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Allowing women to become political leaders is vital, not only to ensure a fully inclusive democracy, but so that women¡¯s interests and concerns are represented in decision making. With the ongoing conflict in Somalia, the¡­

An UNDEF project, in Ukraine worked with local people to engage in democratic processes to protect their environment. The project, ¡°Strengthening Participatory Democracy for Effective Environmental Protection in Ukraine¡±, was¡­

An UNDEF regional project to involve young people, especially young women in political life in Libya, Morocco and Tunisia has led to a number of the participants standing in elections for the Moroccan Parliament, including¡­

To mark the International Day of Democracy on 15 September, UNDEF co-organized two events ¨C one at United Nations Headquarters in New York and the other in Athens, the birthplace of democracy.

An UNDEF-funded project in rural India completed its work the end of 2015 to promote democratic processes and human rights through the use of media and the freedom of information, including by launching a platform for¡­

Thomas Carothers, one of the world's leading scholars on democracy support, gave a lecture at the United Nations on the theme of "Democracy¡¯s Uncertain State".

UNDEF celebrity Board member Jeffrey Wright came into the UN studios to present Prisoners of the Caucasus, a documentary on an UNDEF project for penal reform in the Caucasus.

Germany is pleased to renew its contribution to UN Democracy Fund by USD $1,600,000 to strengthen democracy and empower civil society.

Another UNDEF project with Arab NGO Network for Development recently launched in five countries in the Middle East and North Africa region ¨C Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco - with the goal to enhance participation¡­

UNDEF received more than 2600 project proposals in its latest annual call, which closed on 31 December 2015. The project proposals are now subject to a highly rigorous and competitive selection process, quality vetting, due¡­

UNDEF funds a project in Jordan to foster a more informed public dialogue on human rights through strengthening media. It works for high quality journalism on human rights-related issues; holds on-air forums actively¡­

Watch full episode of PBS Channel 13 television interview with UNDEF Executive Head Annika Savill.

For Nepal's Chepang people, one of the indigenous groups living in the Himalaya foothills, poverty and marginalization remain a daily reality. Chepang women are further marginalized by lower literacy rates, lack of access to¡­

Pakistan has a massive youth population which comprises 60 per cent of the country¡¯s 190 million people. Many of them are increasingly active on social media. An UNDEF-funded project works uses this tool to engage youth on¡­

With populations in both Malawi and Zambia consisting of over 50 per cent young people, there is an increasing push among governments, development partners and civil society to recognize the specific needs and vulnerabilities¡­

To mark the International Day of Democracy on 15 September, the Athens Democracy Forum 2015 was held for the third year by the International New York Times in cooperation with the UN Democracy Fund.

An UNDEF-funded project in Turkey works with Syrian women refugees in Reyhanli, in Reyhanli, near the Turkey-Syria border, so as to give them opportunities to organize, engage and support other refugees while preparing for¡­

In El Salvador, a country ravaged by renewed violence perpetrated by criminal gangs, or maras. UNDEF funds a number of projects to empower citizens to make use of recently adopted legislation to build rule of law and human¡­

'In accepting the Tipperary International Peace Award, I want to sound a call to protect the space needed by civil society. Confident nations are those that see civil society as an indispensable partner in working for the¡­

An UNDEF project in Haiti works to advance the rights and influence of rural women in the North and North-East regions of the island. Using new information and communication technologies, the project promotes natural resource¡­

The right to free counsel for poor persons accused of a crime is enshrined in law in the West Bank. Yet the government legal aid system is not meeting the need and few lawyers are trained to provide effective criminal defence¡­

For Nepal's Chepang people, an indigenous group living in the Himalaya foothills, poverty and marginalization remain a daily reality. Chepang women are further marginalized by lower literacy rates, lack of access to health¡­

An UNDEF-funded project in Liberia works to empower rural women by providing speedy information and networking opportunities via radio and mobile technology. Implemented by the Liberia Women Media Action Committee, the radio¡­

Given the large volume of proposals, only applicants who advance to the short list will be contacted by UNDEF. This is expected to be in mid-2015. The project proposals originated from applicants in 143 countries, the vast¡­

Cameroon suffers from a shortage of communication and accountability between local elected leaders and their electorates in planning and implementation. This is why UNDEF funds a project to build participatory governance and¡­

UNDEF funds the first initiative in Ukraine to introduce parliamentary procedures in the daily work of selected local Councils in all 24 regions of the country, including in the East, so as to increase the transparency and¡­

