IFES 2010 Democracy Awards Dinner
September 28, 2010
IFES recognizes that the work of empowering people transcends political parties and national borders. To emphasize this belief, we award three individuals each year, one Republican, one Democrat and a member of the international community with IFES’ Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award.
Civil Society,
Democracy Assistance,
Elections
Electoral System Design: Issues and Trends
July 22, 2010
Professor Benjamin Reilly, a leading expert on electoral systems, gave a talk at IFES on July 22, 2010 on the evolution and recent trends of electoral system design. During his presentation Dr. Reilly, director of the Centre for Democratic Institutions and professor of political science at the Australian National University in Canberra, gave an overview of the different electoral systems that have emerged over the past decade.
Electoral Systems,
Election Procedures,
Election Management,
Elections
2010 Summer Democracy Camps in Kyrgyzstan
July 19, 2010
The first in a series IFES-sponsored Democracy Camps in Kyrgyzstan began on July 19, 2010. The first camp in this annual series will run from July 19 to July 28 and include student participants representing ninth- and tenth-grades from Bishkek city, Talas oblast and Chuy oblast. The camp is being held in Besh-Kungey, a popular camping retreat on the outskirts of Bishkek. Three additional camp sessions will be held in different parts of the country throughout the rest of the summer.
Education,
Civic Education,
Democracy Assistance,
Elections,
Civil Society
2010 Democracy Awards Breakfast
July 14, 2010
On Wednesday, July 14, 2010 IFES hosted a breakfast to begin the countdown to IFES’ 2010 Democracy Awards Dinner, scheduled for September 28. The morning meeting brought together top supporters of the democracy promotion movement in Washington, DC to discuss why the Democracy Awards are given and what IFES believes are the most effective ways of expanding democracy worldwide.
Democracy Assistance,
Civil Society,
Elections
IFES Chairman Peter Kelly is Celebrated in a Tribute in His Honor
June 08, 2010
Peter Kelly, chairman of IFES’ Board of Directors, was honored in a tribute on June 8, 2010 in Hartford, Connecticut. Mr. Kelly was celebrated for his lifetime’s dedication to supporting many of Connecticut’s fundamental institutions—including Saint Joseph’s Hospital and Connecticut Public Radio—and other organizations in the United States and the world with his time and vision, as well as for engaging in many philanthropic missions.
Promoting Women’s Political Participation in South Asia: Afghanistan, Nepal and India
June 02, 2010
On 2 June 2010, IFES chaired a panel discussion at InterAction's 2010 annual Forum titled "Promoting Women’s Political Participation in South Asia." Empowerment, be it economic, social, or political, is key to improving the status of women. Increased active participation in the public sphere and political life complements economic sufficiency and enables women to gain full citizenship. South Asia provides a fertile source of experiences in this area and offers relevant learning that can benefit gender programming in other regions.
Gender Issues,
Democracy Assistance,
Civil Society,
Civic Education,
Education
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Discusses Democracy in Liberia
May 26, 2010
On May 26, 2010, IFES hosted a roundtable discussion with the President of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the consolidation of democracy in Liberia and the establishment of a credible and sustainable system of elections. The participants also discussed democracy in Africa and how the international donor community can help the continent continue on its democratization path. Peter Kelly, chairman of the IFES Board of Directors, gave the opening remarks at the meeting that brought together election and democracy experts in the DC area. They gathered at the Ritz-Carlton in the West End. Liberia’s next elections will be held in 2011.
Democracy Assistance,
Electoral Systems,
Election Procedures,
Governance,
Rule of Law
U.S. Embassy Foreign Observer Training
April 28, 2010
On April 28, 2010, the United States Embassy hosted a comprehensive foreign observer training in preparation for the upcoming Philippine local and national elections. The session was designed to inform foreign observers of Election Day procedures, and familiarize them with the rules and regulations of Election Day.
Election Observation,
Civil Society,
Elections
First BRIDGE Training in Burundi
March 22, 2010
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the Burundian Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) partnered to hold Burundi's first BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections) training high in the hills of Ngozi, from March 3 6, 2010. Bringing together 25 participants from the CENI's national and provincial bureaus, many of whom were newly appointed 6 months ago, the workshop focused on providing the administrators with the necessary tools and skills to organize key operational elements of the upcoming rounds of elections.
