Democracy That Delivers

Democracy that Delivers #110: U.S. Embassy’s Brad Coley on PNG

Brad Coley, Economic Officer for the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, recently sat down with CIPE’s John Morrell and Pam Kelley to discuss how the WBRC project is helping to advance gender equality and positively impacting PNG’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Democracy that Delivers #109: Think Tank CARE Algeria’s Samy Boukaila

Samy Boukaila, the founder of Algeria’s first think tank, CARE, recently sat down with CIPE’s Ken Jaques and Brenna Curti to explain why economic diversification is so critical for the nation and how his organization has pressed the message.

Democracy that Delivers #108: Former Malawi President Joyce Banda on Women’s Economic Empowerment in Africa

Former Malawi President Joyce Banda on Women’s Economic Empowerment in Africa

Democracy that Delivers #107: Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia Outlines Gains in Anti-corruption Efforts in the Former Soviet Republic

On this week’s podcast, George Welton provides insight on Georgia’s struggle with corruption following the fall of the Soviet Union and the country’s economic collapse.

Democracy that Delivers #106: New York Times Journalist David Barboza on China Corruption Scandal Totaling Billions

New York Times journalist David Barboza discusses how he uncovered a network of corruption by the Chinese prime minister’s family in which billions of dollars in secret wealth were uncovered.

Democracy that Delivers #105: Increase of Corruption in China and Corrosive Capital in other Countries

Andrew Wedeman, a political science professor at Georgia State University, provides a history of China’s economic growth and the positive and negative effects of its international investments thru the One Belt One Road Initiative.

Democracy that Delivers #104: Russian Political and Economic Influence in Central and Eastern Europe

Ruslan Stefanov, Director of the Economic Program of the Center for the Study of Democracy in Bulgaria

Democracy that Delivers #103 Russian Meddling in Montenegro’s Economy and Political Processes

 Milica Kovacevic, President of Montenegrin Center for Democratic Transition

Democracy that Delivers #102: Corrosive Capital and Propaganda in Serbia

Nemanja Todorović Štiplija, President of the Centre for Contemporary Politics and Editor-in-Chief of the European Western Balkans Igor Novakovic, Research Director of the International and Security Affairs Centre

Democracy that Delivers #101: Radko Hokovsky on Czech Republic’s Political Division as Presidential Elections Approaches

With presidential elections approaching in the Czech Republic, policy expert Radko Hokovsky analyzes the current political climate and key reform issues. 

Democracy that Delivers #100th: Dr. Delia Ferreira Rubio during her First U.S. Appearance as Transparency International Chair

On this special 100th episode of Democracy that Delivers, Dr. Delia Ferreira Rubio shares her vision regarding the global fight against corruption and spotlights innovative new approaches that appear to be working.

Democracy that Delivers #99: Long-time CIPE Partner Jaroslav Romanchuk Discusses Evolution of Economic System in Belarus

On this week’s podcast, Belarussian economist Jaroslav Romanchuk discusses important reforms taking place in his home country, which has maintained many Soviet Union ideologies.

Democracy that Delivers #98: How Countries Can Overcome Challenges to Enforcing Anti-Corruption Laws

Drago Kos, who chairs the OECD’s Working Group on Bribery, is the guest of this week’s podcast and discusses the difficulties many nations face when implementing anti-corruption measures.

Democracy that Delivers #97: Reform Measures and the Role of Civil Society in Poland

In this week’s podcast, Civil Development Forum Vice President, Marek Tatala shares his take and explains how CDF is using technology and other outreach mechanisms to empower citizens.

Democracy that Delivers #96: Citizens Stand to Benefit from Improving the Way the Indonesian Government Buys Goods and Services

In this week’s podcast, Jeanmarie Meyer and Troy Wray discuss the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) efforts to update Indonesia’s purchasing processes through the Procurement Modernization Project.

Democracy that Delivers #95: Cadasta’s Frank Pichel Explains How Land Rights Impact Modern Economies

In this new podcast, Cadasta Foundation Interim CEO Frank Pichel explains the vital role of land rights within modern economies and how Cadasta is leveraging new technology to strengthen and formalize land tenure systems in developing nations

Democracy that Delivers #94: Manizha Wafeq on Trailblazing the Creation of Afghanistan’s First Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Manizha Wafeq, a founder of the Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI), discusses the groundbreaking formation of the country’s first women’s chamber of commerce.

Democracy that Delivers #94

Democracy that Delivers #93: Rezani Aziz on Women Entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka

In this week’s podcast, Aziz shares the changes she’s witnessed and helped foster for women entrepreneurs from 1988 to today.

