Democracy That Delivers

Democracy that Delivers #255: Women in Business during the Pandemic — Dispatches from Europe & Eurasia with Lilit Asatryan

On this episode of Democracy that Delivers our host Ken Jaques and co-host Luiza Ayvazyan, a CIPE Program Officer located in Armenia, are joined by Lilit Asatryan, founder and President of Armenian Young Women’s Association (AYWA) and the founder of Women Entrepreneurship Network in Armenia. Listen to learn more about these two organizations that help women entrepreneurs access global business networks and develop entrepreneurial skills. 

Democracy that Delivers #254: Leveraging Technology to Digitize Informal Markets

On this episode of Democracy that Delivers, our host Ken Jaques and our co-host Anna Kompanek, Director of CIPE's Global Programs, are joined by Mercedes Bidart, CEO & Co-Founder of Quipu. Quipu is a new digital platform and app that builds community marketplaces to allow micro-businesses in the informal economy to trade without money while building creditworthiness. The goal is to facilitate commerce in neighborhoods and increase disposable income, solving the problem of visibility, cash fl...

Democracy that Delivers #253: The Fight Against Corruption with Gary Kalman, Director of the U.S. Office of Transparency International

On this episode of Democracy that Delivers our host Ken Jaques is joined by Anti-Corruption & Governance Center Director Frank Brown and our guest Gary Kalman, Director of the U.S. Office of Transparency International. Gary Kalman is a leading voice in the U.S. for the concerns and priorities of the global anti-corruption movement. Prior to his current position, Kalman had been the executive director of The FACT Coalition. Listen to this podcast to learn more about Gary Kalman's experience a...

Democracy that Delivers #252: Center for Women's Economic Empowerment (CWEE) 3 Year Anniversary

On this episode of Democracy that Delivers, our host Ken Jaques is joined by our Executive Director Andrew Wilson and the Director of the Center for Women’s Economic Empowerment (CWEE) Barb Langley. CWEE is celebrating its third anniversary and Women’s History Month. Listen to this episode to learn more about CWEE’s history and future projects and initiatives.

Democracy That Delivers #251: The Future of Democracy with Solidarity Center’s Executive Director, Shawna Bader-Blau

On this episode of Democracy that Delivers, our host Ken Jaques and our co-host and Executive Director, Andrew Wilson, are joined by Solidarity Center’s Executive Director, Shawna Bader-Blau. This discussion is the second podcast in our series titled, The Future of Democracy. Shawna Bader-Blau shares her insight on the events of January 6th, COVID-19, and how they both have shaped and changed the future of democracy and democracy work.

Democracy that Delivers #250: Anti-Corruption’s Past, Present, & Future with Transparency International Chair Delia Ferreira

Delia Ferreira, Chair of Transparency International (TI), joins the podcast to give a decade-spanning tour of the global fight against corruption from her start as a non-profit leader in Argentina, to the global corruption agenda milestones of the 1990s and 2000s, and finally during the current era of high-profile and sophisticated corruption. Ferreira, who consults for governments, businesses, and international organizations in her leadership capacity with the world’s best-known anti-corrup...

Democracy that Delivers #249: Women's Economic Empowerment Series with Natia Ninikelashvili, Founder of Georgian Innovative Startup Soplidan.ge

On this episode of Democracy that Delivers, our host Ken Jaques is joined by co-host, Maya Eristavi, the Center for International Private Enterprise’s representative in Georgia for the USAID-funded Economic Governance Program. Our guest, Natia Ninikelashvili, is an entrepreneur who founded Soplidan.ge. Soplidan.ge is an innovative online business that connects farmers and customers with an online shop and home delivery system. Listen to learn more about Natia Ninikelashvili’s insight on crea...

Democracy That Delivers #248: The Future of Democracy with NDI's President, Derek Mitchell

The events of January 6th changed the way we look at our democracy. Democracy work is more important than ever and our new series titled, The Future of Democracy, takes a deep dive into the ways we approach our work. Our host Ken Jaques and co-host Andrew Wilson, CIPE’s Executive Director, kick off the series with Derek Mitchell, National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) president. Listen to this episode to gain insight on the future of democracy and democracy support.

