of "writing articles banned by the government and damaging to Syria and its ties with a foreign state," and "publishing false information," the association said in a statement. Both were arrested almost two years ago, in September and October 2002. The association called for the sentences to be overturned and for the men to be released along with all other political prisoners in Syria.
…while Algeria Cracks Down on Journalists….
The Algerian government has jailed several journalists critical of the government and imposed a "temporary freeze" on satellite channel al-Jazeera. The ban followed an al-Jazeera broadcast a week earlier in which opposition politicians openly criticized the Algerian military and President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's national reconciliation policy.
Although the publisher of Algeria's Le Matin newspaper was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of financial impropriety, it is widely believed his incarceration is punishment for a book published in February which was scathingly critical of Bouteflika.
"The imprisonment of Hafnaoui Ghoul on 24 May, who denounced local officials' misuse of public funds, and that of Benchicou, whose newspaper did not hesitate to bring to light serious political dysfunctions, illustrate the government's fierce repression of a segment of the press," said Paris-based press monitor, Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders).
The conflict between the authorities and Algeria's privately owned press escalated during the run-up to the recent presidential elections. Most main national dailies campaigned against Bouteflika's re-election. The legitimacy of his victory – officially, he received 83.49% of the vote – was widely questioned in the press. El Watan described it as "worthy of Kim II Sung" while Le Soir d'Algérie called it a "coup d'Etat.”
It is the most severe attack on press freedom of the press since Bouteflika took office in April 1999. Algeria has a relatively free and pluralist press within the region although all television and radio stations are all state-owned.
…So Little Wonder 'There Are No Journalists in the Arab World'
Arab journalists lack investigative impulses and remain deferential to power, a leading columnist and Arab media expert recently complained. The region's newspapers act more like cheerleaders for the regimes, writes Dr. Mamoun Fandy in the London Arabic-language daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, focusing “only on heroic deeds and overcoming difficulties.”
"Senior Arab officials do not respect the press as a means for conveying information,” he complains. The main problem is that “we still have no professional journalists.” The proof, he suggests, is in Arab media coverage of events in Iraq, which “have given us nothing but many slogans.”
Ukraine: Back to the Future?
Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma has turned his country's foreign policy sharply away from its previous orientation toward NATO and the EU and turned to its collaborator in the Cold War era, Russia. Kuchma recently announced thatan oil pipeline that traverses Ukraine will not be used to ship oil from the Caspian region west, as the US had hoped, but to transport Russian oil from Siberia. A revised version of Ukraine's defense doctrine has also just been issued that drops earlier commitments that Ukraine would seek to join the EU and NATO.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin, by elegant co-incidence, happened to be in the Ukrainian city of Yalta at the time this statement was published -- a beautiful city with a dark history in international relations. Putin took advantage of the occasion to warn that western "agents" are working to sabotage his plans for a new economic bloc that will include Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Talk of such subversion in this part of the world has in the past foreshadowed late-night knocks on the doors of pro-democracy groups.
An Agence France Presse report so that notes that many observers see the Kuchma/Putin moves as preparations for their collaboration against pro-democracy forces in Ukraine's October election, or steps that could enable autocratic and corrupt powers to retain influence in Ukraine if Viktor Yushchenko, the pro-western and pro-democratic candidate, should manage to win.
The Ukraine recently
joined Russia and seven other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to accuse the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) -- the continent's security and human rights monitor -- of failing to respect their sovereignty. A written statement signed by Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan accused the OSCE of "double standards"
and failing to respect fundamental principles such as noninterference in internal affairs and respect of national sovereignty.
Russian political analyst Fedor Lukyanov told Radio Free Europe that the statement indicates CIS countries' frustration with the OSCE's focus on democracy and human rights. "The leaderships of most CIS countries are now equally annoyed with the fact that the OSCE's activities have long become limited to monitoring the situation with respect to democracy and human rights in these countries," he said, noting that “the state of democracy in all of the post-Soviet countries leaves much to be desired."
An international conference involving distinguished figures from the international affairs world and leading experts on Ukraine will be held at the United States Library of Congress in Washington on September 13-14 for discussion of the coming election and other aspects of Ukraine's development toward democracy. The event, entitled "Ukraine's Transition to a Stable Democracy," has an impressive array of sponsors, among them the US Library of Congress, the Republican and Democratic Institutes, Freedom House, and centers at Harvard, Columbia, NYU and other universities. It will also be sponsored by important Ukrainian and Ukrainian-American organizations. For further information look at http://ucca.org/events/ or e-mail: wazl@nyu.edu or e-mail: hamaliasouth@aol.com.
