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SUNY/Zimbabwe Organizes Annual Retreat for Parliament of Zimbabwe's Liaison Committee

As part of SUNY/Zimbabwe's annual workplan of activities, the Zimbabwe Parliament's Liaison Committee met in Victoria Falls from October 10 to 13, 2003 to review progress against the reform agenda and its own objectives. The meeting was well attended by committee chairs and whips, the leadership of parliament (Leader of Government Business and Leader of the Opposition), Zimbabwean and South African resource experts sponsored by SUNY/Zimbabwe, parliament staff, SUNY's technical team, and UNDP/Zimbabwe and USAID/Zimbabwe representatives, as well as the local media. Progress was charted in terms of what needs to be done to deepen and make the governmental/legislative reforms first articulated in 1999 better achieve their objectives. Plans were put in place to implement a number of agreed-upon initiatives that would improve the image and performance of parliament. This annual event hosted by SUNY again proved worthwhile in stepping back and reflecting on achievements over the past three-plus years of the USAID-funded project. [Top of the page]

The Center Assists Assembly of Rwanda with Landmark Democratic Transition

In August 2003, the Center’s veteran consultant and University at Albany Professor Robert Nakamura provided short-term training and advisory consulting to the SUNY/ARD legislative strengthening project in Rwanda. USAID and the project considered the summer of 2003 an especially critical period for this work because the new constitution and forthcoming elections could shape a promising new environment for legislative development in Rwanda. Prof. Nakamura assessed the pivotal problems and issues concerning the move to a bicameral institution which was approved in the May constitutional referendum, and he delivered three days of workshops on these issues to the staff and MPs of the Assembly of Rwanda. [Top of the page]

This strategic consulting work came after the May 2003 Constitutional referendum, and preceded presidential and parliamentary elections. These steps in the democratic process have been widely heralded as a turning point in the country's efforts towards national reconciliation and the consolidation of several new and important democratic institutions. In late August, roughly 80 percent of the populace turned out to vote for their president in Rwanda's first democratic elections since the 1994 genocide in which 800,000 people were killed. Observers said polling went smoothly and the Rwandan Patriotic Front’s incumbent President Paul Kagame won the election. In legislative elections on September 30th, 53 of the 80 Chamber Deputies were up for election at polling stations throughout Rwanda, and an entirely new Senate was elected - two thirds of the recently elected MPs are new to the institution.[Top of the page]

Most impressively, fully half of the Chamber representatives are women, and that figure is 30 percent in the new Senate. International and domestic observers are watching closely to see how such a high proportion of female representatives (and also coincidentally a high level of delegates elected from rural areas of the country), influences the operations of the legislature and its resulting policies

SUNY Provides Testimony to Peruvian Congress on Optimizing Congressional Functions and Procudures

On October 28th, SUNY´S COP in Peru, Margarita R. Seminario and SUNY consultant Dr. Jose Elice provided expert testimony to the Decentralization, Regionalization and Modernization of the State Committee on three key subject areas: public hearings on legislation, a congressional information request system, and a methodology to develop, track and disseminate the congressional legislative agenda. The amendments to internal rules and congressional norms were drafted by Dr. José Elice, former Chief Administrative Officer and parliamentary law scholar, using the studies prepared by SUNY over the past 6 months. They included:

1. A Governing Council Agreement on Procedures for Formulation, Debate, Approval, Dissemination, and Tracking the Annual Congressional Legislative Agenda;

2. A Legislative Resolution to Reform Internal Rules of Congress and Incorporate Regulations on Preparation, Conducting and Results Dissemination of a Public Hearing and a Governing Council Agreement to approve Rules and Guidelines for Preparation, Conducting and Results Dissemination of a Public Hearing;

3. An Internal Congressional Rules to Improve the Congressional Information Request Mechanism from the Public Administration;

These reforms optimize congressional functions and procedures and go hand-in-hand with proposed changes in congressional operational procedures each of these three areas.

Information technology applications are being designed and developed by SUNY Peru Deputy Director Guillermo Garcia and project consultant Rodolfo Calderon to develop and track the congressional legislative agenda and systematize congressional information requests. SUNY project associate Lucia Fernandez prepared the guide for the public hearings on legislation.

The USAID-funded Developing Skills of the Peruvian Congress project serves as catalyst to develop and implement processes that make a difference in the way the Peruvian National Congress operates and functions. [Top of the page]

CID Taps John B. Sheffer II To Help East Africa Democratic Institutions

The State University of New York’s Center for International Development (SUNY/CID) named John B. Sheffer, II, former New York State Legislator, as the second Scholar-in-Residence at the East African Parliamentary Institute to help East African democratic institutions function more effectively.