Democracy That Delivers Episode #247: Repositioning Anti-Corruption as a Pursuit for Social Justice

Michael Johnston, co-author of the new book, The Conundrum of Corruption: Reform for Social Justice, joins the podcast to speak about “the one goal that makes corruption control a compelling concern in the first place: justice.” Johnston, a retired Colgate University professor and anti-corruption scholar with a career spanning 30 years, joins Anti-Corruption & Governance Center Director Frank Brown and CIPE Communications Director Ken Jaques to discuss what he describes as the “anti-corrupti...

Democracy That Delivers #246: Leading from the Emerging Future with Dr. Otto Scharmer

On this episode of Democracy that Delivers, Dr. Otto Scharmer, Senior Lecturer in the MIT Management Sloan School and co-founder of the Presencing Institute joins our host Ken Jaques and Co-host Anna Kompanek, Director of CIPE’s Global Programs. Dr. Scharmer explains his new way of thinking about leadership for social transformation. For more information on this topic visit his site and read his book “Leading from the Emerging Future: From Ego-System to Eco-System Economies”.

Democracy That Delivers #245: Myanmar Coup, Protests, and Life on the Ground with Khin Lay, Founder and Director of Triangle Women’s Support Group

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is under the control of its army after a military coup overturned a free and fair election on February 1, 2021. On this episode of Democracy that Delivers we’re joined by Khin Lay, a civil society leader living and working in the country; she shares an inside look at what is happening in the country and how the rest of the world can help. John Morrell, CIPE’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, appears as a guest host in this episode.

Democracy That Delivers #244: ESG, Corruption, and the Bright Future of Responsible Investing with Gabriel Thoumi

What is Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) and how is it changing investing? Why has investor adoption of ESG accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic? What does the broadening of compliance standards driven by ESG mean for global anticorruption efforts? Please join a discussion of these questions and more in the Anti-Corruption & Governance Center's latest podcast featuring ESG expert Gabriel Thoumi, CFA, who is a Director at Planet Tracker and Climate Advisers and a Lecturer at John...

Democracy That Delivers #243: Promoting Free Trade in Nigeria and Throughout Africa with Dr. Jonathan Aremu

COVID-19 is disrupting supply chains and slowing economic integration around the globe. Nigeria is no exception. Still, the virus hasn't prevented free trade advocates in Africa from moving ahead. In this edition of Democracy that Delivers, Dr. Jonathan Aremu, a university professor and former official with the Central Bank of Nigeria, discusses the progress of the proposed African Continental Free Trade Area. He joins our host Ken Jaques and CIPE's Africa Regional Director Lars Benson.

Democracy That Delivers #242: Moldova's Parliamentary Elections, Economic Reforms, and Anti-Corruption Efforts with MP Dumitru Alaiba

Democracy is a journey, not a destination. Around the world, uprisings and challenges are familiar to many democratic political leaders. But there are always paths to progress. For example, political leaders in Moldova are working hard to build democratic norms and strengthen the country’s institutions. They are putting an emphasis on good governance and pushing back against corrupt politicians and practices. Dumitru Alaiba, a member of parliament, joins Communications Director Ken Jaques an...

Democracy That Delivers Episode #241: Using Sri Lanka’s New Right To Information Law To Follow The Money

In this latest episode, CIPE's Anti-Corruption & Governance Center features Hasna Munas, an analyst for Verité Research, Sri Lanka’s leading independent think tank. She tells an insider's story of the development of Sri Lanka’s first-ever Right To Information (RTI) law five years ago. Since then, the law has become known as one of the best RTI laws in Asia and the basis for Verité Research's groundbreaking new website, BudgetPromises.org, a one-stop shop for citizens, visitors, and businesse...

Democracy That Delivers #240: Compliance, Environmental Laws, and Enforcement in a Time of Crisis

The unprecedented disruptions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic have hit compliance with environmental laws and regulations hard. In this episode, Shahrzad Majdameli, an attorney with the International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE), joins Communications Director Ken Jaques and Anti-Corruption Program Officer Michele Crymes for a discussion about how the global health emergency has had a domino effect on environmental monitoring, dangerous material disposal, perm...

Democracy That Delivers #239: Fraud Risk and Sustainability with Anti-Corruption Expert Kenneth Barden

What's the secret to making anti-corruption efforts effective in the long term? What lessons can be learned from the mistakes made in public funding and emergency supply chains during COVID-19? In this episode, special guest Kenneth Barden shares answers to these and other questions by drawing on his decades-long career tackling fraud, corruption, and governance challenges, including as a Compliance Specialist role with the Green Climate Fund and an advisor for USAID. This episode is hosted ...

