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Empowering Global Youth: A Path to Inclusive Democracy

By Kibo Ngowi Amidst the challenges faced by democracies worldwide, a beacon of hope is emerging as young people take charge of their futures. Youth across the globe are stepping up to redefine their roles in shaping governance. And the call for increased youth participation resonates strongly in the global south.  Despite a lower-than-desired voter turnout in the Nigerian elections earlier this year, the resilience of the 'Not Too Young To Run' movement demonstrated the transformative power of youth cohesion as several young candidates who benefitted from the campaign took office for the first time. Pakistan, with its youthful population, [...]

2023-12-07T10:05:42+00:007th December 2023|

Battleground constituencies in Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections

Elections are an exciting and well-studied subject across the world. They attract a tremendous amount of  this excitement stemming from their competitive nature and “peoples” enduring a belief in them as the best way to provide governors with legitimate province over governance, or the absence of alternatives. For some, elections are the essence of democracy and legitimacy, and a close approximation of the rule of the people by the people through evidence of their express consent to authority, itself a fundamental tenant of political legitimacy. Resultantly, elections invariably whip up a frenzy, as the public, commentariat, and scholars engage in [...]

2023-08-22T19:32:42+00:0022nd August 2023|

“Supporting Zimbabwe to get free and fair elections is not an event but a process”: The Role of the EU Election Observation Mission

The European Union deploys one of the largest observer missions to monitor the 2023 Zimbabwe elections. We spoke to Dr McDonald Lewanika, politics and development professional, about the importance of the verdict by EU election observers and what contributions European actors can make to assist Zimbabweans in getting the elections they want. By McDonald Lewanika and Katrin Seidel Earlier in the year, the European Union had sent 46 long-term observers and 11 political analysts to Zimbabwe. On Election Day over 150 observers from EU member states as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland will be monitoring the elections. This is [...]

2023-08-18T12:32:05+00:0018th August 2023|

Mobilizing Civic Voter Education in Liberia

According to the National Elections Commission (NEC), Liberia’s current number of first-time voters is just over 20 percent. This figure demonstrates the need to prioritize civic voter education, especially for first-time voters in rural communities. On 21-22 June, Accountability Lab Liberia hosted a training session to build the civic and voter education capacity of 30 journalists and leaders of youth-led organizations from Counties including Bong, Grand Bassa, Lofa, Margibi Montserrado, and Nimba. The training session aimed to equip the participants with skills to lead creative civic engagement campaigns and build working relationships for cross-collaboration, learning, and advocacy. The training focused [...]

2023-10-02T19:03:44+00:0017th August 2023|

ZEC Petitioned Over Exorbitant Candidate Nomination Fees

Seven Civic Society Organizations (CSOs) have petitioned the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), demanding an immediate revision of the exorbitant candidate nomination fees. The nomination fees, as per Statutory Instrument 144 of 2022, currently stand at US$20,000 for presidential candidates, payable in cash or the prevailing official rate equivalent and candidates for Parliament must pay US$1,000, while Proportional Representation party lists for Parliament and Provincial Councils are requested to pay US$100. The CSOs argue that the current fees pose a significant barrier to political participation, particularly for marginalized groups such as young people, women, and persons with disabilities. "We demand that, [...]

2023-05-30T09:34:59+00:0025th May 2023|

Citizen Journalists, Student Observers Laud Initiative On Youth Participation And Election Coverage

Under the partnership, trained reporters, student journalists and observers were deployed across the country to promote increased youth participation and report the conduct of the elections in their locality. Young Nigerians have praised the 'Go Out & Vote Now (GOVN)' initiative which involved them in the coverage of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections held on February 25th. In the build-up to the elections, Sahara Media Foundation in partnership with Civic Media Lab and Accountability Lab Nigeria engaged citizen journalists and student observers to raise youth voices and cover the most important polls in the history of the country. [...]

2023-03-15T19:24:46+00:0010th March 2023|

Accountability Lab, BPSR, Decry Vote Buying, Corruption

Accountability Lab Nigeria and the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) have decried the rise in vote buying, saying embezzlement, bribery, and electoral fraud remain huge forms of corrupt practices in Nigeria. This was disclosed during an Integrity Conference held in Abuja yesterday, geared toward an interactive solution-oriented workshop for public servants to support the development of a culture of integrity within government, as one of the knowledge building tools to influence norms and change behaviours through practical learning scenarios such as case studies of role models and trendsetters, in this case, Integrity Icons. The country director, Accountability Lab, Odeh [...]

2022-04-03T12:39:48+00:001st April 2022|

Moussa Kondo : « Plus jamais, l’organisation des élections ne doit être comme un jeu d’enfants… »

La formation des lauréats du programme Accountability film school a pris fin, ce 2 octobre 2021, à  l’issue de cours théoriques et pratiques sur la production cinématographique, dans les locaux de l’ONG, à Magnabougou. Les travaux ont été sanctionnée par la présentation d’un film produit pas les lauréats, preuve de l’assimilation des cours dispensés par les encadreurs professionnels. La cérémonie, qui a regroupé les candidats de Bamako et des régions retenus à l’issue du processus de sélection rigoureuse, a aussi enregistré la présence des responsables de l’ONG Accountability-Lab-Mali, notamment, Moussa Kondo et Souleymane K. Bouaré ; Dramane Fofana, directeur du projet [...]

2021-10-11T12:51:45+00:004th October 2021|

iCampus Hosts Film Festival on Electoral Reform Issues

By Foday Sesay MONROVIA, 3 September – As the dialogue on electoral reform resonates with Liberians, iCampus has streamed three short films focusing on three key electoral reform issues. The films focused on issues such as the tenure of elected public officials, women in leadership, and the current date of election. It was supported by the Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative’s electoral reform initiative, sponsored by USAID. iCampus is a shared co-working and community space for organizations working on technology, accountability, and social change in the country. The organization’s learning and communications manager who was also lead producer of the films, [...]

2019-09-03T00:00:00+00:003rd September 2019|

Rapping to Be Repped in Liberia

 By: Anne Sophie Ranjbar, Associate Director and Maima Caranda, Volunteer As you walk through Monrovia, you can’t miss the catchy West African beats that play on every street. While Nigeria has traditionally been the hub for music in the region, Liberia’s young “Hip Co” artists are rapidly building a following in the region and beyond. Music has the power to inspire and inform people—acting as a medium through which to channel popular sentiment and shape collective dreams. As Liberia faces its next presidential election—a critical opportunity to consolidate democracy and peace after a troubled past—music can also serve as a [...]

2017-05-06T00:00:00+00:006th May 2017|
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