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SUNY Center for International Development Announces New
Director
 |
The
Dean of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and
Policy, Jeffery Straussman, announced that Malcolm
Russell-Einhorn has been named the Director of the
SUNY Center for International Development. “In
Malcolm Russell-Einhorn, we have found a leader who
brings a unique combination of practical international
development experience and a background in policy research
and teaching in the law and governance arena,” Straussman
said. “His expertise and vision will help build
on the accomplishments of SUNY/CID, so that it will
continue to help enhance the capacity of developing
nations to meet critical challenges, while strengthening
the university’s commitment to more active international
engagement.” |
Prior
to his appointment, Mr. Russell-Einhorn was Associate Director
at the University of Maryland’s IRIS Center,
a research and policy advisory center with a focus on economic
governance. He brings more than 20 years of experience in
the design, management, and evaluation of international development
activities. An expert in governance, legal and regulatory
reform, and civil society, Mr. Russell-Einhorn has conducted
research and provided technical assistance to governmental
and non-governmental organizations overseas. Much of his
work has focused on comparative administrative law, legal
frameworks conducive to economic development, the encouragement
of transparency and accountability in government regulation
and service delivery, and the use of public consultation
in legislative and regulatory drafting.
Mr.
Russell-Einhorn said he was especially drawn to the SUNY/CID
given its
history as a university-based center committed
to excellence in international development. “SUNY/CID
has a superior record of achievement in the democracy and
governance field over the past decade and a half, particularly
in the area of legislative development. Few organizations
around the world are as closely identified with strengthening
the operational, oversight, and public outreach work of legislatures
than the Center. I am committed to deepening further the
quality of this work and collecting and disseminating some
of the most important lessons learned. I also look forward
to having the Center’s future work address a number
of other areas, including legal and regulatory reform, anti-corruption,
and assistance to higher education institutions and NGOs
to help them engage in high-quality policy analysis.”
Mr. Russell-Einhorn holds a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard
Law School, a Master of Arts in Russian Studies from Yale
University, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Yale College.
He has taught comparative law and economic development courses
at Brandeis University, Georgetown University, American University,
Boston University and Boston College.
Simone Grant Named Recipient of the 2008 SUNY/CID Arthur
J. Sist Fellowship
SUNY/CID’s
Director, Macolm Russell-Einhorn, announced that Simone
Grant is the winner of this year’s Arthur
J. Sist Fellowship in International Development.
Ms. Grant
is currently a Ph.D. student at the University at Albany
studying Public Administration and Policy, with
a MA and BA in political science. She will travel to Brazil
where she will be working with the Center for Public Policy
Research (Núcleo de Apoio a Políticas Públicas – NAPP)
in São Paulo. NAPP is a NGO dedicated to supporting
public managers to develop and implement public policies
in a way that integrates social, democratic, economic, and
sustainable development. NAPP is currently conducting a new
research project about politics and gender with the University
of São Paulo (USP). Simone will be working on gender,
democracy and politics, focusing on the issue of women's
political representation and participation in political decision-making
processes.
SUNY/Jordan holds Regional Policy Workshop
The Legislative Resource and Training Center (LRTC) of the
Jordanian Parliament sponsored a regional policy workshop,
in coordination with Mutaa University, in Karak in the south
of Jordan on May 31, 2008. The LRTC was founded by and is
currently staffed by SUNY/CID's Legislative Strengthening
Program, funded by USAID. Eighty-five participants, including
Members and staff of Parliament, local government officials,
academia, think tanks, and CSOs, discussed issues of particular
importance to the south of Jordan, including poverty, unemployment,
energy, investment, and agriculture. Eleven out of the seventeen
Members of Parliament representing this region were able
to attend the workshop. Presentations by experts were followed
by forums in which they shared ideas on how nationwide policy
affects citizens in the south and what role Members of Parliament
can take in addressing these issues. This workshop was the
first instance of Members of Parliament going to their regions
outside of Amman during session. Two similar workshops may
follow in central and northern Jordan.
