Russia: Same Game, New Tactics
For some observers, Vladimir Putin’s re-election in 2018 is a foregone conclusion; they see him as a virtual “president-for-life,” secure enough to ignore pressures that might force another leader to… Read more »
Category: Democracy Assistance and Promotion
Dalai Lama’s White House highlights China’s ‘insecurity’
President Obama met with the Dalai Lama as scheduled on Wednesday, despite objections from the Chinese government. Obama met the Dalai Lama when the latter visited Washington in 2014 and… Read more »
How to promote values of liberal democracy in cyberspace
In the face of growing threats to internet and media freedom, it is vital to acknowledge the real and immediate threat that authoritarian states’ use of cyber technologies poses to… Read more »
Bahrain ‘is bulldozing its civil society’ with ban on Shiite opposition
Bahrain suspended the country’s largest Shiite opposition group in a surprise court hearing Tuesday, intensifying its crackdown on dissent five years after Arab Spring protests rocked the island kingdom, The… Read more »
Tackling violent radicalization by counter-propaganda, inclusive governance, advancing democracy
Amid terror threats and continued travel by young people to and from Syria, the European Commission wants to help EU countries to tackle violent radicalization, EU Observer reports: The EU… Read more »
China, Russia ‘reshaping the rules of the game’ on media, elections, civil society
U.S policy towards Russia should be “based on a hard calculation of national interests and an unsentimental, non-ideological assessment of how Russia might help us advance or thwart our goals,”… Read more »
Empowering local actors, devolving power can assist Syria’s transition process
If the United States screens refugees for security risks, 59% of Americans support taking in refugees from the conflicts in Syria and other Middle Eastern countries, while 41% oppose, according… Read more »
Dalai Lama urges Suu Kyi to address Rohingya tensions
The horrific violence in the Middle East, which in the case of Syria has led to the greatest refugee crisis in a generation, and appalling terrorist attacks — as we were sadly… Read more »
Democracy in decline: how to reverse the tide
Although democracy promotion may have fallen out of favor with the U.S. public [see poll data below], such efforts very much remain in the national interest, argues Larry Diamond, a… Read more »
Advancing democracy in Africa: why Zanzibar matters
The U.S. government’s relationship with Tanzania took a hit this past year when national elections in October 2015 revealed a decidedly undemocratic streak in a country that U.S. officials had… Read more »