Project Description
Democracy International’s multiyear Elections and Democracy Activity (EDA), funded by USAID, aims to help Liberia overcome the most serious threats to its democracy and foster inclusive, sustainable democratic political development. EDA seeks to work with civil society organizations (CSOs), the National Elections Commission (NEC), and the Government of Liberia to cultivate accountable elected representatives who govern in the interest of their constituents.
EDA consists of three primary objectives:
1. Increase leadership of marginalized groups in political processes: the DI team will support greater inclusion with a focus on empowering women and youth to take on meaningful community and government leadership roles.
2. Improve civic knowledge and sense of duty: to strengthen civic education and a sense of civic duty, DI will support the Ministry of Education to reintroduce a civics curriculum in primary schools and provide targeting and technical assistance to CSOs in rural communities to increase the effectiveness of their civics activities.
3. Advance self-reliance of the NEC and CSOs to independently manage and observe all stages of the electoral cycle: the DI team will provide targeted organizational development (OD) and technical support to the NEC and election observation groups while building their self-reliance. DI will leverage proven approaches to political economy analysis, OD, and voter education and mobilization, with in-house, Liberian, and regional election administration expertise.
DI’s approach to ensure locally owned, inclusive development and democratization includes making issue-based politics relevant to citizens, “nudging” citizens toward better civic habits with behavioral insights, and putting forward Liberian voices to move the country toward a stronger democracy.
Photo by Dara Lipton, IREX, taken during IREX Civil Society and Media Leadership Program activity in Liberia.