The National Democratic Institute (NDI), or National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, works with partners in developing countries to increase the effectiveness of democratic institutions. The institute was founded in 1983 as one of the “core institutes” of the National Endowment for Democracy to support democracy abroad and has partners in 130 countries. ^{1 2}

The NDI is formally nonpartisan but by its own description has a “loose affiliation” with the Democratic Party in the United States. It does not operate in the United States or involve itself in U.S. elections. ³ Its formally nonpartisan but Republican-associated counterpart under the auspices of the NED is the International Republican Institute. ⁴

Background

National Democratic Institute has worked to establish and strengthen democratic institutions and practices by building political and civic organizations, safeguarding elections, and promoting citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. ⁵

The organization was founded in 1983 by former Vice President Walter Mondale and Paul G. Kirk, Jr., a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee in the 1980s who briefly served as a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts from 2009-2010. ^{6 7}

NDI has staff and volunteers in more than 100 nations. Its partners get exposure to best practices in international democratic development that can be adapted to the needs of their own countries. NDI asserts there is no single democratic model but that certain core principles are shared by all democracies, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. NDI focuses on helping citizens engage in their country’s political process. ⁸

The organization states, “A century ago, Woodrow Wilson urged us to build a world safe for democracy. Today, we strive for democracy to keep our world safe.” ⁹

Activities

National Democratic Institute promoted democratic reform in the Philippines and Chile in the 1980s; in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall; and across Africa, Asia, and Latin America in the 1990s after the Cold War was over. ¹⁰

NDI began a program of “inclusion of traditionally marginalized populations” that focuses on women, youth, LGBT, and individuals with disabilities in the 2000s. ¹¹

The organization worked with activists in the Arab Spring in 2011, in the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity in 2014, and other democracy movements in newly formed and fragile states. ¹²

NDI has programs in the Sahel in Africa, a conflict zone, to focus on local security sector reform. ¹³

Programs

National Democratic Institute has teamed with the International Republican Institute to support the House Democracy Partnership, a bipartisan commission of the U.S. House of Representatives that facilitates parliamentary exchanges in emerging democracies. ¹⁴

NDI created DemTools, software designed to help democracy activists collect and analyze election data, track constituent concerns, manage citizen contacts, and organize petition drives. ¹⁵

NDI’s Design 4 Democracy Coalition facilitates collaboration among organizations dedicated to countering disinformation, improving cybersecurity and promoting democracy-friendly technology platforms. With an office in Silicon Valley, NDI developed partnerships with technology companies to incorporate democratic values into new software as a design principle and mitigate the harm their digital platforms can cause. ¹⁶

NDI’s Change My Community Toolbox helps young people abroad establish grassroots advocacy campaigns. NDI’s Youth Leading Debate program hones debating skills. The Ana Usharek (I Engage) program helps Jordanian students from universities and public schools with democratic values of civic responsibility and activism. ¹⁷

NDI has several programs to help more women get engaged in politics around the country. These include the Win With Women campaign, Women Mayors’ Network, and “Ready-to-Run” campaign schools. The #NotTheCost initiative collects data on threats women face from violence. The think10 safety program helps women identify their personal and professional vulnerabilities, in collaboration with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls. ¹⁸

NDI supports citizen election monitoring more than 75 countries. It co-led the development of the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation that was endorsed by more than 50 international organizations. It also helped found the Global Network for Domestic Election Monitors. ¹⁹

NDI partnered with the Commission on Presidential Debates to help debate sponsoring organizations globally overcome the challenges they face when planning candidate debates. ²⁰

NDI’s 21st Century Party Renewal Initiative helps parties in developing democracies establish parties to be responsive to voters. The Cybersecurity Campaign Playbook provides simple, actionable ways for political parties to address online threats. ²¹

NDI’s Open Government Partnership to promote global norms of transparency and the Executive Transitions program promotes peaceful transfers of power. ²²

NDI promotes cross-border dialogue through Civic Forum and Civic Update. ²³

Leadership

Derek Mitchell is the president of the National Democratic Institute. He served as U.S. ambassador to Myanmar during the Obama administration. ²⁴

Olya Catto is the chief operating officer of the National Democratic Institute. ²⁵

Nicole Rowsell is the acting vice president of the National Democratic Institute. ²⁶

Stephanie Rust is the chief programs officer of the National Democratic Institute. ²⁷

Sander Schultz is the chief financial officer of the National Democratic Institute. ²⁸

Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD), a former Senate majority leader, is the chairman of the board of directors for the National Democratic Institute. ²⁹

The board members also include Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman and Vermont Governor Howard Dean, and political consultant and former DNC chair Donna Brazile. ³⁰

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3. “Frequently Asked Questions.” National Democratic Institute, June 10, 2016. https://www.ndi.org/faqs.
4. Rogin, Josh. “Opinion | John McCain Passes the Torch at the International Republican Institute.” The Washington Post. WP Company, August 3, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2018/08/03/john-mccain-passes-the-torch-at-the-international-republican-institute/.
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