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[1]

Peaceful Nigerian Elections Show Commitment to Democracy [2]

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April 2015

[2]

Despite widespread problems on election day, Nigerians showed perseverance,
creativity and discipline as millions went to the polls peacefully to elect
a president and legislature on March 28, according to a statement by the
National Democratic Institute (NDI), which fielded an international
observation mission.

"The elections highlighted the strong and enthusiastic commitment of
Nigerians to democratic processes and the possibility of determining the
leadership of the country through peaceful, transparent and credible
elections," the delegation said.

The co-leaders of the NDI delegation, which included members from seven
countries, were Johnnie Carson, a member of the NDI board of directors,
former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs and senior
advisor at the U.S. Institute of Peace; Mahamadou Danda, former prime
minister of Niger Republic; Bill Ritter, former governor of Colorado
(U.S.); and Christopher Fomunyoh, NDI director for Central and West Africa
programs. Read more [2]

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Nigeria Celebrates National Media Peace Day [3] [3]

On the eve of Nigeria's March 28 polls, the country's largest broadcasters
dedicated a full day to peace programming with the goal of promoting
violence-free elections.

During "National Media Peace Day," Nigerian media broadcast messages of
peace throughout the country, marking the first time that a coordinated
message had been so widely distributed and the first time that Nigeria's
broadcasters united behind a common theme. Read more [3]

NDI's Chris Fomunyoh Discusses Boko Haram on PBS NewsHour [4] [4]

NDI's Christopher Fomunyoh, director for Central and West Africa programs,
spoke with the PBS NewsHour about developments in the fight against Boko
Haram in Nigeria. Read more [4]

Residents in Liberia Organize to Fight Ebola through Education [5] [5]

To stem the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, neighbors are going
door-to-door in Liberia as part of a grassroots, community-led effort to
raise awareness on how to treat and prevent the disease in rural areas.

"This is the very first time a civil society organization is here to
discuss and fight against Ebola with the community," said a participant
from the town of Old Sodoken in southeastern Liberia. Read more [5]

NDI Awards Madeleine K. Albright Grant to Kandahar Women's Organization [6]
[6]

This year, the Madeleine K. Albright Grant will be awarded to the Worker
Women Social Organization (WWSO), a group based in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Every year, the grant is presented to a new or developing grassroots
organization that promotes the advancement of women and girls in politics.

WWSO will use the grant to build a core group of young women with
leadership skills, civic values and democratic principles to become the
next generation of Afghan political leaders.

Khalida Noori, founder and director of WWSO, will accept the award on
behalf of the organization at the annual Madeleine K. Albright Luncheon in
Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 12. Senator Barbara Mikulski, D-MD, and
Afghanistan's First Lady, Rula Ghani, will also participate in the luncheon
ceremony. Buy tickets [6]

Focus Group Research Shows Tunisians Optimistic About Democratic Transition
[7] [7]

A new round of NDI focus group research shows that citizens in Tunisia view
last year's national elections as a successful step in the country's
transition to democracy. For the first time, Tunisians freely elected a
parliament and president.

Responses in the January focus groups indicated that those who participated
in the elections were driven by a sense of civic duty and a desire to
change the country for the better. Read more [7]

Heroes Behind Yemen's Front Lines [8] [8]

In an op-ed in Canada's _National Post_, NDI highlights a recent campaign
led by Yemeni youth activists to bring medical supplies and other basic
necessities to civilians trapped in the besieged city of Aden.

"Despite the danger, these young people were able to help keep hospitals
running and provide services to the needy in times of armed conflict," says
Jeff Fox, NDI's resident program director in Yemen, in the op-ed. Read more
[8]

NDI Offers Deepest Sympathy to the People of Nepal [9] [9]

NDI offers its heartfelt condolences to the people of Nepal after
Saturday's devastating earthquake. "Our hearts go out to the families of
the more than 5,000 confirmed dead and the tens of thousands of Nepalis
camped in the streets," said NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright.

NDI is grateful that its staff members and their immediate families are all
safe. The Institute is in close contact with them and is working to ensure
they are provided for during this difficult time. Read more [9]

New Research Shows that Ukrainians Want Political Reforms in Path to
Democracy [10] [10]

Recent NDI public opinion research reveals that Ukrainians are continuing
to demand responsive government following last year's Euromaidan
demonstrations.

In focus group discussions in January, respondents from Kharkiv, Odessa,
Chernihiv, Lviv and Kyiv said that they wanted parties to listen and report
back to voters regularly, and take actions consistent with their election
platforms. Read more [10]

Get to Know NDI: Chris Henshaw, senior resident director for Macedonia [11]
[11]

In celebration of International Roma Day, Chris Henshaw, NDI's senior
resident director in Macedonia, shares a success story about a recent Roma
internship project, discusses innovative work around women's political
participation and reflects on a decade of democracy work.

"After five years of our Roma internship project, we've seen a 100 percent
success rate in those young people going on to either further employment or
further education," said Henshaw. Read more [11]

Moroccan MPs Focus on Citizen Outreach in Visit to British Parliament [12]
[12]

In Morocco, citizens rarely have the opportunity to interact with their
members of parliament, particularly outside of the election season.

As part of a program to help Moroccan MPs establish better connections with
citizens, NDI traveled with a group of lawmakers to London in February so
they could observe how the British Parliament helps its members connect
with constituents. Read more [12]

NDI's Pat Merloe Testifies Before Congress on U.S. Election Support in
Africa [13] [13]

NDI Director of Electoral Programs Pat Merloe testified at a hearing, "U.S.
Election Support in Africa," on March 18 before the U.S. House Foreign
Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and
International Organizations.

"Support for democratic elections in Africa should build longer-term
democratic political dynamics that result in responsive, accountable
governance," Merloe said. "International election observation can play an
important role in achieving peaceful, credible elections in Africa." Read
more [13]

Parliamentarians in Niger Discuss Gender in Islam [14] [14]

Nearly 30 members of Niger's National Assembly discussed the relationship
between gender, human rights, education and Islam during a one-day forum
organized by NDI in Sador.

Ten female and 19 male MPs attended the discussion with three renowned and
respected Islamic theologians and academics. Read more [14]

NDI's Les Campbell Discusses Yemen Crisis on PBS NewsHour [15]

[15]

NDI's Les Campbell, director of Middle East and North Africa programs,
discussed the crisis in Yemen in an interview with the PBS NewsHour. Read
more [15]

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DEMWORKS RECENT BLOG POSTS

DemocracyWorks is a blog written by staff members of the National
Democratic Institute.

[16]

Nepal Earthquake: All NDI staff and immediate families safe [16]

\u200b [17]

Pat Merloe: Facing a
"Democratic Recession" requires
democratic resolve

[18]

Rob Benjamin: New politics in Bosnia-Herzegovina? [18]

[19]

Linda Stern: Partnering with Roma activists [19]

More Posts on DemWorks.org [20]

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Donate to NDI! [21]

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