“These are very exciting times in East Africa, particularly in Kenya where they just elected a new president and parliament in one of the rare transfers of power by ballot in modern African history,” said Sheffer, director of the Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth at the University at Buffalo. “I could not be more enthused about this opportunity to focus my primary interests as a faculty member - effective governance and regional growth - to assist the new democracies that are developing in the region”

The East African Parliamentary Institute, located in Nairobi, Kenya, is a joint program of CID and the United States International University (USIU). Funded by the Ford Foundation, the Institute conducts research on issues of importance to the region's three parliaments and provides a venue for sharing information, allowing East African parliamentarians to work with and learn from each other.

“John Sheffer brings extensive experience in governmental relations and public policy to this important international project,” said State University of New York Chancellor Robert L. King. “Under his direction, the Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth has built an impressive reputation as a leading organization for research and analysis relating to issues of regional importance, including planning, service delivery, economic development, and government efficiency.”

A professor of law and planning at the University at Buffalo, Sheffer is a former mayor of the Village of Williamsville. He has extensive legislative experience having served 10 years in the New York State Assembly and five years in the New York State Senate. In August 2002, he served as a consultant to the Parliament of Zimbabwe in the area of public policy analysis and implementation. He has also done legislative strengthening work in Zimbabwe, Lebanon, Zambia, and Bulgaria. During his residency in Kenya Sheffer will:

• Conduct training sessions with parliamentary staff on member-staff relations, constituency relations and effective tools of policy making.
• Lecture at USIU and other academic institutions on legislative topics.
• Meet with local officials about local-parliamentary relations and challenges facing municipalities.

Sheffer succeeds Robert Nakamura, professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, who served as the Institute’s first scholar-in-residence last year. [Top of the page]

New Professional Training Seminar for MPs in Southern Africa

Parliament members in Southern African nations find themselves challenged by the multiple demands they face – from their constituents, their parties, and their nations. Recognizing the need to help guide legislators in these new democracies, the United Nations Development Programme contracted the Center to work with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum to design a professional development seminar for MPs of the 12-nation SADC region. In conjunction with the SADC Parliamentary Forum, the Center’s Senior Associate John Johnson designed a comprehensive training seminar for MPs that covers parliamentary roles and responsibilities with regard to representation, lawmaking, budgeting, oversight, developing effective committees, political parties in parliament, and other areas.

Johnson and the SADC Parliamentary Forum delivered the first pilot seminar from August 16-18, 2003, to MPs of the Zambian Parliament in Lusaka, Zambia. More than 70 percent of the MPs, both backbenchers and cabinet ministers, attended the 3-day seminar in the Zambian Parliament auditorium. The handbook being developed in tandem with the seminar proved very useful to the Zambian MPs, some of which appreciated the descriptions by East African Legislative Assembly Member Hon. Dan Ogalo and Deputy Clerk Patrick Gichohi on how the Ugandan and Kenyan parliaments established their independence from the executive, and how Uganda’s parliament increased its authority in the budget process. Zambia’s parliamentary modernization group seeks to do both. Questionnaire results revealed that 100% of the MPs found the program useful to their work (83% Very Useful, 10% Somewhat - Very Useful, 7% Somewhat Useful). [Top of the page]

Second Pilot Training Seminar Held for MPs in Lesotho

From September 30 – October 2, the Center’s Senior Associate John Johnson collaborated with the SADC Parliamentary Forum again to deliver the second pilot seminar for MPs, this time for the Parliament of Lesotho. Using a team of regional parliamentary experts from Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, Johnson and SADC further refined the training module while delivering the seminar in Lesotho’s capitol, Maseru. Nearly 90% of the members of both houses of the Lesotho Parliament participated in the seminar. Lesotho’s 33-member Senate comprises appointed royal chiefs from around the nation, and the 120 member National Assembly is made up of elected members. Johnson returns to Namibia in December to work with the Parliamentary Forum to finalize the handbook, which will be used by parliaments throughout the 12-nation SADC region and made available worldwide over the Internet at www.sadcpf.org/
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SUNY/CID Develops New Legislative Agenda Tracking System for Peruvian Congress

The Peruvian National Congress, in partnership with SUNY/CID, has successfully developed an internal institutional mechanism that effectively and regularly will compile, track and disseminate the congressional legislative agenda. Guillermo Garcia, SUNY/CID's Deputy Chief of Party explains, "the actual product is a congressional agenda tracking software available in the congressional intranet. This tool will give Members and staff increased access to timely and accurate information on the progress of the congressional agenda." The Peruvian Congress' decision to initiate an annual legislative agenda has been hailed as a positive step toward the legislative branch becoming stronger, since there are few examples of legislative initiated national congressional agendas in presidential systems. This tool will standardize and increase transparency within Congress while at the same time making it easier for civil society to oversee and track the implementation of the congressional agenda. [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID Training Sessions Work to Include More Women in Bolivian Politics

An international workshop on the role of women in politics in Bolivia was held in La Paz with the participation of two prominent Latin women legislators from the State Senate of California, Martha Escutia and Gloria Romero. Participating from Bolivia in the workshop were prominent Bolivian gender oriented non- governmental organizations and a total of 45 women titular and alternate legislators from the Bolivian National Congress.

