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Category: What we are reading

New International IDEA Report: Unpacking the Summit for Democracy Commitments – Opportunities for the Year of Action and Second Summit

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International IDEA is pleased to announce the publication of our report providing an analysis of the first Summit and presenting several options and opportunities for the second Summit. Read the full report here. Some key recommendations include: All countries participating in the Summit should be further encouraged to submit written commitments to publicly affirm their … Continued

Opening Closed Spaces: Tips for Leveraging Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning of Programs in Restrictive Environments

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As civic space becomes increasingly closed globally, it becomes more challenging, but also more critical, to effectively carry out monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) techniques associated with programme oversight. Access to information is more limited, and it can be more risky to collect and share data. On the back of its experience operating in such … Continued

The Summit for Democracy commitments are out—now what?

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Norman Eisen, Mario Picon, Robin J. Lewis, Renzo Falla and Lilly Blumenthal published on the Brookings Institution website an initial reaction to the recently-published Commitments for the Summit. The authors observed significant variation in the commitments made. When considering the written commitments in terms of where governments fall in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index … Continued

The Economist: A new low for global democracy

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The Economist reports on the recent release of the 2021 edition of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)’s Democracy Index, which rates the state of democracy across 167 different countries based on five measurements (electoral process/pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, democratic political culture, and civil liberties). The pandemic continues to place a considerable strain on … Continued

Whither Democracy? Perspectives from South Asia

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Aarya Nijat of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) discusses the Summit with different voices from South Asia. The discussion reflects on five questions: challenges to democracy in the region, the relation between South Asia and the global trend of democratic backsliding, opportunities for reversing the trend, the role South Asian countries can play … Continued

What a Successful Summit for Democracy Looks Like from Africa

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Gregory Kearns outlines in Modern Diplomacy concrete ways for the Summit to advance democracy in Africa. He begins by considering the state of democracy in Africa, before moving on to concrete suggestions to which the US and its allies should commit. Suggestions include promoting intra-party democracy and the inclusion of minority groups (notably youth and … Continued

Biden’s ‘Summit for Democracy’ needs to be democratized

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Laura Thornton in The Hill criticises the undemocratic closed-door nature of the preparations for the Summit and lack of participation by civil society, making suggestions for a more dynamic, open and inclusive approach moving forward. The Year of Action following the Summit will be crucial, during which time follow-up events can provide inspiration, innovation and … Continued

Will Asia buy into the Summit for Democracy?

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Andrew Yeo of the Brookings Institution considers the perspectives of voices from Asia, contrasting them particularly with the enthusiasm for the Summit largely expressed across Europe. Though President Biden has stated democracy as a key foreign policy value, it has been less prominent in the US administration’s relations with nations in Asia. The article also … Continued

Global Views of Biden’s Democracy Summit

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Carnegie Endowment for International Peace gathers voices from across the world to consider how different regions and countries perceive the Summit, and what it will take for it to be a success. Inputs are given from Africa, Europe, Japan, Latin America, South Asia and the United States. The piece ends with a consideration of crucial … Continued

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