The Guatemalan Congress approved with 128 votes in favour, the creation of the Social Economic Council (decree 2-2012). The Council will have a permanent status and will act in a consulting role towards the state on economic, social and environmental matters. Also, the Council can propose and suppor
On 8 and 9 December 2011, two interactive workshops took place with local youth in Santa Domingo and Esmeraldas in Ecuador. The workshops were organised by NIMD's local partner Agora Democrática (NIMD-IDEA) and are part of a broader programme, which is called 'Activate' and focuses on stimulating y
On 1 and 2 December 2011, the international seminar 'Dimensions of Security' took place in Quito, Ecuador. The seminar was organised by NIMD's partner in Ecuador, Agora Democrática (NIMD-IDEA) in cooperation with International IDEA. The seminar, in which around 40 experts participated, was a follow
A new era for NIMD commences. As of 1 December 2011, Hans Bruning (54) is appointed as the new Executive Director of NIMD. Hans (54) has functioned as the Executive Director ad interim at NIMD since March 2011. His biggest priority during the past months was to secure NIMD’s funding for the next f
On Friday 25 November, the Democray Ribbons are handed out for the third year in a row. It is a tribute to those who commit themselves in a special way to democracy. The ceremony will take place at 17:15 during the Digital Democracy 2020 event in the Waag Society on the Nieuwmarkt in Amsterdam. The
On Wednesday 2 November the youngsters of the Permanent Forum of Political Parties (Foro Permanente de Partidos Políticos) and the leaders of the Supreme Electoral Tribune (Tribunal Supremo Electoral) organized an event together to stimulate voting and political participation amongst Guatemalan you
On 24 October the Latin American partners of NIMD gathered for a three day conference in the small village of Puembo, under the shadows of Ecuador’s capital Quito. A six member delegation of NIMD from The Hague was also present. The main focus of the conference was on exchanging information on pol
On Saturday 29 October the Africaday will be held in The Hague. NIMD is organising a workshop on African elections with international guests. Sign up now and join us in the debate.
On September 19-20, 2011 NIMD Georgia Political Party Assistance program consultants, program team and NIMD HQ program manager gathered for the program evaluation workshop. The workshop aimed at assessing a year long process that NIMD undertook with seven political parties in Georgia, outline lesso
On 15 September, NIMD Georgia celebrated the International Day of Democracy with the official launch of a Democracy School at the Telavi State University. For this special occasion, the first lecture was given by Levan Tsutskiridze, NIMD Representative in Georgia, who spoke about the history of mode
The presidential and parliamentary elections in Guatemala of 11 September 2011 have created the context for improvement of the political situation in the violence-ridden Central American country. This room for improvement is essential in order for Guatemala to grow towards a stable institutionalized
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has allocated € 30,177,500 to the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) for the coming 4 years. NIMD tendered for the Political Parties Fund II in August this year. The subsidy framework entails the period of 2012 - 2015.
On 19-21 September 2011, NIMD organised a regional conference on Constitutional Reforms and Constitutionalism in Africa in Maputo, Mozambique. At the end of the conference, participants issued a communiqué that outlined key outcomes and conclusions of the deliberations.
On 1-2 September 2011, a workshop on the impact of organised crime on governance and state building took place in New York City. The workshop, in which around 15 experts participated, was a follow-up of the regional seminar on Organised Crime and State Capture that was held in Lima, Peru earlier thi
NIMD, in cooperation with Mozambican political parties, hosts an African Regional Conference on Constitutional Reforms and Constitutionalism in Africa in Maputo from 18 to 21 September 2011. Former President of Mozambique and Chair Person of the Africa Forum of Former Heads of State and Government J
On 15 september we celebrate de International Day of Democracy. On this day we award people for their efforts in democracy development in 3 categories. You can nominate your candidate now.
