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National Endowment for Democracy     News and Information     Spring 2001 Newsletter

More than 1000 Russian human rights activists met in Moscow January 20-21 for the largest event devoted to human rights issues in the history of Russia. The All-Russian Emergency Congress in Defense of Human Rights was convened by leading Russian human rights groups (and supported in part by NED) in response to the “creeping, silent coup, in which the agents of the nomen klatura are gradually tightening the noose around the neck of independent civil society,” according to Lev Ponomarev, a longtime human rights activist who organized the Congress.

Ponomarev said there were two over-riding issues that served as catalysts for the Congress: the ongoing war in Chechnya, and the proposal of legislation in the State Duma that would create a Constitutional Assembly giving President Put in the ability to alter human rights protections in the Russian Constitution. In addition to these issues, the Congress addressed several other dimensions of the threat to freedom in Russia.Congress working sessions targeted the assault on freemedia, as in the attempt to take over NTV, the only independent television network in the country; fabricated spy trials targeted not only at ecological activists like Aleksandr Nikitin and Grigory Pasko, but at ordinary scholars like Igor Sutyagin and even state officials like Valentin Moiseyev, a highly-placed diplomat; attempts to pass a new law restricting the freedom of political parties; the use of tax inspectors and courts to stifle small and medium-sized businesses; and efforts to eliminate independent trade unions and those few social protections left to workers after the fall of Soviet communism.

Participants produced resolutions that will serve as an action plan for civil society groups in Russia as they form nation wide networks that will seek to exert real pressure on the Putin government to stop the erosion of fundamental rights. Commenting on the motivations for the closing off of political space in Russia, Ponomarev commented, “It is not important whether President Putin has done this consciously or has simply taken no action in the face of reactionary forces. The reality is that there is now a concerted campaign in Russia to close off the space for activity by independent civil society organizations. ” The main result of the recent Congress was the creation of a united human rights movement that is ready to work together, both within itself, and with other democratic forces, first and foremost with the Yabloko political party, whose leader, Grigory Yavlinski, addressed the Congress. Ponomarev qualified the relationship with Yabloko.

Yugoslav Youth Organization Will Press New Regime for Reforms

Otpor, the largest youth organization in Serbia, captured the world’s attention last year with a bold public campaign to oust Slobodan Milosevic from power. Posters, leaflets and T-shirts with the slogans, "it’s time" and "he is finished" helped to galvanize public opinion against Slobodan Milosevic. Otpor’s enormous get-out-the-vote campaign made a critical difference in helping Vojislav Kostunica defeat Milosevic at the ballot box on September 24, 2000. Subsequently, Otpor’s activists played a crucial role in the street demonstrations that followed the elections and led to Milosevic’s ultimate downfall on October 5.

On a recent visit to Washington, D.C. organized by NED (which has provided support to Otpor since August 1999), five Otpor leaders outlined the group’s plan to continue its grassroots political work as a watchdog that will exert pressure on the new government to quickly implement democratic reforms they view as crucial to Yugoslavia’s return to life as a "normal" country.

Formed in 1998 by student sat Belgrade University, Otpor (which means "resistance") estimates that it has at least70,000 members in more than 100 cities and towns throughout Serbia, with136 local chapters coordinated by 7 regional offices. Otpor believes that this extensive grassroots network can work to fill the political vacuum that was created when the Democratic Opposition of Serbia defeated Milosevic, and was left with no serious political rival. Without any "loyal opposition" to pressure the new regime, Otpor intends to keep important reform issues in front of the public and Serbia’s new leaders to make sure that democratic progress continues.

At its second National Congress which convened on February 4 in Belgrade, Otpor members from across Serbia outlined six key areas of reform that the group will monitor, including economic reform, judicial reform, reform of the state security forces, creation of a truly independent media sector, reform of the university and educational system and foreign Policy. Otpor’s first major campaign was a nation-wide effort to pressure the regime to arrest Slobodan Milosevic.