The purpose of the workshop was to engage in an international exchange of experiences on the challenges facing women in entering and operating in a political milieu. In the dialogue it was stressed that the most effective legislators are women who enter politics with a personal or work experience of a problem that requires a social or legal remedy.

1. The California State Senators helped the women Bolivian legislators analyze several ways to make their work more effective:
   Consensus building for the construction of a gender oriented legislative agenda. This first step involves working with like-minded women legislators within the Congress and with gender oriented and other pertinent members of the NGO community.
2. Coalition building among the male members of the Congress to promote one or more of the items of the women’s legislative agenda. The more it is seen that a gender issue is important for the society as a whole and not just for women, the more support it will receive both inside and outside the Congress.
3. The need to encourage more women to enter politics:
   a. By the selection and mentoring of promising women candidates
   b. By the creation of an EMILY fund to support the most important campaigns of the women candidates.

The entire workshop was deemed a great success by both the Bolivian and international participants. The Bolivian legislators were invited to attend a similar workshop, funded by the North Florida International Visitors Program and the Florida LWV; and another international workshop with participation of the California State legislators was planned for the month of September. [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID Judicial Reform Advocacy Training in Bolivia

Margaret Healy is traveling to La Paz in October to work with SUNY/CID and Partners of the America’s justice reform project in Bolivia. Ms. Healy will help develop an advocacy and social lobbying strategy for the Participation and Justice network of NGOs in the country. The strategy hopes to promote the justice reform agenda while helping to improve communication between various constituent groups and government.

Ms. Healy has also been working for SUNY/CID’s legislative strengthening project in Bolivia (PARC) for the past few months providing training to NGOs on lobbying and advocacy. The material covered in the workshops is being organized into a manual for Bolivian NGOs and CSOs on how to lobby Congress and advocate their interests and will be published at the conclusion of the training and follow up processes.

SUNY/CID Facilitates Concorde Between Mexican and US State Legislative Associations

On September 9-12, SUNY/CID guided the leader of the association of Mexican state congresses, Deputy Victor Giorgana, on a trip to Denver and Washington, DC. Deputy Giorgana is speaker of the State Congress of Puebla and President of the COMCE (Conferencia Mexicana de Congresos Estatales). SUNY/CID arranged for the COMCE - which was formed last October with extensive support and input from SUNY/Mexico - to sign a collaboration agreement with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) on Thursday. Deputy Giorgana and SUNY/Mexico Chief of Party Bob Balkin, met with legislators at the Colorado State House, in addition to visiting NCSL offices in both places and learning more about the structure and organization of that entity. In Washington, the two also visited the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to discuss SUNY/CID´s diagnostic study of Mexico´s 32 state legislatures. SUNY/CID also arranged for Giorgana to meet with staff at the World Bank Institute to explore further collaboration in governance. [Top of the page]

Peruvian Members of Congress and Staff Participate in Experiencias de Fortalecimiento del Poder Legislativo (Experiences in Strengthening Legislative Powers) Seminar in Uruguay with SUNY/CID

SUNY/CID's Strengthening Skills of the Peruvian Congress Project is sponsoring a seven-member delegation of Peruvian members of Congress and staff to participate in the Experiences in Strengthening Legislative Powers Seminar in Montevideo, Uruguay from September 4 to 5, 2003. The purpose of the seminar is to provide Members and congressional staff the opportunity to participate to learn regional best practices in legislative strengthening. The conference is organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and is sponsored by the United Nations Development Program, the Uruguayan Congress, and the University of the Republic (Uruguay).