NIMD celebrated the farewell to its Executive Director Roel von Meijenfeldt on 22 June in Sociëteit de Witte in The Hague. After 9 years at the helm of NIMD, Roel von Meijenfeldt considered NIMDs reorganization a timely moment to hand over executive responsibilities to a successor and decided to r
In response to the increased interest of Central Election Commission of Georgia (CEC) towards NIMD’s approach to strategic planning and its methodology, strategic management training cycle has been launched for CEC members, head of departments and the CEC leadership. The training cycle aimed at su
The Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA), each year invites around 15 army officers from different African countries to the Netherlands for a special month-long educational programme. The Staff Officers Course Africa (SOCA) has a clear focus on military affairs and issues, but the programme is also ai
Human Dimension Seminar organized by OSCE/ODIHR on 18-20 May, 2011 and devoted to “the role of political parties in the political process” took place in Warsaw, Poland. NIMD used this opportunity to share its experience in political party assistance. Side event organized by the NIMD draw partic
In February 2011 NIMD Georgia invited Bolivian experts on biometric voter registration to share their experiences with Georgian political parties. The Georgian ruling party and 16 opposition parties are negotiating a redraft of the election code which will regulate the 2012 elections. For this new e
On 3-6 May 2011, NIMD, within the framework of its Africa Regional Programme, facilitated a visit of a high level delegation of Ugandan politicians under the auspices of the NIMD’s supported Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) to Tanzania. The visit was to accord the Ugandan political par
Every 4 years NIMD is evaluated. The most recent evaluation was done by the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the period of 2006-2010. NIMD uses these outcomes in preparation for its multi-annual plan.
On 18-19 April 2011 NIMD organized a 2-day workshop in Bamako, Mali for all registered political parties. The workshop focused on improving parties’ capacity to develop realistic election manifestos in the preparation for the 2012 elections.
Six representatives of the 3 parties that are represented in the Mozambican parliament (Frelimo, Renamo and the Democratic Movement of Mozambique) visited Ghana and Mali on 11-15 April.
NIMD's Africa Regional Programme (ARP) is premised on the understanding that despite the diversity of features that characterise the countries in Africa, the democratisation agenda faces a number of common challenges.
On 8 October 2010, NIMD Georgia presented its latest publication: Constitutional Reform in Georgia: Insights from political parties to representatives from the media, local and international NGOs and political party representatives in Tbilisi.
Professors, university students, politicians and journalists need a reality check, according to Honduran economist Mayra Falck, who recently gave a lively presentation on human rights, social cohesion and democracy in Latin America.
In October 2010 the Belgian Presidency, in collaboration with Observatoire de l’Afrique and the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), organised an international conference on democratic reform.
On 29 and 30 September 2010 the Centre Malien pour la Dialogue Inter-Partis et la Démocratie (CMDID) held a conference as part of its efforts to enhance its relations with civil society.
Last month, NIMD organised a policy-making workshop for the six parliamentary political parties in Uganda. The workshop, which was also attended by senior party members, focussed on practical skills and policy-making techniques.
Guided by the principle that a democracy needs strong and sustainable political parties with the capacity to represent citizens and provide policy choices, NIMD recently launched its Political Party Assistance (PPA) programme in Georgia.
In the lead-up to Zanzibar’s July 2010 referendum, two political parties appeared together at a referendum festival, their joint message: “NDIYO, kwa Zanzibar tuitakayo”, Kiswahili for “Vote YES for a Zanzibar that we want”.
Political party leaders, friends and potential partners joined NIMD’s representation in Georgia on 21 September to celebrate the official launch of the NIMD offices at Zandukeli 5, in the heart of Tbilisi.
The third annual International Day of Democracy celebrated champions of democracy with the awarding of Democracy Ribbons and a full day of events in The Hague.
Today is a special day for supporters of democracy around the world. The third annual International Day of Democracy celebrates champions of democracy with the awarding of Democracy Ribbons and a full day of events in The Hague.
One year on from parliamentary elections, Ghana’s political parties continue to work together to improve the country’s democratic institutions, most recently through a series of consultations on constitutional reform.
A new version of Georgia’s constitution was submitted to Parliament on 21 July 2010 by the State Constitutional Commission. The question is: will this new constitution bring greater stability and democracy to the country?
From 29 July to 1 August 2010, two representatives of Dutch political youth organisations participated in a youth conference organised by CMDID, NIMD’s partner in Mali.
In March 2010, NIMD and Hivos launched a joint publication, Beyond Orthodox Approaches: Assessing opportunities for democracy support in the Middle East and North Africa. Hivos have now posted a review of the book on their website.
