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Washington, May 1, 2002: The Democratization Policy Institute (DPI) today
released a proposed agenda for Bosnia's next international High Representative,
Lord Paddy Ashdown. The report, funded by the United States Institute
of Peace, stresses that if Bosnia is to become capable of self-reform
when international supervision ends, Lord Ashdown must secure the backing
of key states to pursue bold measures in the near term.
Upon receipt of a full draft of the report in April, Lord Ashdown responded:
"DPI's report has been tremendously helpful as I prepare to become
the next High Representative. I share their sense of urgency." More
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Democratization News
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By Abdul Tejan-Cole
Issue 3, 11 June 2002
American neglect of Sierra Leone, followed by an aggressive policy of
appeasement under President Clinton, was shared by Great Britain. Britain
has since learned from its mistakes, but the U.S. has yet to fully draw
the conclusions of its disastrous past policies and commit to consistent
support for democracy and the rule of law in Sierra Leone. More Archive
By Milan Bastinac, Nejla Sakic, and Stela Vasic
Issue 2, 10 April 2002
The almost seven years since the Dayton Peace Agreement promised us a
future without isolation, hatred, and misery, have instead been more like
medieval times, with warlords being hailed as great "democrats"
and even "martyrs for (their) people." They have used their
stolen riches to buy protection from puppet politicians and officials,
and are the real enemies of every Bosnian citizen. More
| Archive
The weekly publication Democracy Monitor will be the keystone of the
Democratization Policy Institute's efforts to increase policymakers' accountability
for their actions and inaction in DPI's target countries.
Democracy Monitor will recap the week's events in each target country
(initially Congo-Kinshasa, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia,
Montenegro, Serbia and Belarus). Beyond an event summary, the publication
will go on to report the U.S. and international policy reaction to these
events, and then offer an analysis of what this means to democratic development.
With this layout Democracy Monitor will serve harried decision-makers,
the media, and scholars as a concise and quick reference, allowing them
to easily keep tabs on regions they otherwise might ignore. The weekly
format will allow continuous monitoring of U.S. policy impact, increasing
the accountability of policymakers whose actions affect democratic prospects
in these countries - places often ignored by American media.
By Elizabeth Spiro Clark
The Bush administration backtracked and explained away its seeming willingness
- even its secret desire - to accept the coup against Venezuela's democratically
elected President Hugo Chavez. In this mini-drama, the administration
is cast as the bad guy hypocrite, proclaiming U.S. support for democracy
but dropping that support when it doesn't like the results. More
WASHINGTON D.C.--A great deal has changed for the better in and around
Bosnia since the November 1995 peace deal reached at Dayton, Ohio. First
Montenegro, then Croatia, and finally Serbia have shifted toward democratic
rule. The country is no longer under serious threat of forcible external
dismemberment. Refugees have finally begun to return in significant numbers.
And the country’s borders, long porous and open to illegal immigration,
smuggling, and trafficking, are now nearly under control. More
An intolerant, corrupt regime that helped found, finance and diplomatically
defend the Taliban is — remarkably — still considered "friendly"
to America. The Saudi Arabian dictatorship, whose only real allegiance is
to keeping power, can never be a reliable ally of the United States. The
Bush administration should keep this track record in mind as America manages
a broad tactical coalition that includes other rotten authoritarian regimes
like those in Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Egypt and China. For such dictatorships
are not only unreliable partners, but breed the very terrorists we must
now defeat. Promotion of American interests, including removing the causes
of terrorism, will demand the fostering of democratic governance worldwide.
More
American support for the Serbian opposition was instrumental in ousting
Slobodan Milosevic. Now the United States must redouble its public diplomacy
to help civic and opposition forces mobilize against Europe's last dictator
in Belarus. More
Events in Macedonia are rapidly forcing a choice on the Bush administration:
Will the United States retain its vital leadership role in maintaining
European security by preventing all-out war in Macedonia? Or will the
United States and NATO again have to pick up the pieces of a shattered
society after war disrupts the region and the alliance? More
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DPI ceased operations as of July 31, 2002. Should you
need to reach either of the co-directors, please contact them at kurtbassuener@yahoo.com or ewitte@cij.org
Bookmark DPI to your favorites.
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