The Threat to Civic and Religious Freedom in Russia

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and NED hosted a panel discussion on "The Threat to Civic and Religious Freedom in Russia" on Dec. 14th. The event featured the release of the Commission's Policy Focus on Russia and the participation of several speakers, including distinguished Russian human rights defender Ludmilla Alexeeva.

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Women's Political Participation in Oman: Roadblocks to Progress

On paper, women in Oman seem to enjoy a number of political and civil rights. They may serve in the State Council, vote and run for the Consultative Council, and manage women's NGOs—freedoms they gained without struggle. Yet despite their longstanding presence in Oman's workforce and civil society, and notwithstanding their appointment to certain government posts, most women appear either unaware of their rights to participate in political life, or unable to exercise them. Why have Omani women fallen behind their regional counterparts, notably in Bahrain and Kuwait, who gained their rights more recently? What are the obstacles preventing them from moving ahead? In her presentation, Ms. Rafiah Al-Talei will discuss the political and cultural challenges preventing Omani women from achieving effective public participation and offer recommendations on how to overcome them. Her presentation will be followed by comments by Ms. Michele Dunne and Dr. Azizah Al-Hibri.

Rafiah Al-Talei is editor-in-chief of Al Mar'ah, Oman's only Arabic and English-language women's magazine, a contributor to the online magazine Gulf in the Media, and a board member of the Omani Women's Association of Muscat. In 2003, she was a candidate for a seat on Oman's Consultative Council. Michele Dunne is senior associate and editor of Arab Reform Bulletin at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Azizah Al-Hibri is professor of law at the University of Richmond and founding president of Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights.

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Kyrgyzstan Since the Tulip Revolution

Despite the initial optimism after the March 2005 Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan, the country has continued to experience political unrest. In November 2006 President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who came to power after the overthrow of Askar Akayev, was forced to accept a compromise version of proposed Constitutional revisions. What will the new Constitution mean and how is it regarded in the country? How has the relationship between government and civil society changed since the revolution? Drawing on her insights as an NGO leader and human rights lawyer, Ms. Lisitsyna will discuss the constitutional reform process, the human rights record of the new government, and the role of opposition leaders and civil society organizations in promoting reform.

Ms. Maria Lisitsyna is the president of the Youth Human Rights Group, a prominent Kyrgyz NGO that works on human rights monitoring and education. In May 2005 she was elected by the Kyrgyz Parliament as a member of the Constitutional Council. A former Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy, she is spending the current year as a Sauvé Scholar at McGill University in Montreal. Mr. Kevin D. Jones, a graduate research fellow at the Center for International Security Studies at the University of Maryland, has worked as an Advisor to USAID for Central Asia and has spent the past nine years working in and studying the region.

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Latin America's Year of Elections

By the end of the year, a dozen countries in Latin America will have held elections. In a number of countries, leftist candidates have won the presidency, leading some analysts to claim that Latin America has moved left. Others have contested this interpretation, arguing that the picture is more complex. This debate has also led to competing assessments of the nature of the resurgent left, and of the extent to which it varies from one country to another. These issues are discussed at length in a cluster of articles featured in the October 2006 Journal of Democracy under the title "A 'Left Turn' in Latin America?" The authors of two of these articles, Arturo Valenzuela and Hector Schamis, discusses the 2006 elections in the hemisphere and their implications for the state of democracy in the region.

Arturo Valenzuela is professor of government and director of the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University. During the Clinton administration, he was deputy assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs and later senior director for inter-American affairs at the U.S. National Security Council. His article, "Problems of Success in Chile," co-authored with Lucía Dammert, appears in the October 2006 Journal of Democracy. Hector E. Schamis is assistant professor of comparative and regional studies at American University's School of International Service. He has written extensively on democratization and market reform in Latin America and ex-communist countries. His article, "Populism, Socialism, and Democratic Institutions," also appears in the October 2006 Journal of Democracy.

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"A Virtualist Tours the World: The Internet and the Emergence of Democracy"

Esther Dyson, longtime analyst of the IT and Internet worlds and author of the blog "Release 0.9," addressed the topic, "A Virtualist Tours the World: The Internet and the Emergence of Democracy," at the New York Democracy Forum.