Malawi has successfully overcome some of the challenges that Uganda now faces in the run-up to its general elections in early 2011. That’s why a delegation of Ugandan politicians visited Malawi last month, to learn how it was done.
Yesterday, a large majority of the Kenyan people approved a new constitution through a referendum. Both the result and the peaceful conduct of the referendum present a great mandate for political reform in Kenya.
In 2010, NIMD's local partner in Ecuador, Agora Democrática (NIMD-IDEA), launched a political magazine, Agora Política. The aim of the magazine is to disseminate a variety of perspectives on the new political situation in Ecuador.
On 4 August, Kenyans go to the polls, facing a choice between 'Yes' or 'No' in answer to the question: "Do you approve the proposed constitution?" or in Swahili: "Je, unaikubali katiba mpya inayopendekezwa?"
Communication between electoral bodies and political parties is an essential part of any democracy. Mozambique therefore faces a problem, as dialogue between the CNE and political parties there is virtually non-existent.
Regional integration was the central issue of a debate held in Costa Rica last month between politicians and journalists from the Andean region and Central America.
On 30 May 2010, less than a year after Georgia's August war with Russia, Tbilisi voters had their first chance to elect their Mayor. Ann Tsurtsumia reports on the outcome of the mayoral race, and the reactions of the winners and losers.
fBDM spent the first half of 2010 developing a range of instruments, including radio and television programmes, newspapers inserts, book publications and weblogs. Join Lizzy Beekman in the new multimedia Bolivia.
NIMD’s Latin America Regional Conference, held in Guatemala in May, focussed on recent changes in Latin American politics, and the challenges to democracy in the region. Is it time to reinvent Latin American democracy support?
NIMD's partner in Mali is currently undertaking a project to improve the position of women within political parties. The twelve month project, sponsored by UNDP and UNIFEM, aims to increase women's representation in the 2012 elections.
On 15 June 2010 the first of four dialogue meetings was held in Maputo, bringing together political parties, representatives from the CNE and civil society organisations to debate electoral campaign and political party funding.
Today, a number of African countries are moving towards a constitutional order that is not only democratic and legitimate, but also inclusive and popularly accepted.
In 2009 NIMD, together with FDO and EPD, organised the first International Day of Democracy in the Netherlands. Preparations are underway for this year's event, with the organisers seeking nominations for four Heroes of Democracy.
NIMD's David Prater discusses the recent elections in Malawi, and the role of radio in informing citizens of the programmes of the various political parties contesting the elections.
Njeri Kebeberi is the Director of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy in Kenya (CMD-K). In the aftermath of the troubled 2007 elections, CMD-K played a visible and constructive role in fostering a multi-actor dialogue.
Voters in the Netherlands went to the polls on 9 June, and the preliminary results are now in. While the final make-up of the new government remains to be seen, the political landscape of the country has shifted significantly.
On Tuesday 1 June a group of international young professionals visited NIMD as part of an exchange programme organised by the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs.
NIMD’s Africa Regional Programme conference is being hosted by the Ugandan political parties who, on 5 February 2010, launched an interparty dialogue platform known as the Interparty Organisation for Dialogue, (IPOD).
NIMD was founded by seven Dutch political parties in 2000. In NIMD's Magazine 2010, we asked the chaipersons of these seven parties to explain their reasons for supporting NIMD's work. Here are their answers.
Democratic governance still faces great challenges in many countries within the Latin American region. Political institutions remain weak and governments change frequently. Ecuador is no exception.
Marieke van Doorn, Senior Programme Coordinator for the Secretariat of the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), discusses recent events in Zimbabwe, and what her organisation has been doing to promote democracy.
In Zambia, NIMD provides support to political parties on a fully inclusive and strictly impartial basis. All parliamentary parties are eligible for support, whether in government or in the opposition.
This week, NIMD’s Africa Regional Programme (ARP) will facilitate an exchange programme in Nairobi between members of Ghana’s Constitutional Review Committee and constitutional stakeholders from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Kenya.
