El Salvador

The international Coronavirus outbreak has serious implications for democracy worldwide. In the #NeverLockdownDemocracy blog series, the NIMD network takes a global view of how we can respond to the pandemic as we continue our work to protect democracy. Follow @WeAreNIMD on Twitter and the hashtag #NeverLockdownDemocracy to never miss a post. By Juan Meléndez, Executive Director NIMD El Salvador On 14 March the President of the Republic of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, sent a tweet: Italia “dejará morir a los mayores de 80 años” porque su sistema de salud está colapsado y necesitan hacer espacio para los que tienen más probabilidades…

This article was originally posted in La Chispa magazine, as part of their El Salvador Special. Read the original article (in Dutch) here.  The COVID-19 outbreak has turned lives around across the world. Of course, El Salvador is no exception. Since the country went on lockdown on 11 March, many El Salvadorians have been placed under mandatory quarantine. There has never been so much physical distance between the people of El Salvador. Staying home, and working from there, has become the norm for many. As a result, it is harder than ever to come together in conversation. The distance makes…

NIMD El Salvador has held its first reflection and training meeting for young parliamentarians from the Legislative Assembly. The event took place on 26-28 July, with the participation of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The reflection and training meeting brought together young parliamentarians from all political parties with representation in the Youth Parliamentary Group (YPG) of the Legislative Assembly. As the first multiparty space for young parliamentarians in El Salvador, the meeting allowed the participants to engage and establish connections through dialogue, reflect on the current political context, and contemplate their work. In addition, the meeting aimed to strengthen…

This week, Sunday 3 January, El Salvador had its landmark presidential elections. Held against a backdrop of public disillusionment following several high-level corruption scandals, the elections came at a time of uncertainty for the country. But they also offered opportunities for NIMD to influence future policies, improve trust and help the country’s electorate make informed choices. Providing the tools for a well-informed electorate In El Salvador, like in many countries, much of the electoral campaign took place on social media. Of course, as well as being a useful tool for spreading information, social media has also been used to broadcast…

Our office in El Salvador held its second one-day training course for young politicians on 20 August. With the help of Mireya Rodriguez, a Venezuelan expert in dialogue and negotiation, the young participants learned skills and knowledge needed to manage conflict. They explored, for example, how dialogue and effective communication influence negotiation processes. In addition, the participants had the chance to take a self-assessment on their negotiating style, which highlighted their individual negotiating techniques and characteristics. The workshop is part of NIMD El Salvador's fourth Democracy School. This year's school provides a learning environment for 30 young leaders from all…

In an exclusive interview with FOCOS TV in El Salvador, NIMD Executive Director Simone Filippini explains what can be achieved through the transformation of a nation’s political parties. In this interview, Simone appears alongside Gracia Grande, NIMD’s Programme Manager in El Salvador, as they discuss how nations can go from “talking their democracy”, to "walking their democracy”. She also shares her insights on how a culture based on inclusiveness and regular dialogue can halt the spread of populism, and how any political system can be opened up to the benefit of its people. See the full interview below or on…

NIMD is proud to have contributed to drafting the National Action Plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security in El Salvador, in collaboration with UN Women and Cordaid, and with the support of the Group of Friends of the R1325. Resolution 1325 sets out the importance of women’s equal and full participation as active agents in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace-building and peacekeeping. It calls on member states to ensure women’s equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security. The National Action…

In El Salvador, NIMD seeks to contribute to a democratic culture where the rights of women and men are respected. One of the groups that we focus on is the youth. In this video, Patricia Navarro, NIMD's Country Director in El Salvador, explains how NIMD involves youth in politics in El Salvador.