SUNY/CID's project director, Margarita Seminario, explained, "This is a unique opportunity for members of the Peruvian Congress' Governing Board and Decentralization and Modernization of the State Committee and key staff to discuss legislative strengthen strategies and issues with their colleagues from the region. We anticipate a lively exchange given the diverse experiences of the participants." Representatives from throughout Latin America are expected, including Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Uruguay. [Top of the page]

Kenyan Parliamentary Delegation in Albany for Study Visit Arranged by SUNY Center For International Development August 4, 2003 ALBANY - The State University of New York’s Center for International Development (SUNY/CID) is hosting a Kenyan delegation in Albany this week as part of a federally funded study tour to assist the African nation as it continues its transition to a more representative democracy. The 17-member delegation, led by the Deputy Speaker of the Kenyan Parliament, David Musila, will meet with legislators and SUNY officials, hear from legislative staff and other technical experts, and tour the New York State Capitol. As part of SUNY's overall partnership with Kenya, they
will engage in discussions on such topics as committee oversight, constituent relations, the relationship between majority and minority parties, and recruiting staff. Comprised of committee chairs and key administrative staff, the delegation is also visiting Ottawa, Canada, to examine legislative committee operations there.		(l to r) John O'Connor, SUNY Vice Chancellor; The Hon. David Musila, Deputy Speaker of Kenyan National Assembly; James Ketterer, SUNYY/CID Director; and, Ambassador Robert Gosende, SUNY Associate Vice Chancellor for International Programs.

		“ With hopeful eyes, the world is watching the transition in Kenya following the landmark December 2002 elections in which Kenyans voted out the party that ruled their country since independence in 1963 from Britain,” said Ambassador Robert Gosende, SUNY’s Associate Vice Chancellor for International Affairs. “SUNY/CID will continue to work with the Kenyan Parliament to further its development as an effective lawmaking institution serving the will of the Kenyan people.” Kenya, the location of one of the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Africa, is on the front lines of the war on terror and is vitally important to the United States Government’s overall policy in East Africa.
New York State Senator Michael A.L. Balboni, Chair of the Senate Committee on Homland Security, addresses the Kenyan delegation.

SUNY/CID, under contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development, launched in 2000, a five-year project entitled, Democratic Institution Building Assistance to the National Assembly. Its objective is to increase the Parliament of Kenya's ability to:

* effect legal, political and constitutional reforms that would positively impact on economic development and the democratization process in Kenya;
* act as an arena for citizens' input in public policy and legislative formation, and articulate the concerns of ordinary citizens
about important local and national issues; and
* oversee and monitor the policies and actions of the executive branch of government.

Since its inception in 1986, SUNY/CID has administered more than $100 million of international development projects on five continents, focusing on three areas: democracy, the environment, and economic development. SUNY/CID is currently directing six projects that focus on strengthening democracies and legislative bodies in Bolivia, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Tanzania, as well as regional legislative projects in Southern and Eastern Africa.. For more
information on SUNY/CID, see www.cid.suny.edu.

Governance project activities are targeted to both sides of the governmental equation. SUNY/CID assists parliaments, legislatures, local governments and court systems to function more effectively, and it also helps citizen groups and non-governmental organizations to interact more successfully with governments. SUNY/CID has also coordinated several conferences on legislative strengthening that have served as a forum for practitioners, legislators, and academics to advance the study and practice of improving legislatures.

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States with a total enrollment of 403,000 students in 6,400 fields of study on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu. [Top of the page]

CID Contributes to Africa Debate

Peg Clement and James Ketterer of CID recently contributed op-ed articles to a special section devoted to Africa in the Albany Time Union (www.timesunion.com). Those articles are available on the 'publications' section of this website.

SUNY/CID Expanding Regional Parliamentary Programs in Africa

SUNY/CID Senior Associate John Johnson spent two weeks in Windhoek, Namibia during June 2003 consulting with the Southern Africa Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) to create an orientation program for Members of Parliament (MPs) in Southern Africa. This consulting assignment comes through a contract with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to work with SADC PF in developing and delivering an MP orientation program and handbook for the SADC nations (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe).

One unique aspect of this program is the integration of gender issues into every program component instead of covering gender as a separate unit. The unit covering the budget, for example, covers gender budgeting and the unit on MP representation addresses gender issues related to representation. In addition to having a theoretical component, the overall program and handbook will build in comparative experiences in the SADC region as the training is delivered to each country’s parliament. Country specific analysis and best practices will be developed and presented for inclusion in the handbook by local experts. The first pilot test of the program will be conducted for approximately 80 MPs in Lusaka, Zambia in August 2003. The second will be held in Lesotho in September or October of this year. After the two pilots, SADC PF will continue delivering and developing this program on its own with the goal to have a comprehensive guide for MPs in SADC countries within two years.

SUNY/CID is using its legislative expertise to partner with a growing number of local and international organizations in helping MPs and their staff better represent their constituencies, oversee government spending, and reform policies to resolve the many difficult issues facing developing nations. SUNY/CID also manages a Ford Foundation regional parliamentary program in East Africa. Through the Ford Foundation grant, SUNY/CID is helping to develop a legislative studies center at the US International University in Nairobi, Kenya to assist the parliaments of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Since 1992, SUNY/CID has conducted short or long term country specific activities with the parliaments of Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Benin, Madagascar, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID Senior Associate Peg Clement led a group of nine SUNY/Albany students and CID interns to Princeton, New Jersey on Friday May 9, 2003 to participate in an event called “A Great Decisions Student Town Hall Meeting: America’s Role in the World: No Longer the Reluctant Sheriff?”