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Saad Eddin Ibrahim speaks on "Toward Islamic Democracies" for the Third Annual Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World

Toward Islamic Democracies was the topic for the Third Annual Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World, which was delivered by Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim. [more...]

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Journal of Democracy Book Launch: Electoral Systems And Democracy, What Have We Learned?

Leading scholars and election experts marked the publication of the latest Journal of Democracy book, Electoral Systems and Democracy at a panel discussion organized by the International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC. [more...]

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Memorial Gathering for Anna Politkovskaya

On Monday, October 16 the National Endowment for Democracy held a memorial gathering to honor slain Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. [more...]

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Another Look at Putin's Soul

In advance of the St. Petersburg G-8 Summit, NED President Carl Gershman joined a panel of experts at the Hudson Institute on Wednesday, July 5 to discuss Another Look at Putin's Soul, a volume of essays by former NED Reagan-Fascell Fellow Andrei Piontkovsky.

Assessing Slovakia's 2006 Parliamentary Elections: Domestic and Regional Implications

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Grigorij Meseznikov. Wayne State University Professor Kevin Deeagan-Krause commented on the presentation and Fellowship Director Sally Blair moderated the event.

Since its independence in 1993, Slovakia has passed a number of key milestones on its path toward democratic consolidation. Elections in 1998 and 2002 brought committed democrats to power, and the country has since become a member both of NATO and the European Union. Slovakia's free-market economic policies have made it a magnet for foreign investment, and the leaders of its vibrant civil society now help promote democracy in other parts of Europe and beyond. Despite the country's great success in diplomacy and economic reform, however, Slovakia's domestic political scene continues to feature a complex mix of democrats, nationalists, semiauthoritarians, and others who wish to undo most of the post-1998 reforms. All these players have been marshalling their forces in anticipation of the parliamentary elections that took place on Saturday, June 17. In his presentation, Grigorij Mesežnikov analyzed the context and results of these elections and assessed their implications for future domestic and regional developments. His presentation was followed by comments by Kevin Deegan-Krause.

Mr. Grigorij Mesežnikov is a political scientist and president of the Institute for Public Affairs, a leading Slovak think tank based in Bratislava. He is the coauthor and editor of dozens of books on Slovakia's sociopolitical transformation, including the Global Report on Slovakia, a major annual collection of scholarly essays that analyze the most important political, economic, social, and cultural developments in the country. He has also contributed numerous academic articles and opinion essays on Slovak politics to domestic and international media. During his fellowship, Mr. Mesežnikov is examining the ways in which think tanks in advanced democracies influence the policy-making process in order to apply lessons learned to Slovakia. Dr. Kevin Deegan-Krause is assistant professor of political science at Wayne State University.

2006 Democracy Award

The National Endowment for Democracy presented its annual Democracy Award to four democratic activists from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sierra Leone, Sudan and Zimbabwe. Ms. Zainab Bangura, Ms. Immaculée Birhaheka, Mr. Reginald Matchaba-Hove, and Mr. Alfred Taban are leaders of civil society organizations that are responsible for important advances in the fields of human rights, women's rights, government transparency, independent media, and free and fair elections. [more...]

Democracy in India: More Competition, Less Choice?

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Vandita Mishra provided comments and Fellowship Manager Sally Blair moderated the event.

For more than forty years following independence, Indian politics was characterized by a one-party dominant system, with the Congress Party at its center. Beginning in 1989, this system broke down amid intense political mobilizations that came to a head in the ensuing decade. The 1990s saw an increase in the participation of marginalized groups, a growth in the number of political parties, a shift in the primary site of politics from the center to the states, and the emergence of coalition governments at the center. While some raised the specter of "stability in danger," for others the new political order promised a more inclusive and responsive government. Yet the hope that politics would become more reflective of and responsive to the diverse needs of Indian society, and that it would better accommodate the concerns of the disadvantaged and underprivileged, seems to have come up against a number of constraints. Drawing upon her research on Indian political parties and her experience as a journalist, Vandita Mishra provided an overview of India's tumultuous political changes over the past decade and a half and shared her assessment of the obstacles to the deepening of India's democracy.

