CONFERENCE: COVID-19 and Democracy in East Africa
Protecting Voters, Protecting the Vote On 19 and 20 November 2020, the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Society for International Development (SID), supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), held an online conference on democracy in East Africa in the context of COVID-19. The event explored the challenges the region is facing and sought to...Read More
UGANDA: Stability without legitimacy cannot last
On Saturday, Uganda’s electoral commission announced that 76-year-old incumbent President Yoweri Museveni won a sixth term in Uganda’s general elections last week by a landslide. Sebastian Brack, Head of Elections and Democracy at the Kofi Annan Foundation, explains why stability without legitimacy cannot last. Unfortunately, this victory is unlikely to confer the mantle of legitimacy...Read More
Restoring the shine of the City on the Hill: An urgent global priority
As the saga continues to unfold in the US over last week’s riot on the Capitol building, Sébastien Brack, Head of Elections & Democracy at the Kofi Annan Foundation, explores what it will take to restore the shine of the City on the Hill. “The outcome of elections should be determined in the ballot box,...Read More
OPINION: Social media: a threat to free speech?
Though many were relieved when Twitter and Facebook removed outgoing President Donald Trump from their platforms on 7 January, the move raises concerns about the implications for free speech. Sébastien Brack, Head of Elections & Democracy at the Kofi Annan Foundation, examines if social media is a threat to free speech. Donald Trump criticised “the...Read More
STATEMENT: Kofi Annan Foundation wishes Ghana another election success story
Geneva, 03 December 2020. As Ghana prepares to head to the polls again on 7 December, for the eighth time since the return of multi-party elections in 1992, the Kofi Annan Foundation celebrates its democratic achievements and calls on all stakeholders to make this election another success story for the country. “Kofi Annan was very...Read More
Elections and Democracy Programme activities
Our Head of Elections and Democracy Programme (EDP), Sebastian Brack, recently represented the Kofi Annan Foundation at The New York Times Athens Democracy Forum, moderating a panel discussion on ‘The Double Threat to European Democracy’. Elhadj As Sy, Chair of the Foundation Board, and Fatima Zaman, a member of our Extremely Together initiative were also panellists...Read More
International Day of Democracy 2020: nothing to celebrate?
Amidst a global democratic recession, accelerated and exacerbated by the pandemic, the Kofi Annan Foundation sees grounds for hope. It may seem tone-deaf to celebrate the International Day of Democracy this year. The novel coronavirus pandemic has been exploited by some governments across the world to restrict freedoms, hobble opposition parties and curtail the activity...Read More
COVID-19 and the crisis of democratic legitimacy in Africa
74% of respondents in an online poll expressed mistrust in their authorities’ respect of the rule of law during the Covid-19 pandemic, confirming that the crisis is exposing a deficit in trust and legitimacy, as well as a deficit in health care provision[1]. The poll was part of a webinar co-organised with the Goodluck Jonathan...Read More
COVID-19 in Southeast Asia: an opportunity for inclusive democracy
As the COVID-19 pandemic gains steady ground in Southeast Asia, the democratic health of the region is also being put to the test. In the fourth edition of its “Kofi Annan Dialogues” webinar series, the Kofi Annan Foundation brought together an exceptional panel of Southeast Asian leaders, thinkers, and activists, to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic...Read More
WEBINAR: Youth demands for a better future – reforms needed for a post-pandemic future
On Thursday 16 July 2020, the Extremely Together leaders and the Kofi Annan Foundation hosted the last in a series of #ETDiscussions on youth, peace and preventing violent extremism. As youth, what commitments do we need from our leaders and other stakeholders? What questions do we have that need to be answered for the future? How do we...Read More