Gender Gulf in the Gulf
Women have made considerable progress toward equality of political rights in some Gulf states, but are held back by continued discrimination and strong social sentiment against women's participation in politics. This is the finding of a survey of women's political participation by Ebtisam Al-Kibti noted in the latest issue of the Arab Reform Bulletin. The survey explains that while the ruling elite in the Gulf states generally supports political rights for women, “social customs make it particularly difficult for women to be elected” with the result that prospects for women's political emancipation in the GCC countries “remain slim.”
The special issue on Women and Reform also includes articles on the link between women's rights and democratization, avoiding the women's rights trap, the Egyptian model and strategies for change, women in Islamist parties: (a case study of Jordan's Islamic Action Front ) and the politics of women's suffrage in Kuwait.
Economic Freedom Growing--But New Need for Stronger States?
The Reagan-Thatcher revolution sparked a pronounced shift toward economic liberalism at the expense of government intervention, states the Cato Institute's new Economic Freedom of the World Report. Its index shows that economic freedom is on the rise, particularly in such countries as Chile, Ireland and India. China is celebrated for a rating rise from 3.8 in 1980 to 4.3 in 1990 and 5.8 in 2000, offering evidence that economic freedom and political liberty do not necessarily correlate.
But leading political theorist Francis Fukuyama argues that while the 20th century's great challenges were the result of over-powerful nation states like Nazi Germany, Japan and the Soviet Union, “many of the problems of our current age, from poverty to refugees to human rights to HIV and Aids to terrorism, are caused by states in the developing world that are too weak.”
The distinction between states' scope and their strength is important, he argues. State scope covers a state's range of functions, from rule of law and other public goods, to regulation and industrial policy. State strength refers to “the effectiveness with which countries can implement a given policy”. So states can be extensive in scope but damagingly weak.
Many developing countries combine state weakness with excessive scope, as in Brazil or Mexico. Failed states like Liberia, Somalia, or Afghanistan lack scope and strength: “what little they do is done incompetently”. Dictatorships and authoritarian regimes, as in post-Soviet or Arab states, “manage to be strong in all the wrong areas: they are good at jailing journalists or political opponents, but can't process visas or business licenses in less than six months.”
“State building, as well as state-deconstructing, is something we will have to think seriously about in the post-Reagan era now unfolding,” he argues. The experience in Afghanistan and Iraq confirms that while the US has awesome military power “it does not have a corresponding capability or the institutions to provide them with strong governance.” The international community urgently needs new institutions. “The UN needs reform,” says Fukuyama, “and to be supplemented by other, overlapping multilateral bodies, such as NATO or the Community of Democracies, to act where it cannot.”
INFORMATION
Assessing Democracy
International experts and practitioners recently gathered at a London workshop of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance to share lessons learned by IDEA's State of Democracy project. IDEA's work on the methodology of democracy analysis and assessment draws on the experience of the UK's Democratic Audit. This methodology has been piloted in eight countries, (Bangladesh, El Salvador, Italy, Kenya, Malawi, New Zealand, Peru and South Korea) and applied through separate initiatives on democracy analysis in Australia, the Philippines and South Asia as well as the by United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA). For further details visit: http://www.idea.int/newsletters/2004/May_June/state_of_democracy.htm
OSCE/ODIHR handbook on women's participation in elections
Europe's leading election observation agency, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, has just published a handbook for monitoring women's participation in elections. Improving women's participation was one of the issues discussed at the OSCE meeting on electoral standards and commitments, held in Vienna on 15 and 16 July. The handbook is intended to ensure that election observation missions take into account how an election process engages both women and men.
The OSCE/ODIHR has observed some 150 elections and referenda over the last decade, and this handbook is based on that experience. It is designed as a working tool to assist international and domestic election observers, both partisan and non-partisan, in identifying the various elements of an election process that may affect equal participation by women. The handbook sets out practical steps to integrate a gender perspective into election observation and is available on the ODIHR website.
OPPORTUNITIES
Democracy Council
East Timor Trainers
US democracy nonprofit is looking for trainers with congressional or legislative experience to lead half-day training seminars for members of Parliament in East Timor. Portuguese or Tetum language capability preferred. Stipend plus expenses will be covered. Contact: Kerry at 310-479-2441 or e-mail: kcandaele@democracycouncil.org
The Center for Policy Studies
International Policy Fellowships
The Central European University Center for Policy Studies (CPS) is calling for proposals for its year 2005-2006 International Policy Fellowships (IPF) program. The CPS works with a broadening circle of policy analysts and institutions to promote the development of policy center networks throughout Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Mongolia, as well as countries in South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. The Center undertakes policy research and advocacy that furthers the open society mission and disseminates quality analyses in accessible formats.