During their Washington visit, the Otpor delegation emphasized the importance of continued support for civil society in Yugoslavia in order to build the democratic institutions that will ensure Yugoslavia’s return to Europe and the larger community of free nations. They cited concrete examples of major hurdles the new regime must overcome, including the need for more than 800 experienced judges; the creation of a police and security force not led and staffed by officers loyal to Milosevic; the establishment of an official Truth Commission to document the crimes of the Milosevic regime and its cronies against Serbs and others; and the creation of a graduate program to provide training for a new generation of civil servants. The activists, who range din age from 25-29, emphasized that without quick action on items like these by the new government, Yugoslavia risks the same fate as its neighbor Romania, which had an important democratic election, but failed to consolidate its democratic gains and soon slipped back into a political culture of nationalism where reformers became divided, were corrupted, and eventually were defeated by former communists.

Arecent documentary film, "Dispatches: Children of the Secret State," uses footage shot secretly inside North Korea to expose the plight of thousands of children who have been orphaned by famine. The ground breaking film was shown by NED for the first time in the U.S. on February 8 for an audience of human rights advocates, Korea experts, and journalists at its Washington, D.C. office.

The poignant film, which focuses on the plight of children whose parents have died in the prolonged famine and who now must fend for themselves, raises troubling questions about the diversion of international food aid given to North Korea. The U.S. provides more food aid to North Korea than to any other country and targets a population of approximately 7.6 million people who are suffering from hunger or severe malnutrition.

According to the film's Producer, Carla Garapadien, the film was the work of a network of cameramen. Among them was Ahn Chol, a North Korean whose parents died in the famine. He escaped to neighboring China in 1998. He risked execution by returning to North Korea to film secretly the plight of the people he left behind and especially the orphaned children.

The widespread use of arbitrary imprisonment to intimidate and control the general population is also featured in the documentary. Interviews with former North Korean prison guards and prisoners described the brutal tactics that are used in camps to which entire families can be sent as punishment for the actions of one of its members. "There hasn't been a single demonstration in North Korea in 50 years," said a North Korean interviewed for the film who had been imprisoned with his family as a nine-year-old boy. "If you know your whole family will be taken away, who would dare demonstrate?" The screening of the film was followed

by a discussion led by three experts on North Korea: Kongdan (Katy) Oh, of the Institute for Defense Analyses and a Non- Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution; James Lilley, a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former U.S. Ambassador to China; and Toshimitsu Shigemura, a Japanese journalist who is currently a fellow at NED's International Forum for Democratic Studies.

The panelists agreed that China, Japan, South Korea, the United States and other countries should work to end the suffering of North Koreans by insisting on close monitoring of the distribution of food aid and by calling attention to the appalling human rights situation.

The film was also shown in December 2000 when it was the highlight of the Second International Conference on Human Rights & Refugees at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. The NED-supported conference was organized by the Citizens' Alliance to Help Political Prisoners in North Korea (www.nkhumanrights.or.kr), founded in Seoul in 1996 to collect and disseminate evidence of human rights abuses in North Korea.

Vin Weber is new NED Chairman

The NED Board of Directors has elected Vin Weber its new Chairman. Weber, a Republican who represented Minnesota's 2nd congressional district from 1980-1992, is now the managing partner for the Washington, D.C. office of the consulting firm Clark and Weinstock.

After serving in the Congress, Weber was a founder of Empower America, a non-profit organization that emphasizes personal accountability in addressing a wide range of economic and social issues. "We're all delighted that Vin Weber has taken over as the new Chairman of the NED Board," said NED President Carl Gershman. "He's both a democratic internationalist and a consensus-builder. As a congressman he was liked and respected on both sides of the aisle. He has an astute understanding of democratic politics, and is thus immensely qualified to speak for the broad coalition that NED represents and to advance our vision of inclusive democracy for people throughout the world."

Weber replaces John Brademas, who retired as NED's chairman in January after 9 years of service on the NED board, eight as chairman.