Ms. Vandita Mishra is a journalist and member of the lead editorial team with the Indian Express, one of India's most prominent English-language daily newspapers. As the newspaper's senior assistant editor, she writes a weekly op-ed column called "Us and Them," which examines foreign media, as well as an occasional column on political issues for the editorial page. She has also reported from Parliament and covered elections in the Indian state of Bihar. Prior to joining the Indian Express, she served as assistant editor at the Pioneer, another English-language daily, where she wrote a biweekly column for the editorial page. Her articles touch on a wide range of political issues and have also appeared in the Hindustan Times, the Tribune, and the journal Seminar.

Bridging the North and South Anticorruption Agendas

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Guillermo Jorge.Fellowship Manager Sally Blair moderated the event.

According to a recent United Nations report, "Every year, over $1 trillion is paid in bribes around the world, enriching the corrupt and robbing generations of a future." To combat corruption in a world where over 1 billion people live on less than $1 a day, the North and South have recently reached a historic anticorruption consensus: In 1999, OECD member-states agreed to criminalize the bribery of foreign public officials; in 2005, the UN Convention against Corruption developed new tools for facilitating international cooperation in the repatriation of proceeds from corruption; and in 2006, the multilateral development banks agreed on a common approach to fight corruption. Will these new standards have a significant impact, and if so, in what ways? What are the implications for the promotion of transparency and the rule of law, specifically in Latin America? In his remarks, Guillermo Jorge discussed the forces that have brought these new standards to the international agenda, the policies being adopted to pursue them, and the prospects for their successful implementation. He concluded with an assessment of what these new developments mean for democracy in Latin America.

Mr. Guillermo Jorge is a lawyer currently working in anticorruption and asset-recovery programs for several Latin American governments and international institutions. He is also a professor of law at the Universidad de San Andres in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Widely considered a leading regional expert in asset recovery, Mr. Jorge has served as pro-bono legal adviser for Transparency International and for Poder Ciudadano. During his fellowship, he is laying the groundwork for the establishment of a new anticorruption research center based in Argentina. He is also preparing a policy paper on corruption asset-recovery strategies for Latin America.

Fallen Icon: The Worker in Postcommunist Russia

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Elena Gerasimova. NED's Special Assistant to the Vice President of Government and External Relations Michael Allen commented on the event and Fellowship Manager Sally Blair moderated the event.

During the Soviet era, state propaganda idolized the working class. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, however, Russian workers have seen their "privileged" status change. Economic liberalization and the passage of new labor laws have forced a reexamination of Russia's social classes, and the Russian worker faces increasing legal and economic difficulties. Recent economic developments—including soaring oil and gas export earnings and a growing population of migrant workers—have combined with a more rigid political environment to create a new context for the promotion of labor rights. In her presentation, Elena Gerasimova will consider the implications of these new developments for democracy in Russia. Drawing on her experience as a leading labor lawyer in Moscow, she discussed the current position of Russian workers, the lack of adequate mechanisms preventing discrimination in the workplace, and the complex connections between the state and trade unions in Russia. Her presentation was followed by comments by Michael Allen.

Dr. Elena Gerasimova is director and cofounder of the Center for Social and Labor Rights, an NGO that promotes economic equity and labor rights in Russia. A labor lawyer by training, she has been a tireless advocate for improved working conditions, higher wages, and other rights for Russian workers and trade unions. She is also a specialist in laws regulating freedom of association and civil procedure. During her fellowship, she is comparing Russian and U.S. approaches to preventing discrimination in labor relations and dispute resolutions. Mr. Michael Allen is special assistant to the vice president for government and external relations at the National Endowment for Democracy.

Emerging Legislatures in Emerging African Democracies

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Joel Barkan. International Forum co-director Larry Diamond commented on the presentation and Fellowship Director Sally Blair moderated the event.

