• Activists Energized by Durban Meeting
• Democracy Courage Tributes
• NED Grantees Lead the Democracy Struggle in Congo
• Chairman's Message
• NED Emphasis On Middle East Recieves Support
• NED Honors Graham and McHugh with Democracy Service Medal
• NED Welcomes New Board Members
• Highlights of Recent NED Grants

Nearly 600 participants from 118 ciuntries took part in various workshops during the Assembly

Durban, South Africa was the backdrop for an inspiring meeting of nearly 600 democracy activists who gathered for the Third Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy, February 1-4. Participants from 118 countries spent four days immersed in an intense program of practical workshops where individuals and organizations shared their expertise and experience in democracy promotion and were able to seek advice and solidarity from other activists. "I think that [the Assembly presents] a good opportunity to bring people who are interested in democracy together so that they can get to know each other, exchange views, experiences, and renew their commitment to democracy, " stated a participant from Cairo.

"This is a truly unique forum for democrats everywhere to connect in a very productive way," said NED President, Carl Gershman, a member of the World Movement's international Steering Committee. "An impressive number of regional and topical networks are developing as a result of these assemblies - and activists are reaching across borders to seek help and assist others."

Building Democracy for Peace, Development and Human Rights was the theme of the Assembly, which coincided with 10th anniversary of South African Democracy and the end of apartheid. Three South African organizations served as local partners on the Assembly: the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), and the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA). "The purpose of the World Movement," stated CPS Director Chris Landsberg, "is to provide a spark that can help ignite, inform, and inspire those carrying out the noble work of democracy in their respective regions and around the world." More than 40 regional, topical, and functional workshops were held at the Third Assembly, on subjects ranging from building political parties, fighting corruption, and instilling transparency in the political process to maintaining press freedom, enhancing the roles and responsibilities of women in the political process, and the strengthening of emerging civil societies. The Assembly also held a "Democracy Fair" that featured an exhibition area, a technology training center, a video screening room, and a "town hall," in which participants were able to educate each other about their specific causes and generate support for them.

A participant learns about a South African civic education organization at the Democracy fair.

The Assembly opened with remarks by three participants that reflected the truly global character of the World Movement, the diversity of the challenges faced by those seeking to advance democracy, as well as the universal desire for human rights, peace and freedom that is the foundation for the World Movement. Zainab Bangura from Sierra Leone spoke about the serious lack of democratic leadership in Africa. "The core problem obstructing our development is not lack of resources, although that is a serious constraint in many countries. Not long years of colonialism-that was more than 40 years ago, but the lack of democratic states with true democratic leaders." But commenting with optimism on the work of African civil society groups, she said, "Our generation is creating new kinds of democratic governments, finding new ways of solving our problems, and we are determined that one day all of Africa will be truly democratic."

Tibet's Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, addressed how the occupation of his native Tibet has thrust his nation into the democracy movement. "[E]ven though we have had a very tragic situation," said Gyari, "one of the good things that has happened to us is that we have come to meet with democracy. Not only that we have come to know her, but that we have adopted her, or she has adopted us. So that ultimately when we go back to our homeland, we do not go back empty handed. We go back with this precious gift, the gift of democracy to our people who so much deserve it."

WMD Steering Committee Member Ivan Krastev addresses the Third Assembly at the Opening Session

Ivan Krastev of the Center for Liberal Strategies in Bulgaria reminded participants that even in nations where democracies have been established, one must be ever cautious to "mind the gap" between democratically elected elite and the public. "[T]his is part of the problem with democracy these days, because I do believe that we are living in a time when many countries and many regimes simply want to be called democracies, but perceived through the eyes of their own citizens they are not providing more freedom, and democracy is about freedom."