The one-day seminar was co-sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton.

Speakers included: Dr. Thomas Franck (Professor of f Law, New York University); Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter (Dean, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton); Dr. Meena Bose (Assoc. Professor, West Point); Barbara Crossette (Columnist, The National Journal); Dr. David Denoon, Professor of Politics and Economics, New York University); H.E. Paul Heinbecker (Representative of Canada to the UN); and H.E. Kishore Mahbubani (Representative of Singapore to the UN).

Other schools represented at the Student Town Hall were Hofstra, West Point, CUNY, Fordham, and Princeton. [Top of the page]

CID Presents Panel at NYS Political Science Association Conference

On April 11 CID presented a panel at the 57th annual conference of the New York State Political Science Association, which was held at Wagner College. The panel was on "Comparative Legislative Development: Institutions and Democratization" and included papers by Peg Clement ("Suspending Parliamentary Standing Orders: Democratic Flexibility or Authoritarian Ruse?"), John Johnson ("Kenya's Parliament During the Democratic Thaw, 2002-2002"), and James Ketterer ("Parliamentary Development in North Africa: Monarchy and Democracy"). The panel also included John B. Sheffer, II of the University at Buffalo (www.buffalo.edu), who presented a paper titled "Circumstances Deteriorate in Zimbabwe: Opportunities for Legislative Strengthening in a Failing State." Marc Cassidy of CID was the panel's chair and discussant. [Top of the page]

Vicky Pacheco, Financial Manager from Lima, Peru visits CID headquarters in Albany, NY.

Maria Victoria Pacheco, head accounting and financial manager for CID's Developing Skills in the Peruvian Congress Project traveled to Albany for a weeklong training program in April 6 - 12, 2003. Maricelle Saullo, Project Manager at CID's home office, designed her program. The visit included reviewing and organizing numerous issues regarding the Peru project along with specialized training on procedures and overviews of project management issues.

"One of the main goals of the week was to have Vicky come to the CID office and to provide her with a general orientation. This orientation was designed to help her understand and see what we do here and how CID and SUNY run," explained Maricelle Saullo.

Previous to this job, Maria Victoria has worked for the Information Department of UNICEF in Lima, Peru. As Financial Manager, Pacheco is responsible for setting up and operating the accounting system, assisting the COP and project manager on administrative and financial issues, and researching important information on Peruvian banking, legal, and financial systems.

"This week has been very productive. It is a pleasure to work with development professionals of such a high caliber and I am pleased to be a part of the SUNY team." [Top of the page]

James Ketterer Serves on Review Panel for Boren Fellowships

James Ketterer, Director of CID, was invited to serve on the International Affairs Review Panel for the 2003-2004 David L. Boren Graduate Fellowships of National Security Education Program. The Boren Fellowships, which are funded by the US Government, enable US graduate students to pursue specialization in area and language study or to add an important international dimension to their education. Boren Fellowships support students pursuing the study of languages, cultures, and world regions that are critical to US national security but are less frequently studied by US graduate students, i.e., areas of the world other than Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Go to http://nsep.aed.org/index.html for additional information about the graduate fellowships. Undergraduate and institutional awards are also available. Go to http://www.ndu.edu/nsep/ for additional information about those awards.

CID, Partners of the Americas to Help Bolivia Promote Justice Reforms
ALBANY - State University of New York Chancellor Robert L. King today announced the Center for International Development (SUNY/CID) will work with Partners of the Americas to encourage justice reform in Bolivia as part of a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) grant.

“The building blocks of democratic government can’t happen in isolation,” King said. “This project is an important step for SUNY/CID. It brings together SUNY’s work in judicial reform, legislative strengthening and civil society in one.”

With a long-standing involvement in Bolivia, SUNY/CID is in the final year of a $1.8 million project to help the South American country’s legislators better represent their constituents by strengthening the link between citizen advocacy groups and the Bolivian Congress. In 1992, SUNY/CID was awarded a five-year contract from USAID to help the Bolivian Congress more effectively carry out its executive oversight responsibilities. Previously, William Culver, chair of the Latin American Studies Department at SUNY Plattsburgh, carried out a research study on comparative electoral systems in the land-locked Andean country.