An UNDEF-funded Bolivia project works to strengthen representation and political participation in regional political decision-making for five urban indigenous groups in Santa Cruz de la Sierra -- Ayoreos, Guaran¨ªes¡­

An UNDEF-funded project for penal reform in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia held an essay and presentation competition for law students to increase awareness of alternatives to imprisonment, reflect on challenges of existing¡­

An UNDEF Kosovo* project engages civil society in monitoring to advance transparency and accountability in local governance. Coordinated by the Kosova Democratic Institute, the project works in 14 municipal assemblies across¡­

The Athens Forum 2014: Democracy under pressure was organized for the second consecutive year by the International New York Times and Kathimerini newspapers in cooperation with the UN Democracy Fund.

UNDEF and its partners in the United Nations Working Group on Democracy held an event at the International Peace Institute in New York on the theme of the democratic engagement of young people.

An UNDEF-funded project in Sierra Leone has empowered the National Council of Paramount Chiefs with a comprehensive five-year strategic plan to be responsive and accountable to the needs and rights of their people as well as¡­

The first project of UNDEF's Eighth Round of Funding was signed on 9 September 2014, one of some 50 new initiatives that will be launched by UNDEF in this new Round. The project will work to strengthen independent journalism¡­

UNDEF-funded Khabar Lahariya is an award-winning rural weekly newspaper published in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in local languages and run by collective of 40 rural women journalists. In May 2014, it won Deutsche Welle's Global¡­

An UNDEF project works for alternatives to prison sentencing in the Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The goal is to promote the effective use of non-custodial and early release measures to challenge the overuse of¡­

An UNDEF project in Moldova, where corruption and public mismanagement remain major challenges, established an innovative form of joint media-civil society watchdogs to work for transparency and accountability.

An UNDEF-funded project in Costa Rica works to promote leadership and citizenship skills among disadvantaged youth. In March 2014, the project held a train-the-trainers camp for 50 adolescents, with skills to be implemented¡­

An UNDEF-funded project in Tunisia has produced an irresistibly motivational video for the empowerment of girls, as part of a vast programme of civic outreach and electoral education. The project addresses the need for women¡­

An UNDEF Nepal project works to increase participation of women in local governance at the most basic level of the ward, through Ward Citizen Forums. It educates women in democratic rights and gender-responsive budgeting¡­

Serbia is host to some 300,000 people displaced through the conflicts in former Yugoslavia, most of whom are from Kosovo. Despite a range of efforts in the past decade, these internally displaced people remain one of the most¡­

An UNDEF Cambodia project to strengthen ethics in journalism organized the country's first awards in this area in December 2013. Awards were distributed to 13 Cambodian media organizations -- TV stations Bayon, Apsara, Hang¡­

An UNDEF Kosovo* project works to engage civil society in monitoring local governance to advance transparency and accountability in local governance. After one year of monitoring local government institutions, 12 civil¡­

An UNDEF-funded project works in Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt to strengthen the role of women in society, particularly in remote and underprivileged areas. Implemented by the Jordanian Centre for Civic Education, the project¡­

An UNDEF-funded project in Iraq has completed its work with six Governorate Councils to strengthen civil society participation in democratic processes and advance accountability in Government institutions. The project¡­

After a series of disruptions caused by political upheavals and government restrictions, an UNDEF Egypt project has started work in earnest to form a coalition of partners for integrity. Implemented by the Arab Program for¡­

UNDEF Board member Jeffrey Wright, the award-winning actor currently starring in the Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Boardwalk Empire, came to the UN television studio to record the narration for a documentary on an UNDEF¡­

In the Longido District of northern Tanzania, UNDEF supports a community development project among the Maasai population with a special focus on women. It works to strengthen women¡¯s role in decision-making and priority¡­

An UNDEF-funded project in the Russian Federation co-organized a nationwide conference in October 2013 on indigenous peoples and industry: Cooperation, prospects, challenges.

A graduate of an UNDEF-funded project for women¡¯s empowerment in India has been elected Mayor of Ahmedabad, a city with a population of six million. Meenaxiben Patel, elected Mayor in April 2013, participated in a training¡­

Studies show that voters in Liberia, particularly rural women and youth, vote out of fear and ignorance because the majority are illiterate and have no access to civic or voter education. An UNDEF-funded project provides¡­