Democracy That Delivers #238: Fedesarrollo’s Luis Mejia on Colombia and the Future of Work

Fedesarrollo’s executive director Luis Fernando Mejia discusses his views on Colombia’s “Future of Work” perspectives. Fedesarrollo’s 50th anniversary gives us the chance to look back at where Colombia was in 1970, assess the country’s modern economy, and explore its post-Covid-19 future.

Democracy That Delivers #237: Interview with FT Journalist Tom Burgis, Author of Kleptopia

Financial Times investigative journalist Tom Burgis, author of the recently released book, Kleptopia, and one of the brightest minds in global corruption, is the guest on the latest edition of the Democracy That Delivers podcast from the Anti-Corruption and Governance Center with CIPE hosts Ken Jaques and Frank Brown. Listen now to hear more about how Burgis' "nonfiction thriller" breaks down the technical complexity of foreign corruption and money laundering into the human stories of four ...

Democracy That Delivers #236: Confronting the World's Humanitarian Crisis

Frank Vogl is the Chair of the Board of Directors for The Partnership for Transparency Fund. In this podcast, he discusses how now more than ever, transparency and accountability are needed on infrastructure investments, which longer-term will be essential to rebuilding economies. Read his recent blog on the CIPE website here: https://www.cipe.org/blog/2020/12/08/challenge-one-confronting-the-worlds-unprecedented-humanitarian-crisis/ 

Democracy That Delivers #235: Beyond Naming & Shaming: Anti-Corruption in the Era of Deglobalization and Pandemic

Deglobalization, nationalism, and the global COVID-19 pandemic are challenging efforts to fight corruption. Joined this week by anti-corruption veteran, thought leader, and chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery, Dragos Kos, CIPE host and anti-corruption director Frank Brown leads a discussion about how new measures—including economic sanctions, diplomacy, and a possible international anti-corruption criminal court—may help countries and activists combat rising global integrity challenge...

Democracy That Delivers #234: Approaching Project Management and Policy with a Gender Lens

Gender mainstreaming and safeguarding is a growing area of focus in international development, governance, and the private sector.  In this podcast, CIPE's Ken Jaques is joined by two experts to discuss gender mainstreaming with the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, and private-sector partner DHL, to discuss how it leads innovation and often finds solutions that can be cross-cutting among societal sectors and business. Candice White, joins us from the Global Alliance for Trade Facilita...

Democracy That Delivers #233: Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020 at CIPE, with Kim Bettcher

We are joined by Kim Bettcher, Director of CIPE's Policy and Program Learning Department, to discuss some of CIPE's approaches to promote policy changes for entrepreneurs, and the work our partners do to promote entrepreneurship on a global scale.

Democracy That Delivers #232: Business Integrity at the Time of Crisis and Beyond

We are joined by Katya Lysova, Program Officer for Europe and Eurasia, and Michele Crymes, Program Officer for the Anti-Corruption and Governance Center. CIPE is launching a new guide aimed at fostering business integrity and ethics in emerging markets. The Guidebook "Strengthening Ethical Conduct & Business Integrity: A Guide for Companies in Emerging Markets" highlights a decade of lessons learned and observations of the private sector supporting ethical business practices among companie...

Democracy That Delivers #231: ZCIEA-Uniting Zimbabwe’s Informal Sector Through the Pursuit of Formalization and Reform

In this podcast, we are joined by Wisborn Malaya, Secretary-General of the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations (ZCIEA), and Ryan Musser, Program Officer for Africa at CIPE. They highlight some recent initiatives CIPE partner ZCIEA has worked on to unite the informal sector in Zimbabwe and push for legal and policy reforms that enable informal economy associations to formalize and gain greater autonomy, financial inclusion, and social protections.

Democracy That Delivers #230: The Global Anti-Corruption Landscape in 2020, with Michael Hershman

In this Democracy That Delivers podcast sponsored by the Anti-Corruption and Governance Center, we are joined by Transparency International (TI) co-founder Michael Hershman to discuss his decades-long trajectory in the field of anti-corruption. Michael Hershman is a CIPE Board Member, whose career started with investigations into public corruption in New York City in the 1970s. Since then, aside from helping to shepherd TI through its early years, he worked with governments, corporations, ...

