What we do
At NIMD, we strive to promote peaceful, just and inclusive democracies worldwide.
We do this by fostering trust and respectful dialogue between politicians, political parties, civil society and citizens. We bring people closer to their elected representatives; and we bring politicians together to collaborate across political divides.
NIMD deeply believes that, by building more equal and peaceful societies, and tackling the root causes of global challenges, we can foster a more stable, inclusive and prosperous world for everyone.
At the heart of all our work is the principle of inclusiveness: we strive to equip people – from traditionally marginalized groups to established politicians – with the skills, knowledge and networks to meaningfully participate in politics. Because, at NIMD, we passionately believe that societies can only thrive when all voices are heard.
NIMD’s work broadly falls into five categories or themes – Dialogue, Democracy Education, Women in Politics, Youth in Politics and Strengthening Democratic Infrastructure.
Our principles
Our approach is non-partisan and independent. We are not affiliated with any specific political denomination or institution and work impartially with all parties across the political spectrum. However, our impartiality should not be confused with neutrality: NIMD is driven by the democratic values underpinning our vision and mission.
Inclusiveness lies at the heart of NIMD’s work. Through all our programmes, we focus on fostering equal opportunities for structurally excluded groups to engage in democratic processes at all levels. We also make sure that our activities are inclusive of different political groups and ideologies. Both ruling and opposition parties are welcome to take part in NIMD dialogue on societal issues with an equal voice.
At NIMD, our impact and success depend on our ability to respond to unique political histories and changes to cultural contexts. All our programmes start with an in-depth analysis; we assess how we can contribute to positive change in the political system and political culture of a country. Once our programme is running, we put in place a robust evaluation system and monitor changes in the political environment. Only by constantly adapting our programmes, can we ensure the continued impact and quality of our work. For a quick overview of our adaptivity approach please see here.
All our programmes are founded on, and shaped by, a deep knowledge and understanding of context. That’s where the national expertise of our country offices and partners come in – we work together on an equal basis to develop strategies that reflect and respond to the needs and demands of that country.
It takes time to contribute to political transformation and societal change. You need to strengthen political parties and other actors; help build effective working relations between political forces; and facilitate trust-building. Therefore, we invest in long-lasting relationships, both with our partners and with the political actors we target.