Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa Names New Chairperson

November 10, 2011

Advocate Pansy Tlakula has been named the new Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa.

Election Management

Election Assistance: 'The Most Worthwhile Undertaking'

September 15, 2011

On the eve of the International Day of Democracy, South African Judge Johann Kriegler spoke to current and former IFES staff about democracy assistance, which he called “the most worthwhile undertaking.”

Democracy Assistance, Election Management, Post-conflict

2011 IFES Democracy Awards Dinner -- Judge Johann Kriegler

September 15, 2011

Judge Johann Kriegler of South Africa accepts the 2011 Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award from IFES on Sept. 15.

Democracy Assistance, Electoral Systems

IFES Announces 2011 Democracy Awards Recipients

August 08, 2011

WASHINGTON — Two senior U.S. congressional leaders and a former justice of South Africa’s Constitutional Court are the winners of the 2011 Charles T. Manatt Democracy Awards, presented by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).

Democracy Assistance

Making Connections in Africa

March 23, 2011

In flight to the Republic of Botswana, I looked through the route maps in the back of Delta’s Sky Magazine and traced with my fingers the distance from Gaborone to other cities around the world.

Elections, Democracy Assistance, Electoral Systems

IFES Participates in GEO Conference

March 06, 2011

Five IFES experts will present at the 5th Global Electoral Organization conference from March 7 to March 9. The GEO conference, which attracts election experts from around the world, is one of the largest democracy forums in the world. The theme of this years’ conference, which will take place in Gaborone, Botswana, is Credible Elections for Democracy.

Elections, Democracy Assistance

Establishing Better Memories in Southern Africa

November 23, 2010

In March of 2007, I was living in Lusaka, Zambia with my then-two year old daughter Sofia when in the blink of an eye, one afternoon I was airlifted to a hospital in Johannesburg. I never returned to Zambia. Given this was one of my last memories of Southern Africa, the excitement I was feeling about going back to the region to work on a project for IFES was intertwined with some anxiety.

Civil Society

Forming Ties Across Continents in South Africa

October 25, 2010

I arrived at Johannesburg airport with aching limbs after a grueling 18 hours on a plane from Washington D.C. via Dakar, Senegal, where we stopped for refueling. This was my first trip to Africa in half a decade; working on programs in the Middle East and Asia over the past five years has taken me to very different parts of the world. Stepping into Pretoria, I immediately felt a jolt of energy as I recognized the unique flavor of Africa.

Education, Gender Issues

Towards a Global Framework for Managing and Mitigating Elections-related Conflict and Violence

October 28, 2009

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) hosted a three-day workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa to explore the possible ways of mitigating elections-related conflict and violence. The conference, held from October 28-30, brought together experts on election-related violence from around the world to exchange ideas and come up with a global framework to address this issue.

Legal Framework, Governance, Election Disputes, Post-conflict

Don't Undervalue a Really Good Election

May 12, 2009

Stay in the democracy field long enough and you'll experience the cyclical sport of "elections bashing", which inevitably occurs after a series of bad polls.

Elections, Democracy Assistance, Public Opinion, Election Management, Election Disputes