Stanford Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL)

🇺🇸 What is at stake in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election? Stanford University scholars Bruce Cain, Hakeem Jefferson, and Brandice Canes-Wrone discussed the structural features of American democracy and addressed the issues, strategies, and stakes central to November’s race in a panel discussion moderated by Didi Kuo. The panel was presented as part of the programming for CDDRL's Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program.

Stanford Scholars Discuss What’s at Stake in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Stanford Scholars Discuss What’s at Stake in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Breadcrumb All CDDRL News Commentary August 7, 2024 Stanford Scholars Discuss What’s at Stake in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election In a panel moderated by Didi Kuo, Bruce Cain, Hakeem Jefferson, and Brandice Canes...

🇻🇪 How will the recent elections shape Venezuela's future and its people? Héctor Fuentes, a Venezuelan lawyer, human rights advocate, agent of social change, and one of our 2024 Fisher Family Summer Fellows, shares his thoughts.

Exploring the Implications of Venezuela’s 2024 Presidential Election with Exploring the Implications of Venezuela’s 2024 Presidential Election with Héctor Fuentes Breadcrumb All CDDRL News Commentary August 5, 2024 Exploring the Implications of Venezuela’s 2024 Presidential Election with Héctor Fuentes Fuentes, a lawyer, human rights advocate, and agent of social ch...

Palestinian Statehood and the War in Gaza Palestinian Statehood and the War in Gaza

📅 TODAY | 4-5:30 PM PT

Join us this afternoon for a live discussion with Dr. Salam Fayyad, former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, on critical issues facing the Middle East today. Moderated by Larry Diamond and Hesham Sallam, who together lead CDDRL's Program on Arab Reform and Democracy.

💻 Tune in via Zoom: https://ow.ly/OZe950RqfFz

🇺🇦 To commemorate the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we are honored to host a panel of high-profile Ukrainian leaders currently based in Kyiv (and CDDRL alums) for a discussion on the impact of the war on daily life, the global democratic order, and Ukraine's future.

🔹 Oleksiy Honcharuk
🔹 Serhiy Leshchenko
🔹 Oleksandra Matviichuk
🔹 Oleksandra Ustinova

The panel will be introduced by Kathryn Stoner and moderated by Michael McFaul.

🗓️ February 23, 12:00 - 1:30 pm PT
📍 Bechtel Conference Center, Encina Hall, Stanford

🌐 Click below to register to attend in person or access the Zoom livestream. https://ow.ly/Yer650QAPHM

Two Years of War: Updates from Ukraine Feb. 23 | A panel discussion with civic and political leaders in Ukraine

The Stanford Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University are pleased to welcome social justice and environmental activist Kumi Naidoo to deliver the 2024 Payne Distinguished Lecture Series in International Relations Theory and Practice on Wednesday, January 31, from 4:00-5:30 pm PT.

Naidoo will speak on "Creative Maladjustment and the Climate Crisis," followed by a moderated discussion with FSI director Michael McFaul.

Learn more and join us in person or online:

Payne Distinguished Lecture Series: Creative Maladjustment and the Climate Payne Distinguished Lecture Series: Creative Maladjustment and the Climate Crisis

ONLY 6️⃣ DAYS LEFT to apply for our 2024 Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program. Connect with fellow democracy activists, exchange experiences & receive academic training to enrich your knowledge & advance your work.

Apply by January 14 at 5:00 pm PT ➡️ https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/summerfellows/apply

Today, we're proud to announce the launch of CDDRL's newest research initiative — the Program on Identity, Democracy, and Justice. Led by political scientist Hakeem Jefferson, IDJ will advance innovative research on the multifaceted dimensions of identity and their role in democratic development, struggles for recognition, social justice, and inclusion.

Read more below, and join us on Thursday, January 11, 2024, for IDJ's inaugural event — Multiracial Democracy and its Future in the United States — with Harvard University professors Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt: https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/events/multiracial-democracy-and-its-future-united-states

New Research Program Explores the Intersection of Identity, Democracy, and New Research Program Explores the Intersection of Identity, Democracy, and Justice

🗣 We are still accepting applications for the 2024 Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program through January 14, 2024!

The Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program is a unique forum for emerging leaders to connect, exchange experiences, and explore new models and frameworks to enhance their ability to promote democratic change in their home countries.

