The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

Gerard Latulippe, NDI’s resident director in Haiti, has been in Washington coordinating NDI’s efforts in response to the Jan. 12 earthquake.  NDI has been supporting Initiative Committees that are mobilizing to support national and international relief efforts.  Latulippe was in Port-au-Prince when the earthquake hit and describes the harrowing circumstances as well as NDI’s ongoing efforts.

NDI recently published the El Salvador 2009 Benchmark Democracy Survey, which measures citizens’ democratic values and perceptions of democracy in their country.

The survey uncovered a number of unexpected attitudes among women and young people, which prompted NDI’s former country director for El Salvador, Alison Miranda, to think about new ways to increase Salvadorans’ levels of political and civic engagement.

Devin O’Shaughnessy, NDI’s resident senior program manager in Kabul, recently explained how NDI has worked to support PCs through their first four years in office and discussed the challenges that await the newly-elected and returning PCs who won seats in Afghanistan’s Aug. 20 elections.

The largest ethnic minority in Central and Eastern Europe, Roma continue to face discrimination and marginalization due to poverty, social ills and, in many cases, physical isolation. They are significantly underrepresented in mainstream political parties, hold few elected offices and have been unable to use political channels to solve many economic and social problems that affect their communities. NDI has been working with local candidates and political parties throughout the region in an effort to help Roma secure more equal political representation at all levels of government.

A new NDI report on the democratic transition in Bosnia-Herzegovina highlights the country's post-war and post-communist legacies. It notes that governmental reforms under discussion, while critical, are not sufficient to address the challenges that Bosnia's political institutions and civil society must tackle to put the country firmly on a democratic path.

The report examines the post-conflict and post-communist legacies impeding Bosnia's democratic transition and presents recommendations on democracy assistance going forward.

Romania has made definite progress in integrating Roma into the country's political life, but there are still significant barriers that require attention before Roma can be considered full and active participants in the country's political system, according to the findings of a new NDI report, Assessment of Barriers to Roma Political Participation in Romania.