National Democratic Institute

National Democratic Institute
Abbreviation NDI
Formation 1983
Type non-profit
NGO
Location
Chairman
 Madeleine K. Albright
President
 Derek J. Mitchell
Website ndi.org

The National Democratic Institute (NDI), or National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that works with partners in developing countries to increase the effectiveness of democratic institutions.[1] NDI's core program areas include citizen participation, elections, debates, democratic governance, democracy and technology, political inclusion of marginalized groups, and gender, women and democracy.[2] The organization's stated mission is to "support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government."[3]

NDI was founded in 1983, shortly after the United States Congress created the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).[4] The NED's creation was followed by the establishment of three related institutes, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and the National Republican Institute for International Affairs (later renamed the International Republican Institute, IRI). The Endowment serves as the umbrella organization through which these three institutes and an expanding number of private sector groups would receive funding to carry out programs abroad.[5]

NDI, loosely affiliated to the Democratic Party,[6] is a "cooperating organization" with the Liberal International.[7]

Activity

The National Democratic Institute has worked in 132 countries and territories around the world and supported the efforts of 15,000 civic organizations, 850 political parties and organizations, 10,000 legislators, and 1,300 women's organizations. Furthermore, NDI has organized over 150 international election observer delegations in over 62 countries. NDI has monitored over 340 referenda and elections and trained over 3 million election observers in over 85 countries. Furthermore, they have helped partner groups organize 300 candidate debates in over 35 countries.[8]

Chile

The NDI started its activities in Chile in 1985. Its programs promoted free elections, working together with opposition leaders. In 1988, it participated in the United States campaign for the No at the Chilean national plebiscite. The United States Congress budgeted this campaign with US$1 million that the National Endowment for Democracy distributed through the NDI, the National Republican Institute for International Affairs, Free Trade Union Institute and the Center for International Private Enterprise. The NDI participated organizing seminaries, sending political consultans and an election observation mission.[9][10][11]

Nicaragua

In the 1980s, the NDI participated in the broader National Endowment for Democracy programs against the Nicaraguan Revolution.[12]

Northern Ireland

In the 1980s, the NDI supported the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland.[13]

Sources of funding

NDI receives financial support from The National Endowment for Democracy,[14] the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),[15] the U.S. Department of State,[16] and the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS).[17] Furthermore, NDI receives contributions from governments, foundations, multilateral institutions, corporations, organizations, and individuals. Some of these governments and multilateral institutions include the Government of Australia,[18] Government of Denmark,[19] and Government of Belgium.[20]

Governance

Awards, events, and honors

  • Madeleine K. Albright Grant: Every year NDI hosts a luncheon to honor the recipient of the Madeleine K. Albright grant. The Madeleine K. Albright grant is awarded to organizations that address systemic and structural barriers to women's advancement and presence in the public and political spheres. The grant has been awarded since 2005, and is made possible through the generosity of the Melvin and Bren Simon Foundation the Win with Women Global Initiative. The 2015 grant went to the Worker Women Social Organization of Kandahar, Afghanistan.[23]
  • Andi Parhamovich Fellowship: In 2007 NDI announced the establishment of the Andi Parhamovich Fellowship, named in honor of NDI staff member Andi Parhamovich, who was killed on January 17, 2007, when her convoy was attacked while returning from a political party training session in Baghdad. Each year, the fellowship brings to Washington, D.C., a young woman selected from NDI local staff or partner organizations who is deeply involved in building and consolidating democracy in her own country by advancing the participation of women.[24]
  • W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award: Each year NDI hosts a dinner to recognize innovators and activists in the field of democracy. At the dinner, NDI presents the W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award, which honors individuals and organizations that have exhibited a sustained commitment to democracy and human rights, and have demonstrated leadership, integrity and courage in their dedication to democratic values and practices.[25]

Criticism

Critics charge that the term "democracy assistance" and "democracy building" are rhetorically employed to overpower nationalist and socialist resistance to US economic and cultural domination, particularly in Russia.[34] However, NDI has been suppressed in relatively anti-Russian or pro-American regimes as well, such as Azerbaijan.[35]

