NIMD

16/06/2026

"Change must also extend beyond national borders, uniting women across political parties is a model that can be adopted across Africa"

After the elections, Sarah started asking why women across Uganda's political parties kept facing the same harassment on the campaign trail, regardless of which side they were on. Through the Power of Dialogue programme, that conversation became a cross-party movement.

Read her story: https://nimd.org/publication/stories-from-across-the-power-of-dialogue-consortium/

Power of Dialogue consortium: Akina Mama wa Afrika CEMI Centre des Etudes Méditerranéennes et Internationales Tunisie Gorée Institute NIMD Mali. Funded by: Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken. Illustrations by Tonke Koppelaar.

12/06/2026

Zeina, a certified conflict prevention trainer who built a 100-person youth alliance across four countries to push for women and youth participation in the Sahel. Through the Power of Dialogue programme, she helped change that.

"Change often begins with one voice, one act of courage, one refusal to accept what is unjust."

Watch Zeina's story here: https://youtu.be/ZD6h1IzmWwk?si=RCcoDhlbnjW3EUsG

Read stories of all our changemakers here: https://nimd.org/publication/stories-from-across-the-power-of-dialogue-consortium/

Power of Dialogue consortium: Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA),
CEMI Centre des Etudes Méditerranéennes et Internationales Tunisie (CEMI), Gorée Institute. Funded by the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken/ Minostry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Illustrations by Tonke Koppelaar.

Turning Outrage Into Action The Alliance of Young Leaders for Peace...

09/06/2026

Jacob's story started with a youth council where 97% of members belonged to one party, but it did not end there. The programme supported him with the tools to do something about it.

Read his story👇
https://nimd.org/publication/stories-from-across-the-power-of-dialogue-consortium/

This June, we are sharing the stories of eight inspiring changemakers who were supported in their journey’s by the consortium. Follow along.

Power of Dialogue consortium: Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA), CEMI Centre des Etudes Méditerranéennes et Internationales Tunisie (CEMI), Gorée Institute, NIMD Mali. Funded by the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Illustrations by Tonke Koppelaar.

02/06/2026

This June, we are sharing the stories of eight inspiring changemakers who were supported
in their journey’s by the consortium.

From Tunisia to Uganda, from Mali to Ethiopia, these are the people who refused to accept
the status quo. Who showed up, spoke out, and built something new. Who proved that when dialogue meets courage, democracy moves.

Over the next four weeks, we invite you to read and watch their stories 👇
https://nimd.org/publication/stories-from-across-the-power-of-dialogue-consortium/

Power of Dialogue consortium: Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA), CEMI Centre des Etudes Méditerranéennes et Internationales Tunisie (CEMI), Gorée Institute, NIMD Mali. Funded by the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Illustrations by Tonke Koppelaar.

We invite you to read the stories of changemakers from across the African continent. These changemakers were supported by the Power of Dialogue consortium partners. Find out more below.

28/05/2026

In case you missed it: when Honduras held its presidential elections last November, NIMD Honduras alumni did not sit on the sidelines.

From running citizen observation missions to developing digital tools for tracking electoral irregularities, they put their training to work for democratic integrity.

Read their story 👇

Amid a regional landscape marked by fragile democracies, internal tensions, and a citizenry increasingly disconnected from public institutions, Honduras held its presidential elections on 30 November 2025. After an unusually long period of vote counting (24 days), Nasry Asfura, businessman and forme...

26/05/2026

A thriving needs politicians who understand and respond to the needs of the people they represent. Responsive politics is one of the five themes we work on at NIMD.

Read our lessons learned on responsive politics from three countries: Niger, Guatemala and Kenya:

Drawing lessons from Niger, Guatemala, and Kenya, this paper builds on NIMD’s conceptual framework on responsive politics and accountability.

21/05/2026

At NIMD, we facilitate spaces where political actors can build trust across divides and find common ground, even when communication has broken down entirely. In 2023, we started our work in Sint Eustatius.

Read back the stories of two politicians who were central to the platform, to hear how it worked in practice: https://nimd.org/overcoming-political-differences-for-a-common-goal-in-sint-eustatius/

To find out more about our work in Sint Eustatius head here: https://nimd.org/programme/sint-eustatius/

It was never really for them a plan, or their intention, to enter politics. But it was a culmination of events that led Rechelline Leerdam, and later Raquel Spanner-Carty to be at the epicenter of political life when communication broke down completely between the political leaders of Sint Eustatius...

19/05/2026

Interested in how we work? These are the principles that have guided NIMD for 25 years.

Impartiality. We are non-partisan and independent, working across the full political spectrum. Not neutral, but firmly grounded in democratic values.

Inclusiveness. From opposition parties to marginalised groups, everyone engages with an equal voice. Inclusive politics is not an add-on; it is the foundation.

Adaptivity. Every context is different. We start with in-depth analysis, monitor continuously, and adapt our programmes to ensure lasting impact.

National expertise. All our programmes are founded on, and shaped by, a deep knowledge and understanding of context. That’s where the national expertise of our country offices and partners come in – we work together on an equal basis to develop strategies that reflect and respond to the needs and demands of that country.

Long-term commitment. Political transformation takes time. We invest in lasting relationships with partners and political actors, because trust is built over years, not months.

Find out more about what we do here: https://nimd.org/what-we-do/


Nimd Guatemala Myanmar School of Politics - NIMD/Demo Finland NIMD Ethiopian Democracy Academy NIMD El Salvador NIMD Mali NIMD - Jordan المعهد الهولندي للديمقراطية متعددة الأحزاب - الأردن NIMD Honduras NIMD Liberia NIMD-Burkina Faso

15/05/2026

In , alumni of the NIMD Uganda DemocracyAcademy are not just learning about . They are putting what they learned into practice in their own communities.

Through a National Working Group on Sustainable Youth Political Participation, 12 young men and women from different regions and political parties are translating their civic education into a five-year national roadmap (2026–2030) to increase youth political representation.

The roadmap addresses economic barriers to running for office, political violence, and gender disparities, with concrete targets including 15–20% youth representation in parliament by 2030.

Find out more 👇
https://nimd.org/meet-the-nimd-uganda-democracy-academy-turning-civic-learning-into-structured-youth-led-political-action/

The Ugandan is part of the Civic Engagement programme, powered by the European Union and the European Partnership for Democracy.

“We are here to organise, not antagonise.” Akiim Ssenyonjo, UDA Alumni 3rd Cohort With half of Uganda’s 45 million citizens under 18, and those between 18–30 making up 23.5% of the population, the country is overlooking a generation that should be reshaping its political landscape. Data show...

08/05/2026

Yesterday NIMD Bangladesh brought together around five Bangladeshi political party representatives and issue experts to reflect on the challenges and opportunities surrounding local elections in a multi-party dialogue.

From identifying risks to exploring practical solutions, the dialogue focused on:
1. The need for collaboration,
2. Trust-building among parties,
3. Strengthening accountability mechanisms to support peaceful and credible local elections.

The dialogue provided a neutral and inclusive space for political actors and experts to engage beyond partisan positions in a polarized context. It contributed to fostering trust, encouraging collective ownership, and identifying practical avenues for cooperation for peaceful, credible local elections.

"Inclusive dialogue between political actors is democracy in action, and it unfailingly helps build consensus around essential reforms." shared EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller.

This event was supported by the European Union in Bangladesh through the EU-funded AHEAD programme.