Egypt’s Economic Modernization Will Support Democratization
A successful Egyptian transformation to democracy will require not only political reform, but also increased economic opportunities for the Egyptian people, and the Obama administration wants to encourage private enterprise through partnerships with American companies.
The United States also wants to complement private sector initiatives by supporting infrastructure development and mobilizing other resources to spur [...]
Digitally Born Democracy
Protesters in Tunisia and Egypt used their fingers to toss out their dictators. Zine el Abidine Ben Ali ruled Tunisia for more than 20 years, and Hosni Mubarak reigned in Egypt more than 30 years. Yet the most effective challenge to their respective regimes has come not from gun-toting terrorists but from digitally enabled 20- [...]
Obama Administration Takes “Holistic” Approach to Human Rights
The Obama administration is taking a “holistic” approach to human rights — viewing human rights, democracy and development as supportive of one another, says Michael Posner, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor.
“Human rights reflect what a person needs in order to live a meaningful and dignified existence,” Posner said March 24 [...]
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Release “Long Overdue,” Obama Says
President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton welcomed the release of Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and urged Burma’s military government to release all the country’s political prisoners and to work with Suu Kyi and other leaders to bring reconciliation, democracy and prosperity to their [...]
Hillary Clinton Greets Winners of 2010 Democracy Video Challenge
Says winning filmmakers are fueling discussions about democracy
The six winners of the 2010 Democracy Video Challenge were greeted by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at a September 10 awards ceremony at the State Department, where all six filmmakers were formally recognized for the short videos they created about the nature and exercise of [...]
Launch of Inaugural Democracy Photo Challenge
The Department of State and its partners are expanding the global Democracy is… conversation on July 7 with the launch of the inaugural Democracy Photo Challenge. The contest asks people around the world to complete the phrase “Democracy is…” through digital photos submitted online. The Democracy is conversation leverages social networks and creative challenges to [...]
Twitter Contest Challenges the World to Define Democracy
More than 1,400 contestants give personal definitions to “Democracy is….”
Can you define democracy in just 140 characters?
More than 1,400 people worldwide took up that challenge in a unique contest sponsored by the U.S. Department of State using Twitter. They were required to tweet their personal definitions of what democracy is using the hash symbol: #democracyis.
The [...]
More than Elections: How Democracies Transfer Power
The 1960 presidential election was among the most closely fought in U.S. history. So close that supporters of Vice President Richard M. Nixon urged him to challenge the results. Nixon declined. “Even if we were to win in the end,” he explained, “the cost in world opinion and the effect on democracy in the broadest [...]
Ingredients of a Resilient Democracy
Democratic elections require more than the casting and counting of ballots. In a healthy democracy, elections hold governments accountable to the governed. This happens when:
• Citizens are free to select their political representatives.
• Citizens can choose among candidates seeking their support.
• Officeholders must be re-elected to retain their positions after a specified interval. They face [...]
The Lasting Impact of Digital Media on Civil Society
New information technologies are profoundly reshaping political culture. Twenty-first–century civil society relies upon the Internet and other communication devices for its infrastructure, and for a digital “safe harbor” in which civic conversations can incubate. This is especially true in countries where the national print and broadcast media are heavily censored. In short, technology has empowered [...]
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