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IFES Field Staff
Mike Yard is a recognized international election administration and technology expert with over 25 years of experience. He has advised election authorities in over 15 countries and served as the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Chief of Party in Kenya and Uganda. In this Q&A, Yard discusses his experience during South Africa’s historic 1994 general elections, the role of technology in democratic progress in Africa, and other democratic achievements on the continent.
News & Updates
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New Version of Moroccan Sign Language Mobile App Released
On September 22, IFES Morocco released an updated version of its electoral lexicon mobile phone app. The app, named صوتي حقي , or “My Vote, My Right,” is an accessible civic education tool created for Moroccan citizens, particularly for those in the Deaf community. The app features live-person videos of all terms of the Moroccan sign language electoral lexicon in French, Arabic, and Moroccan sign language, as well as definitions of the terms in all three languages.
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Leveraging Technology to Promote Active Citizenship
“A hackathon creates a space for exchanging ideas and expanding your network,” declared Ahmed, a Tunisian from the Nabeul governorate who participated in IFES' first Hack4Democracy (H4D) camp. “At first, [a H4D camp] doesn’t seem very different from a standard hackathon. But here, technology is mixed with democracy while combining useful information with fun content!” The H4D initiative was implemented by IFES in partnership with the Tunisian Youth Forum with the aim of increasing young Tunisians’ participation in public life through technological innovation.
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Reflecting on Democratic Progress on International Day of Democracy
In 2007, the United Nations declared September 15 International Day of Democracy, with the aim of promoting and protecting democratic principles. At IFES, we have supported these principles for three decades, working to ensure that every voice has a vote. As we celebrate International Day of Democracy, our regional directors provide an overview of the important democratic trends and challenges, as well as the opportunities, from their respective regions.
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Egyptian Students Visit IFES as Part of ACYPL Exchange Program
On September 7, IFES hosted a delegation of eight Egyptian college students to discuss projects in Egypt and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Visiting the United States as part of the American Council of Young Political Leaders’ “Model American Congress” exchange program, the delegation took part in a question and answer session with President and CEO Bill Sweeney, MENA Regional Director Zeinab Abdelkarim, and IFES Egypt program staff.
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Tunisia Adopts Amended Legal Framework for Local Elections
Following a lengthy review period, Tunisia’s Assembly of the Representatives of the People adopted amendments to the country’s legal framework for local elections. Following the law’s adoption, IFES conducted a review and analysis of the adopted amendments. Read this post to learn more about the amendments and IFES’ analysis.
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Mandela Day Book Drive Benefiting Turner Elementary
On Wednesday, August 23, members of the IFES Africa team delivered books collected for its Mandela Day Book Drive to Turner Elementary School in neighboring Congress Heights. The book drive’s target was to collect 441 books for the school (one for each student in grades K-5), but ultimately far exceeded its goal by collecting over 600 books. In honor of anti-apartheid advocate and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela's 67 years of public service, the United Nations-designated holiday encourages people to give with the goal of bringing enduring, positive change in our local communities through collective action.
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Survey Reveals Illiterate Tunisians Plan to Participate in Upcoming Elections
An IFES quantitative survey, conducted from December 2016 to January 2017, aimed to gain a better understanding of illiterate Tunisians’ levels of political participation and civic engagement and identify obstacles preventing or discouraging them from voting. This information will inform the design of outreach campaigns aimed at increasing illiterate Tunisians’ understanding of political and electoral processes, as well as more targeted voter information campaigns to encourage illiterate Tunisians to register and participate in elections.
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Media Centers, Election Transparency
In this Q&A, Sansour discusses IFES’ efforts in assisting the ISIE establish the Media Center. He has extensive experience with Media Centers and has worked with election commissions on such projects in Libya, Palestine and Yemen. Sansour began working with ISIE on Media Center projects in 2011.
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IFES Celebrates International Youth Day
The United Nation’s International Youth Day 2017 is dedicated to “Youth Building Peace.” As a global leader in democracy promotion, IFES recognizes the importance of cultivating the next generation of leaders. On International Youth Day, we celebrate the contributions of young people to peace and justice.