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Interview/Speech/Testimony
MENA Director Testifies on Capitol Hill on “Democracy and Governance in the Middle East and North Africa”
On November 7, 2017, IFES Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Zeinab Abdelkarim provided testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. She was invited to speak to Members of Congress about “Democracy and Governance in the Middle East and North Africa,” in particular about impediments to reforms and what Congress and the administration can do to better achieve democracy and governance goals in the region.
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Technical Assistance to Election Management Bodies
Iraq has undergone dramatic change in the past decade. The U.S.-led war in Iraq that began in 2003, and the subsequent de-Ba’athification process led by the Coalition Provisional Authority, spike in sectarianism, advancement by the Islamic State (IS) and push by the Kurds for independence, all continue to impact the country’s political and security environment. It is within this complex context that the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) worked in Iraq for the 12 years, providing capacity building for Iraq’s election system from 2003 until September 2015.
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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.
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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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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.