May 5, 2008

Pakistan: Advancing Democracy and Security
Monday, May 5, 2008, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

This event will feature a luncheon address by John D. Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State. During just over 60 years of independence, Pakistan has averaged a military coup each decade. Intervals of elected, civilian government have all ended in failure, with the soldiers back in power. The surprise win by democratic parties in the February 2008 parliamentary races holds new hope for democracy, but only if the country can meet a wide range of crucial tests. These include strengthening civilian political institutions and securing the withdrawal of the military from politics, developing the economy, and addressing serious security threats. Many fear that this opportunity will be lost – especially given the sharpness of the security challenge – and that the old cycle of periodic coups will soon return. This meeting will ask whether and how this could change: What institutional reforms and other strategies can help Pakistan to beat the odds and build an effective and stable democracy?

April 30, 2008

Securing and Expanding Press Freedom Through New Media
Wednesday, April 30, 2008, 8 – 10 a.m., Rayburn Building, Room B-339

In honor of World Press Freedom Day 2008 and its theme, “Freedom of Expression, Access, and Empowerment,” please join the Center for International Media Assistance for a discussion about securing and expanding press freedom through new media. New information and communication technologies have been empowering citizens to express their ideas through electronic networks, as well as to participate in political, social, and economic debates.

By engaging in the new information society, “netizens” are contributing to the free flow of information and participating in the democratic process, which is a vital prerequisite to an open society. Authoritarian governments, however, are increasing their efforts to regulate and censor content and citizens’ access to information, while also investing in greater surveillance efforts. The panelists will share their perspectives on journalists’ use of new media and speak about the importance of new information technologies in expanding press freedom in closed societies.

Honorary Co-Hosts: The Honorable Richard Lugar, The Honorable Adam Schiff, The Honorable Christopher Dodd, and The Honorable Mike Pence.(Congressional Caucus for the Freedom of the Press Co-Chairs)

Featured Speakers: John Palfrey, Executive Director, Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law School; Shanthi Kalathil, Consultant, Communication for Governance & Accountability Program (CommGAP), World Bank; Aboubakr Jamaï, Mason Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Publisher, Le Journal Hebdomadaire; Xiao Qiang, Director, Berkeley China Internet Project, University of California, Berkeley

February 27, 2008

Instability in Pakistan: Implications for the Future of Independent Media

Following the liberalization of the electronic media sector in Pakistan in 2002, broadcast media fought hard to gain independence from state control and serve as a more reliable alternative to state-run television. Since then, independent television and radio stations have contributed to major changes in Pakistan’s political landscape. On November 3, 2007, however, President Pervez Musharraf declared a national state of emergency, suspended the constitution, and imposed martial law, culminating in the imposition of a more restrictive code of conduct for the media in December. On February 27, CIMA and the Asia Program convened two American reporters and two Pakistani journalists to discuss the state of media in Pakistan and the future of the country’s independent media. The speakers included Steve Coll of the New America Foundation and The New Yorker, freelance journalist Nicholas Schmidle, Sami Abrahamof Geo-TV, and Manzur Ejaz of the Daily Times.

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February 11, 2008

Regional Options for Peace in the Great Lakes: The Case of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army

Since July 2006, the military phase of the conflict in Northern Uganda has been replaced by a tenuous ceasefire between the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army. However in order to ensure stability in the region, progress must be made in the political, military, and diplomatic realms. Most importantly, the transnational character of the conflict, whose frontline extends from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Southern Sudan, calls for policymakers to concentrate on shifting the Great Lakes region away from security-related competition and towards economic cooperation. In his presentation, noted journalist Mr. Angelo Izama offered an insider’s perspective about how to best negotiate an end to the conflict in Northern Uganda and the possibilities for mediation by the United States and greater international community. His presentation was followed by comments by Mr. Howard Wolpe.

Mr. Angelo Izama is director of special projects at the Daily Monitor, Uganda’s only independent daily newspaper, and a frequent contributor to various other news media, including the Nation, Radio Botswana, Voice of America, and Radio Channel Africa. He has also served as producer and host of top-rated political talk shows. One of Uganda’s most well-known and respected journalists, Mr. Izama is sought after by local and foreign media, as well as by members of the Ugandan government for his ideas, opinions, and insightful analyses of the political situation in Uganda. During his fellowship, he is evaluating the demands for international justice and options for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in northern Uganda, with a focus on the potential role of the United States in mediating an end to the insurgency. Mr. Howard Wolpe is the director of the Africa program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a member of the National Endowment for Democracy’s Board of Directors.