NED Honors Retiring Chairman Brademas

On Thursday, January 18, 2001 the NED presented its Democracy Service Medal to John Brademas, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the cause of democracy through his service as NED Chairman.

Fred Iklé, Richard Lugar and Stephen Solarz, who also recently concluded nine years on the NED Board, were also honored at the ceremony that took place at a reception in the Mansfield Room of the U.S. Capitol.

"The Endowment is proud to honor four "small d" democrats who command great respect across the political spectrum," said NED President Carl Gershman. "While we honor two Democrats and two Republicans, the commitment and service of these individuals to NED and its mission is a shining example of the good that can be achieved when we work in a spirit of bipartisanship to pursue common goals in the national interest - in this case, the promotion of democracy, freedom and human rights abroad."

The event was co-chaired by Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., the new Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, President of The George Washington University; and John Whitehead, Chairman of AEA Investors, Inc. and Former Deputy Secretary of State in the Reagan administration.

Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, a new member of NED's Board of Directors, made the medal presentation to fellow Hoosier John Brademas who served as U.S. Representative from South Bend, Indiana for 22 years, the last four as Majority Whip. "While the internationalist tradition of politicians from Indiana is well known, it is especially evident tonight," said Chairman Brademas commenting on the five Hoosiers who took part in the proceedings (including Daniels who served as Lugar's Chief of Staff).

"I am proud to have served both a state and an institution that care so much about the world beyond our borders."

Courageous Democrats Inspire World Movement Assembly

Activists from around the world were moved and inspired by the stories of fellow democrats who were honored at the Second Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy, which was held in São Paulo, Brazil, November 12- 15, 2000. "

Democracy Courage Tributes" were presented by leading figures of the World Movement during an often moving and emotional ceremony to five groups who have shown exceptional courage in their work for freedom and democracy. "By calling attention to these groups, we send a message of solidarity and support to all those who struggle in near anonymity and isolation against some of the most difficult challenges to democracy and human rights around the world," said Carl Gershman, a member of the World Movement Steering Committee and President of the National Endowment for Democracy, which serves as the World Movement's Secretariat.

The tributes were the highlight of the ambitious meeting where more than 400 democrats representing the non-governmental sector from more than 80 countries came to share their experiences in fighting for political change and to seek solidarity, support, and, most importantly, advice from others who are facing similar struggles in other parts of the world.

"Hearing about the incredible obstacles these groups face, and the bravery with which they confront them, provided an invaluable focus for the Assembly," said Gershman. "These stories put a human face on the struggles of democrats from many different regions. They remind us that the work of advancing democracy and human rights is a truly global enterprise."

The main work of the Assembly was undertaken in nearly 40 practical workshops that engaged participants across their different geographic regions and areas of expertise.

Participants shared their practical experiences in building democracy, developed strategies to address the particular obstacles they face in their countries and regions, and, most importantly, formulated the next steps that the international democratic community can take to meet the broad challenges to democracy as we enter the 21st Century. An interim report on the Assembly and information about the World Movement for Democracy is available on the Movement's web site at www.wmd.org.

Democracy Courage Tribute Honorees

The Democratic Mayors of Colombia have demonstrated a high level of commitment to democracy and extraordinary courage. Over the past three years, 32 mayors have been assassinated, including 20 candidates for the mayoral elections held last month.

Their unwavering commitment to govern and defend democracy, in the face of threats both to themselves and their families, has been an inspiration not only to their constituents but also to people throughout the region.

The Civil Society Movement of the Democratic Republic of Congo, composed of thousands of faith-based organizations, human rights groups, and members of the independent press, continues to be a beacon of hope in a country enmeshed in one of the world's largest and most destructive wars. After struggling valiantly during the early 1990s to move the country from dictatorship to democracy, the Civil Society Movement continues to represent the non-violent option for change in the Congo, as it advocates for an end to the current war, respect for human rights, and greater dialogue among all Congolese in defining the political future of the country.

