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Diplomats, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ officials and civil society representatives gathered during the opening of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly for the launch of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF/Hunger Project 2013 State of Participatory Democracy Report. The report is part of a¡­

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF co-convened an event at the International Peace Institute in New York on 16 September to mark the International Day of Democracy. The invitation-only event, ¡°Democratization at the Sharp End¡± brought together leading Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ¡­

To mark the International Day of Democracy, International Herald Tribune and Kathimerini newspapers convened, in cooperation with Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF, the "Athens Forum 2013: Democracy under Pressure" in the Ancient Agora of Athens -- the¡­

An Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF project in Uganda works to build a critical mass of women grassroot activists who demand accountability and improved service delivery to communities. The project seeks to influence democratic processes through¡­

An Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF project in Bangladesh empowers indigenous people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to access information on public services offered by local government institutions and departments. In this way, the initiative¡­

An Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-funded project in Cameroon works to promote a culture of democratic practices among young people, and to transform community radio into an effective tool towards this end. It gives rural, marginalized people an¡­

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF funds a project to create a more inclusive democracy in Guatemala by increasing the participation and recognition of indigenous women and traditional Maya community authorities. The project, active in in Chisec and¡­

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF funds a project in Paraguay to strengthen women¡¯s grassroots organizations, train women in leadership and political processes, and enable them to interact with government. Implemented by Sociedad de Estudios Rurales y¡­

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF funds a project to empower Jordanian artists and journalists to act as "Freedom Messengers" -- catalysts and networkers for free speech and media. The project, focused on people under 35 and implemented by the Center¡­

With more than 60 per cent of the population aged under 30, Tajikistan is one of the world¡¯s youngest countries. Yet youth participation, both political and social, is low and young people¡¯s opinion undervalued. This is why¡­

An Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-funded project in Zimbabwe works to empower women and increase their participation in politics and the decision-making process. The project, implemented by the Women and Law in Southern Africa Research and Education¡­

India¡¯s Ambassador to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, Manjeev Singh Puri, kicked off Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF's Board meeting by handing over a cheque for 1.85 million dollars from the world's largest democracy. This brings to over 31 million dollars India's total¡­

Bosnia-Herzegovina is still a post-war country in transition, divided along ethnic lines. Because the engagement and civic responsibility of young people is crucial, an Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-funded project works to equip young people with¡­

An Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-funded project in Iraq has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with six Governorate Councils as part of an effort to strengthen civil society participation in democratic processes and advance accountability in¡­

An Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-funded project for using public interest litigation to strengthen human rights and the rule of law in Southern Africa has yielded some significant developments in just one year. The initiative's implementers, the¡­

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF funds a new project in Libya, Morocco and Tunisia to engage youth and civil society in public policy dialogue. It works through more than 200 local public policy programmes, training trainers and producing learning¡­

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF finances a new project for a centre of excellence to mainstream Libyan women in politics and develop a nationwide civic education strategy. The centre will train women in democratic processes and institutions, gender¡­

Former slaves and their descendants -- in particular women -- remain victims of severe discrimination in Mauritania. Hampered by illiteracy and poverty, they are excluded from political processes, unaware of their human¡­

Efforts for democratization and development in Kyrgyzstan continue to be hampered by political and administrative corruption that limits access to public goods and services. Vulnerable groups are excluded from access to land¡­

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General issued a message on Human Rights Day, 10 December, warning that "In several parts of the world, we have seen alarming threats to hard-won gains in democratic governance. In some countries, civil¡­

An Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-funded project in Tajikistan has created a Youth Council representing each of the 44 counties of Kuhistoni Badakshon province, providing training and confidence-building for a new generation of citizens.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF opens its annual window for project proposals for its Seventh Round of Funding on 15 November 2012, following the green light given by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF Advisory Board. Project proposals may be submitted on-line between 15 November¡­

In a keynote address to the Council of Europe's World Forum for Democracy, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General spoke of the practical actions the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is taking to support democracy.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF funds a project to increase involvement of women in Nigeria¡¯s governance and democratic processes. A national network of women advocates from three generations lead a dialogue on new strategies for affirmative action¡­

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlights the importance of democracy education in his message for this year¡¯s International Day of Democracy on 15 September.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF finances an initiative in Laos to empower civil social organizations to contribute meaningfully to the country¡¯s development and good governance. The project focuses on training and capacity-building for civil society¡­

