About DRI
DRI believes that people are citizens, not subjects. We support and engage people who are working to build, preserve and defend democratic and accountable institutions. We believe that institutions play a critical role. People make change, but institutions preserve it.
In a polarised world, DRI helps local actors to protect and expand the democratic space we all share, independent of our political opinions, religious beliefs or personal preferences.
'Democracy in crisis', ‘elections manipulated’, ‘social media destroy democracy’, such were the headlines of 2017. The threat to democracy has become a hot topic. Challenges abound. Citizen groups and political opposition are attacked in many countries, free media called into question and even in member states of the European Union ruling parties are trying to take over state institutions and suppress independent voices. Many call them ‘illiberal democracies’, but we consider them to be damaged democracies.
We are countering this anti-democratic trend. We don’t see a good alternative to democracy far and wide. Democracy provides a space for many opinions and political orientations - be they progressive or conservative, moderately nationalistic or favourable to close international co-operation. There are red lines however which protect democracy and they are frequently overstepped, such as respect for the dignity of all human beings, competitive elections, rule of law and checks and balances.
We bring people together – citizens, journalists, researchers, politicians – to discuss constructively how democratic institutions can be build and strengthened. Institutions that protect these red lines and that deliver effective government. In 2017 we focused increasingly also on how political debate unfolds on social media in countries as different as Myanmar, Sri Lanka or Germany. This has become an important additional part of our work. We learn how to monitor trends on social media in realtime and we work with groups in many countries to strengthen the ability of society to resist the abuse of social media.
In 2017 we changed our executive team: Our long-standing Director of Finance and Administration took time off to care for her new-born second child - she also married and is now called Laura Meyer – congratulations! In this period, we have extended our team with Kalliopi Kountouri as Head of the Project Finances and Janine Meyer as Head of Finance and Administration. So many Meyers… But if you suspect nepotism, you are wrong. We are not a family, the name is just very common in Germany.
Enjoy our report and stay in touch!
Finn Heinrich, Janine Meyer, Kalliopi Kountouri, Michael Meyer-Resende
HIGHLIGHTS
152 EVENTS
Roundtables, press conferences, and other public events
205 WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS
Capacity building for parliamentarians, NGOs, legal professionals, media representatives and students
506 FACE TO FACE MEETINGS
Individual meetings with parliamentarians, government officials, journalists and civil society organisations
63 BRIEFING PAPERS AND REPORTS
Country specific analysis and thematic papers on democracy
UKRAINE
AFTER SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGHS IN 2016, LAST YEAR UKRAINE'S REFORM ZEAL SLOWED DOWN. THE OLD POLITICAL-ECONOMIC ELITES RESIST CHANGE. THERE HAS BEEN NO MAJOR PROGRESS IN THE CREATION OF AN ANTI-CORRUPTION COURT AND THE WORK OF THE NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU HAS BEEN HINDERED. LAW-MAKERS TURNED ANTI-CORRUPTION LEGISLATION INTO A MEANS TO MAKE THE WORK OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS MORE DIFFICULT. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, THERE WAS AN OPEN COMPETITION FOR POSITIONS IN THE NEW SUPREME COURT, THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT WAS FORMED AND DECENTRALISATION PROCEEDED APACE. LOCAL ELECTIONS WERE HELD IN MORE THAN 700 AMALGAMATED COMMUNITIES.
WIDENING THE CIRCLE OF CHANGE- MAKERS IN EASTERN UKRAINE
This year, in cooperation with VOSTOK-SOS, we extended our activities in Southeast Ukraine and engaged young activists from the cities and towns close to the front zone where a culture of political disengagement among citizens is still a big issue. The participants of the DRI Schools on Democracy (Mariupol, Sievierodonetsk, inter-regional school in Kyiv) were trained in their knowledge on decentralisation, their skills how to participate at local policy-making, identify fake news and fight disinformation, monitor and advocate for reforms. We also continued to create platforms for dialogue for civil society and decision-makers to discuss the challenges the country is facing. Through our analyses, expert interviews in local media, "Ukraine Legislative Monitor", we stimulated discussion on key developments related to democratisation, particularly the judges' selection procedure, the Constitutional Court reform, the legal framework for freedom to assembly, as well as a new law on education and a regulation on blocking of popular Russian social networking resources on Ukraine’s territory.
