Democracy That Delivers

Democracy That Delivers #208: Impact of COVID-19 on Supply Chains and National Security

Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale is a managing director at Kroll, a division of Duff & Phelps, based in the Washington, D.C. office. Nicole has more than 25 years of executive-level experience and a unique viewpoint on global commercial and compliance matters from her extensive service in both the public and private sectors. She joins our host Ken Jaques to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on supply chains and national security. 

Democracy That Delivers #207: Thilo Hanemman on the Global History of Chinese Investments

Thilo Hanemman, a partner at Rhodium Group and leads the firm’s work on global trade and investment, joins host Ken Jaques to discuss the report “Mitigating Governance Risks From Investment in Southeast Asia” (read it here). He presents an overview of how Chinese Investments have changed, or not changed, over the years. 

Democracy That Delivers #206: How North Korea is Managing the COVID-19 Crisis

Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein is a Nonresident Fellow with the Stimson Center, where he works primarily with the 38 North project, and serves as editor for its affiliate website North Korean Economy Watch. He is also an Associate Scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, and a Doctoral Candidate at the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is writing his dissertation about the history of social control in North Korea. He joins co-host Jane Kim, CIPE Program...

Democracy That Delivers #205: Mitigating the COVID19 Crisis in Bangladesh with Selima Ahmad

Selima Ahmad is a member of the Bangladesh Parliament, as well as founder and president of the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI). She joins us for a podcast with CIPE's Center for Women and Economic Empowerment Director Barbara Langley to discuss how Bangladesh is managing the COVID19 crisis and some things she is doing in her capacity as a politician and businesswoman.

Democracy That Delivers #204: COVID-19 and Government's Responses Around the World

Brian Joseph is Vice President, Programs at the National Endowment for Democracy. He has over 20 years of experience working to advance democracy and human rights. He joins our host Ken Jaques to discuss COVID-19 and government's responses around the world. 

Democracy That Delivers #203: An Analysis of COVID-19 and Bangladesh

Dr. Ali Riaz is a well-known author, a Senior Non-Resident Fellow with the Atlantic Council, and a Distinguished Professor​ at the Department of Politics and Government of Illinois State University. He joins Regional Director John Morrell, and host Ken Jaques to discuss the economic impact of COVID-19 on Bangladesh’s economy as well as some insight on other parts of South Asia. 

Democracy That Delivers #202: A Discussion on Chinese Investment Impact in Indonesia

Mary Silaban, Senior Fellow at Paramadina Public Policy Institute in Jakarta, Indonesia, discusses her research on property rights, investments, and the mining sector. Silaban joined us as a panelist for a CIPE event titled: "Mitigating Governance Risks from Investment in Southeast Asia – A Study of Chinese Capital Flows to Eight Countries." More information and a recording of the event can be found on the CIPE website.  This podcast was originally recorded in December 2019. 

Democracy that Delivers #201: Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Nepal’s Economy

Sujeev Shakya is the Founder CEO of beed (www.beed.com.np), a Nepal based international management consulting and financial advisory firm that works in Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Rwanda, and the US. He joins Regional Director John Morrell, and host Ken Jaques to discuss the economic impact of COVID-19 on Nepal’s economy.

Democracy That Delivers #200: The LIFE Project Cookbook

We celebrate Democracy That Deliver's 200th podcast with a special episode just in time for Giving Tuesday 2020.  We are joined by CIPE's Marie Principe and the Stimson Center's Johanna Mendelson-Forman for a behind the scenes look at CIPE's very first cookbook "The Cuisine of LIFE" - now available for purchase online. To learn more about the cookbook and the project, please visit: https://lifeforentrepreneurs.com/cookbook  This podcast was originally recorded in December 2019.

Democracy that Delivers #199: Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Bangladesh’s Economy

Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir is a Professor of Economics at the Department of Development Studies of the University of Dhaka. He joins Regional Director John Morrell, and host Ken Jaques to discuss the economic impact of COVID-19 on Bangladesh’s economy.

Democracy that Delivers #198: Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Pakistan's Economy

Professor Dr. S Akbar Zaidi is a Political Economist who has had nearly four decades of teaching and research experience in Pakistan and abroad. He joins Regional Director John Morrell, and host Ken Jaques to discuss the economic impact of COVID-19 on Pakistan's economy. 