The Assembly concluded with the presentation of the World Movement's Democracy Courage Tributes, which was an opportunity for participants to give special recognition and support to four groups of activists working in particularly difficult circumstances. The honored groups were the Democracy Movement in Sudan; the Civil Society Movement of the Mano River Union of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea; the Democracy Movement in Belarus; and two groups working for reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians: Panorama (the Palestinian Center for the Dissemination of Democracy and Community Development) and the Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI). (See sidebar)

The Tributes were presented at the John B. Hurford Memorial dinner, named for the late John B. Hurford, an international philanthropist who was one of the earliest proponents of the concept of the World Movement for Democracy. Robert Miller, Chairman of the Hurford Foundation, which sponsored the dinner, said in remarks at the dinner, "John Hurford understood that poverty, unemployment, and business enterprise were issues that were inextricably linked to the building of democratic free societies. He viewed the World Movement for Democracy as a work in progress that required the kind of careful attention and care that each of you has displayed here in Durban."

Other major international supporters of the Third Assembly included the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, MTN Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, IBM South Africa, The United States Agency for International Development, The US Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, and the City of Durban.

Assembly participants discuss different strategies at the Democracy Fair

Launched in 1999, the World Movement for Democracy seeks to build a global network of democracy activists, scholars and practitioners who will exchange ideas and experiences and use new information and communication technologies to foster collaboration among democratic forces around the world. The World Movement is led by an international Steering Committee and the National Endowment for Democracy currently serves as its secretariat. The initiative has grown steadily since its inception, using its periodic Assemblies (1999 in New Dehli, India; 2000 in São Paulo, Brazil; and in 2004 Durban, South Africa) as opportunities for face-to-face networking on a global scale, while networks continue to grow between assemblies through the internet and smaller regional and topical meetings and initiatives. At the conclusion of the Durban meeting the World Movement Steering Committee announced that the next Assembly would take place in Istanbul, Turkey, at a date to be determined in 2006.

The Democracy Movement in Sudan; the Mano River Union of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea; the Democratic Movement in Belarus; and two groups working for democracy and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians were awarded the Courage Tributes from the World Movement for Democracy this year. These four have all shown exceptional courage in their work for freedom and democracy, often struggling in isolation and against some of the most difficult challenges to democracy and human rights in the world today.

Thierno Sow accepts the Democracy Tribute on behalf of the Mano River Union Society from WMD Steering Committee member Ayo Obe.

Vincuk Viacorka thanks the World Movement on behalf of the Belarussian Democracy Movement.

Ayesha Iman presents the Democracy Courage Tribute to the Democracy Movement in Sudan

Panorama's director Riad Malki (left) with IPCRI's codirectors, Gershon Baskin (center) and Zakaria al-Qaq.

In barely a year, the mood in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been transformed from total despair to genuine hope. International peacekeepers have deployed throughout the country and the massive death and destruction of the previous four years has subsided. Congolese civil society played a critical role in this transformation, working hard during the peace negotiations in South Africa, assuming leadership positions in the current transitional government, and continuing an array of programs to strengthen the prospects for peace and democracy.

For many years now, NED has been one of the foremost international donors supporting Congo's democracy movement, and the DRC remains NED's number one priority in Africa. NED's first grant was made to a human rights group, La Voix des Sans Voix, in 1991. Last year NED made 38 new direct grants to Congolese groups concerned with human rights, free press, democracy education, and conflict resolution. The American Center for International Labor Solidarity (ACILS) also received a NED grant to revitalize Congo's trade union movement.

Although the Congo has been plagued by dictatorship or war for most of its post-independence history, the last seven years have been particularly tragic. The country's long-term dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko, was overthrown after a nine month war. His successor, Laurent Kabila, was assassinated and the country became the center of one of Africa's deadliest wars. Throughout this tumultuous period, civil society organizations began to emerge and many began to champion human rights and democratization.

Throughout the war, Congolese civil society protested the human rights abuses on both sides and sought to preserve some hope for peace and democracy.

Once peace negotiations began to gather momentum in South Africa, the leaders of civil society organizations, many of which were NED grantees, became delegates, began lobbying the conference, and providing technical papers, while others produced civic education materials on the negotiations that were widely disseminated among the population in DRC, building broad and deep popular support for the peace process.