KEY ACTIVITIES
In 2017, DRI has improved and re-launched the Ukraine Legislative Monitor, a bilingual web-tool that allows tracking the law-making steps of key political reforms in Ukraine to increase transparency of legislative process. DRI's media partner Yurydychna Gazeta (more than 25000 subscribers and followers) has particularly spread the tool in the legal community.
Together with the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe we held a constitutional school for young researchers, as well as a number of schools on practical democracy developed in partnership with the citizen group VOSTOK-SOS for activists of the Eastern regions of Ukraine; close to the frontlines with poor infrastructure, these areas usually receive little attention.
In response to the entry into force of the Law on "The Constitutional Court of Ukraine", which includes the new option for citizens to raise constitutional complaints, DRI developed a training course for lawyers and human rights defenders on how to prepare constitutional complaints to improve respect for human rights.
Focusing on regions beyond the capital Kyiv, DRI conducted schools for young leaders in Vinnytsia and Odessa. In support of the civil service reform, DRI implemented a school for civil servants in partnership with the National Agency for Public Service.
KEY PUBLICATIONS
The paralysed guardian: towards an independent Constitutional Court of Ukraine
June 2017
It took the Ukrainian legislature almost a year to adopt a new law on the Constitutional Court as required by the constitutional amendments of 2016. In the course of the preparatory legislative consultations, DRI stressed the urgent need of this law and jointly with Ukrainian experts prepared an analysis of the draft law(s), particularly with regard to the guarantees for the court's independence. We presented the paper after the draft law passed its first reading and highlighted recommendations for consideration that were partially reflected in the final version adopted by Parliament.
Legal framework for national referendums in Ukraine
May 2017
The paper analyses Ukraine's legal framework for national referendums in light of international standards and highlights the significant risks inherent in the current Law on Referendums in Ukraine, and the necessity to reform it.
TUNISIA
IN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF A DIFFICULT SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION, THE NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT HELD TOGETHER WHILE SOME PARTIES AND PARLIAMENTARY GROUPS DISTANCED THEMSELVES FROM THE "CARTHAGE AGREEMENT". AFTER MUCH UNCERTAINTY, THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS WERE FINALLY SET FOR 6 MAY 2018. AN AMENDMENT TO THE ELECTORAL LAW WAS ADOPTED. THE DECENTRALISATION LAW WAS ELABORATED IN PARLIAMENT. THE YEAR HAS RECORDED A MODEST PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL BODIES WITH THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COUNCIL AND THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION BODY COMMENCING THEIR ACTIVITIES.
DEEPENING OF DEMOCRACY AND RULE OF LAW IN TUNISIA
Decentralisation of power remains an important promise of Tunisia's 2011 revolution and was codified by the 2014 constitution. Tunisians have been promised that they can decide many local issues at the local level, rather than waiting for Ministries in Tunis to determine these.
We support this ambition and in 2017 we focused on the upcoming local elections. We trained election observer groups on specific themes like election appeals and campaign financing. We also trained judges of the Administrative Tribunal, the Audit Court and lawyers on electoral dispute resolution as well as journalists on the content of the electoral law and decentralisation.
Beyond the elections, we provided analysis and recommendations on the draft decentralisation law to the responsible parliamentary commission, all the parliamentary blocks and relevant political parties. DRI also worked closely with all the associations of judges in Tunisia in organising an outreach awareness campaign on access to justice targeting local civil society and citizens.
We continued on-going work with internal commissions of the Administrative Tribunal on drafting a new law on the administrative justice and provided direct support to the newly established Supreme Judicial Council. Finally, DRI promoted public discussions on the Constitutional Court through exchange seminars with the Italian Constitutional Court and started an outreach awareness campaign on the Court with the civil society activities.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Municipal Elections – Enhancing Electoral Accountability
DRI trained more than 760 domestic election observers, civil society activists, judges and attorneys, members of parliament and journalists on election matters in all 24 regions of the country. The activities aimed to create an environment favourable to the upcoming elections and the devolution of power from the capital Tunis to the municipalities.