Democracy that Delivers #92: Former US Ambassador Pifer Discusses the Evolution of Ukraine from Former Soviet Republic to a Democratic State

In this week’s podcast, Steven Pifer, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Ambassador to Ukraine, guides the listener through the development of U.S. diplomatic relations with Ukraine following the breakup of the Soviet Union through the present.

Democracy that Delivers Podcast #91: Hudson Hollister on How Open Data Supports Accountability and Business Opportunities

Hudson Hollister quit his congressional job in 2012 and used his retirement savings to found The Data Coalition.  His mission: to make U.S. government spending information more transparent and publicly available.  The Data Coalition successfully pushed for new laws requiring federal agencies to release key financial figures on one internet site and use the same format. Despite some big implementation challenges, Hollister says the requirements make government leaders more accountable to th...

Democracy that Delivers #90: Frank Vogl on Confronting Corruption in the Private Sector

Businesses that take on corruption and pursue a path of integrity can come out ahead financially, says Frank Vogl, anti-corruption expert and adjunct professor at Georgetown University.

Democracy that Delivers #89: Jaime Arteaga on the Importance of the Private Sector in Colombia’s Peace Process

As part of its post-war recovery plan, Colombia’s government is offering big incentives to businesses that expand operations there and reaching out to local communities for input.  The new program is a critical part of Colombia’s ongoing peace process, according to Jaime Arteaga, CIPE’s lead in-country consultant.  The government is promising huge tax breaks to companies that make long-term investments in Colombia’s post-conflict regions, many of which are highly-populated and rich in na...

Democracy that Delivers #88: Group 484 on Refugees in Serbia

This week’s podcast features Vladimir Petronijevic, executive director, and Miroslava Jelacic, legal analyst, with Group 484—a nonprofit organization founded in Serbia in 1995 to support 484 refugee families.

Democracy that Delivers Podcast #87: Imtiaz Gul on the Role of Civil Society and the Private Sector in Pakistan

This week’s podcast guest is Imtiaz Gul, founder and executive director of the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), a Pakistan-based think tank.

Democracy that Delivers Podcast #86: Daniel O’Maley and Sarah Moulton on the Importance of Open Internet

This week’s podcast guests discuss the relationship between a thriving democracy and an open and accessible internet.

Democracy that Delivers Podcast #85: Hans-Joachim Hogrefe on Refugees and Economic Growth

This week’s guest is Hans-Joachim Hogrefe, director of policy and advocacy at Refugees International, a nonprofit organization that advocates for lifesaving assistance and protection for displaced people.

Democracy that Delivers Podcast #84: Johanna Mendelson-Forman on Food Diplomacy

This week’s guest on Democracy that Delivers is food diplomacy expert Johanna Mendelson-Forman. She is an adjunct professor at American University and distinguished fellow with the Managing Across Boundaries Initiative at the Stimson Center.  

Democracy that Delivers Podcast #83: Jeffrey Smith on Political Change in Gambia

This week’s guest is Jeffrey Smith, executive director of Vanguard Africa, a startup nonprofit that provides campaign advice and public relations support to pro-democracy leaders in Africa. Smith aims to bring the international spotlight to Gambia, which is recovering from a more than two-decades-long dictatorship. Political and civil rights were nonexistent during the presidency of Yahya Jammeh, a former military officer who ruled the country from 1994 to 2016 . Vanguard Africa partnered ...

Democracy that Delivers Podcast #82: Karim Shaaban on Economic Growth in Local Communities in Jordan

This week’s guest on CIPE’s Democracy that Delivers podcast is Karim Shaaban, CIPE’s program director in Jordan. In this podcast, Shaaban discusses the positive effects that CIPE and the USAID Jordan Local Enterprise Support (LENS) Project have had on economic growth in local communities in Jordan. LENS was created to support the growth of micro and small enterprises, particularly those led by women. Three associations involved in LENS focus primarily on empowering working women and wome...

Democracy that Delivers Podcast #81: Vaqar Ahmed on Growth in Pakistan’s Private Sector

This week’s guest on CIPE’s Democracy that Delivers podcast is Vaqar Ahmed, Ph.D. Ahmed is deputy executive director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. In this podcast, Ahmed discusses CIPE’s partnership with SDPI, the growth of Pakistan’s economy, and the country’s need for a thriving private sector. After a decade of low gross domestic product (GDP) growth, Pakistan’s economy has begun to improve. The private sector wi...