Click here to learn more and start your application: https://ow.ly/wRaK50Q87f4

🗣 The 2024 Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program application is now open! Practitioners from emerging democracies are invited to participate in this 3-week program and learn from an interdisciplinary team of leading Stanford University / Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies faculty, including Kathryn Stoner, Michael McFaul, Francis Fukuyama, Larry Diamond, Erik Jensen, and more.

LEARN MORE & APPLY ⤵️

Applications for the 2024 Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program are Now Breadcrumb All CDDRL News News October 24, 2023 Applications for the 2024 Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program are Now Open The program will run from Sunday, July 21, through Friday, August 9, 2024. Applications are due by 5:00 pm PST on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Nora Sulots The Fisher Family Summer...

What would Americans really think about possible reforms to our democracy and electoral processes if they had a chance to weigh the options under good conditions? CDDRL researchers James Fishkin, Alice Siu, and Larry Diamond of the Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab (DDL), in collaboration with Helena and various partners, have just conducted a national Deliberative Poll® to find out.

In the Q&A below, the researchers reflect on the "America in One Room: Democratic Reform" findings and what the results indicate about the path forward in strengthening American democracy.

National Deliberative Poll Shows Bipartisan Support for Polarizing Issues Read more about "America in One Room: Democratic Reform"

Today we are proud to announce the Fisher Family Summer Fellows Class of 2023!

The members of this diverse cohort of 34 experienced practitioners from 21 countries are working to advance democratic practices and economic and legal reform in contexts where freedom, human development, and good governance are fragile or at risk.

Learn more and meet the fellows:

Announcing the Inaugural Fisher Family Summer Fellows Cohort Meet our diverse cohort of 34 experienced practitioners from 21 countries.

There is still time to register for the Positive Peace Conference 2023, hosted in partnership with Global Peace Index!

Join us tomorrow to explore new ways of creating and sustaining peace locally, regionally, and around the world: https://positivepeaceconference.org

Join internationally renowned leaders from the public, private, academic, philanthropic, and civil society sectors and explore new ways of creating and sustaining peace at the 🕊 Positive Peace Conference 2023.

Hosted by the Institute for Economics & Peace in partnership with the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, this event brings together diverse thought leaders to celebrate and learn from the latest advancements in the field of peacebuilding.

Our esteemed panel of speakers presenting at the conference includes:
▪ Alberto Cayeros, Director, Center for Latin American Studies, Standford University
▪ Alexander Njukia Ndung’u, Senior Technical Advisor, Interfaith and Peace Building, World Vision East Africa
▪ Celia Ramirez, Director, Jalisco State Secretariat of Planning and Citizen Participation
▪ Dan Baker, President and CEO, National Peace Corps Association
▪ Don Chisholm, Director, USAID Center for Conflict and Violence Prevention
▪ Irene Santiago, Peace Adviser, Local Government Academy, Philippines
▪ Kathryn Stoner, Mosbacher Director, Stanford Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL)
▪ Lisa Broderick, Executive Director, Police2Peace
▪ Liz Hume, Executive Director, Alliance for Peacebuilding
▪ Michael Collins, Executive Director Americas, Institute for Economics & Peace
▪ Neda Amidi, President, Plug and Play Tech Center
▪ Patricia Shafer, Executive Director,
NewGen Peacebuilders
▪ Shaphan Roberts, Director, Online Programs Adjunct Professor, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution Caruso School of Law
▪ Steve Killelea, Founder and Executive Chairman, Institute for Economics & Peace
▪ Sukhsimranjit Singh, Assistant Dean, Graduate Law Program, Pepperdine Caruso Law
▪ Summer Lewis, Partnership Coordinator, Rotary International

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to learn and network with peacebuilding experts.
Register today at https://positivepeaceconference.org/ to secure your spot at the Positive Peace Conference 2023!

🇨🇴 TODAY @ NOON

Tune into the livestream of our event with Gustavo Petro, President of the Republic of Colombia. President Petro, one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2023, will speak on the critical issues of environmental and social justice from the perspective of Latin America.

Following the president’s remarks, he will join Professor Alberto Díaz-Cayeros, Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and director of the Stanford Center for Latin American Studies, for a discussion on the challenges of climate change, economic growth, and social inclusion that have historically bedeviled development in Latin America.

A Conversation with Colombian President Gustavo Petro Environmental and Social Justice: A Look from Latin AmericaThe Stanford Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law is honored to host the President...

The Stanford Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) is honored to host the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, for an in-person event at Stanford University on Tuesday, April 18.