Democracy That Delivers #229: Inter-Afghan Peace Negotiations, with Manizha Wafeq

In this podcast, Erinn Benedict, Program Officer for the Center for Women's Economic Empowerment (CWEE) at CIPE, is joined by renowned guest Manizha Wafeq. They discuss CIPE’s support for women’s economic empowerment in Afghanistan and women’s roles in the long-awaited Inter-Afghan peace negotiations between the Taliban and Afghan government that commenced on September 12 in Qatar. Manizha Wafeq, President of CIPE partner AWCCI, discusses what’s at stake for Afghan women during the negotia...

Democracy That Delivers #229: Peace Negotiations

Democracy That Delivers #228: Inter-Afghan Peace Negotiations, with Mohammed Nasib

We are joined by Mohammed Nasib, CIPE Country Director for Afghanistan, and Babak Yektafar, CIPE Senior Program Officer for the Middle East and North Africa. They discuss the work that CIPE has done in Afghanistan to help the country's democratic development and assess how that work and future work might be impacted by various scenarios that the negotiations may present.

Democracy That Delivers #228: Peace Negotiations

Democracy That Delivers #227: Forestry Compliance with Alfredo Rodriguez

In this episode of CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast series, we are joined by Alfredo Rodriguez, the Asia-Pacific Regional Coordinator for the Timber Regulation Enforcement Exchange (TREE) program within the Forest Policy, Trade, and Finance Initiative. Based in South Korea, he facilitates the coordination between the program and the Asia Pacific network and liaises with governments and key actors, while reporting policy development and implementation processes of relevant r...

Democracy That Delivers #226: Innovations to Address the Pandemic and Assist in Economic Recovery

We are joined by Laura Maclay, Program Associate for Africa at CIPE, and Moses Akidadi Injenga of the Vihiga chapter of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI-Vihiga), a winner of CIPE’s Africa Associations Innovations Contest, which aimed to celebrate and highlight business membership organizations in Africa who creatively and effectively responding to the COVID-19 crisis. KNCCI-Vihiga is a chamber of commerce whose mission is to advocate for a business environment in ...

Democracy That Delivers #225: How to Support Whistleblowers, with Jim Wasserstrom

Democracy That Delivers #224: What it Means to be a Whistleblower, with Jim Wasserstrom

Democracy That Delivers #223: The Story of a Whistleblower, with Jim Wasserstrom

Democracy That Delivers #222: Crisis of Corruption in Lebanon

In this debut edition of CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast series,  we are joined by Badri El Meouchi. El Meouchi is president of the board of directors of the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) and has been working to battle corruption in the country for more than 15 years. El Meouchi describes an aggressive reform agenda to bring Lebanon back from the brink and announces LTA’s role in a coalition to monitor humanitarian relief and recovery assistance, and to ensure go...

Democracy That Delivers #221: Mobilizing Business to Assist Communities During the Pandemic

In this podcast, we are joined by Mark Antony Otwane, the CEO of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) in Uasin Gishu. KNCCI-Uasin Gishu is a CIPE Africa Associations Innovations Contest Winner. He, co-host CIPE Program Officer for Africa Ryan Musser, and host Ken Jaques discuss the chamber and its history, as well as the challenges that it has faced as a result of the pandemic.

Democracy That Delivers #220: The Impact of Global Investments on National Security

Dr. Efraim Chalamish is a senior advisor at Duff & Phelps and leads the firm’s Israel practice. He is also a Fellow in the Duff & Phelps Institute, providing thought leadership on a variety of economic and regulatory matters. With more than two decades of professional experience, Efraim has practiced international law in Israel, Paris and New York, and has served as a media contributor and columnist. Additionally, he has acted as an independent expert and advisor to multinational companies a...

Democracy That Delivers #219: Unpredictability of the Future of Supply Chains

Democracy That Delivers #218: COVID-19’s Impact on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (part 2)

This week we are joined once again by Yun Sun of the Stimson Center in a discussion about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Chinese domestic and foreign policy. Yun Sun is a Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the East Asia Program and Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center. Her expertise is in Chinese foreign policy, U.S.-China relations and China’s relations with neighboring countries and authoritarian regimes. Catherine Tai is a Senior Program Officer for Asia and the Pac...

Democracy That Delivers #217: Alternative Investments and Volatile Markets

David Larsen is a managing director in the Alternative Asset Advisory practice, based in Seattle, Washington and a Duff & Phelps Institute Fellow. He has more than 35 years of transaction and accounting experience. He specializes in fair value accounting, specifically for valuation, accounting and regulatory issues faced by alternative asset managers and investors. In this podcast, he discusses how large institutional investors have increasingly invested in so-called "alternative investmen...