SUNY/KENYA
Launches 2008 Parliamentary Internship Program
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A
one-day orientation program was held on March 13 in
the Kenyan Parliament for the 2008 Class of Parliamentary
Interns. The interns were given an overview of the program
and officially welcomed to the Kenya National Assembly,
where they will serve for ten months assisting Parliament’s
various departments and committees.
The
Kenya Parliamentary
Internship Program is an activity of the Parliamentary
Program Strengthening in Kenya, jointly funded by
USAID
and DFID
|
 |
bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbThe
Parliamentary Internship Program Class of 2008 in Nairobi
and implemented by SUNY/CID. The highly-successful internship
program, now in its seventh year, offers young Kenyan professionals
an excellent opportunity to enhance their understanding of
the National Assembly and to witness the legislative process
from within. A series of lectures by local and international
experts complements their hands-on work in the Assembly. Selected
through an objective and very competitive process from a pool
of 176 recent graduates of fourteen Kenyan universities, the
interns passed through a rigorous evaluation of their qualifications
on paper as well as in person, including interviews with a
distinguished panel from Parliament, academia, and SUNY/Kenya.
The Class of 2008 is as representative as it is highly-qualified:
seven of the twenty finalists are women; they hail from all
of Kenya’s regions; including the marginalized North-Eastern
Province and a number have graduated with distinctions.
A
goal of the program is that more graduates interact and engage
with Parliament through this program, Parliament as a public
institution will be demystified and more Kenyans will get
a better understanding of how it functions and the critical
role that it plays in the governance of the county.
United
Nations Capital Development Fund Partners with CID and other
SUNY Institutions to Expand Education on Microfinance
| SUNY/CID,
the Levin Institute, and the University at Buffalo School
of Management signed an agreement on March 5, 2008 with
the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to
expand and extend a microfinance training program that
explores why and how microfinance operations grow to provide
financial services to poor and low-income people on a
sustainable basis. The Microfinance Distance Learning
(MFDL) course, which has been developed for web, distance
learning, and classroom delivery, brings together advice
and best practices from successful practitioners and institutions
around the world from Latin America to Africa to Asia
and the Arab States. With the signing of the Agreement,
the State University of New York institutions will further
develop and deliver the MFDL course to a broad audience.
|
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| "We
are delighted that the Center for International Development
has this opportunity to support microfinance institutions
throughout the developing |
SUNY
CID Acting Director Jim Utermark and
Executive Secretary Henriette Keijzers
saluting
the MFLD agreement. |
world," said Jeffrey D. Straussman, dean of the Rockefeller
College of Public Affairs & Policy. "Through improved skills
of their personnel, these small institutions will be able
to reach more people with opportunities to better their lives.
Offering this course complements SUNY/CID's practical achievements
providing micro-loans and leases" he said.
"Our UNCDF microfinance colleagues invested a lot of time,
energy and resources into developing this program," said Executive
Secretary Henriette Keijzers. "The intention was to promote
knowledge of microfinance to as broad an audience as possible,
which is now happening through partnerships like this one
with SUNY," she said. For more information on this and other
UNCDF activities, please see their website http://www.uncdf.org/english/index.php
Afghanistan
Parliament Budget Office Opened
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Yunus
Qanooni, Speaker of the Afghanistan National Assembly
inaugurated the much anticipated Parliament Budget Office
on December 6, 2007. The Budget Office will provide constant
technical and specialized research on the fiscal and economic
issues of Afghanistan. The creation of the Budget Office
started when Members of Parliament, the Speaker, and Committees
expressed the urgent need for more technical capacity
within Parliament to undertake these important duties.
They turned to the USAID-sponsored Afghanistan Parliamentary
Assistance Program (APAP) that is being implemented by
SUNY/CID. |
APAP
responded by conducting a series of evaluations within the
Parliament and succeeded in mobilizing support for the creation
of a Parliamentary Budget Office. After the legal framework
was complete, three full-time dedicated Afghan fiscal and
economic experts were hired to staff the Budget Office. USAID/APAP
concluded discussions with UNIFEM to ensure gender issues
are fully covered by the Budget Office. National as well as
international experts will be hired regularly to provide strong
and complement backing to the MPs in the pursuit of their
democratic mandate to represent the Afghan people.