President Petro will share remarks on the critical issues of environmental and social justice from the perspective of Latin America. Following these remarks, he will join Professor Alberto Díaz-Cayeros to discuss the challenges of climate change, economic growth, and social inclusion that have historically bedeviled development in Latin America.

Click the link below to learn more and register to join us ⤵️

Join Us for a Conversation with Colombian President Gustavo Petro April 18, Stanford University

Thanks to a generous gift from the Fisher family securing the future of this important and impactful program, we are pleased to announce that CDDRL's Summer Fellows Program is becoming the Fisher Family Summer Fellows on Democracy and Development.

The Gift of Connection: A Bright Future Lies Ahead for the Summer Fellows Breadcrumb All CDDRL News News March 23, 2023 The Gift of Connection: A Bright Future Lies Ahead for the Summer Fellows Program at CDDRL A gift from alumni Sakurako, ’82, and William Fisher, MBA ’84, secures the future of the Summer Fellows Program at the Center on Democracy, Development and the...

Today we are proud to announce the launch of "Solving Public Policy Problems" — a new free massive open online course taught by world-class scholars, including Francis Fukuyama, aimed at providing participants with a foundational knowledge of the best means for enacting effective policy change in their home countries.

With this new initiative, we hope to contribute to the formulation of new methodologies for public policy education, experiment with pedagogical techniques, and energize a network of dedicated public policy reformers.

Reimagining Public Policy Education at Stanford and Beyond CDDRL launches new free massive open online course

To celebrate and support this year's theme of "Black Resistance," the World House Project at CDDRL is honored to share its award-winning short documentary, "When I Get Grown: Reflections of a Freedom Rider," for free throughout February.

"When I Get Grown," a film based on World House Project director Dr. Clayborne Carson's interviews with American civil rights activist Bernard Lafayette, explores Lafayette's experiences as a Freedom Rider and his role in the Civil Rights Movement. The film highlights the Freedom Riders' commitment to end segregation and underscores the importance of black resistance in the struggle for equal rights and justice.

The World House Project Offers Free Access to its Award-Winning Documentary Watch “When I Get Grown: Reflections of a Freedom Rider" now

🗓️ FRIDAY 1/27 | WASHINGTON, DC

This Friday, join CDDRL faculty, researchers, and partners, including Larry Diamond, Hesham Sallam, and Ayça Alemdaroğlu, at the Institute for Middle East Studies at GWU to mark the 11th anniversary of the Arab Uprisings with a series of panels discussing "Struggles for Political Change in the Arab World."

Register to attend the DC event below, or access the book (edited by Amr Hamzawy, Lisa Blaydes, and Hesham Sallam) for free online at fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/6w924f270.

Book Launch: Struggles for Political Change in the Arab World Struggles for Political Change in the Arab World: Regimes, Oppositions, and External Actors Hosted by the Institute for Middle East Studies

📝 DEADLINE EXTENDED: It's not too late to apply for our Draper Hills Summer Fellows Program or our new Strengthening Ukrainian Democracy and Development Program! Applications for both have been extended through this Sunday, January 22.

Don't miss out on these life-changing opportunities. Click the links below to learn more and get started 👇

DHSF: http://ow.ly/lJQ650MtcoB
SU-DD: http://ow.ly/Kxv350MtcoA

The Stanford Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) was founded in 2002. Over the last 20 years, the Center’s many achievements have included informing public discourse on democracy, development, and the rule of law and educating and training a generation of scholars and leaders who will change the world.

Below, read about how CDDRL has played an important role in translating academic concepts and research into actionable policies. http://ow.ly/5n8550Lqgun

The Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law Celebrates 20 Years of Global Impact CDDRL is committed to research that can illuminate the causes of governance failures, and understand how democracy, development and the rule of law can be promoted.

Довгі роки CDDRL має особливі стосунки з #Україна. Сьогодні ми з радістю оголошуємо запуск нашої Strengthening Ukrainian Democracy and Development Program — 7-тижневої навчальної програми для українських практиків та фахівців, відповідальних за розробку чи зміну політик.

CDDRL Launches Program Aimed at Strengthening Ukrainian Democracy and Development CDDRL is committed to research that can illuminate the causes of governance failures, and understand how democracy, development and the rule of law can be promoted.

