Laughing and chatting, a group of young people in Anyama left a focus group session to celebrate a birthday together. This seemed a normal thing to do – except that it would have been unthinkable a year ago, when these youth found themselves on opposite sides of an ethnic and political divide that resulted in bloodshed and loss of life. 

With all eyes on the crisis in Ukraine, the U.S. and Europe must not lose sight of their deep political and security interests in the Western Balkans, where U.S. and NATO interventions ended the violent conflicts of the 1990s. Make no mistake about it: the Kremlin aims to sever the Balkans from the West and to undermine democracy. To alter this dangerous dynamic, the U.S. must strengthen its leadership role to consolidate the Balkans’ place firmly in Europe.

The inclusion of Libyan youth, representing almost half of the population, is essential for positive social and political change in the country. Globally, youth interest in political participation is on the rise, and Libya is no exception, with youth expressing desire to help address community issues, promote dialogue and peace, and strengthen democratic and transitional processes.

NDI has supported Kosovo's democratic development for more than 20 years, and one of the core areas of assistance has been guidance for the democratic development of the Assembly of Kosovo. Listen below for NDI experts discussing NDI support and the Assembly's development over the last 20 years.

On January 28, NDI joined a discussion on public sentiment in Kosovo, based on its April 2021 public opinion research. The discussion, hosted by the Harriman Institute at Columbia Univeristy, covered historical trends in Kosovo, the 2021 national and local elections, and a forward look.

View the full event recording below.

Underage girls are an underrepresented group in Libya and often have life-altering decisions made for them without their consent, including forced marriages. In the Middle East and North Africa, one in seven girls marries before her 18th birthday, which often means an end to the girls’ schooling and at-risk early childbearing. The practice of child marriage often perptuates a cycle of poverty, low education, and limited economic opportunities for women. UNICEF estimates that child marriage costs economies at least 1.7 percent of GDP.

In times of anti-democratic backlash and increased political polarization, public trust in political parties is worryingly low. Parties are increasingly perceived as elite-driven and unrepresentative of the public because of corruption, populism and greater financial costs of engaging in politics. While political parties should play a key role in democratic governance – responsibly aggregating citizen’s concerns into policy as well as; vetting, selecting and influencing political leaders – they often struggle to do so, further alienating the public.