War of ideas ‘within the democratic world’?
Barack Obama’s electoral success in 2008, running against the Iraq war, returned conservatives to the role of the opposition, and gave them time to reflect on foreign policy fundamentals. At… Read more »
Category: Democracy Assistance and Promotion
Russian disinformation takes fresh aim at democratic process
The techniques used by anti-democratic state and non-state actors to disrupt or influence democratic processes are constantly evolving, says the European Parliamentary Research Service. The use of algorithms, automation and… Read more »
Time’s Persons of the Year – The Guardians and the War on Truth
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in October at his country’s Istanbul consulate, was on Tuesday, December 11, named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” alongside several other journalists under siege in… Read more »
‘Disentangling Grand Strategy’ for advancing democracy
Many across the political spectrum are arguing for reinvigorating the Western alliance to contend with resurgent geopolitical competition with China and Russia. But they appear ambivalent, conflicted, or divided over… Read more »
‘Realizing Rights over Repression in Iran’ – the case for Magnitsky sanctions
Iran has sentenced two human rights lawyers to six years in prison and a third to 13 years, AP reports: The Arman daily said Ghasem Sholeh-Saadi and Arash Keikhosravi were… Read more »
How to assist new democracies
Leaders of transitional democracies often must draw on the support of new international organizations to provide the public goods and technical expertise needed to consolidate democratic institutions, according to analysts… Read more »
Lyudmila M. Alexeyeva, R.I.P.
Democracy and human rights advocates are mourning the loss of Lyudmila M. Alexeyeva, a leader of the Russian human rights movement in the Soviet Union and in the era of… Read more »
Georgia a ‘trailblazer for democracy in Caucasus’ or facing ‘uncertain future’?
Georgia “is a trailblazer for democracy in the Caucasus region” but it needs support from the West in order to maintain its liberal democratic trajectory, says president-elect Salomé Zourabichvili. “During… Read more »
Ukraine: trans-Atlantic alliance should counter Russian aggression
U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker says Russia needs to release the Ukrainian sailors taken captive in the Kerch Strait in late November by Christmas or “before the new… Read more »
Nigeria’s election: human rights on the agenda
On February 16, 2019, Nigeria will hold its first national elections since the nation’s peaceful transfer of political power in 2015. While pre-election assessments suggest positive developments by electoral stakeholders,… Read more »