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The coronavirus crisis is hitting public health, the economy and the state of our democracy hard – nowhere more so than in developing countries.
As governments decide to postpone elections or alter electoral processes because of COVID-19, it is crucial that they have a transparent debate about doing so.
On 16 May 2022, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy presented the findings from its latest study on socio-political participation of young people in North Macedonia. The findings show that half of young people (51%) take initiative to solve certain social problems, but only one third manage to often solve the problems they engaged with. One third of the respondents (34%) believe the country is farther from the EU perspective compared to last year. Almost half of respondents (45%) believe the country will become an EU member state, which is a drop of 15% compared to 2019. Half of young people (57%) rarely or never follow political events and developments in the country. Young people with disabilities are facing greater challenges in increasing their participation compared to the general youth population.
North Macedonia | Study |
WFD's new chairperson appointed by the Foreign Secretary
Spending two days with passionate, intelligent people is incredibly cathartic. That’s especially true when those people have come together to tackle one of the world’s most intractable problems – gender inequality in politics.
To foster LGBT+ inclusive democracies, parliamentarians need to listen to LGBT+ voices, as well as access to more and better information. WFD is focusing on addressing these issues.
When political systems exclude women whose ideas and experiences we need to hear, WFD supports women’s political participation and leadership so they can influence decision-making and bring about positive change. WFD's project with the Moroccan House of Representatives: "Strengthening Women’s Essential Role in Political Decision-Making within the Moroccan Parliament through Individual and working Group Mandates" is supported by the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).
Morocco |
In Sierra Leone, we have helped make sure citizens can access parliament and understand its work, through initiatives from open days to apps. During the Parliament’s recent Open Day, WFD gave access to several people to learn about the work of WFD and Parliament. It was a chance for advocates to meet the Speaker
To be able to design better strategies on democracy, we must apply the most up to date analytical tools to reveal and understand the discourses, practices, and actors that impact popular understandings of democracy today.
With WFD’s assistance, a group of civil society organisations in Bangsamoro have formed a technical working group (TWG) with increasing membership and produced a guide to engaging parliament.
On June 8 1982, US President Ronald Reagan addressed UK MPs in the Palace of Westminster, proposing the creation of democracy assistance organisations. On the 40th anniversary of that speech, our Chair Richard Graham MP reflects on what "today's equivalent of Reagan's call to democratic arms" should look like and argues for a "renewed call to action to support democracy."
From the war in Ukraine to climate change - democracy is facing unprecedented challenges. Find out more about our impact over the last year and why our work to strengthen democracy has never been more urgent.
In Lebanon, Law number 81/2018 on E-Transactions and Data Protection has been passed for years, but legal and institutional factors have played a significant role in blocking its implementation. A WFD affiliated network, the Digital Transformation and Governance Network (DTGN), stepped in to identify these blockages, and to carry out the advocacy work needed to overcome them.
Lebanon |
Dr Inaya Ezzeddine, a Lebanese MP from the Tyre province in the south, has amassed an impressive record in parliamentary work over the last four years, which has contributed to the country’s resilience and stability. WFD supported MP Ezzeddine to help respond to the Lebanon multi-crisis, in which taxpayers have been hard-pressed to meet basic needs.
Lebanon |