Global

In this series of Global, we’re meeting some of these “Democracy First Responders.” We’ll travel around the world – virtually, of course – and talk to politicians, activists, medical workers, journalists, tech pioneers, government officials, and everyday citizens like you and me. These are very different people, but everyone we spoke with has one goal in common: To respond to this crisis successfully and protect their country’s democratic institutions – or even build new ones.

Situations like the coronavirus can quickly become a catalyst for social conflict through the spread of rumors and misinformation. Unfortunately, Nepal is no stranger to this dynamic, but neither is the Accountability Lab. After the Gorkha earthquake in April 2015, the Lab immediately began gathering, validating and disseminating essential information so citizens could decide how to react AND hold the government accountable for its response. Recently, the Lab launched the Coronavirus CivActs Campaign to counter COVID-19 disinformation, give citizens access to real facts, and give leaders the data they need to make better decisions.

COVID-19 threatens not only lives and livelihoods, but also governments and democratic institutions. The International Republican Institute (IRI) is profiling our partners and other leaders who have been the “first responders” in our global fight to protect and strengthen democracy. In this new series, Democracy First Responders, we spoke with an anti-corruption activist in Nepal, a journalist in Zimbabwe, a former government official in Georgia, and others to discuss their efforts to prevent democratic backsliding in the time of COVID-19.

For the first episode of this series, our host Travis Green spoke with Munyaradzi “Munya” Dodo, a Zimbabwean journalist who is keeping citizens informed on the pandemic’s developments and holding the government accountable.

Cuba continues to be a regional threat to democracy. This threat is targeted externally in its support for dictatorial governments like Venezuela and internally in its treatment of dissidents. One of the reasons Cuba has been successful is the story it tells about itself. Both domestically and internationally, the Cuban government messages that it respects political and social rights and that its people are cared for with housing, education, and healthcare. This, however, is false. As demonstrated in a recent study by the Cuban Human Rights Observatory, the Cuban government is failing exactly where it claims success.

For this episode, we spoke with three guests.

First, Yaxys Cires is the current political advisor to the Cuban Human Rights Observatory. A lawyer by training, Yaxys was forced to leave Cuba due to his political activism advocating for greater democratic freedoms. @observacuba

Second, Luz Escobar is a Cuban journalist currently living and reporting from Havana. She primarily writes for the independent news organization 14ymedio. Recently, she has repeatedly been prevented from leaving her home by the Cuban state security. @Luz_Cuba

Finally, we spoke with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean John Barsa. @JBarsaUSAID @USAIDLAC

Venezuela continues to grapple with a humanitarian crisis caused by the dictatorial corruption of Nicolas Maduro. But despite the danger to themselves and their families, every day people continue to mobilize and demand respect for human rights and a return to democracy. Over the last three years of this podcast, we've discussed the political situation in Venezuela a number of times – often focusing on the crisis at the national level situation. Today, we wanted to bring things down to the personal level. Our producers Sam Johannes and Travis Green spoke with two activists on how their journey led them to be involved in politics and what keeps them motivated through such trying times.

Rafaela Requesens is a Venezuelan student activist who gained recognition as the Student Council President of the Central University of Venezuela (Universidad Central de Venezuela, UCV) in 2017-2018. She has been instrumental in raising awareness on the current state of education in Venezuela and has led the student movement in several peaceful protests. Ms. Requesens has also been a public advocate for political prisoners, given that her brother, National Assembly Deputy Juan Requesens, was arbitrarily imprisoned by the Maduro regime in 2018. To date, he remains imprisoned with no trial date set.

Armando Armas is a Member of the political party Voluntad Popular, who was elected to the National Assembly in 2015. He was one of the Deputies injured in July 2017 when the National Assembly was attacked by pro-Maduro supporters.

The greatest challenge to the seemingly overwhelming power of authoritarian governments is the ordinary citizen's willingness to put themselves at risk for the sake of democracy. This year, Hong Kong's citizens have been demonstrating that willingness through protests that have been ongoing since June. As protesters seek to maintain momentum in the face of violent crackdowns, their demands are clear - Hongkongers want democracy. In this episode, we look at the stories of four student activists from Hong Kong, their journey into activism, and what keeps them motivated to pursue democracy.