Democracy that Delivers #197: Keeping MSMEs Connected and in Business

How can we advocate forcefully to maintain a business enabling environment amid COVID-19, lockdowns, and changing rules? Associations and chambers of commerce affiliated with CIPE are providing new forms of leadership on this front, as well as services and information, to people around the world. CIPE Executive Director Andrew Wilson and Senior Program Officer Stephen Rosenlund explain how they and partners in numerous countries are leveraging “maximum telework situations” to help micro, sma...

Democracy That Delivers #196: The State of Chinese Investment in Malaysia with Laurence Todd

Laurence Todd, Director of Research at IDEAS (Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs) in Malaysia, joins host Ken Jaques. Todd visited CIPE's headquarters for an event on Chinese capital flows to Southeast Asian countries in December 2019 to pre-launch a report on the topic co-authored by Todd. Check out the newly published report.

Democracy That Delivers #195: Closing The Gender Gap in Access to Finance with IFC's Heather Mae Kipnis

We close out Women's History Month with a podcast with the Women’s Entrepreneurship Product Lead for the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) Gender Secretariat, Heather Mae Kipnis, and CIPE's Director for the Center for Women's Economic Empowerment, Barbara Langley. They discuss IFC's role in supporting stakeholders and clients to close gender gaps in the economy, and doing so in a sustainable way. Heather Mae Kipnis highlights the business case for closing the gender gap and help crea...

Democracy That Delivers #194: What Can Business Do To Combat Corruption?

Dr. Liz David-Barrett, Professor of Governance and Integrity and Director of the Centre for the Study of Corruption, University of Sussex, joins Associate Program Officer for CIPE's Anti-Corruption and Governance Center in this podcast. They discuss major trends in the global anti-corruption space and its study, and what corporations can in terms of global leadership. Dr. David-Barrett also talks about her work with "integrity clubs" and their conditions for success. 

Democracy That Delivers #193: Carolina Acosta on GATF's Successful Trade Facilitation Project in Colombia

This week, Carolina Acosta, Regional Representative for the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF), joins host Ken Jaques and co-host Florent Bakija, Program Officer for GATF. They discuss how trade facilitation can help developing countries like Colombia save millions every year (approx $14.3 million) if the Trade Facilitation Agreement is implemented. They also highlight how the work in Colombia has been a huge success, and how the project can be replicated in countries around the w...

Democracy That Delivers #192: Leveraging the Private Sector to Improve the Economic Enabling Environment for Women

Democracy That Delivers #191: Aisalkyn Botoeva on Women’s Entrepreneurship in Central Asia

Aisalkyn Botoeva’s work as a sociologist addresses many of CIPE’s focus areas, from women’s entrepreneurship to associations, specifically in Central Asia, she has a lot of experience to share. In this podcast, she will discuss the evolution of women’s entrepreneurship from the 1990s to today in two countries, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. She will analyze the impact of international organizations, governments, as well as women’s own organizations in supporting entrepreneurship, and identify ar...

Democracy That Delivers #190 - Deependra Chaulagain on Federalism and Entrepreneurship in Nepal

Deependra Chaulagain is the Director of Operations & Outreach at Samriddhi Foundation where he designs operational systems and oversees outreach programs. He joined Samriddhi Foundation in 2007 and is also a former President of Liberal Youth of South Asia (LYSA). He holds experience of designing and executing several national and international programs in youth politics and entrepreneurship. 

Democracy That Delivers #189 - Syeed Ahamed on Youth Leadership Development in Bangladesh

Syeed Ahamed is a public policy analyst and CEO of the public policy think-tank— Institute of Informatics and Development (IID) that aims to make policy public. Last year, CIPE began the first of a multi-phase program with IID. In the first phase, CIPE and IID selected 101 young people through an intensely competitive process to participate in this program. IID ensured participants represented diverse communities as well as local leadership from existing youth clubs, thereby maximizing the...

Democracy That Delivers #188: Ilhom Aliev on Entrepreneurship and Doing Business in Tajikistan

Tajikistan, a country of approximately 9 million, is the poorest of the post-Soviet states. Remittances from labor migrants – over 1 million of whom travel to Russia each year for work – make up roughly 30% of GDP. In this context, Western narratives often neglect the business environment in Tajikistan for foreign companies as well as local entrepreneurs. As the former Executive Director of the AmCham and a specialist in digital and startup development, Ilhom Aliev is uniquely positioned to ...

