Editorial:
Strengthening political parties and party systems
By Vidar Helgesen, Secretary-General
Political parties are arguably democracy’s weakest link. In Africa, barometer polls indicate that few expect politicians to even try delivering on election promises. In Europe, Latin America and Asian democracies parties are the least trusted among institutions – even if notably more South Asians have a positive outlook. This is a challenge not only to politicians, but to democracy itself. Read more
Focus:
State of Democracy in South Asia
What has democracy done for South Asia and what has South Asia done for democracy? These questions recur in the State of Democracy in South Asia report, launched in New Delhi, India on 4 December 2006. Read more
Nepal: Pitfalls of the peace process 
From curfews and states of emergency to a people’s uprising and now a new Government in place. In November 2006, a seven party alliance and the Communist Party of Nepalese Maoists signed an historic peace agreement, ending a decade long armed insurgency in Nepal. Interview with International IDEA’s Programme Manager for Asia, Leena Rikkilä, who works in Nepal. Read more
Democracy, conflict and human security workshop examines devolution of power and decentralization in South East Asia
Policy makers, practitioners and researchers from Mindanao, West Papua, Aceh, the Moluccas and the southern provinces of Thailand gathered at a South East Asia regional workshop in Bangkok, Thailand on 16-17 January 2007. Read more
Other International IDEA news:
International IDEA hosts experts’ workshop on international party assistance
Political parties are crucial for making democracy work, yet they are often seen as the weakest link in the chain of democratic institutions. International assistance to political parties, a relatively new phenomenon, raises questions of what a democratic party is, which parties should be assisted and how. Read more
New studies aim to strengthen political parties in the Andean region
International IDEA recommends ways to strengthen parties and make them more effective in fighting poverty in the Andean region in two recently published studies. The studies will be presented on 7 February 2007 at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington and then in each of the five Andean countries (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Venezuela). Read more
Ecuadorian congresswomen gain deeper understanding of their role
A recent seminar sponsored by International IDEA helped newly elected Ecuadorian congresswomen to prepare for the legislative tasks ahead and emphasized the need to building consensus among parties in the new Congress, especially on women’s issues. Read more
Peace and/or justice? African experiences in focus
A key question facing countries emerging from civil conflict is how best to deal with the perpetrators of past – and in many cases, all too recent – violence, while at the same time maintaining the fragile social harmony that often characterizes post-conflict societies. Interview with James Latigo, Director of the North Uganda Peace Initiative, outlining the challenges to international justice norms posed by the dynamics of the Ugandan peace process. Read more
New publications and training tools:
New International IDEA Handbook to build trust in electoral processes
Building trust and professionalism in the management of electoral processes remains a global challenge. International IDEA's Handbook on Electoral Management Design shares the best practices and know how from around the world on financing, structuring, and evaluating Electoral Management Bodies. Read more
Democracy, Conflict and Human Security: Further Reading (Volume 2)
This book, a companion volume to Democracy, Conflict and Human Security: Pursuing Peace in the 21st Century, addresses the nexus between democracy, conflict and human security in a way that recognizes that this is highly political, not technical, terrain. This volume complements and enriches the first volume in two ways: by providing perspectives by leading scholars, analysts and policy makers, and by offering a more in-depth look at critical themes and case studies. Read more
New studies aim to help parties become more effective and responsive in the Andean region
Politics Within: Changes and Continuities in Political Organizations in the Andean Countries, provides an in-depth analysis of the detailed information gleaned from questionnaires and interviews with party leaders in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Politics and Poverty in the Andean Countries examines the impact of political parties in the Andean countries. Read more
BRIDGE in Armenia
In January 2007, International IDEA and the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia published the Armenia BRIDGE Manual, focused specifically on Armenia’s electoral administration experiences and needs. Read more
Coming up:
Sustaining Africa's Democratic Momentum
International IDEA, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), and the African Union (AU) will be convening an international conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 5-7 March 2007, on Africa’s democratization and electoral processes. More information will be available in advance on a dedicated conference website.
Online Reconciliation Resource Network launch
Early February sees the launch of a new online initiative, the International IDEA Reconciliation Resource Network (RRN). Addressed to reconciliation practitioners, analysts and policy makers, the RNN is intended to serve as an online forum for sharing information, best practices, links and other resources. In addition, the RRN will also provide a forum for structured, searchable discussion of emerging issues, challenges and trends in the field of reconciliation. The RRN site will be accessible via International IDEA's website.
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Contact information
Editors: Bénédicte Walter, Monika Ericson
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) Strömsborg SE-103 34 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel.: +46-8 698 37 00 Fax.: +46-8-20 24 22
E-mail: news@idea.int
Web: www.idea.int