Working in coordination with Partners of the Americas, SUNY/CID will help citizen advocacy groups develop advocacy skills and strategies to push the justice reform agenda in the political arena and, at the same time, help the Bolivian Congress improve communication with various constituent groups.

“The goal is to work with both sides of the equation, government organizations and citizen groups, and provide them with a variety of tools to help them interact more successfully,” said James Ketterer, SUNY/CID’s director “This is a perfect time to examine justice reform in Bolivia because the 2002 Congressional elections significantly increased representation among indigenous groups who along with other minority groups have been poorly represented by the system in Bolivia.”

SUNY/CID is unique in the field of international development. It combines the considerable intellectual and technical resources of the SUNY system with a dedicated team of multilingual, technical experts devoted solely to developing and managing development projects. A commitment to developing local solutions and empowering local leaders through training has resulted in SUNY/CID achieving one of the highest rates of project sustainability in the industry.

SUNY/CID is currently directing six legislative strengthening projects worldwide. Since its inception in 1986, SUNY/CID has administered nearly $100 million of international development projects on five continents, focusing on three areas: democracy, governance and civil society; environment, health and education, and private sector and economic development. These projects receive funding from such organizations as USAID, the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, the U.S. Information Agency, and the Ford, Andrew W. Mellon, Tinker, and Soros foundations.

The State University of New York is the largest university system in the United States, with more than 402,000 students enrolled in 5,100 fields of study on 64 campuses. To learn how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu. [Top of the page]

Peg Clement, SUNY/CID Senior Associate, participated as a panelist March 6-7, 2003 at SUNY Binghamton University's "Destination Discovery" symposium, subtitled, "Unleashing Your Research Potential." The conference was organized to promote cross-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaborations designed to ignite the process of discovery in New York. Representatives from major federal and non-federal funding agencies were on hand. Topics addressed included: · increasing the competitiveness of externally sponsored proposals; · successful strategies for the advancement of research and scholary projects; · cross-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaborations; and · developing industry and community partnerships. Ms. Clement's panel was entitled "Developing a Global Perspective: International Partnerships and Collaborations." [Top of the page]

From March 2 to 7, 2003, SUNY/ARD Chief of Party Douglass Teschner accompanied a group of seven Rwandan Members of Parliament and staffers from the Transitional National Assembly in Rwanda to Uganda on a study/observation tour to visit the Parliament of Uganda under the auspices and invitation of the Ugandan Speaker of Parliament. The goals of the study tour were to (1) further empower the Assembly leadership to continue its modernization efforts, (2) develop skills and perspectives in organizational development, management and long-range legislative planning, and (3) provide an opportunity for beneficial mutual sharing between legislative counterparts (both MPs and staff) from both countries. Given the critical juncture in the development of Rwanda's democracy, including the drafting of a new Constitution and planned national elections, the timing of this study tour was especially significant. [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID, in conjunction with Mexico's prestigious Iberoamericana University, launched the on-line certificate course

The State University of New York's Center for International Development (SUNY/CID), in conjunction with Mexico's prestigious Iberoamericana University, has launched the on-line certificate course, Legislative Practice and Administration, that will offer training to legislators and staff from all levels of government throughout Mexico and beyond. "This is the first-ever practical instruction in law-making offered on-line in all of Latin America," said Robert R. Gosende, SUNY Associate Vice-Chancellor for International Programs, who co-chaired the launch ceremony of the course in Mexico City with Enrique González Torres, Rector of Iberoamerica University. SUNY/CID, supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, has been actively involved in legislative strengthening in Mexico since 1998. "The SUNY-Ibero course marks an important contribution toward solidifying democratic institutions in Mexico through technology and training," said Gosende, a former U.S. Ambassador. "With funds from the US Government, this course will not only reach the national legislature in Mexico, but will also be applied in all 31 states and the Federal District," he added. With minor adjustments, the SUNY-Ibero course can be used throughout Latin America.

The launch ceremony was well attended by legislators, government officials, university leaders, and representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as the U.S. Embassy. Speakers at the event included Ambassador Gosende, Senator César Jáuregui (Vice President of the Mexican Senate), Representative Jaime Vázquez (Vice President of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies) and González Torres. Ambassador Gosende traveled to Mexico with James Ketterer, SUNY/CID Director, to not only launch this course but also to expand SUNY's ties to other Mexican universities. Last year, SUNY Chancellor Robert L. King visited Mexico to sign a cooperative agreement with the Mexican Congress.

"I am thrilled that SUNY/CID's project with the Mexican Congress is now leading to an on-line collaboration with the Iberoamericana," said Chancellor King. "This is just the sort of international cooperation that will benefit our students, faculty - and overall ties between the US and Mexico."