NIMD’s Africa Regional Programme recently facilitated an exchange visit by a delegation of Malian politicians and electoral stakeholders to Ghana, in order to deepen their understanding of the Ghanaian electoral system.
Danish researchers and a British consultancy firm, respectively, have praised the Dutch model of party support as the most innovative existing model for supporting political parties in the developing world.
In January 2007, African Heads of State and Government took an unprecedented and historic step towards the entrenchment of democracy on the continent by adopting the African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
On 12 April, the Sixth Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy (WMD) in Jakarta began with a keynote address by the President of Indonesia, Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Over the Easter weekend, representatives of the Institute for Democracy in Africa (IDASA), visited democracy schools in Tangerang (Banten province) and Pangkep (South Sulawesi).
On 26 March, NIMD and Hivos successfully launched a joint publication on the possibilities for democracy support in the Middle East and North Africa region.
On 26 March 2010 at a launch event in Amsterdam, NIMD and HIVOS present the publication 'Beyond Orthodox Approaches: Assessing opportunities for democracy support in the Middle East and North Africa'.
As a result of last December's elections in Bolivia, NIMD and the Fundación Boliviana para la Democracia Multipartidaria (FBDM, or Bolivian Foundation for Multiparty Democracy) have intensified their debate on how to work under the new political circumstances.
Cooperation between Dutch political parties on the issue of internal party elections has been applied in Burundi, to the benefit of local parties there.
On 25 and 26 January, delegations from KID Indonesia, CMD Malawi and the NIMD Field Office in Guatemala came together with colleagues from NIMD in The Hague to kick-start the 'Collective Learning on Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (PME)' project.
A significant step in the consolidation of Burundian democracy was taken on 4 February when political parties signed an agreement for the establishment of a permanent dialogue forum.
Today NIMD’s Indonesian partner Komunitas Indonesia untuk Demokrasi (KID) signed a $ 2.4 million contract to expand the number of democracy schools it runs from five to ten.
Political parties in Uganda have agreed to a dialogue with a view to contributing to free and fair elections early next year and long-term democratic reforms. The agreement, which has been facilitated by NIMD, was sealed today at a signing ceremony in the Ugandan capital Kampala.
On 22 January NIMD’s partner in Mali, the Centre Malien pour le Dialogue Inter-Partis et la Démocratie (CMDID), presented the results of a lengthy inter-party dialogue process to Malian citizens.
Following a visit to Ghana in October, Ugandan parties invited Ghanaian politicians to take part in a conference, held in Kampala from December 1-3 to move forward interparty dialogue in Uganda.
On November 17, the Council of the European Union agreed to adopt the Council Conclusions on Democracy Support in the EU’s External Affairs. NIMD has actively contributed to the preparation of this new EU policy framework.
On 10 December, the President of Indonesia, Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened the second Bali Democracy Forum (BDF). NIMD is present at the conference, which focuses on democracy, development and prospects for regional cooperation.
From November 28 to December 3 representatives of the political parties in Kenya visited South Africa to study their experience with constitutional and electoral reform.
African politicians, election experts, the media, security services and civil society from 25 African countries met in Accra, Ghana, from November 12-14, to discuss strengthening African elections.
More than 100 practitioners and experts on elections from 25 African countries convene in Accra Nov. 12-14, to assess recent elections across the continent.
On November 3 the Kenyan democracy activist Njeri Kabeberi was honoured in The Hague, The Netherlands, where she received a "democracy ribbon" for her contribution to peace and democracy in her country.
On October 30 Kenyan democracy activist Njeri Kabeberi received a Human Rights Award from the Chamber of Lawyers of Frankfurt am Main. Subsequently, on November 3, she was honoured in The Netherlands, where she was awarded a 'democracy ribbon' by the mayor of The Hague.
On Monday 19 October, political youth representatives of Suriname and the Netherlands discussed the future relation between both countries during a special edition of the youth television programme Gran Krutu in Suriname.
On October 29 Njeri Kabeberi, Director of the Kenyan Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD-K) will receive a Human Rights Award from the Chamber of Lawyers of Frankfurt am Main.
With elections coming up on 28 October, political parties reconfirmed their commitment to the electoral Code of Conduct at a meeting in Maputo last week.