All application submissions must be entered online directly into the IPF application database found at www.soros.org/initiatives/ipf. Those who have no possibility to access the Internet should send an e-mail to fellows@osi.hu or call the IPF offices at (36 1) 327-3863 to discuss the best alternate application solution (the IPF will call back immediately to reduce long-distance telephone charge). Applications sent by mail, fax or e-mail will not be considered unless you received prior approval from IPF staff to use an alternative method of application.
National Endowment for Democracy
Fellowships
The National Endowment for Democracy invites applications to its Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program, based at NED's International Forum for Democratic Studies, in Washington, D.C. The program offers two tracks: a practitioner track (typically 3-5 months) to improve strategies and techniques for building democracy abroad and to exchange ideas and experiences with counterparts in the United States; and a scholarly track (typically 5-10 months) to conduct original research for publication.
The Fellows Program is intended primarily to support practitioners and scholars from new and aspiring democracies. Distinguished scholars from the US and other established democracies can also apply. Practitioners will have substantial experience working to promote democracy. Scholars will have a doctorate, or academic equivalent, at the time of application. The program is not designed to support students working toward a degree. A working knowledge of English is required.
For further details and instructions on how to apply, please download the "Information and Application Forms" bookletavailable online at www.ned.org/forum/R-FApplication.pdf or visit www.ned.org and follow the link to Fellowship Programs. Applications for fellowships in 2005-2006 must be received no later than November 1, 2004.
National Endowment for Democracy
Program Assistant for Central and Eastern Europe
The National Endowment for Democracy is conducting a search for a Program Assistant for Central and Eastern Europe to be based in Washington, D.C. The Program Assistant's duties will include providing support for approval and disbursement of grants to nongovernmental organizations working on democracy issues in the Central and Eastern Europe, primarily in the Balkan region; assisting the Program staff with general administrative duties; researching and preparing information about potential grantees and current political developments in the region; maintaining contacts with the region; organizing meetings for visiting grantees; and representing the NED at public conferences and meetings. Applicants should send a resume, cover letter, a brief 1-2 page writing sample, and contact information for three references by August 6, 2004, to: Central and Eastern Europe Program Assistant Search Email (preferred; specify position title in the subject line): jobs@ned.org. Mail: National Endowment for Democracy 1101 15th Street N.W., Suite 800 Washington, D.C. 20005 Fax: 202-293-0258. No phone calls please.
International Republican Institute
Resident Country Director: Bolivia
The International Republican Institute is seeking to appoint a
Resident Country Director (RCD) with responsibility for designing and implementing a strategy for IRI's program in Bolivia. S/he will design and implement a strategy to increase the legitimacy of political parties through direct work with civil society and the creation of bridges between civil society and political parties; develop long range and annual plans for the country program; identify key players and partners in IRI programs; develop strategies for political party capacity-building, coalition-building, election-monitoring and voter education activities; and also oversee individual project implementation. For further details, contact: IRI, HR Dept/RCD Bolivia, 1225 Eye Street, N.W., Ste. 700
Washington, D.C. 20005. FAX: (202) 408-9462. E-mail: personnel@iri.org
Freedom House
Editor: Budapest
Freedom House,
America's oldest non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and defending democracy and freedom worldwide, seeks an Editor for its Nations in Transit publication based in Budapest, Hungary.
The Editor will take the lead on research, editorial, logistical, and administrative oversight for publication of Nations in Transit. Duties will include, but are not limited to: identifying and working with country report writers and academic advisers, evaluating reports for quality and accuracy, overseeing copy and line editing revisions and publication development, conducting related research for studies and reports, and preparing NIT related events.
The appropriate candidate should have knowledge of human rights and democratic transition issues; knowledge of CEE/SEE/NIS region; demonstrated analytical capacity in writing and methodology and be a native English speaker. He/she should have experience in research and writing on human rights and democratic transition issues; experience in publishing/writing; analytical experience with indices/trends analysis. Bachelor's degree required; Master's level preferred. Please submit resume and cover letter with salary history to: Human Resources, e-mail: humanresources@freedomhouse.org, fax: 202-296-5078. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be notified. Phone: fax: 202-296-5078. Apply by: August 22, 2004,
Freedom House
Program Assistant: Budapest
Freedom House also seeks a Program Assistant for its Regional Networking Project based in Budapest, Hungary. The Program Assistant will be responsible for general programmatic and administrative support in the implementation of the NGO Regional Networking Project. Duties will include but are not limited to: processing incoming proposals; drafting correspondence; assisting in conducting grantee monitoring; handling logistical arrangements for programs; assisting with workshops and special projects; assisting in office financial reporting; and assisting with the development and implementation of FH's regional public outreach strategy.
