One year into Russia’s war on Ukraine, we take a look at how Ukrainians are preparing for life after war, their relentless optimism and their deep dedication to keeping the wheels of justice rolling, in this fourth and final episode of the limited series, “Defending Democracy: Ukraine”.

Last February, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems Head of Political and Legal Affairs Alisa Shushkovska fled Kyiv with her child, when rockets flew past their apartment window. But even as she navigated life as a refugee abroad, she never stopped working towards the future of Ukraine. Alisa is the fiber on which Ukraine will prevail amid this war. She takes time from her work to discuss with Adrienne what free and fair elections look like in post-war Ukraine.

Then, the powerhouse director of Ukraine’s first organization to win the Nobel Peace Prize for documenting more than 28,000 alleged Russian war crimes since 2014, Oleksandra Matviichuk, calls for a new international tribunal to hold Russian President Putin accountable. The 2022 Nobel Laureate gives Adrienne a haunting account of what she has seen and explains how she believes the international community can restore justice for the victims of this deadly aggression.

Plus, it’s often said that Ukraine is fighting two wars. Hear from President Zelenskyy’s pick to run the cabinet-level National Agency on Corruption Prevention, Oleksandr Novikov. He is a man on a mission who will stop at nothing to combat corruption, defend democracy, and protect the future of Ukraine.

Key Links

• Will a special Ukraine tribunal really happen? Yahoo News
• Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Needs Estimated $349 Billion
• Ukraine adopts new and improved referendum law
• IRI Public Opinion Survey of Residents of Ukraine | June 2022
• IRI Public Opinion Survey of Residents of Ukraine

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Democracy! The Podcast is hosted by CEPPS and Adrienne Ross, with production assistance from Amy Radlinski and voiceover from Alix Lawson.

Featured guests in this episode:

• Oleksandra Matviichuk, Director, Center for Civil Liberties (Ukraine), 2022 Nobel Laureate.

On the morning of February 24, 2022, Russian troops blasted Kyiv with heavy artillery and missile strikes focusing their assault on several main targets including Boryspil International Airport. While apparently intending to overtake the capital city quickly, Russian troops, instead, retreated after weeks of difficult fighting. Today, home to 3.6 million people, Kyiv remains a hotly unwon part of Russia’s wide-scale military campaign. In “Defending Democracy: The Battle for Kyiv '', we take a closer look at all that lies there, the damage that has been done, and the danger that still exists.

Plus, the country’s most famous mayor, the former world heavyweight boxing champ, Vitali Klitschko returns to the podcast with a candid account of what it takes to lead his hometown in war. The son of a Soviet Air Force Officer and survivor of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Klitschko is a true defender of democracy who knows first-hand what’s in jeopardy.

Plus, the war has turned more than 9 million Ukrainians into refugees. One proud Kyvian who made her way to the United States sits down with Adrienne at the Florida International University's Washington, DC studio to tell her story and share just what it means to leave your family, flee your homeland, and all that you know in the midst of war.

Key Links

• The Women’s Democracy Network of Ukraine
• Reuters: Ukrainian village leader and family found buried in shallow grave
• Florida International University’s Ukraine Resource Guide
• FIU and USAID sign historic agreement to increase jobs, internships and research opportunities for students

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Democracy! The Podcast is hosted by CEPPS and Adrienne Ross, with production assistance from Amy Radlinski and voiceover from Alix Lawson. Special thanks to Florida International University in Washington, DC for the generous access to their recording studio.

Featured guests in this episode:

• The Honorable Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko
• Natalia Yakymchuk, Program and Evaluation Officer, The International Republican Institute

This podcast has been produced by the Consortium for Elections, and Political Process Strengthening through the Democratic Elections and Political Processes Cooperative Agreement and is made possible by the generous...

By definition, “democracy” thrives or dies according to the will of the people, and in Ukraine, it’s the people who have made all the difference. In the second episode of this four-part miniseries, “Defending Democracy: The People of Ukraine,” we look at what Ukrainians have endured to maintain a modern, democratic society in the midst of Russia’s attacks.

First, Adrienne talks to three co-chairs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine’s Equal Opportunity Caucus who share their memories from the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, to the fight they've had keeping the lights on in parliament no matter what. These thoughtful “People’s Deputies” also detail the massive paradigm shift their country is experiencing as more than 50,000 women report for duty on Ukraine’s frontlines.

Plus, Oleksandr Syenkevych’s story sounds like the plot of a Hollywood action movie, but he is, in fact, the real-life, democratically elected mayor of the town nicknamed, “City of Heroes.” Together he and the citizens of Mykolaiv have survived some of the worst bombings of the war while stopping Russian Armed Forces from advancing along the Black Sea. Meantime, across the country, Ukraine’s mayors are being hunted, targeted, disappeared, and murdered by Russian troops. In fact, the invaders have destroyed nearly everything in Mykolaiv except the people’s dedication to democracy and their will to prevail.

