On the evening of December 8 in Washington, D.C., Delia Ferreira Rubio was awarded the 2011 Joe C. Baxter Award.
"This award is much more than a lovely recognition of my efforts to increase transparency and accountability in the electoral process," Ferreira Rubio, a native Argentinian, said upon receiving the honor. "It is a commitment for the future. Increasing transparency and accountability is a never-ending task, and this award has 'recharged my batteries,' as we say in Argentina, to continue doing this."
Ferreira Rubio is an internationally recognized expert in political finance and advocate for transparency in government. Aside from her consulting work, she is a member of the board of directors at Transparency International (TI) and former president of Poder Ciudadano, TI’s national chapter in Argentina.
The Joe C. Baxter award is given annually to a professional whose work epitomizes IFES’ mission to promote participation, transparency and accountability in political life and civil society. It is named after longtime IFES employee Joe C. Baxter, who directed IFES’ work in Ghana and was respected internationally for his expertise and commitment to promoting democratic rights.
Denise Rollins, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), presented the award to Ferreira Rubio.
In her remarks, Rollins recalled the time she spent working with Baxter in Ghana.
"I am delighted to be here this evening because I had the pleasure of sitting at Joe Baxter's feet and learning about elections," Rollins said. "Before I met him, like most Americans, I had no idea what it takes to put on an election. I met Joe in Ghana in 1992 and that is when my education began."
Upon presenting the award to Ferreira Rubio, Rollins said, "the recipient of the 2011 Joe C. Baxter Award has many of Joe's qualities. Like Joe, she is adamant about having transparency and accountability in the electoral process."
Ferreira Rubio, like Baxter before her, had worked with IFES on a number of projects in countries around the world. In this capacity, she has observed IFES tailor its programs to the countries in which it is implementing them. According to Ferreira Rubio, the one thing that remains constant is an adherence to the principles of transparency, accountability and inclusion.
IFES President and CEO Bill Sweeney, who opened and closed the ceremony, summed it up: "Political finance is a transcendent issue. It isn't something that is only thought about on Election Day, it begins with the first dollar spent by and on political parties. Tonight we are honoring an individual who brings political finance forward."
The event, which was held at the National Press Club, brought together current and former IFES staff, United States government officials and members of the NGO community.
Previous recipients include elections expert Rafael López-Pintor and Ghanaian Electoral Commission Chairman Kwadwo Afari-Gyan.