Democracy Assistance,
Civic Education,
Civil Society
IFES Experts Present Results of Ukraine Survey at the Kennan Institute
January 17, 2010
In anticipation of the January 17, 2010 Ukrainian presidential election, Rakesh Sharma, director of IFES’ F. Clifton White Applied Research Center, and Gavin Weise, IFES deputy director for Europe and Asia, presented the findings of IFES’ 18th survey on Ukrainian political attitudes at the Kennan Institute.
Public Opinion,
Elections,
Governance,
Democracy Assistance,
Election Procedures
Afghanistan Electoral Complaints Commissioners and UN Desk Officer Reflect on the 2009 Election
January 08, 2010
Grant Kippen, chairman of the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) in Afghanistan, and Scott Worden, a fellow ECC commissioner, spoke at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on Friday, January, 8. The ECC, comprised of Afghan and international commissioners, was responsible for ruling on electoral fraud in the 2009 contest, and ultimately invalidated more than 1 million presidential ballots.
Elections
IFES Open House taking place on Thursday, November 19
November 19, 2009
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is hosting an open house reception on November 19 to celebrate its new headquarters and reconnect with colleagues and friends. During this event, IFES will announce the winner of the 2009 Joe C. Baxter award, which pays tribute to professionals whose work epitomizes the mission of IFES—to promote citizen participation, transparency, and accountability in political life and civil society.
IFES Co-Hosting Capitol Hill Event on Politics in Lebanon
November 17, 2009
On Tuesday, November 17, IFES and the United States Institute for Peace will host an event entitled Lebanon's New Government: Toward Greater Consensus or Stalemate? Richard Chambers, IFES chief of party in Lebanon, will be joined by Mona Yacoubian, director of USIP's Lebanon Working Group, and Perry Cammack, Democratic professional staff member with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The panelists will discuss the new Lebanese government recently announced after more than 5 months of political stalemate since the June elections. This discussion will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2255. RSVP by November 13 to lebanonbriefing.eventbrite.com.
Governance,
Democracy Assistance
IFES Country Directors and Elections Specialists in DC for a Week-long Conference
November 15, 2009
Starting Sunday, November 15, more than two dozen IFES Country Directors and Elections Specialists from around the world will be in DC to partake in a week-long retreat. The event will give the DC staff and those based abroad a chance to interact in person and reconnect. A number of seminars will be held on a variety of topics related to election work to boost the already impressive skills of the IFES team. A number of special events will take place during this week including the presentation of a new IFES book Political Finance Regulation: The Global Experience, an event on Capitol Hill hosted in partnership with the United States Institute for Peace during which IFES' Chief of Party in Lebanon will speak about the role of elections in Lebanon’s political stability, and an open house held at IFES' headquarters to celebrate the new office space.
Political Finance,
Governance
IFES Organizes Conference on Electoral Environment for Palestinian Media
June 10, 2009
On June 10 and 11 in Ramallah, West Bank, members of the local news media and elections specialists gathered to discuss electoral developments in the West Bank. The aim of the workshop was to help the local media better understand the system to improve coverage of the elections and help them better fulfill their role of informing citizens on the system, candidates and voting rights.
Elections
Democracy and Political Freedom
December 10, 2008
IFES hosted a symposium with Georgetown’s Democracy & Governance Program regarding setbacks to democracy and challenges to political freedom. Executive Vice-President, Carina Perelli, spoke along with other guests at the National Press Club,
Democracy Assistance,
Governance
IFES 2008 U.S. Election Program
November 03, 2008
IFES hosted top election officials representing more than 40 countries during a major three-day international conference in Washington, DC, from November 3, 2008, to November 5, 2008, at the Capitol Hilton Hotel; coinciding with the U.S. Presidential Elections.
Governance,
Democracy Assistance
Film Screening of Iron Ladies of Liberia
July 05, 2008
IFES screened this film regarding Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia’s first elected female president and Africa’s first freely elected female head of state. The film explored the challenges facing the new presidency as new policy is developed and implemented to rebuild the country and prevent a descent back into civil war (www.pbs.org).
Gender Issues,
Elections