For many years, CDDRL has had a special relationship with . Today, we are pleased to announce the launch of our Strengthening Ukrainian Democracy and Development Program — a 7-week training program for Ukrainian practitioners and policymakers.

CDDRL Launches Program Aimed at Strengthening Ukrainian Democracy and Development CDDRL is committed to research that can illuminate the causes of governance failures, and understand how democracy, development and the rule of law can be promoted.

We are pleased to announce that Margaret Levi, professor of Political Science and former Sara Miller McCune Director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) has joined our Center’s faculty as a newly appointed Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies effective September 1.

Read the full announcement below, and join us in welcoming her to CDDRL!

Political Scientist Margaret Levi Joins CDDRL Levi has been appointed a Senior Fellow at FSI.

"For nearly two decades, Stanford has played host to what has quietly become one of the most influential pipelines to world leadership," writes The Stanford Daily reporter Jack Murawczyk.

Read about how our Draper Hills Summer Fellows Program is helping shape the next generation of international decision-makers, many of whom will soon be at the forefront of global change.

The little-known Stanford program that keeps churning out global leaders The Draper Hills Summer Fellows Program reconvened in person for the first time, bringing budding leaders together with the world’s most influential democracy scholars.

The Stanford Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) is pleased to announce that effective July 1, 2022, the Center for Deliberative Democracy (CDD) has transitioned from the Department of Communication to CDDRL as the newly named Deliberative Democracy Lab (DDL).

For the last two decades, CDD has focused its work on the theory and practice of deliberative democracy, especially as implemented via Deliberative Polling® — a concept originated in 1988 by Professor James Fishkin, the Janet M. Peck Chair of International Communication. Sometimes called “the poll with a human face,” Deliberative Polling shows what the public would think about an issue both before and after it has considered an issue in depth under good conditions and with good information.

Fishkin, who has been named a Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, will continue to serve as the Lab’s Director alongside Alice Siu as Associate Director, now a Senior Research Scholar at CDDRL. Larry Diamond, the Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy at FSI, will also continue to be affiliated with the Lab as a faculty collaborator.

Rounding out the team for the newly formed Lab, Tom Schnaubelt, currently Director of the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University, will join DDL in a new role as Lecturer and Senior Advisor on Civic Education, effective August 1, 2022.

Click the link below to read the full announcement ⤵️

Reforming Our Public Dialogue: New Deliberative Democracy Lab Joins CDDRL CDDRL is committed to research that can illuminate the causes of governance failures, and understand how democracy, development and the rule of law can be promoted.

Announcing the 2022 cohort of Summer Fellows! These 33 leaders drawn from 26 countries around the world are working on the frontlines of democratic change to combat the global rise of authoritarianism and populism.

Meet the fellows ⤵️

Meet the 2022 Draper Hills Summer Fellows Our fellows are working on the frontlines of democratic change.

⚖️🇺🇦 THURSDAY, MAY 12 AT 4 PM PT: We are pleased to co-sponsor this year's Annual Lecture on International Justice, delivered by Norman Farrell, with the Center for Human Rights & International Justice, Stanford University and the Stanford Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies.

For more information and to register, visit: http://ow.ly/X7bH50J1J9N

Norman Farrell will deliver this year's Annual Lecture on International Justice in a talk titled, "International Criminal Law, its Legal Framework and its application in Ukraine." Details: https://stanford.io/3rCaCsm

Norman Farrell is an international Prosecutor with extensive experience in leading and managing large scale criminal investigations or prosecutions of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and terrorist acts. Mr. Farrell is the prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Prior to this appointment, Mr Farrell was deputy prosecutor since 2008 at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

🇺🇦 The faculty and staff of the Stanford Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) condemn in the strongest terms the unprovoked Russian assault on .

Read our full statement below.

Statement in Support of Ukraine We condemn in the strongest terms the unprovoked Russian assault on Ukraine

CDDRL has a new podcast! Democracy IRL, hosted by political scientist Francis Fukuyama, features a series of conversations with thought leaders and academics alike that touch on the ways in which democracy and development are being challenged today by authoritarian resurgence, misinformation, the perils of a changing climate, and more.

Our first two episodes with former US Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer and Ukrainian author and journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk touch on the current crisis between Russia and Ukraine. Listen below, or subscribe via iTunes or Spotify.

Democracy IRL Fostering and maintaining democracy, development and the rule of law is the great challenge of our time. Join Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law and our host, political scientist Francis Fukuyama, for a seri...