Just weeks before the August general elections in Zambia, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) released a series of revised accreditation requirements for citizen election observers that significantly hampered their ability to accredit observers across the country. Among the new regulations, citizen groups were required to provide evidence of at least three years of governance experience and each individual observer had to complete a certified application form in triplicate as well as submit certified copies of each observer’s national ID card.

In Malawi, a growing cohort of young people are entering into careers and politics and looking to reshape the future of governance and development. With over 50% of the population under 18 years old, the number of young people joining new initiatives and seeking to make a difference will continue to increase. Yet, there are limited options for young people, even once they are able to join civil society, to be recognized by older generations for their ability to provide meaningful input and given opportunities to develop new skills of engagement.

With the Iraqi parliamentary elections approaching, transparency and integrity of the electoral process remain a prominent concern. According to the National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) polling conducted after the 2018 parliamentary elections, less than one in five Iraqis believed the elections were free and fair. In advance of future elections, NDI has been actively working with its civil society organization partner, Al-Noor Universal Foundation (Al-Noor), to address public mistrust, enhance voter confidence and participation, and increase transparency of the elections. 

On May 17, Georgian LGBTQI+ rights organization Tbilisi Pride, an NDI partner, published a memorandum signed by fifteen political parties that unambiguously rejects discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in Georgia. This public display of political unity aims to encourage a broader change in political and social attitudes in a country where political parties have often either avoided or been openly hostile to LGBTQI+ issues.

Imagine: the world is gripped by a global health crisis caused by a mysterious virus spreading death and devastating communities. As scientists struggle to find a treatment, disinformation proves as infectious as the virus. National governments refuse to work together, cover up key information, marginalize affected communities, and contradict themselves, each other and science.