The NDI was expelled from Cambodia in August 2017.[36][37]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ About NDI
  2. ↑ NDI: What We Do
  3. ↑ About NDI
  4. ↑ Idea to Reality: NED at 25
  5. ↑ NED: History
  6. ↑ FAQs Archived 2015-08-01 at the Wayback Machine. at ndi.org
  7. ↑ "Cooperating Organisations". Liberal-international.org. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  8. ↑ "2014 NDI 30th Anniversary Report". Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  9. ↑ Lowenthal, Abraham F. (October 13, 1988). "Chile and the No Vote--a Bravo for U.S. Role". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  10. ↑ Gamarekian, Barbara (November 18, 1988). "Washington Talk: Foreign Affairs; How U.S. Political Pros Get Out the Vote in Chile". The New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  11. ↑ National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (1989). "Capítulo 1: Actividades del NDI en Chile" [Chapter 1: NDI activities in Chile]. La transición chilena hacia la democracia. El Plebiscito Presidencial de 1988 [The chilean transition to democracy. The Presidential Plebiscite of 1988] (PDF) (in Spanish). pp. 5–12.
  12. ↑ Pear, Robert (April 25, 1989). "U.S. Allots $2 Million to Aid Anti-Sandinistas". The New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  13. ↑ Clarity, James F.; Weaver, Warren (October 14, 1985). "BRIEFING; Irish Are Looking In". The New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  14. ↑ "NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY". www.ned.org. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
  15. ↑ "U.S. Agency for International Development". www.usaid.gov. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
  16. ↑ "U.S. Department of State". www.state.gov. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
  17. ↑ "Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening | NDI". www.ndi.org. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
  18. ↑ "australia.gov.au". www.australia.gov.au. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
  19. ↑ "Government and Politics-The official website of Denmark". denmark.dk. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
  20. ↑ "The federal government". Belgium.be. 2014-11-24. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
  21. ↑ NDI: Board of Directors
  22. ↑ "NDI Board of Directors: Richard Blum". National Democratic Institute. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  23. ↑ Madeleine K. Albright Grant
  24. ↑ Andi Parhamovich Fellowship
  25. ↑ Citation|title=Harriman Democracy Award|url=https://www.ndi.org/harriman_democracy_award
  26. ↑ "NDI To Honor Archbishop Tutu, Women's League of Burma | NDI". www.ndi.org. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
  27. ↑ "Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | NDI". www.ndi.org. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
  28. ↑ "Jimmy Carter | NDI". www.ndi.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
  29. ↑ "Václav Havel | NDI". www.ndi.org. Archived from the original on 2015-08-01. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
  30. ↑ "Bill Clinton | NDI". www.ndi.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-15. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
  31. ↑ "Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas | NDI". www.ndi.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-15. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
  32. ↑ "Aung San Suu Kyi | NDI". www.ndi.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-15. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
  33. ↑ "Madeleine K. Albright, Chairman | NDI". www.ndi.org. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
  34. ↑ The Myths of ‘Democracy Assistance’: U.S. Political Intervention in Post-Soviet Eastern Europe, Gerald Sussman, Monthly Review, December 2006.
  35. ↑ "Baku officially closes office of U.S. National Democratic Institute". panorama.am. Panorama. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  36. ↑ "Cambodia's government asks the courts to abolish the opposition". The Economist. 12 October 2017.
  37. ↑ "Statement on Cambodian Government's Decision to Shut Down NDI's Office in Cambodia". NDI.org. National Democratic Institute. Retrieved 26 June 2018.

Further reading

  • Bollen, Kenneth; Paxton, Pamela; Morishima, Rumi (June 2005). "Assessing international evaluations: An example from USAID's Democracy and Governance Programs" (pdf). American Journal of Evaluation. 26 (2): 189–203. doi:10.1177/1098214005275640. Evaluation performed on behalf of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), at the request of and with funding from the Strategic and Operational Research Agenda (SORA) of USAID (Office of Democracy and Governance in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance), according to the National Research Council (2008, p. 28).
  • National Research Council, Committee on Evaluation of USAID Democracy Assistance Programs (2008). Goldstone, Jack A, ed. Improving democracy assistance: Building knowledge through evaluations and research (dimensions 6 x 9 inches). pp. xvi+336. ISBN 978-0-309-11736-4; Individuals can download the complete report (pdf format) for private use.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.