Democracy That Delivers

Syrian Economic Forum Chairman Ayman Tabbaa and Executive Director Tamman Al Baroudi discuss the current situation in Syria and the role of the private sector in reconstructing the country. Tabbaa and Baroudi talk about their lives in Syria prior to the revolution, why they had to leave Syria, and their work today providing information and policy options to help with the current economic situation...

International development organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of engaging youth in efforts to improve governance around the world. Youth in most societies are consistently more adept at using technology and recognizing its impact. Harnessing their energy and creativity to improve government policies and service delivery, through incorporating youth ideas and feedback, is a fo...

The "blockchain" is the key innovation that makes decentralized, digital currencies like Bitcoin possible. Jerry Brito, executive director of Coin Center and an expert on cryptocurrency regulation, discusses the implications of the blockchain and its potential applications to governance and corruption problems from tracking land ownership to stopping the trade in blood diamonds.

International Association of Women Judges' Senior Advisor Nancy Hendry discusses IAWJ's work addressing " sextortion ."  The IAWJ coined the term to describe a pervasive, but often ignored, form of sexual exploitation and corruption that occurs when people in positions of authority – whether government officials, judges, educators, law enforcement personnel, or employers – seek to extort sexual fa...

CIPE's Medhawi Giri, Program Assistant for South Asia, and Stephanie Bandyk, Program Assistant for Global Programs, discuss how they got interested in international development, democracy, and economic reform issues, their academic and career backgrounds, and what they've learned since working at CIPE.

The American Interest journalist Karina Orlova discusses the risks reporters face in Russia and why she had to leave. Orlova talks about her experience reporting on Russian politics and business, and the powerful forces that exert control over journalists and media outlets in that country. She also shares fascinating insights into current living conditions in Russia and citizen attitudes towards c...

CIPE's Iran expert Babak Yektafar discusses the current economic situation in Iran and how the regime controls information and policies to stay in power. Yektafar talks about how the economy has been damaged through mismanagement, Iran's entrepreneurial youth culture and their hopes for the future, and what the government needs to do to make it easier for Iranians to start and grow businesses. He...

Former FCPA violator and current anti-bribery consultant Richard Bistrong was convicted of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, cooperated with the FBI, and served time in prison. Today he works with companies to help them deal with anti-bribery and compliance issues around the world. He discusses what led to his conviction, what he learned about corruption risks and the incentive structur...

Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Nyaradzo Mashayamombe discusses her work as a women's and girls' rights advocate in in Zimbabwe and how the way women are viewed in society is changing in that country. Mashayamombe talks about the hardships she experienced as a child in rural Zimbabwe and how this created her drive to help other girls and women. She also discusses the empowering impact of social me...

Former Executive Director of CIPE John D. Sullivan discusses how the private sector and a free market economy are essential for a thriving democracy and the role CIPE plays working with private sector partners to strengthen democratic institutions around the world. Sullivan recalls what led to the establishment of the National Endowment for Democracy and its core institutes, including CIPE, and ho...

Executive Director of eBay's Public Policy Lab, Brian Bieron, discusses how global e-commerce platforms are helping small and medium-sized enterprises around the world to export at an unprecedented rate, and how this is opening the global economy like never before. Bieron also talks about how online commerce is changing the dynamic of who can export where, the logistics challenges that companies f...

Atlas Corps fellow and social media manager at Venezuelan think tank CEDICE, Gigi Raffo, talks about the everyday hardships experienced by citizens in her country, the challenges facing the private sector, and how she and others are trying to make changes and build hope for the future. Raffo also talks about adjusting to the freedoms and choices offered in the U.S. and what she is learning here th...

Alexis Bonnell from USAID's Global Development Lab talks about how innovation is changing the way development work is done around the world, harnessing 21st century technology to create more development impact, and how some of the most effective innovation tools can be both simple and inexpensive. Bonnell also talks about what it takes to have a successful career in international development today...

Business development consultant Toki Mabogunje talks about the current business climate in Nigeria, how the new government is tackling economic, security and corruption challenges – and the private sector response – and how Nigerian entrepreneurs find ways to thrive in even the most difficult circumstances. Mabogunje also talks about how her American school education still shapes the way she appro...

CIPE's program coordinator in Indonesia talks about the burgeoning Indonesian economy, foreign investment opportunities,  and how Indonesian companies are coming to terms with what anti-corruption compliance means for them. Ardie also discusses the challenges of meeting cultural norms while being compliant with international business practices, and the inherent "sloppiness" of implementing decentr...

President, CEO and Co-Founder of WEConnect International Elizabeth A. Vazquez discusses the biggest challenges that women around the world face when trying to start and grow a business, and the one thing that they all want the most. Vazquez also talks about how watching her mother host Mexico's "first yard sale" while she was growing up taught her the value of entrepreneurship for changing women's...

CIPE's Regional Director for Asia John Morrell discusses when he witnessed for the first time how lack of governance and corruption undermines democracy and how that experience shapes his work today. Morrell talks about business-led solutions to corruption challenges and a CIPE project underway in Thailand that is changing the business culture in that country.

Executive Director of Accountability Lab, Blair Glencorse, discusses why accountability is important and how his organization is building a generational movement for integrity.

CIPE's Regional Director for Middle East and Africa Abdulwahab Alkebsi  discusses how his childhood in Yemen informs his democracy work today, the correlation between the institutions that build the Islamic faith and those that build democracy, and the important role the private sector can play in public life.

Deputy Director in the U.S. State Department's Counterterrorism Bureau, Jessica Long, discusses how international cooperation and partnerships underpin best practice in counterterrorism policy.

Deputy Director of the South Asia Program at the Stimson Center Sameer Lalwani discusses how counterinsurgency and state-building efforts interact with issues of governance and economic development in South Asia.

Founder of the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Selima Ahmad discusses how she built an organization that helps thousands of women entrepreneurs and what it takes to takes to be a successful businesswomen in Bangladesh.