Democracy That Delivers #216: COVID-19's Impact on China's Belt and Road Initiative

This week we are joined by Yun Sun of the Stimson center in a discussion about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Chinese domestic and foreign policy. Yun Sun is a Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the East Asia Program and Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center. Her expertise is in Chinese foreign policy, U.S.-China relations and China’s relations with neighboring countries and authoritarian regimes.

Democracy That Delivers #215: Akash Shrestha on Nepal's Post-COVID19 Recovery Plans

Akash Shrestha is the Research Manager at Samriddhi Foundation. He also engages with the politicians, policy-makers, bureaucrats, and sectorial experts of Samriddhi’s research areas as part of Samriddhi’s advocacy efforts. In this podcast, he discusses how the pandemic has hit Nepal and Nepal’s response to how the decentralized system of federalism facilitated the response.

Democracy That Delivers #214: Impacts of COVID-19 on Supply Chains in the APAC Region

We are joined this week by Richard Dailly, who is a managing director in the Business Intelligence and Investigations practice of Kroll, a division of Duff & Phelps, based in the Singapore office, and a fellow at the Duff & Phelps Institute. In this podcast, he discusses how COVID will result in the future re-orientation of supply chains, and how this could have significant geopolitical and security impact which will reinforce factionalism and challenge globalization.

Democracy That Delivers #213: Media Reporting and Monitoring in Sri Lanka Amid COVID-19

We are joined this week by two guests from Sri Lankan partner Verite Research to discuss unethical media reporting practices and solutions. Stephanie Nicolle is an Assistant Analyst in the Media Team at Verité Research, and Rochel Canagasabey is an Assistant Manager in the Media Team at Verité Research. Verite has been highlighting this content via their platforms Ethics Eye and Factcheck.lk and has been raising questions on unethical reporting to hold the media accountable and improve the q...

Democracy That Delivers #212 - Promoting Transparency in Investment Policies of Developing Economies

Dr. Vaqar Ahmed is Joint Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). He is a former civil servant and has served as an Advisor to UNDP. He has also undertaken assignments with Asian Development Bank, World Bank Group, and Ministries of Finance, Planning and Commerce in Pakistan. He is joined by John Morell, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at CIPE, to discuss the disruptive effects of COVID-19 on supply chains in Pakistan, the Belt and Road Initiative's pro...

Democracy That Delivers #211: Entrepreneurial Success in Times of Crisis with Osman Cakiroglu

Osman Cakiroglu, Project Director of the LIFE Project, joins host Ken Jaques to discuss the new ways the program is helping local entrepreneurs in Turkey impacted by the global pandemic. They also discuss the upcoming CIPE event with the consortium partners (register here) and the exciting launch of the LIFE Project Cookbook that is now available for purchase. All proceeds of the cookbook will go towards the LIFE Project. 

Democracy That Delivers #210: Launch of the Public Integrity Forecast with Alina Mungiu-Pippidi

This week on Democracy That Delivers, we are joined by Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, Professor of Democracy Studies at the Hertie School in Berlin, and Frank Brown, the Director of CIPE's Anti-Corruption and Governance Center. They discuss what led to the creation of the newly published Public Integrity Forecast and how the current COVID-19 pandemic and other events have had an effect on the forecast, as well as the connection between the Forecast and the Anti-Corruption Rapid Response program pion...

Democracy That Delivers #210: Launch of the Public Integrity Forecast with Alina Mungiu-Pippidi

This week on Democracy That Delivers, we are joined by Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, Professor of Democracy Studies at the Hertie School in Berlin, and Frank Brown, the Director of CIPE's Anti-Corruption and Governance Center. They discuss what led to the creation of the newly published Public Integrity Forecast and how the current COVID-19 pandemic and other events have had an effect on the forecast, as well as the connection between the Forecast and the Anti-Corruption Rapid Response program pion...

Democracy That Delivers #209: Responsible Economic Policy-Making in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia

Host Ken Jaques is joined by two CIPE partners from the Western Balkans: Adis Muhovic from The Center for Policy and Governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Petar Čekerevac from LIBEK in Serbia. They discuss the current political situation in their respective countries, some roots and consequences of economic challenges, and proposed solutions. This episode was originally recorded in November 2019.