Stories

November 3, 2023

Promoting social cohesion in Côte d’Ivoire

On a dirt stage packed on all sides by a rapt audience, a young man with prematurely grayed hair howls in outrage at his radio. Acting the part of an inept village chief, he rails at the radio, his wife, and a passing neighbor about a local government decision that he sees as interference in his town’s land disputes.

November 1, 2023

Youth Building a Stronger Ukraine

With the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine coming soon, Ukrainian young people are being called upon and shaping the present and future of Ukraine. Some serve their country through their military service, while others, like Kateryna Hlushchenko, support Ukrainian civil society and are beginning to plan what the future of a free Ukraine would look like. Kateryna is a Board member of “Community of Active Youth”, a National Endowment for Democracy-funded civil society organization that promotes youth activism and supports youth amid war.

October 31, 2023

Gamifying Digital Resilience

Digital attacks are on the rise globally. These attacks threaten the continuity and effectiveness of democratic actors’ daily operations and, on a larger scale, threaten to undermine the public’s trust in the democratic systems in which these actors operate.

October 24, 2023

Supporting Malawi’s Parliament to Apply a More Critical Eye to Public Debt

Effective management of public debt starts with effective parliamentary oversight. This was the theme of a workshop organized by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in partnership with the Malawi Parliament on August 12, 2023, at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe. Similar to many African countries, Malawi is facing pressure on the continuously rising and unsustainably managed public debt, which soared to K7.9 Trillion (USD 700 Billion) in December 2022. The debt to GDP ratio stands at 66.7%.

October 24, 2023

Reconciliation and Peacebuilding in Côte d'Ivoire

In the heart of Daoukro, a city with deep political and cultural significance in central Côte d'Ivoire, the past three years have witnessed a troubling descent into conflict and division. It began in 2019 when clashes erupted between youth from different ethnic groups (Malinké and Baoulé), triggered by a brutal killing that was allegedly perpetrated by members of one group against the other, which set off a chain of escalating tensions. Violence during the 2020 elections further exacerbated these divisions, resulting in violent confrontations and casualties.

October 16, 2023

Enabling Every Voice through Digital Security

A healthy democracy requires that everyone - especially those who are traditionally marginalized or excluded from civic and political processes - be able to exercise their rights freely. In today’s world, the exercise of such rights and the efforts of civil society organizations to expand and defend them increasingly rely on digital technologies.

October 12, 2023

NDI: Standing with Democracy over Military Dictatorship - Chile’s 1988 Presidential Plebiscite

Chile’s September 11 happened in 1973, when on that date, a bloody military coup smashed one of Latin America’s strongest democracies with roots stretching back 140 years. The military assaulted the presidential palace, leading to the death of validly elected President Salvador Allende, while it rounded up thousands across the country.

October 11, 2023

Youth Partner Profile: Purple Innovation

In recognition of International Day of the Girl Child, NDI is celebrating the invaluable contributions of young women and girls globally who act as leaders and changemakers in their communities. Despite the persistent challenges preventing young women and girls from participating in civic and political life, NDI partner organizations are creating more gender-inclusive, democratic societies.

October 6, 2023

Securing Tibet's Future: A Vision for a Community in Exile

Located 14,000 feet above sea level, Tibet has the world’s highest peak, the largest ice cap beyond the two poles and a diverse set of mountainous plants and animals. Tibet is also home to approximately six million Tibetans, all living under Chinese Communist Party rule. Just across the border in India, there is a vibrant community of 80,000 exiled Tibetans. After fleeing political persecution in Tibet in 1959, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama led these Tibetans to form a government-in-exile, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

October 5, 2023

Ukrainian Activism and Courage Amid the War

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainians from all walks of life have upended their lives to safeguard distinctly democratic values such as pluralism, tolerance and inclusion. NDI partners BBC Media Action and the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne have launched a documentary series, “Vydymi” (“Visible”), highlighting the work of women and LGBTQI+ Ukrainians in wartime.