Democracy that Delivers Podcast #80: Manzoor Ahmad on Economic and Infrastructure Growth in Pakistan

This week on CIPE's Democracy that Delivers podcast, Manzoor Ahmad, Ph.D., discusses economic and infrastructure growth in Pakistan. Ahmad is president of the PRIME Institute and a senior fellow with the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development in Geneva.   CIPE and PRIME collaborated to create the Government Policy Scorecard, which is intended to hold the Pakistani government accountable for economic promises made to its citizens. Ahmad says the project has been a succes...

Democracy that Delivers Podcast #79 Masooma Sibtain on Women’s Chamber of Commerce in South Asia

This week on CIPE's Democracy that Delivers podcast, Masooma Sibtain, president of the South Punjab Women's Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SPWCCI) in Pakistan, discusses the current state of women entrepreneurs in South Asia. Born and raised in Pakistan, Sibtain says women in her country have always participated in the work force. However, most of their jobs have been in the informal sector as artisans. The regional women's chambers are transforming Pakistani women from informal artisans ...

#78 Omowumi Gbadamosi on Economic and Democratic Progress in Nigeria

This week on CIPE's Democracy that Delivers podcast, CIPE's Country Director in Nigeria, Omowumi Gbadamosi, discusses economic and democratic progress in Nigeria. Gbadamosi began her career with CIPE in 1988, and the most dramatic change she has seen in the last thirty years is the transformation in Nigeria from a military dictatorship to a democracy. Gbadamosi believes the Nigerian government is now listening to the needs of the private sector, but the government needs to learn to respond...

#77 Thida Khus on Democratization in Cambodia

Thida Khus is the founder and executive director of Silaka, a non-profit organization in Cambodia.  Khus and her family migrated to the United States in 1979 to flee the Khmer Rouge regime. From 1993 to1996, she organized 80 Cambodian-Americans to move to Cambodia to counteract the lack of human resources. Khus states that Cambodia's government continues to suffer from corruption, lack of good governance and an unreliable justice system. She believes citizen education and government tran...

#76 Christina Bain on the Role of Business and Entrepreneurship in Combatting Human Trafficking

Christina Bain, director of the Initiative on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery at Babson College in Massachusetts, discusses the role of business and entrepreneurship in combatting human trafficking. As a college professor, Bain teaches her students about the types of human trafficking and how to prevent trafficking in their respective fields. In addition, Bain raises awareness of human trafficking among high school students in the Boston region. Babson's Initiative on Human Traffick...

#75 Mark Oxley and Henry LaGue On Economic Progress in Zimbabwe

Henry LaGue sits down with Mark Oxley, a CIPE consultant in Zimbabwe. Oxley explains how he became involved with the country's National Chamber of Commerce and CIPE, and he discusses the economic challenges facing Zimbabwe. Specifically, the country has a large number of highly educated individuals who are either unemployed or working in the informal sector. Despite economic difficulties, there are opportunities for investing in the country's infrastructure and tourism. LaGue provides an...

Democracy that Delivers #74: Mauro DaCunha on the Democratization of Capital in Brazil

Mauro DaCunha, the chief executive officer of Brazil's AMEC (Capital Market Investors Association), discusses the importance of democratization of capital in Brazil. DaCunha credits CIPE's partnership with Brazil with increasing public awareness of capital markets and its correlation with economic growth. The development of capital markets in Brazil would positively influence the country's economy by creating job growth, opportunities for investment and a culture of equity investment. Da...

#73 Majdi Hassen on Economic Reform Initiatives in Tunisia

Majdi Hassen, Executive Director of Tunisian think tank Institut arabe des chefs d’entreprises (IACE) talks with CIPE’s Anna Kompanek about the economic reform initiatives his organization is undertaking in Tunisia. IACE is an independent, non-profit think tank based in Tunis. Since Tunisia’s revolution, Hassen has overseen IACE’s growth into a “think-and-do” tank that plays a vital role in convening diverse political and civic actors to discuss urgent economic problems. Hassen has develop...

Democracy that Delivers Episode #72: Randa Al-Zoghbi on the launch of finance app Tamweely

Randa Al-Zoghbi, CIPE’s Program Director in Egypt, discussed the release of their new app, Tamweely. The app is designed to connect financiers to small businesses and entrepreneurs in Egypt seeking start-up funding, as well as to provide business education tools and information about the institutional and legal environment for entrepreneurs and startups. Al-Zoghbi also discusses the economic situation in Egypt and the many challenges facing the business community there, and where she sees ...