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF supports an initiative for higher standards of integrity in Africa¡¯s electoral processes, resulting in the Accra Principles of Electoral Justice. In a project implemented by Tiri Integrity Action, the Principles were¡­

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF funds a project to train and support Arab bloggers and citizen journalists to advance freedom of expression and human rights. The initiative, implemented by the Tunis-based Institut Arabe des Droits de l'Homme, works¡­

How to engage young people in one of the world's youngest democracies? Bhutan, a nation of 650,000 people, elected a new government in 2008 to replace a century-old monarchy. It is now striving to develop a democratic culture¡­

In the Mexican state of San Luis Potos¨ª, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF funds a project to build civic participation to promote democracy and human rights, with an emphasis on youth, women and civil society.

Moroccan Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF grantee Elarbi Imad, President and Executive Director of the Moroccan Center for Civic Education, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa in June 2012 for his work in creating knowledgeable¡­

12 June 2012 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF Deputy Head Annika Savill visited a project in Kamchatka Territory, Russian Federation, in May 2012 to support democratic participation of indigenous peoples. The visit included a round table with¡­

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights recently underwent extensive reform, including new rules of procedure to improve victims¡¯ access to legal representation. The new rules facilitate procedural equality between parties¡­

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights recently underwent extensive reform, including new rules of procedure to improve victims¡¯ access to legal representation. The new rules facilitate procedural equality between parties¡­

India¡¯s Permanent Representative to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, Hardeep Singh Puri, presented the Secretary-General with a cheque for 4.71 million dollars for the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Democracy Fund on 30 March 2012, bringing to nearly 30 million dollars India's¡­

Deputy Executive Head Annika Savill met with Rodion Sulyandziga, First Vice-President of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ headquarters on 22 March, in connection with an Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-funded project to¡­

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF is delighted that Jeffrey Wright has accepted the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General¡¯s invitation to serve on the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF Advisory Board for 2012-13. An award-winning film, television, and stage actor acclaimed for his versatility¡­

Although recent Liberian elections have generally been pronounced free and fair by the international community, studies show that even more than a decade after the end of armed conflict, some voters vote out of fear and¡­

The first Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-funded Women Leadership School ¨C one of four planned worldwide ¨C was launched by the Women¡¯s Democracy Network in Tbilisi, Georgia on 27-29 January. The 25 students, aged 19 to 35, include journalists¡­

With Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF support, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance has now been ratified by 15 nations ¨C a milestone which means the Charter will now enter into force. To take effect, the Charter requires at least¡­

In Bangladesh, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF funds an initiative to advance pro-poor and democratic governance in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The project works in over 200 villages to step up interaction between organizations of poor tribal peoples¡­

An Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-funded online directory of parliamentary committees and NGOs was launched to bridge the divide between Pakistan¡¯s Parliament and civil society. It will serve as a resource tool for Parliament to facilitate the use of¡­

In Central Asia, NGOs and independent media often have nowhere to turn for support on new media technology, with little or no in-house knowledge and commercial alternatives that are far too expensive. That¡¯s why Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF funds a¡­

Democratic Republic of Congo, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF supports a project that promotes participatory democracy by creating clubs for Democratic Action. The project is implemented by the Organization Peace, Unity, Reconciliation, Reconstruction¡­

A task force formed to support China's rural women¡¯s participation in local politics convened in Shaanxi province in November 2011, as part of an Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-funded project to empower women in areas where patriarchal values still¡­

An Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-funded project in Rajasthan, India, completed its work in 2011 to strengthen the leadership of women elected to Gram Panchayats, or village councils. The project provided training to more than 2,000 elected women and¡­

A new set of guiding principles for free, fair and transparent elections in Africa was launched in Accra, Ghana, on the International Day of Democracy as part of a project made possible by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF. The document, known as the¡­

The Big Issue Lagos, a new and pioneering Nigerian street magazine funded by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF, was launched in November 2011. It is the part of an Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF-financed six-country project to use street papers to give marginalized people a¡­

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Democracy Fund was one of the co-hosts of the Oslo Governance Forum in October 2011, which brought together 250 participants from government and civil society in more than 70 countries. The Forum focused on case¡­

At the CIVICUS World Assembly in Montreal in September, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF hosted a panel discussion that brought together Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDEF projects from four continents, each focusing on strengthening the voice of civil society.