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February 7 , 2008

Prospects for Iraqi National Reconciliation: Searching for a Plan

Since 2003 the world has watched the Iraqi national crisis unfold. Escalating patterns of ethnic and sectarian violence reached such intensity that some have argued the country is on the brink of “civil war.” Despite holding two democratic elections and one referendum, the continued presence of insurgent and foreign-backed terrorist organizations has devastated the Iraqi economy. Four years after the invasion, the general population still suffers from high unemployment and a lack of essential services such as water, electricity, fuel, and sanitation. Since the U.S. administration’s rejection of the Iraq Study Group Report, prospects for a comprehensive, coordinated effort to reconstruct the country remain unclear. However, with the recent military surge reducing levels of violence across the country, is there yet hope for reconciliation? While a general consensus among all stakeholders on the need for national reconciliation prevails, many challenges remain. In his presentation, Mr. Mustafa Safwat Rashid Sidqi offered a personal view of the situation on the ground in Iraq today. By examining the stances of local, regional, and international actors, Mr. Sidqi not only highlighted the prospects for Iraqi national reconciliation, but also presented the inherent difficulties that arise from the absence of a master plan. His presentation was followed by comments by Mr. Michael Rubin.

Mr. Mustafa Safwat Rashid Sidqi is a former election commissioner with the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, a government body established to oversee elections throughout Iraq. As co-founder of the Kurdistan Human Rights Organization (KHRO), Mr. Sidqi has helped to document and monitor human rights violations in Iraqi Kurdistan and mediate conflicts between the region’s two former rival political parties. During his fellowship, Mr. Sidqi is undertaking a study of Iraq’s prospects for national reconciliation through democracy, the results of which will be produced in the form of a booklet in English, Arabic, and Kurdish. Mr. Michael Rubin is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC, and a senior lecturer in the Center for Civil-Military Relations at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He also edits the Middle East Quarterly and writes frequently on Iraqi and Kurdish political issues. He holds a B.S. in Biology and Ph.D. in history, both from Yale University.

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February 1 , 2008

Political Resistance to Economic Reform in Nepal: Conflict and Consequences for Democracy

Caught between the regional economic powerhouses of China and India, Nepal has largely been overlooked in the political economy of South and Southeast Asia. As a young democracy, it has had a troubled past – a resistant monarch, a Maoist insurgency, and a severely stifled economy due to years of mismanagement by political elites. As a result of misguided centralized planning, Nepal found itself deep in financial crisis in the late 1980s and became dependent on the IMF and World Bank. The resulting reforms have had a mixed record and often suffer from uneven implementation or weak enforcement. The persistent problems of willful bank defaulters, protectionist labor policies, poor resource allocation, and a growing debt burden on the poor have significantly diminished the prospects for economic growth. The failure of successive leaders to address the basic economic needs of the most impoverished citizens, particularly in the rural areas, has resulted in a tenuous political situation. Resonant with the story of developing nations worldwide, the case of Nepal offers important insights about the intersection of development, politics and conflict. Drawing on his background as an economic journalist, Mr. Prem Khanal focused on the significant political resistance to economic reform in four major sectors--  finance, governance, labor, and resource allocation—and the effect this resistance has had on the development of a stable democracy. He discussed these crucial reforms, as well as recent developments in the Maoist movement and the monarchy, and their collective effects on the prospects for democracy in Nepal. His presentation was followed by comments by Mr. Brian Joseph.

Mr. Prem Khanal is chief of the business bureau at the Kathmandu Post, where he has published more than 250 articles on politics, business, corruption, and economic reform in Nepal. An economist by training, he previously served as research officer for the Institute for Development Studies in Kathmandu. He has written two books, An Analysis of Public Expenditure in Nepal (2005) and A Study on Government Plans, Programs, Budget Affecting Children in Nepal (2002), and has co-authored Problems and Prospects of Reforms in Nepal (2003). He recently completed a study on “Financing Education in Nepal” for Action Aid International. In 2004, his numerous expository pieces on corruption and the misuse of public funds earned him an Outstanding Performance Award from Kantipur Publications, the largest media firm based in Kathmandu. During his fellowship, Mr. Khanal is studying political resistance to economic reforms in Nepal since 1990 and the impact of this resistance on democratization in the country. Mr. Brian Joseph is the director of South and Southeast Asia at the National Endowment for Democracy.