A defining attribute of all established democracies is an institutionalized legislature. Yet the burgeoning literature on "third wave democratizers" has paid scant attention to the legislative process and its development. Joel Barkan is currently completing a book that addresses this gap in our understanding of democratization in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on a series of studies that he and his collaborators have carried out in Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda, Barkan compared the development of the legislatures in these countries and assessed the implications of his findings for the process of democratization and democracy promotion. He argued that the development of the legislature occurs independently of whether a country has "transitioned" into an electoral democracy and that the process is a function of four sets of conditions that determine not only whether the legislature becomes a significant institution, but also whether liberal democracy can be established. His presentation was followed by comments by Larry Diamond.

Dr. Joel D. Barkan is professor emeritus of political science and international programs at the University of Iowa and senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. A widely recognized expert on governance and democratization in Anglophone Africa, he has also served as a consultant to the U.S. Agency for International Development, UNDP, and the World Bank. His many publications include "Kenya After Moi" (Foreign Affairs, 2004), "Emerging Legislatures: Institutions of Horizontal Accountability" (World Bank Institute, 2004), "Uganda: An African Success Past Its Prime" (Woodrow Wilson Center, 2005), and "Space Matters: Designing Better Electoral Systems for Emerging Democracies (American Journal of Political Science, forthcoming, 2006). Dr. Larry Diamond is co-director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies, co-editor of the Journal of Democracy, and senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.

Strengthening Democracy in Pakistan: The Role of Research Institutes

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Aasiya Riaz. Stanford Professor Michael McFaul provided comments and Fellowship Manager Sally Blair moderated the event.

Since its independence in 1947, Pakistan has oscillated between democracy and dictatorship, resulting in the weakening of institutions of governance. As a consequence, the country's policy-making has been strongly influenced by the military establishment and its civilian affiliates, seriously restricting room for pluralistic choices in decision-making. In her presentation, Ms. Aasiya Riaz made the case that while the need to strengthen political institutions in Pakistan remains critical, there is an equal need to create and support independent, nonpartisan public policy research institutions. Drawing upon her experience as co-director of a leading Pakistani research institute and her study of think tanks in the United States, Ms. Riaz identified some of the key challenges and opportunities independent public policy research institutes face in Pakistan and offered recommendations for how these institutions can be made more effective within Pakistan's current political environment. Her presentation was followed by comments by Dr. Michael McFaul.

Ms. Aasiya Riaz is joint director of Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), an independent research and training institution working to strengthen democratic governance in Pakistan. As PILDAT's co-director, she has been at the forefront of conceptualizing and implementing a wide range of democratic-strengthening programs in Pakistan. During her fellowship, she is examining the role of think tanks and the Congressional Research Service in the United States and how similar institutions may be established in Pakistan. Dr. Michael McFaul is an associate professor of political science at Stanford University, Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a visiting fellow at the International Forum for Democratic Studies.

Presentation on "Development and Democratic Governance: Some Key Issues"

Kemal Dervis, head of the United Nations Development Programme, delivered a lecture to the New York Democracy Forum.

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Participating in Vain: The Betrayal of Women's Rights in Uganda

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Miria Matembe. Anne Mugisha of the Women's Learning Partnership provided comments and International Forum Director Marc F. Plattner moderated the event.

Recent waves of democratization around the world have accorded women greater space in public life, notably in Uganda, where women have held political office for the past twenty years through a quota system introduced in 1986. Despite the adoption of a gender-sensitive constitution, however, Ugandan women have been unable to enact laws protecting their political and social rights. Why have higher levels of female participation not yielded a more positive outcome for Uganda's women? In her presentation, Miria Matembe examined the nature and extent of women's political participation in Uganda and show how the quota system holds female politicians hostage through government patronage. She will discuss the implications of this trend and consider what can be done to strengthen women's political roles and legal rights. Her presentation will be followed by remarks by Ugandan activist Anne Mugisha.

Ms. Miria Matembe has been at the forefront of the struggle for women's rights in Uganda for over two decades. A former member of Uganda's parliament and of the Pan-African parliament, she was Uganda's minister of ethics and integrity from 1998 to 2003. She also served on the Uganda Constitutional Commission and constituent assembly, which promulgated the 1995 constitution. A lawyer by profession, Ms. Matembe is co-founder of Action for Development, Uganda's leading women's advocacy organization, and author of Miria Matembe: Gender, Politics, and Constitution Making in Uganda (2002). Ms. Anne Mugisha is a program associate and program coordinator for the International Women's Democracy Network at the Women's Learning Partnership, based in Bethesda. She was a Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow from October 2003 to March 2004.