Expectations for success were low. However, pressure from civil society was essential in achieving an agreement. Ground breaking polling by NED grantee BERCI showed that an overwhelming majority of Congolese wanted the war to end and that they would hold the belligerent responsible for failure to sign a peace agreement.

By the end of 2002, a peace agreement had been signed and implementation began early last year. Many civil society activists assumed positions of authority, and NED grantees were appointed to head the Electoral Commission, the Media Commission, and the presidency of the Senate, as well as elected to several parliamentary seats.

Given this tenuous political space, Congo's democracy movement is gaining ground. In eastern Congo, where the devastation has been the worst, civil society is leading the regeneration of the society. In Kisangani, a coalition of human rights organizations, many of which are NED grantees, including Groupe Lotus, Les Amis de Nelson Mandela, Groupe Lufalanga, Justice et Liberation, and several others, have joined forces to resist the worst depredations of the warring factions in the area, and have preserved a climate of ethnic tolerance and peace.

Whether by negotiating a ceasefire, working to resolve ethic conflict, reporting human rights violations, or improving the lives of their fellow citizens, Congolese civil society groups will continue to play a vital role in strengthening the demand for peace and democracy throughout the country.

Durban. The name of this diverse and interesting city that sits on South Africa's Indian Ocean coastline unfortunately has become tainted by its association with the disastrous 2001 conference on racism that was denounced by Secretary of State Colin Powell and many other respected voices.

But the remarkable success of the recent Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy may well help to restore Durban's deserved international reputation in the area of democracy and human rights. It is, after all, the place where Gandhi once led a non-violent struggle against Apartheid, and where Nelson Mandela cast his vote in the election a decade ago that put an end to that system of legalized racism.

The Assembly took place five years to the month after the first gathering of the World Movement in New Delhi, a movement launched with the adoption of a founding statement that recognized "a need for a worldwide network of democratic practitioners and thinkers, committed to mutual support, exchange, and cooperation." Since that time, the Movement, which is staffed by the National Endowment for Democracy and guided by a distinguished international Steering Committee, has grown dramatically. One can get a sense of the movement's scope and dynamism by visiting its web site at www.wmd.org.

At the Third World Assembly in Durban, democracy activists, scholars, and practitioners representing 118 countries engaged with one another in over 40 practical workshops, sharing ideas, experiences, and skills. The benefits of such exchanges at Durban, as they were at the Second Assembly in Sao Paulo, are clearly aimed at the future, since they spark either the creation or growth of networks encompassing those who work regionally or in specific areas such as local government, women's participation, democracy research, etc. They also offer tips on timely matters ranging from how to use the internet to break official news monopolies to promoting democracy in post-conflict situations to addressing complicated questions of transitional justice.

As a journalist from Azerbaijan described his experience, "My participation in this Assembly has become a huge opportunity for me to create networking with counterparts and colleagues from all around the world." Perhaps the essence of the Assembly was best captured by a leader of a non-governmental organization in Lebanon who noted, "A special Assembly it was, where thought is closely linked with action and where the most oppressed souls actually regain trust and vigor."

Unlike many international gatherings, the World Movement eschews grandiose proclamations while affording opportunities for participants to educate each other about their causes and enlist support for them. As Lodi Gyari, the representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed the value of this approach in one of the Assembly's three keynote addresses, participants came "not to hear resolutions, but to create common progress and success."

The Movement has truly come a long way in just five years, having spawned a host of active democracy networks that will carry its work forward. We are grateful to those agencies, particularly the Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and the Agency for International Development, as well as nongovernmental donors such as the Hewlett and Hurford Foundations and a number of democracy support organizations abroad whose support for the Third Assembly helped to make it so successful.

The National Endowment for Democracy has always taken a global approach to promoting democracy. NED operates from the strategic perspective that no region or country, no matter how dim the prospects for democratic change, should be ignored.