Together with the African democracy institute IDASA and the Africa Forum, NIMD has presented the initiative for Leadership and Democracy in Africa (iLEDA) at the European Development Days in Stockholm, Sweden.
NIMD President Bernard Bot, and Hans van Baalen, Chairman of the Supervisory Council, receive a Medal of Honour for their contribution to relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands.
On 17 September, two weeks after the launch of the Dialogue Platform, political parties, the electoral commission (CNE) and representatives of several Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) met each other again in Maputo.
On 17 September, the political youth programme of NIMDs partner, the Bolivian Foundation for Multiparty Democracy (FBDM) organised a book- and video launch 'When diversity meets understanding' in La Paz, Bolivia.
In July, the Zimbabwe Institute (ZI), set up a number of activities in preparation of the country’s public consultations on constitutional reform, which are taking place until November.
NIMD and IDASA, together with the Forum of African former Heads of State and Government founders of iLEDA, are starting the iLEDA School Citizen Leadership Programme in Mozambique.
In a rare show of unity and a common commitment to ensure credible, free and fair elections, Mozambican election stakeholders resolved to establish a dialogue platform in the run-up to the general elections on October 28 2009.
Ecuador is working on the implementation of a new Constitution. New national, regional and local elections were held in April 2009. On August 10 Rafael Correa was inaugurated as President of Ecuador for a second term.
During a recent working visit to Zambia, NIMD and its local partner, the Zambian Centre for Inter-Party Dialogue (ZCID) jointly agreed upon a priority agenda for institutional strengthening.
NIMD is pleased to cooperate with the European office of the Inter-American Development Bank to launch the Euro-Latin-American Network of Parliamentarians.
NIMD has invited Emeric Rogier, head of the Situation Analysis Section in the Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for a lunch lecture on July 9th at noon.
Constitutions are the most important documents for the functioning of states. The quality of democracy is therefore intricately linked to the way in which the constitution is written.
"The Road ahead under President Zuma, is the title of my lecture, even though roads ahead are difficult to predict", said Allister Sparks, one of South Africa’s finest political analysts at a lunch lecture at NIMD on June 19th.
Some 60 delegates representing more than 20 political parties from 10 African states, met in Naivasha Kenya from 7-10th June 2009 for the annual conference of the Southern African Regional Progamme (ESARP).
At the invitation of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy representatives from 17 countries in African, Asia, Europe and Latin America met in Nairobi Kenya from 10-13th June 2009.
NIMD cordially invites you to the NIMD lunch meeting - presenting an update on the political situation in Zambia - Tuesday 23 June, 12h-14h, NIMD office in The Hague
From June 10-14 NIMD and partners met in Nairobi to exchange ideas and reflect on lessons learned from the processes of our collective democracy work. This is the first time that the NIMD Partnership Days was hosted by one of our partners: the Centre for Multiparty Democracy Kenya (CMD-K) in Nairobi
‘If you wanted a revolution in Zimbabwe, you shouldn’t have negotiated’ says Zimbabwe’s PM Morgan Tsvangirai as he starts a tour of Western capitals. Tsvangirai's first stop was The Hague, where he met with the Dutch PM and an NIMD delegation, headed by NIMDs President, dr. B. Bot
The guest house of the university of Suriname in Paramaribo was filled on Monday (June 1) as as the first group of young politicians to take part in Democracy Units Train-the-Trainer programme received their graduation certificates.
Malawi held its presidential and parlimentary elections yesterday. As the returns trickle in Kizito Tenthani, Executive Director, CMD-M offers his thoughts on an election that has so far passed off peacefully.
The Evert Vermeer Foundation (EVF), Cordaid and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) will organise a debate on the elections in Malawi on the 26th of May in Felix Meritis (Amsterdam). All are welcome.
NIMD’s local partner, the Centre for Multiparty Democracy Malawi (CMD-M) has been working tirelessly in the run up to general elections to advance two central aims for these elections: the guarantee of a level playing field for the parties and a fair and peaceful electoral process.
NIMD is pleased to cooperate with the European office of the Inter-American Development Bank to launch the Euro-Latin-American Network of Parliamentarians.
