In 2019, NIMD continued our work to promote peaceful, just and inclusive politics worldwide. As we close the first few weeks of 2020, we’d like to share with you just a few of our favourite achievements from 2019.

Jordan: Capacity Building for Politically Active Youth Programme Begins

In July, NIMD was joined by government officials, diplomats, INGOs, NGOs, UN agencies and political parties in Jordan for the official start of NIMD’s “Capacity Building for Politically Active Youth” programme.

Opening the programme was a landmark achievement for NIMD as it cemented our long-term commitment to supporting young leaders in Jordan. The participants are truly diverse, with aspiring young leaders from across the country taking part. Like other NIMD programmes, the Jordan team have ensured a 50/50 split between men and women in its activities.

Click here to read more about the launch.

NIMD and EPD Submit Demands for Action on Democracy to EU Council

For International Democracy Day 2019 (15 September), NIMD and it partners were part of a coalition who wanted to send a simple message to leaders in the EU; it’s time to get serious about democracy.

With our partner, the Brussels-based European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), we put forward a joint statement with 5 policy recommendations for the EU institutions and Member States on what they can do to support democracy around the world.

However the work for our coalition doesn’t stop there. We will host events, coordinate meetings and publish guidance with EPD and our other partners throughout 2020. This is how we can work alongside the EU to safeguard democracy, both at home and around the world.

Click here to read more about the recommendations NIMD made to the EU Council.

Highlights from the Democratic Action for Peace Project in Colombia

Finally, 2019 was also the final year of the EU-sponsored Democratic Action for Peace (DAP) project. The project had two main goals:

• Providing political actors support to work towards peace in their country
• Promoting active and informed political participation of different groups in society

By 2019, we had welcomed hundreds of passionate leaders from all corners of Colombian society to our Democracy Schools. We worked in the regions that were most affected by the conflict, and made a concerted effort to reach indigenous groups and minorities, as well as women.

Seeing so many graduates of the programme has given NIMD real hope for this new generation of democratic leaders, and we remain committed to Colombian democracy through our other programmes and projects.

Click here to read more about NIMD’s work on the Democratic Action for Peace project.