Supporting the Development of the Decentralisation Law
DRI provided ongoing technical assistance to a parliamentary commission in its work on the draft law on decentralisation. DRI´s experts shared their comments in the official hearing session at the parliament, through numerous working sessions with the MPs representing various parliamentary blocs and trough written commentary of the draft law, which was used extensively by the commission.
Rule of Law
Tunisia has established a Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to oversee all judges, a critical function in a country that is building up an independent judiciary after decades of dictatorship. In November DRI organised a visit of 16 members of the Tunisian Council and a representative of the Ministry of Justice in Brussels to share experience with their Belgian peers and develop networks of contacts among the EU institutions and relevant organisations based in Brussels. The visit came at a critical initial period of formation and institutional development of the body, which held it´s first meeting only a few months prior to the visit.
KEY PUBLICATIONS
Tunisia's 2017 electoral reform
January 2018
A detailed analysis on the Tunisian electoral law, including its new provisions regulating local elections, vote of the military, etc. The publication also includes recommendations for further legal reforms. It is available in Arabic and French.
Public litigation and the right to a fair trial
January 2018
The report analyses the legal framework for litigation in public law through the lens of its conformity with the constitutional right to fair trial. In particular the report focuses on analyses of the provisions related to the fair trial in administrative justice and their adherence to the Tunisian Constitution.
Participatory Democracy on the Local Level
December 2017
The publication shows new ways of how political participation is organised at the local level in a number of European countries. It also makes reference to the mechanisms proposed in the draft decentralisation law being currently discussed in the Tunisian Parliament. The publication is available in Arabic and French.
LEBANON
POLITICAL MOMENTUM EMERGED AFTER THE ELECTION OF A PRESIDENT IN LATE 2016, FOLLOWING A TWO-YEAR POLITICAL VACUUM. BUT LEBANON CONTINUED TO STRUGGLE WITH MANY EFFECTS OF THE SYRIA WAR, IN PARTICULAR THE PRESENCE OF 1.2 MILLION REFUGEES IN THIS COUNTRY OF 6 MILLION. PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND INSTIUTIONS STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP SERVICES. THE POPULATION HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY CONCERNED BY THE LACK OF PROPER TREATMENT OF WASTE, WHICH IS ILLEGALLY DUMPED OR OPENLY BURNT.
IN JUNE 2017, LEBANON ADOPTED A NEW ELECTORAL LAW. FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT INCLUDED A PROPORTIONAL ELECTORAL SYSTEM, BUT DUE TO ITS TECHNICAL DETAILS THE PROPORTIONAL EFFECTS WILL BE HIGHLY LIMITED. PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WERE SET FOR MAY 2018, AFTER NEARLY A DECADE WITHOUT HOLDING GENERAL ELECTIONS.
SETTING AN AGENDA FOR DECENTRALISATION
Since October 2016, DRI as part of a coalition of local NGOs, has put decentralisation on Lebanon's political agenda and contributes to a public debate on decentralisation reform with research and fact-based discussions. In 2017, we conducted a nationwide assessment of public service delivery in municipal unions and discussed survey results with citizens and local and national government representatives. In 2017, we published three bilingual publications, in addition to infographics, animation videos and one documentary.
Furthermore, DRI is coordinating a municipal partnership programme between Lebanese and German municipalities, in collaboration with the Service Agency Engagement Global.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Informing Policy-Making: Decentralisation from a Comparative Perspective – Lebanon, Tunisia, Jordan and Europe
DRI provides comparative legal expertise to the Parliamentary Committee of Administration and Justice tasked with discussing the Administrative Decentralisation Bill. DRI supported Lebanese lawmakers with legal research on the election and composition and mandate of local governments. Additionally, we enlarged the scope of the discourse on decentralisation in Lebanon by engaging decentralisation experts from Tunisia, Jordan and Europe to tackle decentralisation reform with politicians, party youth, civil society activists, media representatives, and academics.