Since its inception in late 1998, SUNY´s program in Mexico has evolved from providing technical assistance solely to the Chamber of Deputies, or lower house of the Mexican Congress, to a dynamic operation that is helping strengthen the federal Senate and many of the country´s 32 state legislatures. In addition to many training initiatives, SUNY played an advisory role in updating Congress´ Organic Law, a reform that permanently changed the Congress´ governing structure and created a career legislative civil service. Through technical visits to the Congressional Budget Office in Washington, DC and reciprocal visits by U.S. experts, SUNY facilitated the launch of a similar office within the Mexican Chamber of Deputies. This office has been recognized by local scholars and the media as a new source of accurate and reliable economic data and forecasts. In addition, SUNY actively assisted in the formation of the Mexican Conference of State Legislatures in 2002. [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID Represented at Ditchley Foundation In January 2003

Marc Cassidy and James Ketterer participated in a conference on the future of democracy in South America, which as held at the Ditchley Foundation in Ditchley Park in Oxfordshire, England (www.ditchley.co.uk).

SUNY/CID Staff on Planning Team, Rapporteur for UNDP Policy Dialogue Conference on Legislative Development Brussels, November 20 - 22, 2002 12/24/02

Senior Associate John Johnson, North American member of UNDP's Expert Panel on Legislatures, assisted UNDP in determining appropriate topics and speakers for their November Policy Dialogue conference in Brussels, Belgium in November 2002, and also served as a rapporteur at the conference. The event brought policy-makers and experts on legislative strengthening from all of the world's regions to review the state of legislative strengthening practice, and to consider new developments in the field. Participants reviewed emerging issues and regional trends in legislative development, examined ways to strengthen legislative oversight capacity through the Poverty Reduction Strategy Process (PRSP) and through the budget process (including engendering the budget), considered programs to support political parties, ways to strengthen the role of parliaments in conflict mediation, and looked at the results of donor evaluation programs. [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID at Cornell - CID Senior Associate Marc Cassidy and CID Director James Ketterer Present "Parliamentary Development in Africa" Seminar 11/04/02

On October 17, 2002, CID Senior Associate Marc Cassidy and CID Director James Ketterer gave a presentation on "Parliamentary Development in Africa" at Cornell University's Institute for African Development. http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu The seminar discussed SUNY's on-going experience implementing democracy assistance with two African parliaments - Uganda and Zimbabwe. SUNY's Center for International Development has 14 years of experience implementing democracy projects throughout the world.

SUNY/CID Senior Associate Peg Clement Participates in Turkey Academic Linkages Delegation October 12-20, 2002 10/29/02

From October 12 - 20, 2002, CID Senior Associate Peg Clement took part in a 10-member delegation during an exploratory trip to Turkey under the auspices of the Turkish Higher Education Council (YOK). The group, composed of senior officials (presidents, provosts, professors) from five SUNY campuses as well as from the SUNY Central Administration's Office for International Programs, visited with officials from five Turkish universities in the Southeastern Anatolia Region (Gaziantep, Harran, Cukurova, Kahramanmars, and Yuzuncu Yil) in an effort to explore for mutual opportunities for academic linkage and exchange. Associate Vice Chancellor for International Programs Amb. Robert Gosende led the delegation to this remote region lying hard by the Iraqi, Iranian, and Syrian borders. A large multibillion dollar integrated development project (GAP) is currently creating new opportunities for educational collaboration, technical assistance, shared research activities and partnership with local universities on ongoing projects. Ideas generated for the partnerships ranged from faculty exchange, exchange of graduate and doctoral students, internships, distance education, research assistantships, to joint specific research projects on such technical subjects as soil and watershed management practices, biotechnology, solar energy, land and water resources, and integrated pest management practices. YOK is already prepared to fund several PhD students per year to SUNY campuses as a first step in the new partnership. [Top of the page]

SUNY Extends Legislative Project with USAID/Kenya 9/11/02

In September 2002, SUNY/CID signed an agreement with USAID/Kenya extending its legislative project to October 2004. During the extension period, SUNY will continue to assist the Parliament in its own development and in strengthening its relations with Kenyan society. Project activities are likely to include additional publications for Parliament, research for committees, member orientation activities, study tours, technical assistance (in information technology, for example) as well as seminars and other training exercises. [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID will Assist in Developing Skills of the Peruvian Congress 9/11/02

On August 15, 2002, SUNY/CID was awarded a US$1.5 million dollar contract from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide technical expertise to support the Peruvian Congress in its efforts to achieve its strategic plan and to develop and implement necessary internal reforms. SUNY/CID expects to help increase legislative transparency and access to information; help establish effective mechanisms of interaction between Congress, voters, and interest groups; and help increase Congress's capacity to fulfill its legislative and oversight responsibilities. Margarita Seminario, former Deputy Chief of Party in Mexico, has moved to Lima, Peru, to begin this eighteen-month project. [Top of the page]