Democracy That Delivers #187: Building Networks for Business Advocacy Across Europe & Eurasia

Jaroslav Romanchuk is a leading free-market economist, advocate for the private sector, and voice for democracy throughout Eastern Europe and Eurasia, particularly in Belarus. As a longtime CIPE partner, he has built the capacity of business organizations to advocate reforms in challenging environments and helped CIPE to identify lessons applicable around the world. This podcast focuses on Jaroslav’s work in Belarus, involvement with CIPE in Uzbekistan, and global trends to identify lesson...

Democracy That Delivers #186: Assessing the Role of Municipalities In Facilitating Ease of Doing Business

This week on Democracy That Delivers, Zia Banday, the Joint Executive Director of PRIME Institute, a public policy research organization and think tank, discusses the subject of democratic governance reform in Pakistan. He highlights PRIME's work in assessing the role of municipalities in facilitating ease of doing business for SMEs and MEs in Pakistan. 

Democracy That Delivers #185: The Role of the Private Sector in Developing Post-Conflict Regions in Colombia

This week on Democracy That Delivers, we are joined once again by Jaime Arteaga, CIPE's Country Representative in Colombia. Since July 2018, CIPE has been working with Jaime and local partners in Colombia, Asocentro and Consejo Gremial Nacional, on a project to increase private investment in zones transitioning from conflict. Jaime speaks about how CIPE adapted the project strategy to changing local conditions and share success stories and lessons learned as the project is ending.

Democracy That Delivers #184: Mohammed Nasib on Strengthening Afghanistan for Recovery

CIPE's Mohammed Nasib, Country Director in Afghanistan, reflects on the current state of Afghanistan's socio-political and economic affairs. He discusses CIPE's grassroots work helping citizen-led advocacy taskforces to include youth and women at the provincial level (with Provincial Business Agendas) to create greater impact. 

Democracy That Delivers #184: Strength and Recovery

Democracy That Delivers #183: Priscilla Clapp on Her Global Career

Priscilla Clapp joins us on CIPE's Democracy That Delivers podcast this week. She is currently a senior advisor to the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Asia Society, and is a retired Minister-Counselor in the U.S. Foreign Service. Host Ken Jaques asks her to share some stories on her insightful career spanning some of America's most turbulent times for arms control during the Cold War, and her experience working in the Asia region.

Democracy That Delivers #182: Post-election Argentina - What is next for politics in the country?

This week we are joined by John Zemko, Regional Director for LAC at CIPE, and Julia Pomares , who has been the executive director of the Center for the Implementation of Public Policies Promoting Equity and Growth (CIPPEC) since December 2015. CIPE and CIPPEC worked together during the 2011 presidential elections in Argentina to hold the first presidential debates in the country. During this most recent election, we saw the candidates debate each other twice. Results aside, and at a time w...

Democracy That Delivers #181 - Narayan Adhikari on Fighting Corruption in Nepal with the Accountability Lab

This week on Democracy That Delivers we are joined by Narayan Adhikari from Nepal's Accountability Lab. They discuss his work in developing a number of innovative tools for accountability and open government, including a pioneering television show and movement called Integrity Icon; and the Mobile Citizen Helpdesks which have ensured citizen voices have been been fed into plans for $4.4 billion of international spending after Nepal's devastating earthquake. The Integrity Icon is a global pr...

Democracy That Delivers #180 - Part 2 Corruption as a Brake on Balkan Recovery

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, announced a briefing analyzing corruption in the Balkans on December 3rd, 2019, titled: IT’S ALL ABOUT MONEY Corruption as a Brake on Balkan Recovery We are joined by Igor Novakovic, Research Director, International and Security Affairs Centre in Serbia, and Misha Popovikj, Project Coordinator and Researcher at the Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis Skopje in North Macedonia. They di...

Democracy That Delivers #179 - Part 1 Corruption as a Brake on Balkan Recovery

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, announced a briefing analyzing corruption in the Balkans on December 3rd, 2019, titled: IT’S ALL ABOUT MONEY Corruption as a Brake on Balkan Recovery We are joined by Igor Stojanovic, Researcher with the Center for Civic Initiatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Martin Vladimirov, Analyst with the Economics Program at the Center for the Study of Democracy in Bulgaria. They discuss CIPE's ...