Key Links

• Equal Opportunity Caucus: Gender equality in Ukraine. What has changed in 30 years?
• Harder than ever: How power outages affect people with disabilities in Ukraine
• UN High Commissioner for Refugees Data Portal for Ukraine Refugee Situation
• UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Civilian Casualties
• USAID Humanitarian Assistance Ukraine

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Democracy! The Podcast is hosted by CEPPS and Adrienne Ross with production assistance from Amy Radlinski.

Featured guests in this episode:

• People’s Deputy of Ukraine Maryna Bardina, Servant of the People Party, Equal Opportunity Caucus co-chair; Chair of the parliamentary subcommittee on Ukraine’s compliance with international commitments on human rights and gender equality.
• People’s Deputy of Ukraine Mariia Ionova, European Solidarity Party, Equal Opportunities Caucus co-chair.

In February 2022, Russian military forces launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine, escalating the conflict in the Eastern part of the country which began in 2014, and sparking the largest refugee crisis on the European continent since the end of World War II.

In the first episode of this in-depth capsule series, “Defending Democracy: Ukraine Under Fire,” Dr. Hanna Hopko, head of the National Interest Advocacy Network and former member of the Verkhovna Rada, walks you through the war’s broad impact on Ukraine and the world.

Then CEPPS International Republican Institute Political Parties Program Officer Vyacheslav “Slava” Lipetskiy shares a crucial decision he made in the first moments of the war that would change his life and the way he thinks about democracy forever. His powerful story is not to be missed.

Finally, as the ground war kicked into high gear, Russia’s assault in cyberspace also created havoc for Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems’ Senior Global Advisor for Cyber and Information Integrity, Matt Bailey, explains the critical role cyber warfare plays in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Key Links

• USAID Humanitarian Assistance in Ukraine
• USG Response to the Complex Emergency in Ukraine
• IFES in Ukraine
• IRI in Ukraine
• NDI in Ukraine
• ANTS – National Interests Advocacy Network
• She helped fight for Ukraine's democracy. She hopes it survives
• Former Ukrainian Parliament member tells Insider the US and allied countries must do more: 'Does morality end at the NATO border?'
• Former Ukrainian MP releases 2015 Biden letter, pleads for no-fly zone, fighter jets, air defense systems
• Press Conference: International Center for Ukrainian Victory established in Warsaw
• International Center for Ukraine Victory

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Democracy! The Podcast is hosted by CEPPS and Adrienne Ross with production assistance from Amy Radlinski.

Featured guests in this episode:

• Dr. Hanna Hopko, PhD; ...

Welcome back to Democracy! The Podcast, brought to you by the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening, direct from Washington, D.C., with funding and support from the United States Agency for International Development.

Very soon, season two of Democracy! The Podcast will launch. It’s been almost a whole year since the end of season one, and in that time, democracy has taken a tumultuous turn in many nations.

While we learned in season one that democracy is always a work in progress, some, like President Biden, warn that the threat to democracy has never before been so grave.

“Over the last 30 years, the forces of autocracy have revived all across the globe. Its hallmarks are familiar ones: contempt for the rule of law, contempt for democratic freedom, contempt for the truth itself.”

In our time, we’ve witnessed rising autocracies and repressive governments cracking down in new, sophisticated, and, frankly, dangerous ways. They’ve been busy muzzling journalists, blasting disinformation, and of course, the world witnessed, in real-time, as war was waged on a sovereign nation in eastern Europe.

“Today, Russia has strangled democracy; has sought to do so elsewhere, not only in its homeland.”

But despite all of this, at the United States Agency for International Development, Administrator Samantha Power says there are places where democracy is gaining a fragile foothold:

“We must cement progress in democratic bright spots that are out there right now, right now.”

So, where are these so-called bright spots, and what can we learn from their triumphs over tyranny?

Join me, Adrienne Ross, for Democracy! The Podcast, as we head back out on the road for a front seat to history. Gain a stronger understanding of how a consortium, made up of the three leading US development organizations, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, the International Republican Institute, and the National Democratic Institute, comes together to support citizens of emerging democracies all over the world.

“Help people fight digital authoritarianism and shine a light on the oligarchs and autocrats who hide their ill-gotten gains in dark corners.”

Get the unfiltered story from the most skilled democracy experts in the field and find out how side by side with citizens, they tackle the world’s most egregious threats to peace and prosperity.

“Every day, we see courageous people, many of them living in the most oppressive regimes on earth, taking unbelievable risks to protest for their freedom.

Citizens from nations like Malawi, Moldova, and the Maldives will awe you with their courage.

Democracy experts will explain why it’s crucial we lend a hand to those who rise against tyranny. We’ll also go in-depth on the war in Ukraine and hear from leaders like President Zelenskyy:

“Strong doesn't mean weak. strong is brave and ready to fight for the rights of its citizens and citizens of the world.”

From Armenia to Zambia, we’ll examine how some countries have transformed from darkness to “bright spots”. And ask how a nation like Honduras broke through the confines of Covid-19 to deliver successful elections.

We will chase inspirational stories from the Pacific Islands to the Dominican Republic, to Nepal, and Tanzania. And hear from world leaders

“If you don't give people dignity, you don't create a system that leads to better health, education, peace, security outcomes. And it's not the world that free peoples want to live in. So, democracy matters. It's hard, but it, for all its faults, in all its deficiencies, it works in all its messiness.” The Honorable Derek Mitchell, Ambassador & President, The National Democratic Institute.

