The global landscape of democracy is changing amid geopolitical shifts and new critical assessments. The financial crisis and the election of Barack Obama have further transformed the context in which democracy-assistance functions. In this emerging era, what do democracy-support practitioners need to do to keep their projects and ideas fresh, relevant and effective? Vidar Helgesen, secretary-general of International IDEA, reflects.

(This article was first published on 15 September 2009)

The sense that democracy is in retreat worldwide has become widespread. But the emergence of citizen-centred, governance-focused and development-oriented approaches suggests that a more complex and hopeful shift is also taking place, say Nicholas Benequista & John Gaventa.

(This article was first published on 3 August 2009)

George W Bush made democracy-support a central theme of his presidency. Barack Obama, by contrast, has downplayed it. Yet the latter's approach may achieve more effective results, says Mariano Aguirre.

The story of a civil-society project in Macedonia suggests that United States democracy-promotion in the post-communist world too often lacks both local knowledge and historical awareness, says Keith Brown.

The effort to forge a new relationship between the west and Islam and to nurture democracy in the middle east requires that the United States in particular reframe its view of the Islamic world, says Tarek Osman. 

The political arguments over aid policies and strategies in Africa are intensifying. But where does democracy fit in: what are the pros and cons of aid in relation to democratic consolidation in the continent? Anna Lekvall takes the pulse of current thinking in a key area of debate among donors, scholars, activists and policy-makers.

The dominance of a world capitalist order with "liberal-proceduralist democracy" as its political shell is the necessary framework for understanding the character of "democracy-support" and associated projects, says Achin Vanaik.

The European Union has walked backwards into its Eastern Partnership. The events in Moldova show what the project needs to be about, says Krzysztof Bobinski.

The decision to hold a recount in Moldova's disputed election offers the European Union an opportunity to rediscover its democratic agency, says Vessela Tcherneva.

A democracy worth the name must have women's equality with men at its heart. Thus gender equality must be an explicit goal for democracy-building processes and institutions, says Rumbidzai Kandawasvika-Nhundu.

The readiness of Islamist movements in the middle east to engage with democratic ideas is evidence that the region is ready for substantive democratic change. The United States should renew its efforts in this direction in deed as well as word, says Shadi Hamid.

These are testing times for many old certainties. Democracy too is under pressure from rival models and global insecurity. But this is an opportunity for a creative rethink of democracy, argue Christopher Hobson & Milja Kurki - one that could also produce fresh understandings and methods of democracy-support.

An appeal to Barack Obama to reinvigorate the United States's democracy-promotion efforts in the Arab world is based on flawed understanding both of political Islam and the real needs of the region's people, says Tarek Osman.

A number of reports on the state of democracy and freedom around the world promote the notion of a "democratic recession" in the 2000s. Their own methods and conclusions deserve scrutiny, says Rodrigo de Almeida.

An international group of over 140 scholars, experts and journalists urges the new American president to put democratic reform and respect for human rights at the heart of his engagement with Arab and Muslim regimes and publics.

An old argument over the compatibility of Islam and democracy is being transformed under the influence of new social and intellectual currents. The external advocates of democracy in the Muslim world should take note, says Asef Bayat.

Can democracy be introduced from outside, and what conditions make the effort legitimate? Answers to these crucial questions can be found by considering the global experience of democratisation in the post-1945 decades - and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - in light of the cosmopolitan project, says Daniele Archibugi.

The story of Europe and democracy-building is marked by the search for a timely fusion of policy, agency, unity and opportunity. A new project aims to help create it, explain Ingrid Wetterqvist, Raul Cordenillo, Halfdan L Ottosen, Susanne Lindahl, and Therese Arnewing.

There has been real progress in guaranteeing the fuller participation of women in Latin American political life. The lessons of the past generation are a vital resource in ensuring that the process continues in the next, says Kristen Sample.

A new model of assessing the quality of democracy around the world is distinguished by a combination of universal standards, local ownership, flexibility of use and technical creativity. Two of its architects, Monika Ericson & Mélida Jiménez of International IDEA, introduce the State of Democracy Network Website.

After Iraq and Afghanistan, amid China's rise and Russia's challenge, can western democracy any longer offer a universal model? Rein Müllerson offers a qualified, contingent and contextual answer

(This article was first published on 25 November 2008)