National Conference on Decentralisation: Linking Public Service Delivery to Local Governance
DRI aims to spread knowledge about the significance of local governance among the Lebanese public and beyond the circles of policy experts and politicians. Therefore, following a year of outreach and advocacy activities, the DRI-led consortium held a national conference to frame the policy discourse on decentralisation reform in Lebanon. The event, which was attended by more than 170 participants from media, civil society, research and political backgrounds, outlined the findings of our national survey of public service delivery in three policy sectors, namely: solid waste management, municipal police and public safety, and accountability and citizens participation. It looked at possibilities to support local governance, limit red tape and ensure better guidance from the central government.
KEY PUBLICATIONS
Assessment of the Lebanese Electoral Framework
December 2017
On May 6 – and for the first time in history — Lebanon will use a proportional list-voting system in elections. The new electoral law however, adopted in June 2017, is so complex that the resulting seat allocation will not be as proportional to voting results as many hoped. This is due to several factors, including the small size of the electoral districts, the confessional quota, and the unpredictability of how preferential votes will translate into seats. This joint publication of DRI and the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) offers a thorough assessment of Lebanon's new electoral law in light of international standards and internationally recognised good practices and revisits the Electoral Framework Assessment launched by DRI and LADE in 2008.
Public Services in Lebanese Municipal Unions
December 2017
Around 75% of Lebanon’s municipalities cooperate within unions of municipalities that pool and coordinate their resources to deliver public services, such as infrastructure works, strategic planning, economic development, health, environmental protection, solid waste management, and public safety. Based on a nationwide survey across two-thirds of Lebanon’s municipal unions, the report examines the state of play of public service delivery in key policy areas – namely solid waste management, security and municipal police, accountability and participation – and identifies the needs and challenges of local government authorities in their effort to provide citizens with effective and democratic public services.
Reforming Decentralisation in Lebanon - The State of Play
April 2017
Although the presence of Syrian refugees has added a massive strain on municipalities, Lebanon's local governance system was dysfunctional even prior to the refugee crisis. Many of these problems resulted from weak implementation of laws. This publication highlights the state of the play of local governance in Lebanon and argues that the policy talk about establishing decentralised regional councils as an intermediate level of governmental should not divert attention from improving the implementation of the current system and the performance of local authorities.
PAKISTAN
IN 2017, PAKISTAN WENT THROUGH A TUMULTUOUS POLITICAL PERIOD WITH THE SUPREME COURT'S OUSTING OF PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF IN JULY ON CHARGES OF CORRUPTION AND MONEY LAUNDERING. HOWEVER, IMPORTANT GAINS TOWARDS STRENGTHENING OF DEMOCRACY WERE ALSO MADE. IN THE RUN UP TO PAKISTAN’S GENERAL ELECTIONS IN 2018, THE ELECTIONS ACT 2017 WAS ADOPTED, WHICH INTRODUCES SEVERAL MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PAKISTAN’S ELECTIONS. IN MAY 2017, THE EU EXTENDED PAKISTAN’S GSP+ BENEFICIARY STATUS AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT PAKISTAN HAD MADE PROGRESS WITH THE GOVERNMENT’S ADOPTION OF THE NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.
STRENGTHENING ELECTIONS AND IMPROVING HUMAN RIGHTS IN PAKISTAN
In 2017, DRI continued its focus on supporting the country's human rights agenda through building the capacities of citizen groups, political parties and independent institutions. With the 2018 elections on the horizon, we also provided expert analysis and space for exchange on the ongoing electoral reforms.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Supporting civil society to anchor human rights in political party manifestos
We supported provincial-level Civil Society Working Groups to hold six human rights dialogues and lobbying meetings with political parties and build cross-party consensus on common human rights commitments. The domestic citizen groups and political parties developed a Charter for Human Rights with common commitments, whose recommendations were endorsed by 12 political parties, which also committed to incorporate them into their party manifestos ahead of the 2018 General Election.
Strengthening of Pakistan's National Human Rights Institutions
DRI supported the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) to develop its human rights research capacity by training 14 NCHR staff, coaching them and providing support in the compilation of an independent report. We also addressed the human resource constraints of the NCHR and the Sindh Commission for Human Rights (SCHR) by deploying 10 DRI-trained Pakistani fellows to do research and coordination support tasks under our Human Rights Fellowship Programme.