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January 31, 2008

Discourses on Democracy

Marc F. Plattner and Larry Diamond, coeditors since 1990 of the National Endowment for Democracy’s Journal of Democracy, are the authors of two important new volumes, Democracy without Borders? Global Challenges to Liberal Democracy (Rowman and Littlefield) and The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies Throughout the World (Holt), that seek to guide readers to a deeper understanding of the complex challenges facing those seeking to advance freedom and democracy in the world today. Plattner and Diamond shared their practical and philosophical insights, gained from decades immersed in both the study of and struggle for free societies, and were joined by three commentators: Tamara Cofman Wittes, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution, William Galston, Brookings Institutions, and Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs. [view event]

January 17, 2008

The Role of the Media in a Polarized Society

On December 2, Venezuelan voters narrowly rejected proposed reforms to the country’s current constitution. Both the debate over the reforms and the campaign period leading up to the referendum reflected the ongoing polarization present in Venezuelan society. These tensions were echoed in both public and private media coverage of the campaign and raised questions about the responsibilities of and challenges to media in a polarized society.

On January 17, Mr. Andrés Cañizález of the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello presented the results of a recent investigation on media coverage of the proposed constitutional reforms and explored the lessons that were drawn from the experience. His presentation was followed by comments by Eduardo A. Bertoni, of the Due Process of Law Foundation, and Silvio Waisbord of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University.

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January 16, 2008

Global Investigative Journalism: Strategies for Support

According to Global Investigative Journalism: Strategies for Support, a new report published by CIMA and written by David E. Kaplan, investigative journalism has grown dramatically worldwide since the fall of communism. This growth has been fueled by globalization, international aid, and the efforts of journalism groups. The field’s emphasis on public accountability and anticorruption efforts has attracted serious attention from international donors, who see it as an important force in promoting rule of law and democratization. But support of investigative journalism overseas has been identified as a major gap in international media assistance, with funding that is largely uncoordinated and episodic and that makes up a small fraction of that spent on overall media development. Veteran trainers and organizers argue that sustained programs, support of nonprofit investigative journalism centers, and adherence to high standards can produce impressive results both in fostering public accountability and in building a professional news media overseas.

In a luncheon presentation on January 16, 2008, Kaplan addressed the growth of investigative journalism centers worldwide and highlights opportunities for stakeholders to invest in more sustained programs that professionalize the news media and foster greater transparency in governance. His presentation was followed by comments by three experts in the field of investigative journalism: Sheila Coronel, with the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University; Charles Lewis of American University and The Fund for Independence in Journalism; and William Orme, with the Democratic Governance Group at the United Nations Development Programme.

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January 15, 2008

Putin’s Campaign against Chechen Society

The world remains ignorant about the current situation in Chechnya. The Russian government and the media it controls have painted a rosy picture: the war is over, power has been transferred to the Chechens, and reconstruction is proceeding smoothly. In reality, disappearances, killings, and occasional fighting between the Chechen resistance and Russian forces persist, and this fighting has spilled into neighboring republics of the north Caucasus. Moreover, the local government lacks legitimacy and is merely an extension of the Russian authority. In his presentation, journalist and human rights activist Usam Baysaev examined three themes: the nature of President Putin’s “Chechenization” policy, the radicalization of the Chechen opposition, and the dangers that this poses to the west. His presentation was followed by comments by Miriam Lanskoy.

Mr. Usam Baysaev is a journalist and human rights activist who has monitored and reported on the crisis in Chechnya since November 1999, the start of the second war. As a member of the Human Rights Center Memorial, he documents human rights violations and compiles the center’s Chronicle of Violence, a daily account of war crimes and human rights violations. Mr. Baysaev is also a freelance publicist and formerly a correspondent for Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty. He is the author of a book about a massacre in Novye Aldy, Zatchistka, and co-author of the book series People Live Here, which is based on the Chronicle of Violence. During his fellowship, Mr. Baysaev is writing a book analyzing social and political developments in Chechnya since 1996, which will seek to dispel popular myths concerning Chechnya and offer a more informed analysis of the conflict. Dr. Miriam Lanskoy is the senior program officer for Central Asia and the Caucasus at the National Endowment for Democracy.

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From Prison to Freedom: Difficulties and Hopes

Dr. Yang Jianli, Founder and President of the Foundation for China in the 21st Century, is a dedicated democracy activist and scholar in Chinese democratic constitutional theory. Because of his political activism, Dr. Yang was blacklisted by the Chinese government and forced to live in exile. When he returned to China in 2002, he was arrested and sentenced to a five-year prison term.

At this event, Dr. Yang described his experiences as a prisoner of conscience. He offered his views on the role of the U.S. in promoting democratic values in China, and gave an account of what he learned during several months of travel around China upon his release from prison.

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