Moroccan
Parliament Conducts First New Member Orientation Program
| For
the first time in the history of the Moroccan Parliament,
the Administration welcomed new Members of Parliament
(MPs) through a comprehensive orientation program, which
was supported by the USAID/Morocco Parliament Support
Project. Election had taken place in September 2007 for
the 325 seats in the Lower House of Parliament. Its new
leadership extended the New Member Orientation Program
(NMOP) to MPs and staff in the Upper House, expressing
its commitment to work closely with its sister house in
the bicameral institution. |
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| The
Secretary General of the Parliament designed the NMOP
through a consultancy by a French National Assembly |
Members
of the Moroccan Parliament participate in orientation
events. |
expert,
creating a series of products for the “Welcome Basket”: the
MP Resource Guide and Best Practices Manual, Booklet of King’s
Speeches, the internal rules, the Constitution, an interactive
CD-ROM, an official welcome letter to incoming MPs, a photo-database
of contacts, and a parliamentary pen. Three former MPs and/or
staff from Sweden, Germany, and Canada, as well as Moroccan
experts, engaged the new MPs to exchange ideas and experiences
on core parliamentary topics. The Project’s support to the Parliament
has reinforced the role of the Administration as a professional
body independent from the political influences that have historically
limited Moroccan MPs’ legislative functions. Appreciating the
knowledge gained through the NMOP, new MPs requested that the
Project provide further training and support in legislative
skills including oral questions, parliamentary oversight, legislative
drafting, and committee management and operations. [Top
of the page]
Orientation
Program for Members of Parliament held with Support of SUNY/Morocco
As
part of the new MP orientation program, “The Administrative
and Political Aspects in Parliamentary Work” session was
held on December 4, 2007. The panelists at this roundtable
included Mrs. Latifa Bennani Smiress, Head of Istiqlal
Group in the Lower House, Mrs. Andrea Bischoff, senior
staffer at the German Bundestag, Mr. Hamid Narjiss, Vice
President of the Lower House, and Mr. Lahcen Bensassi,
Head of the Parliament Staff Association. Mrs. Bischoff
provided a comparative perspective by addressing various
aspects of German Bundestag’s administration: a strong
and independent administration, strong research capability,
and a strong committee secretary system. The presentation
provided the basis for further discussions between MPs
and parliamentary staff from both chambers. [Top
of the page]
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MPs
discuss the issues presented at the roundtable on "The
Administrative and Political Aspects in Parliamentary
Work."
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The
Uganda LINKAGES Program Hosts Public Private Dialogue in Mubende
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On Friday, November 16, 2007, the Uganda LINKAGES Program
successfully launched the first in a series of Public
Private Dialogues (PPDs) in Mubende District. The event
was well attended with over seventy local government
and civil society organization representatives participating.
Over the next three weeks, the SUNY/RTI team will carry
out nine additional PPDs marking the beginning of activities
in all ten target districts for the program.
[Top
of the page]
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| Breakout
sessions during the Public Private Dialogue in Mubende,
Uganda |
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Afghan
Speaker Youounus Qanooni Visit
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On
October 29, Youonus Qanooni, the Speaker of the Wolesi
Jirga, the lower house of Parliament of the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan,
spoke on "The Democratization of Afghanistan" to a standing
room only audience at the University at Albany. This speech
was the culmination of his visit to Albany and Washington,
DC from October 23-29, 2007. Speaker Qanooni was joined
on his trip by two distinguished Afghan Parliamentarians,
Mrs. Seddiqa Mubarez and Mr. Mohammad Naiem Farahi, and
Mr. Rahimullah Ghalib, the Wolesi Jirga's Chief of Staff.
