Supporting Democracy Builders

MEPI projects directly respond to needs articulated by the region’s democratic reformers.  

Project Examples:

PARTICIPATION- Voter and civic education efforts support those in the region seeking to inform fellow citizens about their rights and the democratic electoral process.  Election observation projects, like those organized recently in Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, and Tunisia, promote more transparent processes and strengthen networks of activists and bloggers to monitor and report on elections. 

MEDIA - Media projects assist in building the professionalism of journalists, support the development of the press as an effective and credible watchdog, and help the public learn about the role of media in democratic societies.  The iEarn project in Kuwait and Oman, for example, provides students and educators training in multimedia reporting based on the principles of independent and ethical journalism, while the Radio Bokra project provides Egyptian citizens with vital news coverage of political events in their country.

LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE PROGRAMS - Flagship exchange projects like the Leaders for Democracy Fellowship and the Civic Education Leadership Fellowship bring young civic leaders, lawmakers, and professionals to the United States to learn about and practice the concepts of leadership and democracy.

CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT- MEPI projects also promote citizen engagement in public life.  In Yemen, for example, MEPI is helping youth learn how to advocate for their concerns on issues at the core of Yemen’s political transition.

The MEPI-funded Yemen Polling Center (YPC); Yemen.