Democracy That Delivers #178: Randall Kempner on ANDE's Strategy for the Next Decade

We are joined this week by Randall Kempner, Executive Director of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs, also known as ANDE. He and CIPE's Director of Knowledge Management, Kim Bettcher, discuss ANDE's strategy over the past decade since its founding in 2009, and what its new strategy will be in the next decade.  "What I and my team want to make sure, is that those people that are supporting entrepreneurs are benefiting from the best practice, the best knowledge and the connection...

Democracy That Delivers #177: Josh Rudolph on Malign Finance Loopholes in Party Financing

Due to technical difficulties at the CIPE studio, last week's Democracy That Delivers podcast is being published this week.  This week, Martina Hrvolova, Program Officer for Europe and Eurasia at CIPE, is our host. She is joined by Josh Rudolph, the Fellow for Malign Finance at the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund. They discuss the issue of party financing from foreign sources, focusing on some country examples and channels, including shell companies or subsidiar...

Democracy That Delivers #176: Introduction to Women And Girls Empowered (WAGE)

We are joined this week by consortium members of the Women And Girls Empowered program (WAGE) to introduce this global programming consortium. The mission of WAGE is to advance the status of women and girls around the world. The program is funded by the U.S Department of State's Office for Global Women's Issues. The consortium is led by the American Bar Association's Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) in very close partnership with CIPE, Grameen Foundation, and Search for Common Ground.The pr...

Democracy That Delivers #175: Skills that Pay the Bills - Democratizing Opportunity for Youth & Fostering Opportunity Entrepreneurship in North Macedonia

To enhance the capacity of Macedonian youth to engage in entrepreneurship, CIPE, William Davidson Institute (WDI) of the University of Michigan, and Youth Educational Forum (YEF) have partnered to develop a comprehensive youth entrepreneurship training program for North Macedonia. Since its pilot in 2017, the program supports and encourages youth entrepreneurship and private sector employment across various sectors of the country’s economy. We are joined by Stephen Brand, Entrepreneurship ...

Democracy That Delivers #174: CIPE Staff Podcast - All Paths Lead to Development

What pathways can one take to get a job in international development? This week, we hear from three staff members who took very different routes to come to CIPE. From interests in governance, private sector and CSOs, or regional passions, CIPE provides all kinds of opportunities.

Democracy That Delivers #173: Martina Hrvolova Ahead of Presentation at SCCE Conference

This week on Democracy That Delivers, we are joined by Martina Hrvolova and Ken Jaques. Martina shares a glimpse of her upcoming presentation at the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) 2019 Western Balkans Regional Conference. They discuss CIPE's approach to identifying and combatting corrosive capital through different governance structures, as countries are at different stages in their development, and the steps they are taking to recognize the threat. 

Democracy That Delivers #172: Technical Guidance and Anti-Corruption Reform

In this episode of Democracy That Delivers, we are joined by Peter Glover, Associate program Officer of CIPE's Anti-Corruption and Governance Center, and special guest Schuyler Miller. Miller recently returned from Trinity College in Dublin, where he completed his Master's Degree in International relations. He joins us to discuss the findings from his research dissertation on the relationship between international organizational input and financial disclosure reforms.  

Democracy That Delivers #171: Why Trade Matters with Jose Raul Perales

In this week's Democracy That Delivers, we are joined by José Raúl Perales, Deputy Director of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF) at CIPE. Perales and host Ken Jaques discuss the beginnings of GATF's work with CIPE, and how trade and the private sector can work better together. They also discuss the first project the team at CIPE has closed out, and the great successes that have come out of it in Colombia: "It was a relatively small project, but the impact in monetary terms ...

Democracy That Delivers #170: Discussion on Infrastructure with Gyude Moore

"You need an infrastructure spine to build an economy," says guest Gyude Moore in this week's episode of Democracy That Delivers. Gyude Moore is a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development, and former Minister of Public Works for Liberia. He joins Ryan Musser, Program Officer for Africa at CIPE, and host Ken Jaques, in an insightful discussion on the vast field of infrastructure development. They discuss a number of issues, including the presence and practices of leading bilater...

Democracy That Delivers #169: The CAMP Matrix with Rick O'Sullivan

Rick O'Sullivan joins host Ken Jaques and co-host Ryan Musser to continue their conversation about collective governance. During this session, they discuss the CAMP Matrix and its significance in explaining and understanding associations. Associations are not just about members. Members are only one of four core constituencies that associations need to engage to ensure their very survival. The other three, Customers, Allies, and Partners, are often overlooked but of equal importance to the s...

