The Crossover Podcast

Olena Sotnik discussed the importance of having goals and understanding the skills to build a team to succeed. She highlighted qualities she looked for, in order to fight corruption and build a better future in Ukraine.

Olena Sotnyk is a Ukrainian politician, lawyer, and human rights defender. As a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, she is a well-known legislator and public policy maker in areas such as rule of law, judicial system reform, anticorruption, and youth policy. Before entering into politics, she worked as a freelance reporter for the Ukrainian newspaper and a lawyer and partner at the Lawyers Company. Olena is a human rights activist and member of the Gratis Legal Aid Centre for victims of the events at the Independence Square in Kyiv.

*The song “Get Involved,” was created and produced by the Music as a Messenger for Democracy working group.

**The views expressed in this post represent the opinions and analysis of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Movement for Democracy or its staff.

Gina Romero discusses why she decided to enter government, seeing the first real opportunity to make change in government. She discussed balancing the slow pace of reform, working with others in government, and adjusting to government processes while remaining true to her values and objectives.

Gina is co-founder and Executive Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (REDLAD). She also serves as an independent consultant for international and local organizations working on civic participation, political affairs, and youth and gender issues. She served in the Department of Education from 2012-2014.

*The song “Get Involved,” was created and produced by the Music as a Messenger for Democracy working group.

**The views expressed in this post represent the opinions and analysis of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Movement for Democracy or its staff.

Micaela Hierro Dori discusses her time in government at a local level in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She discusses how she made the decision to enter government. She highlights efforts to fight against corruption and working with a team to support the people in her community.

Micaela has over ten years of experience working in civil society and government, supporting youth and human rights. From 2006-2007 she worked for the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Social Development for the City of Buenos Aires. She also worked for the Ministry of Finance in Buenos Aires. She is the current President of Democratic Culture Civil Association, a human rights organization that promotes democracy and defends human rights. She is the founder of Juventud LAC, a network of youth to defend human rights and support democracy.

*The song “Get Involved,” was created and produced by the Music as a Messenger for Democracy working group.

**The views expressed in this post represent the opinions and analysis of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Movement for Democracy or its staff.

Daniela Chacón Arias discusses the benefits to entering local government. She highlights how she overcame obstacles to enact changes at the local level. She also discusses how she managed to build trust between the government and citizens in order to advance change.

Daniela is the Executive Director of TANDEM Foundation. She was elected as a City Council Member for Quito in May 2014 and served for five years during which, she was also appointed as Vice Mayor of Quito during that time. Prior to local government, she worked at various organizations in Ecuador and the United States focusing on political analysis, development of cultural and economic programs, and urban planning and sustainable development.

*The song “Get Involved,” was created and produced by the Music as a Messenger for Democracy working group.

**The views expressed in this post represent the opinions and analysis of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Movement for Democracy or its staff.

Armen Grigoryan discusses how he had to change perceptions when he entered government. While he never expected to enter government, the opportunity rose after protests. He mentions the difference in breadth of responsibilities that he feels working in government. He discusses maintaining relationships with civil society while in government.

Armen is the Secretary of the National Security Council in Armenia. Prior to joining government, he led protests during the Velvet Revolution. Academically trained, he has previously worked at Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center. He organized a “Citizen Observer” Initiative during the April 2017 National Assembly elections.

*The song “Get Involved,” was created and produced by the Music as a Messenger for Democracy working group.

**The views expressed in this post represent the opinions and analysis of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Movement for Democracy or its staff.

Sivarasa Rasiah discusses how he decided to join government, including by creating a coalition. He discussed how policy changes were decided and the challenges to advancing reform. He affirms, that despite a slow pace of reform, it is still a strong agent for change.

Sivarasa is the co-founder of Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), a human rights NGO. He was elected to parliament in 2008 and 2018. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Rural Development of Malaysia after the opposition coalition won the general election in May 2018.

*The song “Get Involved,” was created and produced by the Music as a Messenger for Democracy working group.

**The views expressed in this post represent the opinions and analysis of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Movement for Democracy or its staff.

Zafarullah Khan reflects on his experience working in the Pakistani Government, supporting the parliament. He discusses of his lessons learned and the differences between working in civil society and government, noting that both are still important for advancing reform.

Zafarullah is a Pakistan based civic educator and was the executive director of the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services. Zafarullah Khan was the executive director of the Centre for Civic Education until 2016, an independent educational institution that works to cultivate civic culture.

*The song “Get Involved,” was created and produced by the Music as a Messenger for Democracy working group.

**The views expressed in this post represent the opinions and analysis of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Movement for Democracy or its staff.

Maxine Tanya Hamada reflects on her personal experience crossing over in the Philippines and the recognition among her colleagues that a plan was needed for their entries into government. She highlighted their lessons learned and tools used to be successful.

From 2014 to 2016, Hamada served as the Assistant Secretary in the Department of Budget Management in the Office of the President. Previously, Hamada served as the executive director of the International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance (INCITEGov), a membership-based, non-profit organization.  She is also a founding member of Young Public Servants (YPS), an allied organization of INCITEGov focused on promoting good governance and democratic citizenship among the youth.  Additionally, she was the presidential assistant under the Presidential Task Force for Indigenous Peoples in 2002 and as senior technical officer of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) from 2003 until her resignation in 2005.

*The song “Get Involved,” was created and produced by the Music as a Messenger for Democracy working group.

**The views expressed in this post represent the opinions and analysis of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Movement for Democracy or its staff.

Samuel Kofi Woods, II discusses the importance of consultations when deciding to enter government and while serving as a Minister. He highlights successful strategies he used as Minister to push for reforms and remain accountable to the citizens.

He joined the Liberian government in 2006 as the Minister of Labor. He served as the Minister of Labor until he became the Minister of Public Works in 2009. He was appointed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf after the democratic transition.

*The song “Get Involved,” was created and produced by the Music as a Messenger for Democracy working group.

**The views expressed in this post represent the opinions and analysis of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Movement for Democracy or its staff.

Srdjan Darmanovic discusses how civil society provided him with the tools for diplomacy when working in government. He discusses the value in building and maintaining relationships while in government.

Srdjan  is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration in Montenegro and the former Ambassador to the United States (2010-2016). Prior to joining government, he founded and was president of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, as well as a university professor.

If you are interested in learning more about our Crossover Initiative or viewing the resources that we have developed and gathered, visit our website at https://www.movedemocracy.org/promoting-inclusive-governance/crossover-initiative.

The song "Get Involved," was created and produced by the Music as a Messenger for Democracy working group.