The Tiananmen Mothers Network has played a crucial role in advancing the idea of accountability for human rights abuses in China. Founded in the aftermath of the June 4, 1989 massacre in Beijing, the network has made extraordinary efforts to document the cases of peo ple who were killed or wounded. It has provided moral support for the victims' families, and pursued unprecedented legal action.

The network's founder, Ding Zilin, the mother of a victim of the massacre, has suffered enormous persecution for her insistence on speaking the truth and calling for an end to impunity.

Lam, a Chechen NGO, was founded in 1996 to promote education and human values. With the outbreak of the second war in September 1999, Lam broadened that role to assist refugees, provide information to relief organizations and human rights groups and bring Chechens from across the political spectrum together to develop plans for ending the war and for post-war reconstruction. Despite brutal conditions, Lam continues to organize democratic education programs in schools and refugee camps.

Iran's Pro-Democracy Student Movement has spearheaded the Iranian people's struggle for basic freedoms, including the rights of free assembly and freedom of expression. Despite using peaceful and legal tactics, the students have been routinely subjected to governmental abuse, including unreasonable search and seizure, flogging, incarceration, denial of legal representation, excessive prison terms, and torture.

NED Grantees Advocating National Dialogue in DRC

President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo came to power in January and swiftly indicated he was willing to work with civil society to solve his country's problems. He promised to organize a national dialogue on the country's future and, thereafter, hold elections once peace is achieved. Kabila, 29, became president after his father, Laurent Kabila, was assassinated by one of his own bodyguards.

On February 5 the new President's Cabinet called a special meeting between the executive branch and civil society. The non-governmental delegates to the meeting, which took place the following day in Kinshasa, included more than a dozen NED grantees. The civil society activists demanded that Kabila move quickly to organize wide-ranging talks on the war-torn country's political future. They demanded the formation of a commission to prepare for inter-Congolese dialogue and to facilitate elections. The dialogue will involve discussions between the government, the opposition and the warring parties in a two-and-a-half-year old war involving five foreign armies.

The February 6 meeting was chaired by Jean Mbuyu, Kabila's Deputy Chief of Staff and the founder of the Center for Human Rights (CDH), a NED grantee. The activists presented Kabila a long list of priority areas for reform. On their long list of recommendations, the delegates urged President Kabila to:

• Name new heads of the security services
• Lift the ban on political party activities
• Implement a national plan of action for the promotion and the protection of human rights
• Eliminate the Military Court
• Release all political prisoners
• Institute a mechanism for consultation between the government and civil society.

Human Rights Activist Detained by DRC, Whereabouts Unknown

Golden Misabiko, the President of the Katanga regional section of the African Association for the Defense of Human Rights, was arrested by National Security agents in Lubumbashi on February 5, 2001, a day before the meeting between the Kabila government and representatives of civil society. Civil society activists were unaware of his detention at the time of the meeting. The government has given neither justification for his arrest nor his whereabouts despite international appeals.

Asian Center for Democratic Governance Holds First Conference

The Asian Center for Democratic Governance, a U.S. - India nongovernmental initiative that is jointly organized by NED and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), held its inaugural conference in New Delhi, India January 7-8, 2001. "Making Democracy Work: Accountability & Transparency," was the theme of the meeting which focused on the importance of good governance in democracies, and the respective roles of the parliament, the judiciary and the media in achieving this goal. Democracy advocates and scholars from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States took part in the meeting. The conference was the first in a series that will focus on making democracy in Asia work effectively, with an emphasis on examining problems of democratic governance.

Through smaller regional workshops and occasional larger conferences, the Asian Center will provide opportunities for leading scholars and democratic practitioners and business leaders from India and the region's other established democracies to share their experience with counterparts from newer democracies and transitional countries in Asia.

The Center's other activities will include training young men and women with leadership potential in public and corporate life.

Plans are underway for the Asian Center to cooperate with the Sejong Institute and NED's International Forum for Democratic Studies on a June 28-30, 2001 conference in Seoul, South Korea. The three-day conference will focus on the theme of political finance and democracy.

