In his presentation, Sergii Leshchenko discussed the Euromaidan in the context of the democratization process that began in 2004, and explored the ramifications of the current protests on Ukraine’s immediate political future.

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Today, authoritarian governments are willfully depriving hundreds of millions of people of authentically plural and independent information and analysis, with profound implications for these countries’ ability to reform and prosper. The event, which featured experts on China, Russia, and Iran, was organized around the ideas in the January 2014 Journal of Democracy article, “Breaking the News: The Role of State-Run Media,” written by panelists Christopher Walker and Robert Orttung.

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Donald L. Horowitz, James B. Duke Professor of Law and Political Science Emeritus, Duke University presented his lecture, "Ethnic Power-Sharing and Democracy: Three Big Problems" as the tenth annual The Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World.

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Christian Caryl moderated a conversation on how this new authoritarianism works inside Russia, what it means for relationships with the West, and how it affects what Russia’s leadership views as its “near abroad.” The discussion was based on “Russia: A Postmodern Dictatorship?” by Peter Pomerantsev. This was the first in a series of studies commissioned jointly by the Legatum Institute and the Institute of Modern Russia to analyze the challenges of transition in the former Soviet Union.

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The mass uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa represent the most important opportunity for democracy since the fall of Soviet communism. Two-and-a-half years after the onset of the movements against the region’s repressive governments, the extent of the democratic reform challenge has become clearer, raising a host of vexing questions for reformers in these countries and policy makers outside them. During the event, two panels of experts assessed the transition experiences from the post-Soviet world and North Africa, and examined fundamental questions relating to democratic transitions. This event was part of the Reconsidering Democratic Transitions conference series sponsored by the International Forum for Democratic Studies.

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In her presentation Ms. Nadira Eshmatova focused on the challenges facing youth in Kyrgyzstan, as well as on how the country’s ongoing socio-political transition is shaping opportunities for youth activism. She suggested ways in which organizations working with youth can ensure that young people are actively involved in the reconciliation and democracy building processes in Kyrgyzstan. Ms. Eshmatova concluded by suggesting strategies to better engage Kyrgyz and Uzbek youth, especially in the south of Kyrgyzstan. Her presentation was followed by comments from Ms. Maria Lisitsyna.

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In his presentation, Abdulrazaq Alkali provided an overview of the state of youth activism in Nigeria today. He surveyed the steps being taken to; engage youth, identify barriers to their participation, and offer recommendations to increase their involvement in decision-making processes. His presentation was followed by comments by Dave Peterson.

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