Elizabeth Cote, IFES’ chief of party in Guinea, discussed the country’s democratic future at a forum in Washington on April 6. Since she started in 2001 working for IFES in, Cote said she sees a less divided society. Guineans are increasingly participating in the dialogue on civil society, she said. “Our goal is for citizens to be more informed of their rights and responsibilities,” Cote said. “Civil society can become a watchdog on how things are done and citizens can push for reform.” She dismissed the likelihood of civil war with recent democratic advances in countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone. IFES launched its civil society program to strengthen local civil society organizations’ ability to advocate for political reform. In December 2005, IFES also provided election administration support for the local government elections.