National Democracy Institute

Democracy is in retreat all over the world, with its core principles — including guarantees of free and fair elections, the rights of minorities, freedom of the press, and the rule of law — increasingly under attack. According to Freedom House, countries that became less democratic have outnumbered those that registered gains in each of the last 12 years.

The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. Since its founding in 1983, NDI has worked with local partners in 132 countries and territories, bringing together individuals and groups to share ideas, knowledge, experiences and expertise, as well as monitoring elections, training political leaders, supporting civic engagement, and promoting opportunities for women. Partners receive broad exposure to best practices in international democratic development that can be adapted to the needs of their own countries. NDI's work “upholds the idea that democracy is a human right – a principle enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But it's a human right that many around the world still struggle to attain.”

National Democracy Institute