Category: Democracy Assistance and Promotion

‘Quad’ of democracies vs. China: a new clash of civilizations?

     

The resumption of talks on the “quadrilateral” strategic initiative between the US, Australia, Japan and India is a shot across the bows of China. It has more than a whiff of… Read more »

Zimbabwe’s ‘slow motion coup’: Zanu-PF hardliners and opposition call for Mugabe’s ouster

     

Thousands of demonstrators are expected to rally in Harare on Saturday as an unprecedented alliance of Zanu-PF hardliners and opposition activists seek to force Robert Mugabe step aside as Zimbabwe’s president,… Read more »

Cross-border, state-directed kleptocracy – 21st century authoritarianism

     

  Lebanon-based businessmen who lost enterprises through dealings with members of Saudi Arabia’s royal family and others in the kingdom are closely watching a the anti-corruption campaign led by the… Read more »

Mobilizing youth adds momentum to democratic renewal

     

A new international youth movement would bring energy and momentum to efforts to realize The Prague Appeal for Democratic Renewal, a leading democracy advocate told last week’s Zagreb Youth Summit… Read more »

Autocrats’ ‘sharp power’ prompts Western self-censorship

     

Outspoken Labor MP Michael Danby has warned of China’s rise in “hard power”, praising the “push-back by Australia’s democratic system” against soft power initiatives, the Australian reports: Speaking to a… Read more »

Re-active measures: defending the West from Russian disinformation

     

Most internet users today take for granted their ability to instantly retrieve information and communicate across an open and secure, globalized web, notes Will Wright, a program officer for Russia… Read more »

Beyond Sunni and Shia: challenging sectarianism in a changing Middle East

     

One could be forgiven for thinking Iraq remains a tangled mess of sectarian division and political failings, whose people are incapable of resolving their differences and working together to rebuild… Read more »

The End of the End of History? What Is To Be Done?

     

  Is it time to declare the end of the end of history? Are we witnessing the exhaustion, or tragic collapse, of the once-vital liberal tradition that supported our politics,… Read more »

Is democracy really in a worldwide decline?

     

What is the state of democracy around the world? asks Mélida Jiménez, a program officer in International IDEA’s Democracy Assessment, Analysis and Advisory unit. Many observers have been sounding alarms… Read more »