The Agonies of Political Transition in Iran

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Hossein Bashiriyeh. Fellowship Manager Sally Blair moderated the event.

Despite the outbreak of two popular revolutions, the rise of formidable political oppositions, and cracks in the ruling authoritarian regimes, democracy has yet to take hold in Iran. Why have the country's political openings never led to a democratic outcome? What obstacles stand in the way of genuine democratization? In his presentation, Iranian political scientist Dr. Hossein Bashiriyeh considered the various "transitional situations" that Iran has encountered over the years and examine the internal and external factors that have contributed to the country's democratic deadlock. Paying particular attention to the post-revolutionary period, Dr. Bashiriyeh argued that, despite occasional changes in the composition of ruling elites, a core group has always held onto power in Iran, its ideological and structural unity a fundamental impediment to democratization in the country.

Dr. Hossein Bashiriyeh is an associate professor of political science at the University of Tehran. He is the author of fifteen books, including (in English) The State and Revolution in Iran (1984), and (in Persian) Transition to Democracy (2005), The Political Sociology of Iran (2001), Obstacles to Political Development in Iran (2000), and The Kingdom of Reason (1995). During his fellowship at NED, he is examining the role of political oppositions in moving from "transitional situations" to "actual transitions," comparing cases of successful and unsuccessful democratic transitions in the last quarter of the twentieth century.

NED Marks Anniversary of Andijon Massacre

On May 9, the National Endowment for Democracy, in partnership with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and eight other cosponsoring organizations, convened a conference titled: One Year After Andijon: What's Next for Uzbekistan and the U.S. The meeting, which was held at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, featured remarks by U.S. Senator John McCain, U.S. Representative Christopher Smith, as well as a wide range of regional policy experts. [more...]

Toward a Democratic Transition in Togo

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Dany Komla Ayida. Mohamed Dansoko of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and Chris Wyrod of the National Endowment for Democracy offered comments. Fellowship Manager Sally Blair moderated the event.

Hopes for a democratic breakthrough in Togo following the death of long-time dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema in 2005 were shattered when fraudulent elections and widespread human rights abuses brought his son to power. Electoral violence claimed the lives of several hundred civilians and resulted in the exodus of tens of thousands of refugees into neighboring countries. In the face of such adversity, the people of Togo, including members of the Togolese diaspora, have continued their struggle for democratic change. In his presentation, Mr. Dany Komla Ayida reflected on the potential for a political breakthrough in Togo and on the role that the international community can play in supporting Togolese democrats as they seek to promote meaningful democratic reform in their country.

Mr. Dany Ayida is a program officer at NDI–Burkina Faso, where he focuses on capacity building among political parties. A veteran activist for democratic reform in Togo, he founded and coordinated the Concertation Nationale de la Société Civile (CNSC), a network of pro-democracy advocacy groups that observed Togo's 2003 presidential election. In 2003, he launched Alternative Togo, a program seeking to engage the Togolese diaspora in efforts to enact democratic change. Mr. Ayida is also a seasoned journalist whose writings have appeared in La Parole, Nouvel Echo, and Le Temps, a newspaper he founded in 1999. Mr. Mohamed Dansoko is a program officer for Central and West Africa at the National Democratic Institute, where he works on programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Mr. Chris Wyrod is a program officer for Africa at the National Endowment for Democracy.

The New Assault on Democracy Assistance

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon presentation featuring National Endowment for Democracy President Carl Gershman. Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Barry Lowenron and Stanford Professor Michael McFaul provided comments. Marc F. Plattner, editor, Journal of Democracy, moderated the session.

The success of the 2004 Ukrainian Orange Revolution initiated a backlash against international democracy promotion by autocratic and semi-autocratic leaders around the world who fear for the survival of their own regimes. Drawing upon his article (co-authored with Michael Allen) in the April 2006 Journal of Democracy, "New Threats to Freedom: The Assault on Democracy Assistance," Carl Gershman explored the range of measures being used in the effort to thwart democracy assistance and offered recommendations on how democracy promotion organizations should respond. [more...]