Inter-provincial exchanges on increased democratic governance and electoral reform
DRI, in collaboration with the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS), held two Inter-Provincial Exchanges to the Federal Parliament and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for members of Pakistan's provincial assemblies, the Senate and the National Assembly. Our exchanges focused on the Elections Act 2017 and served as fora for parliamentarians from across Pakistan to engage in intensive discussion on electoral reforms and recommendations for ensuring credible elections.
KEY PUBLICATIONS
Major Election Law Reform in Pakistan
January 2017
This briefing paper assesses and gives recommendations for the Draft Elections Bill 2017 that proposes many important reforms for improving electoral practices and ensuring better compliance with international human rights commitments in Pakistan.
MYANMAR
MYANMAR´S POLITICAL TRANSITION SUFFERED FROM TENSIONS IN 2017. THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS STALLED AROUND THE QUESTIONS OF MINORITIES´ RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION AND SECESSION AND ON-GOING CLASHES BETWEEN THE MILITARY AND ETHNIC ARMED GROUPS RAISED DOUBTS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A POLITICAL SETTLEMENT TO MYANMAR´S LONG LASTING INTERNAL CONFLICTS. IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR, THE COUNTRY SUFFERED FROM MASSIVE VIOLENCE IN RAHKINE STATE, RESULTING IN A REFUGEE WAVE TO BANGLADESH AND AN INTERNATIONAL OUTCRY.
BROAD-BASED POLICY DEBATE AND CIVIL SOCIETY INPUT TO POLICYMAKING REMAINS LIMITED BY A HIERARCHICAL DECISION-MAKING CULTURE WITHIN THE RULING PARTY AND BEYOND. THE MISTRUST BETWEEN THE ELECTED GOVERNMENT AND THE CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATION, TRADITIONALLY DOMINATED BY THE MILITARY, FURTHER HINDERED THE DEBATE AND IMPLEMENTATION OF MUCH NEEDED REFORMS.
STARTING CONVERSATIONS
DRI opened spaces for dialogue between parliament, government and citizen groups on the big democracy questions in Myanmar, such as federalism and constitutional reforms, human rights and electoral laws.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Roundtables on essential questions in Myanmar´s peace process
Members of the parliament, citizen groups, government officials and ethnic armed organisations informally exchanged views on self-determination, right to secession, decentralisation and federalism. The roundtables complemented the ongoing negotiations in the peace process, providing for an opportunity to discuss with international experts and to hear national experts from civil society organisations. Largely unknown in Myanmar, we used Chatham House rules (no reporting of who said what outside the meeting), which greatly helped to create a conducive atmosphere for an honest exchange.
The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission and Citizens: Towards improved cooperation
Through this series of workshops, the Commission and citizen groups identified areas for collaboration, in particular on raising awareness of international human rights principles and the protection system. The events were based on DRIs publication, which provided comparative cases and examples of joint activities; international guests from the Nepal Commission for Human Rights and the Philippines Commission for Human Rights provided practical insights and showcased the many benefits of working together.
Myanmar Democracy Fellowship
A unique training and networking programme, held in cooperation with the group Charity-Oriented Myanmar. The fellowship extends over one year and provides young democracy professionals with skills in legal and policy analysis based on international human rights law and comparative expertise. 25 fellows from 9 states and regions of Myanmar meet during 4 modules, each taking place in a different location of the country. The programme builds bridges amongst fellows from different ethnic groups and backgrounds and includes meetings with decision-makers as well as study visits to government institutions.
