Ethiopian marathon runner, Feyisa Lilesa, recently drew international attention to Ethiopia’s human rights crisis when he crossed his arms in protest after finishing his Olympic race. His protest was against the government’s crackdown on peaceful protesters this past July that took place throughout the Oromia region. More than 200 protestors were killed during the demonstrations…
This August, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) hosted their inaugural Political Leadership Academy program for female mayors in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The three-month training program connects leading female activists from around the world to share their best practices with newly elected mayors. Twelve women have recently been elected to local offices in Haiti – a milestone…
On August 19, 2016, the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (REDLAD) issued an alert expressing concern about the Ecuadorian government’s arbitrary dissolution of the National Union of Educators (UNE). The Ecuador’s Education Ministry rescinded the union’s non-profit status, claiming that “it failed to disclose full information about its leadership.” The UNE is one…
On August 7, 2016, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) monitored Thailand’s local polling stations for the 2016 Thailand constitutional referendum, despite being refused accreditation by the country’s government. The referendum passed with 61% voting in favor of the new constitutional provisions. ANFREL issued a statement after the vote voicing their concerns about the…