That is how NED began its work in the Middle East more than a decade ago, supporting women's groups, human rights organizations, scholarly research, conflict resolution, and the programs of other indigenous civil society groups that were trying to pry open political space in one of the most difficult regions of the world.

In January 2002, following the horrific events of September 11, at a time when NED's strategic plan was up for renewal, the Board of Directors adopted a new strategy that placed urgent and increased emphasis on programs to promote democracy and human rights in the entire Muslim world, from the Balkans to Southeast Asia, while preserving its commitment to global involvement.

When the new strategy was drafted, NED's directors assumed that the accelerated work in the Muslim world would have to be accomplished without the benefit of a significant increase in funding. Over the past two years, however, Congress and the Administration have affirmed NED's shift in emphasis with increased resources for the Muslim World. In Fiscal Year 2003 NED received an additional grant from the Department of State's Bureau for Democracy Human Rights for work in the Muslim World. This year, NED has received significant additional funding for democracy programs in Iraq as part of the supplemental $20 billion appropriated by Congress for reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan at the end of 2003.

President Bush's call for a dramatic shift in US policy, and a "forward strategy of freedom" in the Middle East at NED's 20th anniversary, was bolstered in his 2004 State of the Union address by his proposal to double the funding for NED as part of a Greater Middle East Initiative.

Increased funding has already allowed NED to expand support for projects encouraging women's participation, independent media organizations, civic education and local governance in countries like Morocco, Lebanon and Yemen. And in countries with marginal freedom, such as Syria and Saudi Arabia, NED is helping exiled groups and has engaged human rights and democracy activists in regional programs. NED is also expanding its program in the Persian Gulf, whose countries are among the most conservative and isolated in the region.

"In Iraq," says NED Program Officer for the Middle East Abdulwahab Alkebsi, "we are able to get critical resources to a broad range of Iraqis who are working to build political parties, business associations, independent media and a whole range of civil society groups. Across the board, the Iraqis realize the importance of this moment in Iraq and are genuinely excited at the opportunity to build democracy in their country.

"On the other hand," said Alkebsi, "everyone is keenly aware of the inherent dangers they face, as well as the long-term nature of their work. They know democracy will not come overnight, yet they are committed."

Commenting on President Bush's endorsement of NED and the work that lies ahead in the Middle East, NED President Carl Gershman said, "The Endowment shares the determination of President Bush to advance democracy in the Middle East and we welcome this strong vote of confidence in our work. The success of democrats abroad who receive support from NED will depend, ultimately, on the same long-term bipartisan support that has sustained NED and its grantees through its first two decades."

The provision in the NED by-laws limiting Board membership to 3 three-year terms has prompted the retirement of many devoted, extraordinary individuals. Such was the case this year with the retirements of Senator Bob Graham and former Congressman Matthew McHugh. Both men were recently awarded NED's Democracy Service Medal in recognition of their service to NED and for their efforts to champion democracy throughout the world.

On January 26, Spanish Ambassador Javier Ruperez hosted a dinner in honor of Senator Graham at the award-winning new Spanish residence in Washington. In addition to members of the NED Board and other invited guests, Senate colleagues Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) were on hand to pay tribute to Graham.

While serving on NED's Board, Graham played a role in overseeing the Latin America program, helping to set priorities for work in the region. And as a member of the U.S. Senate, Graham played a key role in explaining the Endowment's work to his colleagues. In his tribute to Graham, NED President Carl Gershman thanked Graham for his tenacity in defending NED in the Senate, and commented that the senator "brought to the NED a passionate and life-long commitment to democracy, for which the NED will be forever grateful."

In his acceptance remarks, Graham praised the endowment's efforts and emphasized the importance of NED's long-term approach to democracy promotion: "Democracy is not just about elections," he said, "democracy requires work, effort and sacrifice to be achieved."

On February 24, NED hosted a Capitol Hill reception to commemorate the achievements of former Congressman Matthew McHugh. During his nine years of service on the NED Board, McHugh served as the Board's Secretary, oversaw the administrative and financial management of the NED, and worked with staff to review and report to the Board on multiregional projects.