KEY PUBLICATIONS
Fairness in Myanmar's Elections: Electoral Boundaries and Equality of the Vote
April 2017
Handbook on Democratic Constitutions in Myanmar
April 2018
Ensuring Women's Equality in Myanmar’s Elections: A closer look at commitments and practice
January 2017
SRI LANKA
SRI LANKA'S DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION CONTINUED TO BE FRAGILE AND CONTESTED IN 2017. WHILE THE SLOW CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROCESS PICKED UP PACE WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE LONG-AWAITED INTERIM REPORT OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY IN SEPTEMBER 2017, THE OLD REGIME FORCES CONVERGING UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE JOINT OPPOSITION FIERCELY ADVOCATED AGAINST CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS, LEAVING THE ISLAND NATION INCREASINGLY POLARISED. THE EU RE-GRANTED SRI LANKA ACCESS TO ITS TRADE SCHEME GSP+ IN MAY 2017.
In 2017, DRI continued to work with citizen groups, representatives from the business community and political actors to create dialogue around human rights and constitutional reforms and thereby help push for advances to the country's democratic transition.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Supporting domestic groups to monitor and advocate for human rights
DRI supported 72 citizen groups in preparing a shadow report to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). Many recommendations made by the DRI-supported groups were heeded by the Committee and incorporated into its concluding observations. With DRI's support, the domestic groups were able to put gender-based violence, the protection of children, education and displaced persons on the UN’s agenda.
GSP+ Conference
DRI together with the European Chambers of Commerce of Sri Lanka conducted a national multi-stakeholder dialogue forum entitled "Re-igniting GSP+ and Human Rights in Sri Lanka through partnerships with CSOs and Business" convening representatives from the government, diplomatic circles, the business community and civic groups to discuss how to better protect and promote human rights in the country. In particular, domestic citizen groups see GSP+ as a useful tool to engage the government in its task to advance human rights.
Constitutional reform debates and briefings
DRI promoted an open debate on the contested constitutional reform process on all channels across the island through public debates, expert briefings and a publication on the Interim Report. DRI further supported a series of nine radio programmes on constitution-related issues around the 30th anniversary of Provincials Councils in Sri Lanka and held a series of youth forums across the provinces to discuss the constitutional reform process and why it is relevant to post-war nation-building.and labour standards. Representatives of local government, civil society, trade unions, business and media took part.
KEY PUBLICATIONS
From Words to Deeds: The Implementation of Constitutions and Designing a Constitutional Referendum: Challenges for Sri Lanka
May 2017
The briefing papers provide insights into how to apply a constitution in practice and generate ownership for them as well as what Sri Lanka can learn from other countries' experiences with constitutional referenda.
Right to Information: Discourse and Compliance in Sri Lanka
May 2017
DRI together with Verité Research provided the analysis on Sri Lanka's Right to Information (RTI) Act, which entered into force in February 2017. The analysis looks at the next steps for access to information in Sri Lanka and, drawing upon international best practices, provides guidance for ensuring the smooth operation of the RTI Act.
Let's Talk About Our Constitution
December 2017
Following the launch of the Interim Report of the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Assembly, DRI prepared the trilingual brochure to provide a fact-based summary of the constitutional reform process and the key proposals submitted within the Constitutional Assembly.
LIBYA
DURING THE FIRST HALF OF 2017, LIBYA SEEMED TO HAVE REACHED A POLITICAL DEADLOCK, WITH THREE COMPETING GOVERNMENTS IN PLACE AND MANY MORE MILITIAS EXERTING A PATCHWORK OF DE-FACTO CONTROL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. A CONSTITUTION-DRAFTING ASSEMBLY, WHICH WAS BOYCOTTED BY A THIRD OF ITS OWN MEMBERS, APPEARED TO REACH A DEAD-END. A POLITICAL SOLUTION AND STATE-BUILDING STILL SEEMED FARAWAY. WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UN SPECIAL MISSION IN LIBYA, GHASSAN SALAMÉ, HOWEVER, NEW MOMENTUM FOR RECONCILIATION AND NATIONAL DIALOGUE EMERGED.