On April 24-25, two Zimbabwean Ministers, Elton Mangoma, (Economic Planning and Industry) and Welshman Ncube (Industry and Commerce), visited The Netherlands on their first trip to Europe since the inauguration of the new tripartite government in February this year.
After the elections on Sunday 26th of April, it seems that President Rafael Correa has won the first round of the Presidential Elections with 55% of the votes.
NIMD is hosting Ministers Welshman Ncube and Elton Mangoma In The Hague to discuss the possibility of receiving support for democratic reforms in Zimbabwe with Dutch politicians and aid agencies. The Ministers will also meet with the Dutch Minister for International Cooperation Bert Koenders.
Using blogs, video and mobile phones, Democracy School graduates from three regions report on the elections in Indonesia, providing an insider's view of local politics in practice
In a meeting with NIMD today, Zambian President Rupiah Banda has affirmed his commitment to the constitutional review process, which is to bring Zambia a new constitution by the end of the December.
Newly elected Ghanian President Professor John Mills promises legislative commitment to IEA's political parties programme in his first ever State of the Nation Address.
The Centre for Multi-party Democracy in Malawi is gearing up to to help keep the political dynamics of open dialogue and constructive cooperation alive during election season.
Four young people from Suriname visited the Netherlands from 26 till 31 of January, to engage with Dutch political youth and exchange valuable experiences on democracy and political youth participation.
On Tuesday night December 16th, 2008, the Komunitas Indonesia untuk Demokrasi (KID) presented a DVD with all the data on the last general elections in 2004 at a well-attended meeting in Jakarta.
This December Ghana’s Democracy was for the fifth successive time, put to the test. Eight million, two hundred thousand people went to the polls to decide the political fate of Ghana for the next four years. IEA's Jean Mensa offers this in-depth analysis.
The 2008 ESARP Round Table was held December 3-4 in The Hague to discuss matters related to the regional programme. Participants from several programme countries had a chance to reflect jointly and consultatively on the lessons and achievements so far as well as the work ahead.
This week, Ecuador's new electoral law was sent to the transitionary congress. General elections will be held in 2009 and NIMD partner, Ágora Democrática is at the forefront of the events.
The US presidential election was a contest between Continutiy and Change. The latter won, but what will it really entail. Democratization expert Thomas Carothers shares his thoughts.
NIMD’s Bolivian partner, FBDM, played a critical role in developing the agreement on political reform which was finally been reached following months of instability.
Two youth leaders from Dutch political youth organization will contribute to a conference of the Guatemalan youth forum to share experiences on youth empowerment.
An interview with researcher Josh Maiyo on the role of youth in East African democracies. "Youth are frustrated with how things are, since they see no avenues.”
On 15 October the leadership of Ghana’s main political parties presented the Democratic Consolidation Strategy Paper (DCSP), a joint analysis of the country’s democratic system that proposes a number of practical reforms.
A ten-person delegation of Malawian political leaders travelled to Nairobi this week to engage in a series of intensive workshops aimed at teasing out lessons from the post-election crisis which engulfed Kenya at the start of 2008.
Appropriately on the 1st international day of democracy, NIMD has launched a new website. Using open source technology, the website enables us to share information more effectively with our partners and democracy advocates worldwide.
On 28 September the people of Ecuador will decide upon a new Constitution with extensive political reforms. In August and September, an intensive campaign is expected.
The government of Nicaragua has intensified the already blunt and aggressive confrontation with all critical sectors in society, the media and the international community.
Free and fair elections and increased women participation are impressive results of the work of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which was established 25 years ago.
The World Movement for Democracy expresses its concern about recent controversial accusations of sodomy against Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The Democracy Unit in Suriname, the local partner of NIMD, met with local political representatives, launching the first steps towards its young politicians training programme.
Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) called on the Zimbabwe government to postpone the presidential elections run-off scheduled for the 27th and hold talks with the opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai.
Support to democratization efforts in post-conflict countries requires a delicate approach between long term goals (democracy) and short term needs (peace and stability).
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has allayed fears that the formation of a Grand Coalition Government could kill the spirit of multiparty democracy in the country.
During an NIMD Round Table conference in Mali on 27 April, Malian political parties agreed to the need to reform the electoral management system. Two Euro-MPs from the Netherlands joined in the discussions.