Rep. Amo Houghton (left) congratulates Matt McHugh as Rep. David Obey (right) looks on.

The reception was attended by many current and former members of Congress and featured remarks by Congressmen David Obey (D-WI) and Amo Houghton (R-NY); Homer E. Moyer, Jr., a founder of the Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative; and NED board member and former Representative, Ambassador Howard Wolpe (D-MI).

"It is not enough to say that Matt has been valued for his leadership, his wise judgment, and his dedication to the NED's democratic mission," Gershman remarked while presenting McHugh with the medal. "More than this, he has been respected by his Board colleagues and the NED staff for his character, an attribute so distinctive and exemplary that no one who knows Matt can fail to appreciate it."

Robert Miller

Rita DiMartino

Two new members joined the NED Board in January 2004: Robert C Miller, President of the Hurford Foundation and, from the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, Rita DiMartino.

An attorney who has spent most of his practice dedicated to charitable foundations and devising innovative solutions to the organization and administration of grant functions of foundations, Robert C Miller is currently a partner at David, Dawson, and Clark law firm in New York. He is also Director of the Foreign Policy Association, and the Director of Leaders in Furthering Education. The Hurford Foundation, which is chaired by Miller, was established by the late John B. Hurford, who had been a dedicated member of the NED Board.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Rita DiMartino has been active in republican and Hispanic politics for many years. She is currently a member of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board; before her appointment by President Bush, DiMartino was the Vice President of Congressional Relations for AT&T. Active at all levels of Republican politics, DiMartino has been elected as a Delegate-at-Large to seven Republican National Conventions, served on the 1992 Platform Committee, and was elected Executive Vice-Chair of The New York State Republican Committee in 1988. Currently DiMartino is a member of The Council on Foreign Relations; The City University of New York (CUNY) Board of Trustees; the Hispanic Council on International Relations; the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, and is the Executive Vice Chair of the Board of Bronx Lebanon Hospital.

Afghanistan
Welfare Association for Development of Afghanistan (WADAN)
Welfare Association for Development of Afghanistan (WADAN) WADAN will support and encourage democratic practices among Maliks, regional traditional leaders, by expanding its project to twenty additional districts. WADAN will also establish regional offices in Kandahar and Kunduz and train 1,000 Maliks in peace-building, conflict resolution, democracy, and women's rights in ten districts each in the southern and northern provinces.

Argentina
Poder Ciudadano
Poder Ciudadano will support local community organizations working to increase citizen participation, civic education and advocacy in six provinces of Argentina. Programs will include training-of-trainers workshops for representatives of local community organizations and a national conference in Buenos Aires to discuss opportunities for collaboration in promoting democracy for representatives of the business sector, foreign embassies, and civil society groups.

Hong Kong
Civic Exchange
Civic Exchange will conduct a program to explore options for the post-2007 political system in Hong Kong. The organization will produce a report on the role of public dialogue in political development, as well as organize public forums to discuss issues such as a constitutional review and the structure of the legislature, mobilize a civil society "constitutional convention" for political parties, NGOs, universities, and business organizations.

Liberia
Center for Sustainable Human Development, Inc. (CESHUD)
CESHUD will provide civic education through its community radio station, which offers listeners the opportunity to express their views and concerns. CESHUD will establish an Information Research Center to house the radio station and provide access to civic and voter information, publish a newsletter, and implement a civic education program in local schools.

Serbia
Medienhilfe
Medienhilfe will work to ensure the survival of local independent media in Serbia by covering the operating costs of nine of the most important independent electronic media sources in the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) network, including seven local radio stations and two local television stations for a six-month period.

Tajikistan
Youth Ecological Center
The Youth Ecological Center will encourage the formation of a network of youth discussion clubs in five of the poorest and most isolated regions of Tajikistan. The Center will train regional youth leaders to manage and lead the groups effectively and to develop the skills necessary to interact with the local authorities.