Cuban Dissident Works for Economic Freedoms, Rights Profile of a NED grantee

Banished from his Cuban home for his longtime criticism of the government and for his efforts to mobilize Cuban citizens, Diosmel Rodriguez Vega continues to work from exile in Miami to help organize Cuban farmers in a collective effort to gain economic rights.

Rodriguez is part of a growing movement of Cubans who are coming together to resolve their problems through private means. Rodriguez works with the Committee for the Support of Independent Farmers' Cooperatives in Cuba, which has received NED support since 1999. It is one of the many groups, which NED supports as part of its longterm strategy to empower a wide variety of independent social actors inside Cuba.

A former government employee and member of the Communist Party, Rodriguez began to question the Cuban regime after he witnessed what he described as "institutionalized, administrative corruption" within the higher ranks of the Cuban administration. He quit the Communist Party in 1989. "The political deterioration with the loss of social perspectives, such as the failure of the rural socialist system, led me to start looking for solutions, not only from the government, to try to bring about change," he said.

In 1992, Rodriguez and his colleagues organized a publicity campaign to highlight and criticize the false electoral process of the regime's tightly controlled elections, in which all candidates had to be approved by the governing Communist Party. He was thrown in prison for three years for his part in the campaign. When he got out of prison in 1996, Rodriguez set out to help develop a civil society in Cuba, founding several activist organizations. "I tried organizing a political movement with a social base that could gain a certain capacity to mobilize people, but it became evident to me that the government restraints relied on the citizens' economic dependence on the regime," said Rodriguez. He then began recruiting the region's private farmers who were in remote areas outside of Santiago and had lost much in the four decades since the revolution.

"One of the most feasible ways of opposing the government was to try to show other ways of social organization that will give benefits directly to the people outside official politics of the regime," said Rodriguez.

The Cuban constitution allowed farmers to work the land through their involvement with cooperatives. With the overall decision-making done by the state since the 1950s, farmers had not been allowed to make basic decisions about what to plant and how to manage resources, and had much to learn about everything from problem solving to how markets work.

Rodriguez is optimistic about the success of the independent farmers' movement. It is improving the quality of life for many of the farmers and their families, and is forcing the government to reconsider previous policies that hindered independent farmers.

Rodriguez works from Miami today to help the farmers' movement plan for the future. He would like to return to his native Cuba, even under the current conditions, so that he can play a more direct role in reform. "I dream now of a better country," he said, "where justice is the inheritance of humanity and does not depend on those whose interests are not just."

Six New Directors Join NED Board

The NED Board of Directors elected six new members at its January 2001 meeting.

"This group offers an incredible breadth of experience in foreign policy and American politics, said NED President Carl Gershman. "We are incredibly fortunate that such a group of distinguished citizens will be supporting and helping to guide NED in its mission to promote democracy around the world."

The new Board members are:

Frank Carlucci: Former Secretary of Defense and National Security Advisor in the Reagan Administration, he is currently Chairman of the Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C. based merchant bank.

Wesley K. Clark: Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1997-2000) and Commander in Chief of the U.S. European Command, Gen. Clark is currently associated with the Stephens Group, Inc. working on high technology venture capital.

Julie Finley: A prominent Republican Party activist who, as a Founder and Board Member of the U.S. Committee on NATO, has worked actively on issues related to NATO expansion and the conflict in the Balkan region.

Francis Fukuyama: Distinguished political scientist and author of books on wide ranging subjects, including The End of History and the Last Man, he is the Omer L. and Nancy Hirst Professor of Public Policy at the School of Public Policy at George Mason University.

Richard C. Holbrooke: Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Amb. Holbrooke has had a long career as a professional diplomat and has also served as Editor of Foreign Policy, chairman of Refugees International and the International Rescue Committee, Peace Corps director, and has worked as an investment banker.

Vin Weber: Former U.S. Representative from Minnesota, he is the managing partner for the Washington, D.C. office of the consulting firm, Clark and Weinstock. Weber was also elected to serve as NED's Chairman.