Tag: Americas
Honduras: one year after the coup
Honduras ousted its civilian president, Manuel Zelaya, on June 28, 2009, in the first military coup in Central America since the end of the cold war. The ensuing political crisis created turmoil inside Honduras, where curfews and regular marches by Mr. Zelaya's supporters paralyzed the capital, and the suspension of international aid stalled badly needed projects. Link to the article.
EPD joins press freedom alliance
The EPD has joined with four fellow Dutch organisations to cooperate on a common innovative plan called 'Press Freedom 2.0', which aims to strengthen the freedom of the press around
the world. The plan was presented earlier this week to the Dutch Minister of Development Aid, Mr
Koenders. The other alliance members are World Press Photo (WPP), European
Journalism Centre (EJC), Mensen met
een Missie (MM) and the secretariat of Free Voice. Read more about the project here.
COMING THIS WEEKEND: Follow election observation mission to Honduas as it happens
Ever wondered what it is like being part of an international election observation mission? Well, now's your chance to find out! The EPD's Americas Programme Manager Carlos Hernandez is off to Honduras to observe the Presidential elections scheduled to take place this Sunday (29 Nov). Carlos will be bringing you regular updates of his experiences on the ground, giving you an insight into the ups and downs of life as an election observer in this hotly contested and crucial election. Return here from Friday onwards to read Carlos' blog.
REPORT - Honduras and the November elections: A missed opportunity?
The EPD is pleased to announce the release of its latest paper on the current crisis in Honduras. The paper argues that the elections in November represented an opportunity for the main domestic actors in the crisis in Honduras to change their approach. Furthermore, it is argued that the intervention of the international community, led by the Organization of the American States, has not provided a system of incentives for both parties to reach an agreement for settling the situation. On the contrary, the international community has been led into a game with two objectives where the strategy to resolve the institutional crisis has been conflated with a broader strategy aimed at balancing the influence of President Chavez and the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA). The paper cast doubts on recent developments in Honduras and suggests the need to launch a two tier approach where support for the November elections could be combined with a serious commitment to political dialogue in the country. Read the EPD's report here.
Cuba refuses to issue visa for German MP Markus Meckel
The Cuban government has refused to issue a visa for Markus Meckel, Member of the Bundestag and Deputy Foreign Policy Spokesperson of the SPD Parliamentary Group and Member of the Board of EPD. Meckel had planned to visit Cuba between July 5 and 12 and to meet with representatives of the government as well as of the pro-democracy opposition, churches and civil society. More info.
EPD Events
The EPD has the honour of presenting you with the final report from the
conference entitled “Building Consensus about EU Policies on Democracy
Support”, which was organized by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and the European Commission on March 9th and 10th, 2009, in Prague in
collaboration with the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) and the
Czech Association for Democracy Assistance and Human Rights (DEMAS). On
the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Czech Republic
hosted this international gathering in order to address the issue of
the European approach to democracy assistance. The event was held under
the auspices of Karel Schwarzenberg, Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs,
and Václav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic. Discover the report.
The role of political parties in supranational integration: A Euro-Latin American Dialogue
On April 17, representatives from Youth Wings of Political Parties in Latin America met with leaders from the Youth Wings of European Political Parties in Brussels. The Round Table was the result of a joint effort by European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) and Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas (FIIAPP). The Round Table focused on the role of political parties in the processes of supranational integration and creating a space for the exchange of experiences between Leaders from Youth Wings of European Political Parties and Young Latin American Leaders. Read the article.