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My new @devex piece: Why we should be Doing Development Democratically in this era of democratic backsliding, global protest, and rising authoritarianism 
https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-doing-development-democratically-97977#.X1dvW95RUX8.twitter
https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-doing-development-democratically-97977#.X1dvW95RUX8.twitter
We are at risk of losing the incredible gains to #endpoverty arrest #ClimateChange, address #inequality & achieve the #GlobalGoals #SDGs. We know these things are best achieved with accountable, inclusive, rights-respecting governments https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6484695/
Too much #GlobalDev investment seems agnostic about #HumanRights & #democracy, instead focusing on âeffectivenessâ and âdelivery". When they go together, sustainable change is possible. https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/democracy-human-rights-and-governance/importance-democracy-human-rights-governance
We cannot be content with just âgood governanceâ and transitory results. We need a far more robust approach to supporting democracy and countering authoritarianism. We should be Doing Development Democratically.
According to @freedomhouse & @vdeminstitute there are 80-100 flawed democracies & electoral autocracies whose direction will determine whether the 21st century will be more open or closed than at the end of the 20th https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2020/leaderless-struggle-democracy
Supporting civil society, independent media, legislative oversight, responsive government to create in a cycle of inclusion, participation, & accountability can result in transformative change in challenging environments like #Nigeria http://www.perlnigeria.net/
Autocracy is NOT the answer. I've worked in many places beset by poverty & oppression: Just bc food, education, health are inadequate doesnât mean we donât yearn for freedom, equality, & justice. Dictatorships tend toward brutal repression & fragility https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/03/04/understanding-chinas-preventive-repression-in-xinjiang/
Faltering democracy in US & EU, legacy of systemic racism & colonialism, failing to deal w/ #COVID19 causes many to ask âwho are you to talk about promoting democracy?â. US cannot preach democracy because we have it figured out, we work on it together bc we are all in it together
It will always be citizens struggling on front lines who bring about change in their own society. Comes from confronting #kleptocracy w/ anti-corruption efforts, #disinformation w/ free speech, oppression w/ the exercise of the right of assembly! h/t @NDI https://www.ndi.org/reports/35th-anniversary-report
Donors should therefore invest in the foundations of political systems necessary to build and sustain legitimate government, including elections systems with integrity, independent media, and legislative and judicial checks https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/07/18/international-democracy-support-filling-leadership-vacuum-pub-79522
This report w @WFD_Democracy shows in detail how the UK could be a transformative global force in doing development democratically and advancing development & core democratic values https://www.wfd.org/2020/07/29/a-force-for-good-in-the-world-placing-democratic-values-at-the-heart-of-the-uks-international-strategy/
