The National Endowment for Democracy is a private, bipartisan foundation that works to strengthen democratic institutions worldwide. Since 1983, with support from the American people, NED has made thousands of grants to democratic nongovernmental groups in more than 100 countries, and has become a hub of activity, resources and intellectual exchange for activists, practitioners and scholars of democracy the world over.

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Communication is Critical in Burmese Democracy Struggle
The recent democratic protests in Burma, now widely known as the Saffron Revolution, have drawn global attention to the courage of its people and, in evoking the previous upsurge of 1988, have highlighted the endurance and resilience of their democratic aspirations.  The movement has also reaffirmed the importance that both international support and attention provide for democratic activists working within Burma and in exile.  To this end, NED’s Burma grants program has continued to fund independent media, human rights education and documentation,  international advocacy, political organizing, and programs addressing the country’s ethnic nationalities. [read more]

Defending Press Freedom: 2007 Democracy Award Spotlights Press Freedom Activists from Egypt, Thailand, Russia, and Venezuela
On Tuesday, September 18, the National Endowment for Democracy honored the courageous efforts of journalists, publishers, and press freedom advocates when it presented its annual Democracy Award to three individuals and an organization working to preserve press freedom in Egypt, Russia, Venezuela, and Southeast Asia, where authoritarian regimes increasingly seek to silence the voice of independent media. The honorees have shown bravery, determination, and passion as they stand up for journalistic integrity in the face of harassment, censorship, violence, and even death. The recipients of the 2007 Democracy Award are:

• Hisham Kassem - Egypt
• Instituto Prensa y Sociedad - Venezuela
  
• Kavi Chongkittavorn - Thailand
• Anna Politkovskaya (1958-2006) - Russia

[read more / view this event]

Haitian Groups Build Civil Society through Development Initiatives
Violence, underdevelopment, extremely poor living conditions, and a weak, corrupt state are among the core challenges facing the citizens of Haiti. While some early successes of the government under Rene Préval, who was elected president in 2006, have led to cautious optimism among Haitians and international observers alike, the situation remains fragile. With the support of NED, a number of local civil society organizations are making important inroads toward reconciliation and the establishment of a true democratic government in Haiti. [read more]

The New York Democracy Forum presented its Presidential Medal to Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile, on September 24. Bachelet is the first female president of Chile and previously served as Chile’s Defense Minister and Health Minister under President Ricardo Lagos. Bachelet addressed the New York Democracy Forum on Chile’s transition to democracy over the past 20 years and the challenges Chile faces today. [read the transcript / view this event]

New issue of the Journal of Democracy
Several articles from the October 2007 issue of the Journal of Democracy are now freely available online, including: From Democracy Fatigue to Populist Backlash by Jacques Rupnik, The Strange Death of the Liberal Consensus by Ivan Krastev, and The Untold Story of the Fight for Human Rights by Ladan Boroumand. The table of contents and abstracts of all articles in the October 2007 issue can be found online at: www.journalofdemocracy.org

NED's Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) is pleased to announce that several reports and a searchable bibliography of over 600 media assistance books, manuals, and articles have been posted to CIMA's newly designed website. [read more]

NED Chairman Vin Weber Speaks on U.S. Democracy Promotion
On September 12, Thomas Carothers presented the findings of his new report, U.S. Democracy Promotion During and After Bush. NED Chairman Vin Weber and NED Board member Francis Fukuyama gave remarks on the presentation and participated in a question and answer session.
[read more / view this event]

Carlos Pascual Joins NED Board, Abramowitz Honored with Democracy Service Medal
Carlos Pascual, vice president & director of the Foreign Policy Studies (FPS) Program at the Brookings Institution, has joined the Board of Directors of NED. Pascual joins the NED Board just as long-time Board member Mort Abramowitz departs. On June 18, NED honored Abramowitz its Democracy Service Medal, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the advancement of human rights and democracy around the world. [read more]

• NED grieves loss of two murdered journalists in Somalia
  On August 11, respected Somali journalists Ali Iman Sharmarke, director of NED grantee HornAfrik Radio, and Mahad Ahmed Elmi, director of Radio Capital Voice, were murdered in Mogadishu. [read more]



• Egyptian authorities have shut down the Association for Human Rights Legal Aid, an organization that monitors human rights violations and provides legal assistance to victims. [read more]



• Jiang-li Yang, of the Foundation for China in the 21st Century, is featured in the National Review where he discusses the five years he spent in a Chinese prison for his work as a democracy activist. [read more]



• Securing Women's Rights in Iraq - Despite the current dangers of everyday life in Iraq, dedicated Iraqi NGOs continue the important work of building civil society and democratic institutions. NED supports organizations conducting programs in several areas of work, including civic education, national reconciliation, and human rights. Women's organizations and networks in particular are using Endowment funds in effective ways to secure the rights of women, combat violence against women, foster reconciliation, and build the capacity of women and women's organizations. [read more]
  


• Open Radio for North Korea, Free North Korea Radio, and Radio Free Chosun work to bring independent radio programming to North Korea. Their work is highlighted in an article in McClatchy Washington Bureau. Open Radio for North Korea was also featured in an interview on CNN. [read the article / watch the interview]

Garry Kasparov, recently chosen as the presidential candidate of the Other Russia opposition coalition, is profiled in the New Yorker. [read more]