#71 Joshua Muwanguzi and Derrick Magoola Discuss How Entrepreneurship Changes Lives

Two CIPE-supported entrepreneurship club graduates in Uganda discuss how the skills they learned through the club have helped them to be successful. The conversation covers how the guests took what they learned in the club to start their own businesses and tackle the challenges they have faced along the way. Muwanguzi talks about how his work as a youth advocate helps Ugandan youth to develop the skills to be successful in life and business. Magoola describes how he established his real est...

#70 The Role of Business Communities in Fragile States

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and OEF Research, a program of the One Earth Future Foundation (OEF) co-hosted a presentation and panel discussion on the role of local business communities in repairing fragile states. Fragile States continue to garner international attention, and the need to overcome this problem cannot be ignored. They put pressure on the global community by creating devastating poverty and restricted access to basic services for citizens. Fragile S...

#69 Oraib Al Rantawi on Opportunities for Public-Private Dialogue in Jordan

Director of the Al Quds Center for Political Studies, Oraib Al Rantawi, talks about how he moved from being a journalist to the head of the Al Quds Think-Tank. Al Rantawi was a reporter and journalist from 1978-1993, covering a wide array of topics for pan-Arab newspapers, including the civil war in Lebanon and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Al Rantawi and guest host Anna Kompanek further discuss Al Quds partnership with CIPE, working for the past decade to engage political parties in Jordan w...

# 68 Stone Conroy on How Business Associations Can Help With Peacebuilding

Senior Manager for Strategic Partnerships at the Alliance for Peacebuilding Stone Conroy discusses the processes and vehicles that organizations can use to resolve conflict. He also discusses the need to engage a wide range of players in these efforts including businesses, non-profits, governments, the media, military, academia, and others. Conroy also talks about the drivers behind conflict, and identifies “a sense of injustice” as one of the most powerful forces for dissatisfaction that ca...

#67 How Property Rights Are Key to Sustainable Economic Growth

Recording of an event CIPE recently co-hosted with the International Real Property Foundation on the topic The Role of Property Rights and Property Markets in Sustainable Urbanization and Economic Growth. Listen to experts discuss how property rights and the institutions that support them –ranging from appropriate regulation to transparent financial markets– are key to sustainable development. Robust private property markets promote social stability, strengthen democratic institutions, and p...

#66 Maya Eristavi on Georgian Women and their Role in the Business Community

Maya Eristavi, CIPE's representative with USAID’s Governing for Growth (G4G) Project, talks about the role of women in Georgian society and how women in business have been taking on a larger role in society, especially since the fall of the Soviet Union. She also talks about the young entrepreneurs and businesswomen who have benefitted from the comprehensive free-trade agreement Georgia has with Europe. Maya also reflects in growing up in Tiblisi, studying abroad in America in the late 90s...

#65 Nikiru Joy Okpala on How Business Associations Empower Women in Nigeria

National Coordinator of the Association of Nigerian Women Business Network, Nikiru Joy Okpala, talks about how she went from being a young lawyer interested in women’s issues to working in the field of business association management. She discusses the importance of economic empowerment for women and the barriers that make it difficult for women in Nigeria to succeed in business. One of those barriers is what she calls the “two-job function” where women have to juggle demands at work with de...

#64 Floreta Faber on How Leading a Business Association is Good Preparation for Being an Ambassador

Ambassador of the Republic of Albania, Floreta Faber, discusses her previous role as head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Albania and how she built the institution into one of the strongest associations in the country. She talks about establishing forums for public-private dialogue to present governments with business community perspectives. She also discusses the importance of focusing on collective issues rather than individual company needs. She offers advice to new associations es...

#63 Christian Caryl on the Challenges Facing Democracy Around the World

Editor of the Washington Post’s DemocracyPost blog, Christian Caryl, discusses the challenges facing democracy around the world and whether we are at a major inflection point in history. He talks about the current crisis facing western democracy and why its implications are vitally important for Americans. Caryl, a self-described “troll magnet,” also talks about the difficulty of countering fake news and the Russian information war. He explains the rules that guide the work of journalists ...

#62 Ayesha Bilal on Encouraging Transparent Policymaking in Pakistan

Ayesha Bilal, Chief Operating Officer of Pakistani think tank PRIME (Policy Research Institute of the Market Economy), discusses PRIME’s work encouraging citizen involvement in public policymaking in Pakistan. She talks about PRIME’s highly successful Scorecard project to track how well the government has met its economic reform promises. Bilal shares how PRIME included the government as a stakeholder in the project and how the government is now using the Scorecard to track its own progress....