World Movement for Democracy Held Fourth Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey

The Fourth Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy convened in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 2- 5, 2006. The theme of the Assembly was "Advancing Democracy: Justice, Pluralism, and Participation." [more...]

NED Honors Tom Donahue with Democracy Service Medal

Retiring NED Vice Chairman Thomas R. Donahue was honored by the Endowment with the presentation of the Democracy Service Medal on March 16, 2006. The ceremony took place at a pre-St. Patrick's Day dinner at the home of Democratic Party activist Esther Coopersmith. [more...]

Memory and Accountability in Iran

On March 15, 2006, Ladan and Roya Boroumand, Iranian sisters and the creators of Omid, (www.abfiran.org), described their project, its inspiration and its initial impact to a full house at NED. The discussion, which focused on the importance of memory and accountability to any potential political reform or democratic transition in Iran. [more...]

Richard Holbrooke spoke on "How can America Advance Democracy Around the World" for the New York Democracy Forum Lecture Series.

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Turkey's "Troubled" Southeast: Democracy in the Eye of the Storm

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Dogu Ergil. Fellowship Manager Sally Blair moderated the event.

The Kurdish provinces of southeastern Turkey have long been considered the country's "trouble spot," a region where separatist violence, terrorist attacks, and political unrest have occurred since the initial years of the republic. Yet, while popular opinion outside the region holds that those in the southeast are "undemocratic" and "dogmatic," no significant effort has been made to assess the actual opinions of the Kurdish people concerning politics and religion. In his presentation, Dogu Ergil discussed his findings from a recent field survey of the political attitudes of over 5,000 people from seven provincial capitals in southeastern Turkey concerning secular democracy and religion. Comparing these results with similar survey data drawn from two western provinces, Dr. Ergil considered the implications of his research for the future of democracy and secularism in Turkey.

A renowned expert on terrorism, democratization, and the Kurdish minority in Turkey, Dr. Dogu Ergil is chair of the department of political behavior and a professor of political sociology at Ankara University. He is also president and founder of the Centre for the Research of Societal Problems (TOSAM), based in Ankara. During his fellowship, Dr. Ergil is preparing a training manual, tentatively entitled Democratic Culture and Effective Citizenship Training: A Handbook, and is working on a monograph concerning Turkish citizens' attitudes toward secular and religious politics.

A la Recherche de la Grandeur Perdue: From "Managed" to "Sovereign" Democracy in Russia

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Andrei Piontkovsky and Stanford University Professor Michael McFaul. Fellowship Manager Sally Blair moderated the event.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the bipolar world order, Russia finds itself searching for its identity and its lost grandeur. With egos bruised, many in the Russian political and military elite seek to regain their former superpower status by adopting an anti-Western posture, while ignoring much-needed political and economic reforms. Current Russian foreign policy and Putin's increasingly authoritarian rule cannot be understood without taking into account the psychological factors shaping Russia's quest for a new identity. In his presentation, Andrei Piontkovsky discussed the dynamics of this quest and how the United States needs a coherent strategy to engage Russia as a reliable strategic ally. His presentation was followed by comments by Michael McFaul.

Dr. Andrei Piontkovsky is one of Russia's foremost political commentators and a consistent, outspoken critic of Putin's models of "managed" and "sovereign" democracy in Russia. From 1994 to 2005, he served as director of the Center for Strategic Research in Moscow, a nongovernmental public policy think tank. He has been a columnist for a number of Russian publications, including the Moscow Times, Novaya Gazetta, Russia Journal, and the online journal Grani.ru, as well as a regular political commentator for the BBC World Service, RFE-RL, and Voice of America. Dr. Michael McFaul is Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, associate professor of political science at Stanford University, and senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Defending Human Rights in the "Age of Terror"" An Uzbek Lawyer Speaks Out

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Nozima Kamalova. Fellowship Manager Sally Blair moderated the event.