Our host spoke with:

Edy Jeh, a member of the University of Hong Kong Students' Union

Danian Wan, current council chair of the University of Hong Kong Students' Union

Kelly Hung, an activist at the University of Hong Kong and an employee in the Legislative Councilor's Office

Joey Siu, current acting vice president of the City University of Hong Kong Students' Union

The dominant narrative today says Europe’s democracy is in retreat. To be sure, the challenges are real – from emboldened authoritarians to hyper-polarized discourse. Generations that lived through Communism have seen democracy’s promises of liberty and prosperity deliver mixed results. But that isn’t the only story about democracy in Europe. Every day, young people are driving change in their own communities by doing the day-to-day work of democracy. In this episode, we'll hear from six young civic and political leaders from the European Democracy Youth Network on why democracy offers the solutions to the challenges facing their countries.

Host Sam Johannes speaks with:

Esma Gumberidze - UN Youth Delegate to the 74th General Assembly (Georgia)

Konstantina Stoyanova - Member, Bulgaria for Citizens Movement (Bulgaria)

Malik Sakic - Vice President, Youth Forum of Our Party (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

Juela Hamati - President, European Democracy Youth Network (Albania)

Aleksander Savic - National Coordinator for Communications & Fundraising, Da Se Zna! (Serbia)

Luka Krzhaloski - Secretary General, European Democracy Youth Network (North Macedonia)

jour·nal·ism

noun

1. the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media

What is it like to provide accurate news coverage when the government is actively creating false narratives? Journalism is essential to a healthy democracy. But it's also often a key part of fighting authoritarianism. Dictatorships rely on maintaining citizens uninformed and divided from each other. In these situations, independent media struggles against censorship, limited resources, and threats to personal safety. Journalist do this to inform citizens with the hope they will hold their government accountable and push for democratic change. For this episode, our host Lucas Jensen ties together responses from five journalists about what are the challenges and the motivations for reporting from within a dictatorship.

media

noun

1. the main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet) regarded collectively.

A healthy democracy relies on a free and independent media. Inclusive and informed public discourse ensures democratic institutions reflect the will of the people. But this role makes the free press a target for a number of forces corrosive to democracy. Our host Travis Green explores these themes with:

Beata Balogova, Editor-in-Chief of SME, a Slovak daily and Vice-Chair of the Executive Board of the International Press Institute | @BalogovaBeata

Dina Sadek, IRI's Media Advisor in the Center for Global Impact | @DinaMSadek

cor·rup·tion

noun

1: dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.

On the surface, corruption seems straightforward - individuals using their positions of power for personal gain. But is that a reductive characterization of a much more complex phenomenon? The way corruption manifests, and its possible remedies, are informed by a range of cultural and socio-economic contexts. To effectively address corruption, domestic and international actors alike need to implement system-wide solutions that account for these contexts. These issues affect places the world over and the practices that allow it to continue link countries seen both as corrupt and as clean in inextricable ways. On this episode, our host Sinclair Stafford explores these issues with:

Dr. Bret Barrowman, Senior Researcher, Center for Global Impact | @bbarrowm

Dr. Brian Klaas, Assistant Professor of Global Politics at University College London, columnist for the Washington Post, and host of the podcast "Power Corrupts" (https://apple.co/2Y8vYND) | @brianklaas

In February, ten days after strongman president Abelaziz Bouteflika announced his candidacy for a fifth term, Algerians took to the streets in massive peaceful protests in what has become know as the "Revolution of Smiles." While protesters successfully forced Bouteflika's resignation, over two decades of historical violence, repression and corruption leave the country's future uncertain.

Will the successful of the protests translate into much needed progress in key areas like youth unemployment? And what does Algeria's political and economic stability mean for both its African and European neighbors?

Find out on this episode, of our podcast Global! Our host Francesca Gortzounian (@FrancescaGortz) speaks to:

Mr. Samy Boukailia - President & Founding Member | Cercle d'Action et de Reflexion autour de l'Enterprise (CARE) @EagleSamy

Dr. Dalia Ghanem - Resident Scholar | Carnegie Middle East Center, Co-Director | Program on Civil-Military Relations in Arab States @DaliaZinaGhanem