Speaker Quanooni met representatives from UAlbany's Rockefeller
College to discuss modalities for launching the Afghanistan
Parliamentary Institute (API) under a joint academic exchange
program. While in Washington, Speaker Quanooni visited
his counterpart in the US Congress, Nancy Pelosi, the
Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, USAID's Administrator
and the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman. He also
made a presentation at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Speaker
Qanooni discussed the creation of the Afghan Parliament,
and its role in strengthening Afghanistan's nascent democracy,
noting that: "Democracy has been recognized as |
|
Speaker Youounus Qanooni addresses a large audience
at UAlbany.
|
a
successful idea and a successful experience. We accept
democracy as a way and a path and we learned this from
our friends in the West Democracy has had a long route
in Afghanistan; for the first time in the 200 years of
history the people of Afghanistan have seen a transition
of power by their own will. For the first time in the
history of Afghanistan, we witnessed the formation of
a government that was the will of the people." [Top
of the page] |
SUNY/Zimbabwe Supports Parliament-Civil Society Linkages
| On
August 30 and 31, SUNY/Zimbabwe held the third of a
series of workshops designed to improve the relationship
between civil society and parliament. Held in the Masvingo
region of Zimbabwe, the event was organized in collaboration
with the National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations
in Zimbabwe (NANGO). The objectives were to improve
NGOs’ economic and legal skills that will better enable
them to make a meaningful contribution to the programs
of Parliament. Legislative, budget, and parliamentary
processes were addressed. Of particular relevance at
this moment, the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 18
that is currently before Parliament was also discussed
with a view to eliciting views from the civic society
organizations for submission to the relevant portfolio
committee. |
Attendees participate in a group exercise at the Parliamentary
Process and Constitution Amendment No. 18 Bill Workshop
in Bulawayo |
The attendees enthusiastically participated in the workshop.
Two workshops had already been held in Harare and Bulawayo,
focusing on budget processes and parliamentary practices and
procedures and the 18th Constitutional amendment respectively.
[Top
of the page]
Seminar
for MPs and Staff held in Haiti
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Caption:
Haitian Parliamentarians and Prime Minister, Caribbean
and U.S. presenters as well as U.S. Ambassador at
the seminar.
|
In
June 2007, SUNY/CID held a seminar for Senators, Deputies,
and heads of parliamentary departments on the “Exchange
of Information on the Principles and Practices of Parliamentarianism”
to reinforce the role and responsibilities of the Parliamentarians
as elected officials and as role models to their electorate.
Presentations were made by a former Speaker of the Parliament
of Canada, the Speaker of the House of Assembly of Dominica,
the President of the St. Lucian Senate, the President
of the Grenadian Senate, a Senior Counsel from the U.S.
House of Representatives, a staff member of the Californian
Senate, as well as Haitian lawyers, professors, historians,
journalists, and former ministers. A frank exchange
of experiences ensued after each presentation and provided
the opportunity to compare different legislative systems.
[Top
of the page]
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Debate
on Decentralization held in Haiti
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Caption:Members
of the Haitian Parliament and civil society debate
decentralization issues.
|
In
May 2007, the USAID-funded SUNY/ARD Project to Assist
the Parliament of Haiti worked with the University of
Notre-Dame and the responsible Parliamentary Commissions
to hold a debate on decentralization in Haiti. This
was the first in a series of conferences to examine
the social, economic, cultural and political future
of the country. The Commissions on Interior and Territorial
Collectivity of the Chamber of Deputies and the Decentralization
Commission of the Senate hosted the event that civil
society organizations, citizens, and the press attended.
This series of events provides a mechanism for broad
participation of the public on issues of national interest.
[Top
of the page]
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SUNY/CID
International Fellow debriefs the Moroccan Parliament
| In
July 2007, the Parliamentary Staff Association of Morocco
hosted a bi-cameral roundtable with MPs and staff, legislative
counsels of ministers, journalists, university professors
and students, and members of civil society, on “Legislative
Process and the Needs of Reform.” The event featured
the 2006-2007 New York State Senate Fellow, Adil Omar
Fala, Mr. Thomas Schiller of Konrad Adenauer Foundation,
Dr. Ahmed Jazouli of the USAID/Morocco Parliament Support
Project, and Dr. Nadir El Moumni of Mohamed V University
of Rabat. |
 |
| Mr.