Striking a proper balance between national security and civil liberties has never been more of a challenge for governments than in the wake of 9/11. Yet in authoritarian societies like Uzbekistan, civil and political rights have never been adequately protected in the first place. Can a balance ever be achieved when only one end of the scales exists? In the absence of a universally accepted definition of terrorism and its consistent application, autocrats can easily justify human rights violations in the name of state security. Uzbek president Islam Karimov's sweeping definition of terrorism to include all forms of political dissent and opposition has stifled democratic reform, while failing to reduce the terrorist threat. How can human rights be defended in the "age of terror"? Why has protecting human rights become ever more complicated in the face of advances in international law? Drawing upon her professional experiences in human rights advocacy, Nozima Kamalova showed how even the slightest decline in civil liberties in established democracies can have serious implications for human rights in authoritarian countries like Uzbekistan.

Ms. Nozima Kamalova is founding chair of the Legal Aid Society of Uzbekistan, a leading nongovernmental organization that safeguards and promotes the rule of law and human rights in Uzbekistan. A highly respected human rights attorney who has been on the frontlines of the struggle for human rights and democracy in Uzbekistan, Ms. Kamalova has been instrumental in the revision of several Uzbek laws related to torture and human rights. During her fellowship, Ms. Kamalova is exploring the impact of security measures in the "war against terror" on democratic freedoms and civil rights.

The Secular State and Citizenship in Muslim Countries: Bringing Africa into the Debate

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Penda Mbow. Ambassador George Moose and Professor Sulayman Nyang commented on the presentation and Fellowship Manager Sally Blair moderated the event.

Although sub-Saharan Africa is home to over a quarter of the world's Muslim population, the region has remained on the periphery of discussions concerning Islam's compatibility with democracy. While Islam and secularism have coexisted for centuries in much of Africa, recent moves toward the politicization of Islam, notably in Senegal and elsewhere, are a cause for concern. What do these developments portend for the future of democracy in sub-Saharan Africa? Should religious identity remain separate from the political domain, or should an alternative model of citizenship be forged in which political Islam plays a significant role? What are the implications of political Islam for women and minorities? In her presentation, Senegalese historian Dr. Penda Mbow explored these questions and pondered the prospects for secularism and democratic citizenship in Muslim Africa. Her presentation was followed by comments by Amb. George Moose and Dr. Sulayman Nyang.

Dr. Penda Mbow is an associate professor of history at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. She has served as Senegal's minister of culture and as cultural advisor to the Senegalese department of ethnography and historical heritage. Her many areas of interest include African intellectual history, Islam, and gender studies. Dr. Mbow is spending her fellowship researching the evolution of Islam's relationship with democracy in Senegal, as well as the interplay between women, human rights, and religion in Islamic societies. Amb. George Moose is former assistant secretary of state for African affairs and an adjunct professor at George Washington University. He has also served as U.S. ambassador to Senegal and Benin. Dr. Sulayman Nyang is professor of African studies at Howard University.

South Africa's Second Democratic Decade: The Critical Challenges Ahead

The International Forum for Democratic Studies held a luncheon seminar featuring Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Ann Bernstein. International Forum Co-Director Marc F. Plattner moderated the event.

There is a great deal to celebrate as South Africans look back at the first decade after apartheid. Achievements range from increased economic growth to the transfer of assets to black South Africans. Nevertheless, the country faces critical challenges—unemployment, education, immigration, land reform, local government, democratic accountability—many of which are influenced by the country's location in the "tough neighborhood" that is southern Africa. In dealing with these issues, clarity concerning the role of the state and the contribution of business to making the country an African success story is essential. How South Africans resolve these challenges will affect the country's prospects for sustained economic development and democratic consolidation. In her talk, Ann Bernstein reflected on South Africa's first democratic decade and discussed some of the key challenges that lie ahead.

Ms. Ann Bernstein is founding director of the Center for Development and Enterprise, an independent policy research think tank based in Johannesburg. She has published extensively on business, democracy, development, and policy-making in South Africa, including the books Migration and Refugee Policies (with M. Weiner, 1999), Business and Democracy: Cohabitation or Contradiction? (with P.L. Berger, 1998), and Policy Making in A New Democracy: South Africa's Challenges for the 21st Century. During her fellowship, Ms. Bernstein is working on the role of business in society, especially in developing countries, and the impact of corporations on social, economic, and democratic processes.