Please submit resume and cover letter to: e-mail: FH@freedomhouse.hu, fax: +36-1-354-1233. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Apply by: August 22, 2004.
AFL-CIO Solidarity Center
Program Officers and Program Assistants (Middle East)
The AFL-CIO has vacancies for program officers to work on its Middle East program. Responsibilities include support to field offices and programs, writing persuasive proposals, describing complex activities and developing budgets for those activities. Applicants should be thoroughly conversant with all aspects of regional program activities and current events relevant to the on-going political, economic, social and trade union developments in the region. Full details at: www.unionjobs.com/staff/dc/aflsol-62.html or send cover letter and résumé to: Lisa Humphries, Human Resources Officer, Solidarity Center, 1925 K Street, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20006. E-mail: lhumphries@solidaritycenter.org".
CALLS FOR PROPOSALS
European Commission: Projects to Promote Human Rights and Democracy
Serbia and Montenegro
The European Commission delegation to Serbia and Montenegro is seeking proposals for small-scale financial support for initiatives aimed to promote and protect human rights and democracy in Serbia and Montenegro with financial assistance from the EIDHR micro-projects programme of the European Communities. The application form, as well as all other documents such as the budget and the logical framework can be downloaded from the Delegation's website at: www.delscg.cec.eu.int. Requests for information should be addressed to the European Commission Delegation to Serbia and Montenegro ONLY. The deadline for submission of proposals for applicants from Serbia and Montenegro is Wednesday 15 September 2004 at 16.00 Belgrade time.
The European Commission is also seeking proposals for small-scale financial support for initiatives aimed to promote and protect human rights and democracy in the following countries. To get the full guidelines for applicants, contact the Delegation of the European Commission at the designated local addresses.
Nepal
The Delegation of the European Commission to Nepal is seeking proposals for small-scale financial support for initiatives aimed to promote and protect human rights as well as democracy in Nepal. To get the full guidelines for applicants, e-mail the Delegation of the European Commission to Nepal at: Delegation-Nepal-EIDHR@cec.eu.int or fax number: 01 4423541; and at: www.delind.cec.eu.int/index.htm. The deadline for submission of proposals for applicants from Nepal is Monday 30 August 2004 at 16.00 India time.
Ivory Coast
The Delegation of the European Commission to Ivory Coast is seeking proposals for small-scale financial support for initiatives aimed to promote and protect human rights as well as democracy in Ivory Coast. All the necessary documents for applicants are available at: Délégation de la Commission Européenne (DCE) à Abidjan, Av. du Dr. Crozet, 18, Immeuble Azur, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The deadline for submission of proposals for applicants from Ivory Coast is Monday 16 August 2004 at 16.00 Abidjan time.
Colombia
The Delegation of the European Commission to Colombia and Ecuador is seeking proposals for small-scale financial support for initiatives aimed to promote and protect human rights as well as democracy in Colombia. The full Guidelines for Applicants are available for consultation at: www.delcol.cec.eu.int. The deadline for submission of proposals for applicants from Colombia is 3 August 2004 at 16.00 Bogota time.
China and Mongolia
The Delegation of the European Commission to China and Mongolia is seeking proposals for small-scale financial support for initiatives aimed to promote and protect human rights as well as democracy in China with financial assistance from the EIDHR micro-projects programme of the European Communities. The full Guidelines for Applicants are available for consultation at: www.delchn.cec.eu.int" and at:
Delegation of the European Commission to China & Mongolia
Development and Co-operation Section,
4th Floor, Qian Kun Mansion,
6 Sanlitun Xi Liu Jie, Beijing 100027 China. Contact Person: Petra Kiel.
Kyrgyzstan
The Delegation of the European Commission in Kazakhstan accredited to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is seeking proposals for small-scale financial support for initiatives aimed to promote and protect human rights as well as democracy and governance strengthening in Kyrgyzstan.
The full Guidelines for Applicants are available for consultation at: www.delkaz.cec.eu.int and at:
EU Delegation of the European Commission in Kazakhstan,
20 A Kazibek Bi 480100, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Telephone: (3272) 917 676, Fax : (3272) 910 749, E-mail : eudel@delkaz.cec.eu.int and delegation-kazakhstan-eidhr@cec.eu.int.
The deadline for submission of proposals for applicants from Kyrgyzstan is July 30, 2004 at 16.00 Almaty time.