In preparation of a new constitution Ecuadorian politicians met with Bolivian colleagues to learn about the pitfalls and possibilities during this often sensitive process.
In response to the crisis in the wake of the derailed elections in kenya, an NIMD misson travelled to Nairobi for discussions with politicians, local partners and civil society
The recent political crisis in Georgia has dealt a blow to President Saakashvili’s and the country’s democratic image. However, democracy is not back where it started.
At the conference of the Community of Democracies in Bamako on 17 November 2007, African political parties have presented political elites as key players in democratization processes.
Programmatic differences between political parties in Mali are small. NIMD is supporting a training programme for parties to strengthen their own identity and to develop distinctive policy programmes.
Engaging the Afghan people is crucial for the international community in Afghanistan, says Afghan conflict and security expert Hekmat Karzai at a meeting at NIMD.
58% of the Dutch population favours active support for young democracies. This is one of the outcomes of an internet opinion poll on democracy in The Netherlands.
During the 2007 Partnership Days in September NIMD and its international partners discussed the partnership relation. Ownership and performance were identified as key elements.
An NIMD survey about internal party democracy shows that for a political party it is one thing to proclaim to be democratic but another thing to practice it.
In order to strengthen the Centres for Multiparty Democracy in Zambia and Tanzania NIMD entered into a public-private-partnership with the consultancy agency Berenschot Group.
Political youth wings of Guatemala have joined hands in a campaign to motivate young people to vote in the September elections and to participate in politics.
In the run up to the general elections in December 2007, the Centre for Multi-Party democracy (CMD-Kenya) is organizing a peace concert in direct response to the increasing electoral related violence.
According to CMD-Kenya political parties in Kenya should use opinion polls more actively to formulate their campaign strategies and to enhance political debate amongst the voters
Kenya’s smallest ethnic minorities feel forgotten. In the run-up to the elections in December they seek public recognition and political representation.
The relationship between politicians and media in Central America is quite often characterized by tension and hostility. At 12 July 2007, both parties joined in an open dialogue at a conference in Managua, Nicaragua.
From 29 June to 1 July 2007 Young NIMD took part in a conference on youth participation in decision-making in Ghana. How can young people make themselves heard?
"Do not wait until you are in government to do something about poverty eradication!" This was the message of an exchange visit between political parties from South Africa and Malawi, held from 9 to 13 July 2007.
Zambian political parties have agreed upon a road map for constitutional reform and confirmed their commitment to further cooperation at the launch of the Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue on 26 June.
Local political parties have officially presented their Shared Departmental Agenda for the future of the Chimaltenango (May) and Alta Verapaz (June) regions in Guatemala.
On 13 June 2007 Young NIMD (YIMD) organized a lecture on democracy consolidation with political scientist Karim Knio of the Institute for Social Studies.
As the Dutch government is currently preparing its new Latin America policy, NIMD and other Dutch organisations decided to organise a Latin America Conference with all relevant stakeholders.
News report about an NIMD conference in Ghana to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ghana´s independence and discuss the state of democracy and the role of political parties in Sub Sahara Africa.
During a three-day visit to the Netherlands hosted by NIMD, seven Indonesian political parties and their Dutch counterparts agreed upon future collaboration to stimulate the democratization process in Indonesia.
On April 12, 2007 in Guatemala City, NIMD, Radio Netherlands (RNW) and Oxfam Novib organized the conference 'Women in Guatemala, between violence and impunity'
On April 16 the acting Vice President of Bolivia, Dr. Alvaro García Linera, inaugurated the new offices of the Fundación Boliviana para la Democracia Multipartidaria (FBDM) in La Paz.
From 22-23 February in Cartagena, Colombia, journalists, politicians and scholars from five Andean countries discussed the outcome of a series of workshops on the relations between the media and politics in the region.
From 31 August to 1 September 2006, about 60 politicians, journalists and scholars met in Lima, Peru to discuss the relations between the media and politics in Latin America.
Vaclav Havel, former president of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, has supported a proposal for a European Democracy Foundation at a meeting at the Prague House in Brussels on May 30
Text size