Democracy That Delivers #168: When Governance is Not Government

This week on Democracy That Delivers, we are joined by Rick O'Sullivan, who joined us for episode #157 of DTD. This podcast continues the conversation with co-host Ryan Musser, and host Ken Jaques. They examine the importance of civil society taking an active role in governing and not just advocating for government action through legislative or regulatory restraints.  During their conversation, they link  “third party governance” to self-sustaining CSO capacity, reducing corruption and cou...

Democracy That Delivers #167: Desmond Irabor on Nigeria's Economy

Desmond Irabor is a Program Officer at Nigeria's field office. He has been involved in supporting and leading the implementation of numerous CIPE projects in Nigeria, that include: Building state-based coalitions in 7states in Nigeria and a national women’s coalition that included state business agendas and two election debates (2015 and 2019) A port-reform project with Lagos Chamber of Commerce and the Organized Private Sector Building the capacity of the Nigerian Association of Chambe...

Democracy That Delivers #166: Ali Ayadi on CIPE's Work in Tunisia

We are joined by Ali Ayadi, CIPE’s Country Representative in Tunisia, to discuss the changing social, political and economic environment of the country. He and host Ken Jaques begin by discussing the recent passing of the late President of Tunisia, Beji Caid Essebsi. Ayadi then discusses some of the work CIPE does with partners such as the Jasmine Foundation and Institute Arabe des Chefs d’Entreprises  (IACE) to help boost youth entrepreneurship in the country, and how the office has been wo...

Democracy that Delivers #165: Emily Crain on the Convention Violence and Harassment in the World of Work

Emily Crain joins us this week on Democracy That Delivers to discuss her recent trip in Geneva, Switzerland, where she attended the Centenary of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Part of the conversations at the conference included the discussion of the convention concerning the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work. She describes the nuances of the convention with the tripartite system (government, private sector, and workers), and the resulting Convention 1...

Democracy That Delivers #164: Eric Olander of the China Africa Project

This week on Democracy That Delivers, our host is Lars Benson, Regional Director of Africa for CIPE. We are joined by co-host Ryan Musser, Program Officer for Africa at CIPE, and Eric Olander, the founder of the China Africa Project (CAP). CAP is an independent, non-partisan media initiative dedicated to exploring every facet of China’s engagement in Africa. The CAP is now followed by more than a million people around the world, especially among policymakers in Beijing and Washington. Eric i...

Democracy That Delivers #163: Jehan Ara on Digital Transformation in Pakistan and Developing Economies

Jehan Ara is a long-time CIPE partner, FEDN member, and President of the Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA) based in Islamabad. Jehan is a motivator, an entrepreneur, a social activist and a strong propagator of extending the power and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) beyond pure traditional business, to empower and enable communities.  In this episode, Jehan and CIPE's Regional Director for Global, Anna Kompanek, discuss some successes and c...

Democracy That Delivers #162: The DNA of Democracy with Author Richard C. Lyons

This week on Democracy That Delivers, we are joined remotely by author Richard C. Lyons. Lyons has been involved in printing, publishing, stage and television production throughout his professional career. His most recent work, "The DNA of Democracy," takes a historical look at the evolution of democracy through short essays differentiating distinct time periods. With host Ken Jaques, he discusses some valuable points about the current state of democracy, as well as what part independent bus...

Democracy That Delivers #161: Women and Refugees in the LIFE Project

This week on Democracy That Delivers, we highlight CIPE's work in helping refugee populations in the MENA region, especially women, ahead of International Refugee Day on June 20th. Women comprise 49% of the Syrian refugees living outside of camps in Turkey, and more strikingly, 95% of Syrian refugees in Turkey are outside of camps. The Livelihoods Innovation through Food Entrepreneurship (LIFE) Project is an innovative approach to the humanitarian challenge of the Syrian refugee crisis, and ...

Democracy That Delivers #160 : Dr. Bijan Khajehpour on Sanctions on Iran and its Effect on The Private Sector

Dr. Bijan Khajehpour is the managing partner of Eurasian Nexus Partners (Eunepa) – a Vienna-based strategy consulting firm.  He has advised international companies on West Asian markets for more than two decades. He has also been involved in mediation and negotiations of international business and investment partnerships. In this Democracy That Delivers podcast, along with Babak Yektafar,  CIPE Senior Program Officer for MENA, he discusses the issue of corrupt networks in Iran, and how tha...