Mozambique
On 10 May 2004, the European Commission Delegation to Mozambique officially launched a Call for Proposals for micro-projects (Ref: EuropeAid/119-873/L/G/MZ). The deadline for receipt of proposals by the Delegation to Mozambique ONLY is Thursday, 22 July 2004, 16.00 Maputo time. Any application received by the Delegation after this deadline will not be considered.
All necessary documents can be downloaded from the Delegation's website at: www.delmoz.cec.eu.int. Questions should be sent by email, clearly indicating the reference number, to: Delegation-Mozambique-IEDDH@cec.eu.int or by fax at the following N°: +258 1 49 18 66.
Indonesia
On 5 May 2004, the European Commission Delegation to Indonesia officially launched the 2nd Call for Proposals for micro-projects (Ref: EuropeAid/119761/L/G/ID). The deadline for receipt of proposals by the delegation to Indonesia ONLY is Wednesday, 4 August 2004, 16.00 Jakarta time. All necessary documents can be downloaded from the Delegation's website at: www.delidn.cec.eu.int/eidhr Questions should be sent by email, clearly indicating the reference number, to the following address: delegation-indonesia-eidhr@cec.eu.int
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
National Endowment for Democracy
New Arabic Resource Database
The Middle East and North Africa Program at the National Endowment for Democracy
is soliciting submissions to a new Arabic-language resource database that will serve as a resource for democrats and nongovernmental organizations in the Middle East and North Africa. The Program is in the process of identifying and cataloguing how-to manuals, reference publications, and other related materials (mainly online) that address a wide array of democracy topics, including freedom of information, political processes, democratic ideas and values, strengthening political institutions, accountability, human rights, rule of law, civic education, NGO strengthening and capacity building, freedom of association, free markets, and conflict resolution. NED welcomes submissions, including addresses of Web sites and/or documents, preferably in Arabic. To make a submission, e-mail: kareemad@ned.org.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
August 13, 2004, 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm, National Endowment for Democracy
The State of Arab Liberalism: Implications for Democracy Promotion in the Middle East.
The seminar is sponsored by the National Endowment for Democracy's International Forum for Democratic Studies and Democracy Digest. The seminar will be held on Friday, August 13, 2004, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m., in the principal conference room at the NED's offices at 1101 15th Street, NW, Suite 700.
The seminar will include presentations by speakers with close involvement in and extensive knowledge of these issues. Barry Rubin is Director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center in Herziliya, Israel, and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA). His recent books include Yasir Arafat: A Political Biography, Anti-American Terrorism and the Middle East, and The Tragedy of the Middle East. Tamara Cofman Wittes, a research fellow at the Brookings Institution's Saban Center for Middle East Policy, undertakes research on political and economic reform in the Arab world and America's democracy promotion efforts in the region. Her publications include “The Promise of Arab Liberalism: America's Role in Middle East Reform” in Policy Review. Laith Kubba, NED's Senior Program Officer for the Middle East and North Africa, will respond to both presentations. Please send acceptances only to e-mail: forum@ned.org. We would appreciate your response no later than Thursday, August 12. For more information please call Ms. Melissa Aten at (202) 293 0300.
August 22 to September 3, 2004, Graz Austria
European Training and Research Centre (ETC) Summer Academy
ETC Summer Academy on "Human rights and human security," with a special focus on post-conflict situations. Contact: European Training and Research Centre (ETC) for Human Rights and Democracy, Graz. E-mail:
Contact: Nordic Council, Store Copenhagen. www.norden.org. E-mail: info@norden.org.
August 31 to September 3, 2004, Steyning, United Kingdom
"Economic reform in the Middle East: What needs to be done?".
Contact: Wilton Park Conferences, www.wiltonpark.org.uk/web/welcome.html. E-mail: lorraine.jones@wiltonpark.org.uk.
September 13/14, 2004, United States Library of Congress, 101 Indendence Ave, SE, Washington, DC
“Ukraine's Transition to a Stable Democracy”
An international conference involving distinguished figures from the international affairs world and leading experts on Ukraine will be held at the United States Library of Congress in Washington on September 13-14 for discussion of the coming election and other aspects of Ukraine's development toward democracy. The event has an impressive array of sponsors, among them the US Library of Congress, the Republican and Democratic Institutes, Freedom House, and centers at Harvard, Columbia, NYU and other universities. It will also be sponsored by important Ukrainian and Ukrainian-American organizations. For further information look at: http://ucca.org/events/ or e-mail: wazl@nyu.edu or e-mail: hamaliasouth@aol.com.
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