Fala presented “The Legislative Process in New York
State,” detailing his experience working as senate staff
in Albany as well as his new perspective of the debate
about parliamentary reforms in Morocco. The forty three
participants deliberated the recommendations to enhance
the Moroccan Parliament’s participation in lawmaking,
oversight and representation. Mr. Fala served as a staff
member in the New York State Senate from September 2006
to June 2007, working in the office of Senator John
J. Flanagan, Republican, of Suffolk County. His fellowship
included completing coursework with Dr. Helen Desfosses
and Dr. Robert Nakamura at SUNY/Albany and participating
in a variety of SUNY/CID activities. [Top
of the page]
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Former
New York State Senate Fellow, Adil Omar Fala, discusses
his experiences at a ParliamentaryStaff Association
event in Rabat, Morocco.
|
Civil
Society Organization/Member of Parliament Expo-Fair Held in
Jordan
 |
The
first of its kind in the Kingdom of Jordan, the “Parliamentary-Civil
Society Networking Fair” was held on May 28, 2007 in
Amman, Jordan. The fair was successful in helping to
improve the Parliament of Jordan’s outreach to, and
understanding of, the active and growing civic society
and NGO community in the country. The event, which saw
a dozen legislators mingling with some 50 or more representatives
of civic groups, was hosted by the Parliament’s Directorate
of External Relations and co-organized by the SUNY/CID’s
Legislative Strengthening Program in Jordan. |
| Jordanian
media covered the head table of Members of Parliament
while CSO representatives manned their information tables.
|
The
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Nayef al-Fayyez, addressed
the crowd with welcome remarks. During the fair, advocacy/pressure
and interest groups set up information tables while
Members of Parliament circulated among them, participating
in informal policy issues-based conversation.[Top
of the page]
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SUNY/CID
Wins $5.8M USAID Contract to Strengthen Democratic Linkages
in Uganda
The
U.S. Agency for International Development has selected SUNY/CID
for award of the Uganda Linkages Program. This is 40 month
activity that seeks to strengthen democratic linkages within,
and among the Ugandan Parliament, selected local governments
and civil society groups. In the context of Uganda’s transition
back towards a multi-party system and recovery from civil
war, the Linkages Program’s goals include to build the capacity
of government and civil society to effectively engage with
each other; to increase democratic participation in political
processes; to improve institutional transparency and accountability;
and ultimately to improve essential service delivery to public
constituencies. SUNY/CID’s sub-contract partner on the Linkages
Program is the Research Triangle Institute, International
(RTI). Acting Director Jim Utermark said, “Winning the open
competition for the Linkages Program confirms that SUNY/CID’s
reputation in sub-Saharan Africa is outstanding. We look forward
to working with the Ugandan Parliament, local government officials,
civil society groups, and USAID in Uganda to help build multi-party
democracy in Uganda. [Top
of the page]
SUNY/CID
Interns for Summer 2007
SUNY/CID
is pleased to welcome its interns for Summer 2007. They hail
from four different SUNY campuses and bring a variety of skills
and interests to the job.
Elizabeth Murphy just completed her undergraduate studies
in International Studies and French at SUNY Oneonta. She has
previously studied at the Universidad de Costa Rica in San
Jose and at La Sorbonne in Paris. In the fall of 2007, Elizabeth
will begin graduate studies at the Monterey Institute of International
Studies in California.
Winter
Eyres just completed her undergraduate studies in international
business at New Paltz. She has speaks Spanish and has done
volunteer work for 'Mayan Hands'. She was in the SUNY New
Paltz Honors Program and won several academic awards.
Lisle
Ferreira completed her undergraduate studies Magna Cum
Laude at SUNY Stony Brook in Political Science, International
Studies and Business Studies. She is proficient in Spanish
and fluent in Portuguese. She has extensive experience at
the Brazilian Institute of Public Administration and at the
Broad Street Group in Manhattan. In the fall of 2007, she
will begin her MA at New York University.
