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Empowering Women in Myanmar During the Transition Process
The peace process now unfolding in Myanmar after decades of ethnic insurgency has opened the space for civil society advocates to join the national discourse. As a result, IFES’ program in the country, implemented under USAID’s Global Women’s Leadership Fund, aims to build the capacity of women’s groups and women who are grassroots leaders to help them feel confident and empowered to partake in the transitional processes and advocate for their specific priorities. The images in this gallery show a three-day training and one-day policy dialogue implemented by IFES and the Yangon School of Political Science (YSPS) in December 2012.
News & Updates
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Ensuring the Rights and Voices of Nigeriens: Photos from the Natural Resources Industry
It is important that Nigeriens have a voice in the way resources from their country are used. Genuine and transparent citizen participation is vital to the African nation’s economic development and security.
Although there has been a new wave of participation, challenges remain. IFES is currently working with civil society organizations (CSO) and the Nigerien government to increase awareness of the risks and rights of those in the extractive resources industry. This gallery is a collection of photos taken throughout Niger as IFES and CSOs host outreach activities, such as concerts, street theater and radio campaigns.
Although there has been a new wave of participation, challenges remain. IFES is currently working with civil society organizations (CSO) and the Nigerien government to increase awareness of the risks and rights of those in the extractive resources industry. This gallery is a collection of photos taken throughout Niger as IFES and CSOs host outreach activities, such as concerts, street theater and radio campaigns.
News & Updates
Feature
Developing an Active Citizenry through Civic Education
It is critical to examine how a sense of citizenship develops within these young people, as well as the methods through which societies educate them about their roles and responsibilities as active citizens. Nurturing a sense of citizenship is fundamental to building sustainable democracies. In this podcast, Augusta Featherston, IFES Program Coordinator, highlights why the role of youth civic education is so essential to democracy.
News & Updates
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Youth: Power of Democratic Change
Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. In many countries, young people have already started to step into leadership roles. IFES engages the world’s young people in a variety of activities that educate them about their rights and responsibilities. This level of involvement empowers and prepares the next generation of leaders to have a voice in the way they are governed. IFES’ photo gallery illustrates the participation of youth in the political process.
News & Updates
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Planting the Seed: Translating Civic Education into Citizen Engagement
Youth is a transitional stage of life. During this time, an individual’s relationship with their government changes from passive to active. As individuals reach the age of enfranchisement, and later become old enough to stand for office, they are able to formally participate in their country’s political processes. The general perspective is often that young people are uninterested and disengaged, and efforts spent on their inclusion do not translate into meaningful engagement. The panel discussed the role of civic education in the development of active citizens.
News & Updates
Feature
Fostering Democracy Through Education
The recently published Best Practices Manual on Democracy Education by the Council for a Community of Democracies provides a myriad of examples and case studies of democracy education programs for countries at all stages of development and transition. IFES hosted this event featuring two of the manual's authors as well as other democracy-promotion experts for a conversation on how best to empower citizens to become informed and take part in their government.
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IFES Civics Course Alum Serves as Precinct Election Commissioner
Prior to participating in IFES’ Democracy and Citizenship course, Nika Markozashvili possessed only basic knowledge about citizenship and the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy. The course content had a profound impact on Markozashvili’s understanding of his role in public life. “As I passed the course, [in] time I realized my role in building democratic society,” he said.
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Myanmar’s Election Commission Takes Steps to Achieve Gender Equality and Include Voters with Disabilities
After five decades of military rule, Myanmar has initiated an ongoing process of democratic reform, opening new and significant political space. However, persons with disabilities in Myanmar still face numerous obstacles in accessing their right to vote, and, at only 6.8 percent, Myanmar has one of the lowest percentages of women in parliament in the region.
News & Updates
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How is it Made? Voter Education Campaign Edition
Motivational voter education messages are instantly recognizable; they permeate the airwaves, and televisions in democratic countries, especially before an election. Most people only see the final product, but there is so much that goes into developing the message before it is broadcast on screens across the country. For anyone who has ever wondered, “how is it made?” here is a behind-the-scenes look at how the team at the IFES office in Pakistan created a campaign encouraging women to register for a computerized national identity card (CNIC) and register to vote.
News & Updates
Feature
IFES Voter Education Engagement with Persons with Disabilities
Effective democratic development involves safeguarding inclusive and broad participatory processes that make it possible for underprivileged and traditionally marginalized members of society to have a meaningful voice in the affairs of the State. In Nigeria, persons with disabilities, who are often the poorest of the poor, are frequently overlooked and struggle to have a voice in society.