In early December, 30 delegates from 14 countries and four continents began arriving in Accra, Ghana for NDI’s international election observation mission. Experts had warned that the December 7, 2016 election, much like the 2012 election, would likely be very close. But this time there were fears of violence and low confidence in the country’s electoral institutions and staunchly partisan political actors.

As part of the Civic Tech Leadership Program funded by the Aspen Institute Stevens Initiative, NDI and the Institute for Representative Government hosted a live virtual town hall on December 1, in which former Members of the U.S. Congress spoke to over 150 young leaders located in the Middle East, North Africa  (MENA) and United States. Former Reps.

Ukraine’s parliament (Verkhovna Rada) is in a race to deliver the sweeping democratic reforms demanded by Ukrainians during the Revolution of Dignity. However, faced with an economic crisis and ongoing war, parties in parliament have struggled to enact these policies. Current legislative procedures and fragmented political dynamic among parliamentary factions have only compounded the challenges of pushing through changes.

Leaders from across West Africa met in Cabo Verde last month to discuss regional guidelines for democratic handovers of power after democratic elections. The November 21-22 gathering represented a significant and timely effort to begin developing international norms and standards around executive branch transitions.