Paul
Gumpper is pursuing a PhD in political science at Rockefeller
College with a concentration in international relations, international
political economy and the politics of developing countries.
He completed his undergraduate studies at East Stroudsburg
University of Pennsylvania, in International Relations. He
has studied in Africa and is interested in the development
of microfinance policies.
These
interns will work closely with CID staff on projects in the
Middle East, Latin America, South Asia and Africa. [Top
of the page]
SUNY/CID
Hosts Albany Government Day for Egyptian Students
On April 4, 2007, SUNY/CID hosted a day in Albany for nine
students from the American University of Cairo (AUC) who are
spending this semester at SUNY New Paltz. The students are
part of a USAID-funded undergraduate program at AUC, the Leadership
in Education and Development (LEAD) program. The LEAD program
supports academically gifted Egyptian students for undergraduate
study at AUC. As part of a partnership between AUC and SUNY,
the semester at SUNY New Paltz constitutes the study abroad
component of the undergraduate studies for nine of the LEAD
students. Their day in Albany was designed to acquaint the
students with the workings of state and city government.
While
in Albany, the LEAD students met with Ambassador Robert Gosende,
Associate Vice Chancellor for International Programs; Assemblyman
Jack McEneny; Senator Neil Breslin; Albany Common Council
Member Catherine Fahey; Krista Ketterer of the Senate Student
Programs Office; current Senate Fellows and International
Senate Fellows; SUNY/CID Interns; an Irish legislative intern;
James Ketterer of CID; and other SUNY staff.
| Ambassador
Gosende speaks to the LEAD students |
LEAD
students with Assemblyman McEneny and SUNY representatives |
[Top
of the page]
US
Ambassador Eastham and Speaker Chimango Tour Malawi National
Assembly Project
On
March 9, 2007, U.S. Ambassador to Malawi, Alan Eastham, and
the Speaker of Parliament, the Honorable Louis Chimango jointly
toured the SUNY/Malawi National Assembly Project. The tour
begun at Kang'ombe House where the project is supporting offices
of the Committee Clerks and a Library. The Ambassador and
the Speaker also toured the Resources Center which hosts computers
with high speed internet connection for exclusive use by Members
and Committee support staff. Speaking at the end of the tour,
Ambassador Eastham stated that his Government was pleased
to support the efforts of the Malawi Government to enhance
the role of the Malawi National Assembly as an institution
playing a major role in entrenching democracy in Malawi.
 |
On
his part, Speaker Chimango expressed Parliament's appreciation
for the support made possible by funding from the US
Government. He noted that through this project, an attempt
was being made to end the longstanding problems that
the parliament has had insufficient and unstable funding
and lack of administrative autonomy that have hitherto
obstructed progress for the Malawi National Assembly
to achieve its strategic objectives. The National Assembly
recognizes the importance and urgency of these reforms
and has launched initiatives to strengthen its services
and independence. The activities under the project are
one such initiative. The Speaker asked the US Government
to consider renewing the project which was doing a great
job, as the project is expected to come to an end early
next year. [Top
of the page]
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| Meeting
of Ambassador Alan Eastham with Parliament Leadership
at SUNY/ Malawi Office |
|
SUNY/Malawi
Supports Budget and Finance Committee
| SUNY/Malawi
is supporting the Malawi National Assembly’s Budget
and Finance Committee in its efforts to scrutinize the
Supplementary Budget expenditure estimates that the Minister
of Finance plans to present to the National Assembly during
its next sitting planned for February 19, 2007. The Minister
has appeared before the Committee on two occasions to
make a presentation on the expenditure estimates and to
explain the implications of Malawi’s debt forgiveness
on the overall economy. There is a growing mutual respect
between the Committee and the Minister of Finance who
has made himself available to the Committee to respond
to queries from Members. The Minister, who clearly understands
the implications of gaining support in the House, has
made it his business to address as many of the concerns
of the Members as possible. [Top
of the page] |
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| |
Malawi’s
Minister of Finance in deliberations with the Members
of the National Assembly Budget and Finance Committee |
News
Archive: 2006 I 2005
& 2004 I 2003 &
2002
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