SUPPORTING STATE-BUILDING FROM THE BOTTOM UP - STRENGHTENING LOCAL ORGANISATIONS
In early 2016, a group of 12 Libyan organisations formed the 'Libyan Coalition for the Constitution' with the help of DRI to advocate for human rights to be inscribed in the new Libyan constitution. They promoted minority rights, equal rights of women and men (including the right of Libyan women to pass on their nationality to their children), the rights of people with disabilities, and transitional justice. In 2017, when the Constitution-Drafting Assembly had concluded its outreach to citizens and was meant to work on the final constitutional draft (published in July 2017), DRI continued supporting the Coalition to strengthen their organisational capacities to be well-equipped for supporting inclusive and democratic state-building in the future. With DRI’s support, the members of the Coalition have worked in, and with, their municipalities in all three regions of Libya to implement small community projects to improve public service delivery and raise awareness on the human rights topics they promote.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Support to Community Projects
DRI has supported the Coalition members with small grants to implement projects in their communities. Hands-on and responsive to the needs of people in their home towns, these projects have ranged from building ramps to make public buildings accessible for persons in wheelchairs, holding classes on political rights for women to strengthen their participation in the upcoming elections, teaching classes on Tebu literature and cultural heritage, to improving the cooperation between municipal councils and citizens.
Over the course of the year, DRI held three seminars in Tunis and three meetings in Tripoli with the Libyan Coalition for the Constitution. During the seminars, Coalition members were trained in project development, how to draft budgets and how to report on project activities. Also, building on their own interests and needs, the Coalition organised a media training for their own members, in which they learned how to report on events, prepare press releases, communicate on social media and invite relevant media to cover their events.
GEORGIA
2017 WAS A YEAR OF CONSTITUTIONAL REVISIONS AND LOCAL ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA. THE THIRD CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM SINCE THE REESTABLISHMENT OF GEORGIAN INDEPENDENCE IN 1991 WAS PROPOSED AND ADOPTED BY THE RULING PARTY, GEORGIAN DREAM, AND RELUCTANTLY SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT INTO LAW. THE CHANGES ENVISAGE A TRANSITION FROM A MIXED ELECTION SYSTEM TO A PROPORTIONAL ELECTION SYSTEM (STARTING IN 2024) AND TO A FULLY PARLIAMENTARIAN REPUBLIC WITH ONLY LIMITED PRESIDENTIAL POWERS. THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROCESS, DOMINATED BY A SINGLE PARTY WITHOUT ENSURING WIDE POLITICAL CONSENSUS AND PUBLIC CONSULTATION, FURTHER POLARISED GEORGIAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY.
COMMUNICATING EXTREME POLITICAL POLARISATION
DRI continued in the partnership with the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) to raise awareness of the extremely polarised politics among Georgian society. Together with the communications agency ForSet we shared our messages with a wide audience. Through closed and public workshops, a communicathon and media events, DRI and GYLA engaged policy makers, civil society and young people in discussing polarisation and ways to address it.
KEY ACTIVITIES
In July we brought together around 50 people from all over Georgia to brainstorm on communications campaigns and products which would raise awareness on the topic of extreme polarisation. Project participants implemented two social media campaigns after the event, each reaching more than 20,000 people.
Media workshops: Factchecking against polarised politics
We organised three workshops for regional media in Telavi, Kutaisi and Batumi which involved around 50 journalists, editors and bloggers. The events focused on the challenges and opportunities for media's role in preventing and reducing polarisation. Participants expressed interest in more training and the need to further raise awareness on the issue.
KEY CAMPAIGNS
DRI Campaign: Polarised False
Produced as a result of the communicathon, a set of six videos shows how opposition politicians stand on popular polarising topics and fact checking against their messages. The campaign team went to regions to show the video to university students and encouraged them to focus on policies proposed by politicians, rather than the daily personal attacks and accusations in parliament.
DRI Video: ´Polarisation will leave you single`
Extreme political polarisation not only affects political decisions and debates, but also the way people interact with each other. Many Georgians refuse to have anything to do with people who hold opposite political opinions. The video resulting from the communicathon shows how political issues can influence personal lives, by asking people whether they would date a supporter of a party other than the one they like.
PLEASE CONTINUE READING PART 2 OF THE DRI ANNUAL REPORT...
Imprint: © Democracy Reporting International gGmbH (DRI), June 2018.
All rights reserved. Distribution for all noncommercial purposes is encouraged, provided DRI is acknowledged as the source and sent copies of any translation.
Photo credits: Cover illustration by Jörn Kaspuhl