Key Links

• More from Ambassador Mitchell: Sustainable pandemic recovery depends on building back democratically
• IFES: Overcoming Challenges to Democracy and Governance Programs in Post-Conflict Countries
• USAID Emergency Fact Sheet on Sudan
• USAID Statement: Administrator Samantha Power on Military Takeover in Sudan

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At the heart of democracy lies peace, security, and resilience, and for some countries, these qualities are the toughest to come by. So, where does a nation start when trying to build a strong, resilient, and lasting democracy? In this episode of Democracy! The Podcast, we head to the Republic of Sudan in northeast Africa to seek some answers.

Then, Ambassador Derek Mitchell, the President of the National Democratic Institute, has seen democracy’s rise and fall from nearly every angle. He talks to Adrienne about witnessing some of democracy’s most remarkable moments and shares a retrospective look at what it all means.

Democracy! The Podcast is brought to you by the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) with support from the United States Agency for International Development through the Global Elections and Political Transitions Award.

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Democracy! The Podcast is hosted by CEPPS and Adrienne Ross.

This podcast has been produced by the Consortium for Elections, and Political Process Strengthening through the Global Elections and Political Transitions award and is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development.

Opinions expressed here are those of the host and the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government. This show is produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media.

“I believe that corruption affects the whole country in every way. And when state money is not used in sustained public policy to combat poverty, inequality, malnutrition, or for entrepreneurship, the citizens of a country do not find options, and leave their country for lack of opportunities.” Congressman Nineth Montenegro, former Second Vice President of the Congress of Guatemala & Human Rights Leader.

Key Links

• USAID Programming in the Northern Triangle
• USAID Increases Efforts to Address Irregular Migration
• CNN en Español: llegan a Guatemala hambrientos y sin zapatos, aseguran autoridades
• El Periodico: la dictadura saca la garras
• Ojo Con Mi Pisto: Educación alimentaria: clave para optimizar el empleo de remesas
• Ojo Con Mi Pisto: Caquipec transforma las remesas en desarrollo para la comunidad

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Irregular migration is a global crisis responsible for critical health, economic, security, and citizenship issues everywhere. So, have you ever wondered about the so-called “pull-factors” that cause people to leave their homes and flee the Northern Triangle?

In this episode of Democracy! The Podcast, we dive head first into the issue of immigration in Guatemala as we talk to a few people who have witnessed the problem first-hand. We’ll visit with a couple of the consortium’s partners who traveled to the tiny border town of El Ceibo between Mexico and Guatemala, and hear more about their work strengthening Guatemala's government to alleviate the problem on its own.

Plus, her husband was one of the 40,000 people tragically “disappeared” from the streets of Guatemala City in the 1980s. Guatemalan Congressman Nineth Montenegro, former Second Vice President of the Congress of Guatemala, and a well-known human rights leader, gives a candid account of what she suffered during the country's conflict, and how it dramatically transformed her life into one of public service. She shares her greatest wish for her country and even explains why some Guatemalans have come to love the infamous “coyotes”, when she sits down with Adrienne.

Democracy! The Podcast is brought to you by the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) with support from the United States Agency for International Development through the Global Elections and Political Transitions Award.

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Democracy! The Podcast is hosted by CEPPS and Adrienne Ross.

This podcast has been produced by the Consortium...

“...stability in the Central American region is at stake. We already have Nicaragua that the rest of Central America is concerned about, but we [also] have in the northern part of Central America, three governments in different areas, undermining the rule of law, transparency, and any freedom of speech, or movement by civil society and journalists.” Deborah Ullmer, NDI, Regional Director for Latin America & the Caribbean Programs.

Key Links

• Vota Bus: Guess Who’s Back? Back Again
• Vota Bus: Beep! Beep! Make Way for Democracy!

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In this episode of Democracy! The Podcast, join us as we head to Central America to navigate the nations of the Northern Triangle: Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Find out what’s really driving immigration, economic woes, and an alarming number of headlines about unstable democracy. Plus, hear first-hand from the consortium’s teams as they prepare to stand by Hondurans in the upcoming general elections.

Then, in a very short period of time, El Salvador’s democracy has gone from a beacon of hope to red alert. We’ll learn what the crisis could indicate for the future of the country and dreams of enduring stability in the region, when Adrienne sits down with Ambassador Roger Noriega to break it all down.

And then, beep beep, make way for the Vota Bus! Democracy gets a lift when citizens gain a better understanding of their own rights and responsibilities.

Democracy! The Podcast is brought to you by the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) with support from the United States Agency for International Development through the Global Elections and Political Transitions Award.

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Follow CEPPS on Twitter.

Democracy! The Podcast is hosted by CEPPS and Adrienne Ross.

This podcast has been produced by the Consortium for Elections, and Political Process Strengthening through the Global Elections and Political Transitions award and is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development.

Opinions expressed here are those of the host and the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government. This show is produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media.