Kenyan Bunge Book Launched in Nairobi, Kenya 9/11/02

The first booklet for children on the Kenya Parliament (called Bunge in Kiswahili) was launched on July 30, 2002 by the Speaker of the Kenyan National Assembly, Hon. Francis Ole Kaparo; Kiert Toh (Director of USAID/Kenya); and John Johnson (Director of the State University of New York Parliamentary project in Kenya). The 31-page booklet, designed for school children, presents the history of Kenya's Parliament from the first meeting of the Legislative Council (LEGCO) in 1907 to the recent establishment of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). The book launch was held at Starehe Boys Center, a secondary school for Kenyan street boys founded 40 years ago. The Center has ranked highest of all Kenyan schools on the country's national examinations. . Each of the school's 1,200 students received a copy of the booklet. SUNY also released a similar booklet for adults called "Bunge: A House for All Kenyans". [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID Carries out Public Policy Strengthening Consultancy in Zimbabwe 9/3/02

As part of its institutional strengthening project with the Parliament of Zimbabwe, SUNY/CID carried out a consultancy in late August 2002 designed to enhance the capacity of the parliament's portfolio committees to engage in public policy analysis and implementation. The consultancy team consisted of John B.Sheffer, II, former New York State Legislator and current Director of the Institute of Local Governance and Regional Growth at the University of Buffalo, SUNY; Dr. Gideon Zhou, Lecturer in Public Policy at the University of Zimbabwe; Taurai Kambeu, Policy Analyst for the SUNY/Zimbabwe Project; and James Ketterer, SUNY/CID Director. The team met with a variety of Members of Parliament, parliamentary staff, and representatives of civil society. [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID Participates in UK Workshop for Parliamentary Scholars and Parliamentarians 8/6/02

James Ketterer of SUNY/CID participated in a workshop for parliamentary scholars and parliamentarians on August 3-4 at Wroxton College in the UK http://www.fdu.edu/wroxton. The workshop was sponsored by the University of Hull's Centre for Legislative Studies http://www.hull.ac.uk/cls. It was co-sponsored by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the Research Committee of Legislative Specialists of the International Political Science Association. The workshop brings together parliamentary scholars with members of parliament and parliamentary staff from a wide range of countries (more than twenty parliaments are usually represented) to discuss papers that present findings likely to be of practical interest to parliamentarians and continued research for scholars. This year's workshop included MPs, staff and scholars from countries including Slovenia, Mexico, Yemen, Russia, Australia, Zambia, the US, Korea, the UK, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Angola, and the Czech Republic. Ketterer delivered a paper on "Islamists, Regime-Type, and Legislative Strengthening: A Case for Monarchy." [Top of the page]

CID Participates in USAID Legislative Impact Study 8/6/02

SUNY/Bulgaria Holds Session on "Winning Legislative Battles" 6/19/02

On June 14, SUNY/Bulgaria presented a panel discussion to Bulgarian MPs and staffers on how to use the mechanisms available in a democratic parliament to win legislative battles. The presenters included John B. Sheffer, II, former New York State Legislator and currently Director of the Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth at the University of Buffalo, SUNY; James Ketterer, Director of SUNY's Center for International Development; and Dr. Emilia Drumeva, Director of Legislation and European Law for Bulgaria's National Assembly. The panel was chaired by James Carlson, SUNY/Bulgaria's Chief-of-Party. [Top of the page]

Speaker of Mexican Chamber of Deputies Meets with SUNY Officials 5/13/02

Diputada Beatriz Paredes, the speaker of the lower house of the Mexican Congress, met with top SUNY officials on May 10, 2002 in SUNY's offices in New York City to discuss broadening her country’s legislative and academic partnership with the University. Diputada Paredes met with SUNY Vice Chancellor John J. O’Connor, SUNY Trustees Edward Cox and Steven Alfasi, CID Director James Ketterer, Office of International Programs Director John Ryder, and Deputy Chief of Party for Mexico, Margarita Seminario. This meeting comes three months after SUNY Chancellor Robert King traveled to Mexico to sign a collaborative agreement with the Chamber of Deputies. [Top of the page]

James Ketterer Participates in SUNY Conference on Intercultural Communication 4/30/02

James Ketterer moderated a panel on intercultural issues and the Arab world at a conference on Intercultural Communication held at the Alumni House at the University at Albany on Saturday, April 27, 2002. There were also panels on Chinese and Spanish as well as a general session on "Communicating Culture" Limited English Proficient English Language Learners (LEP/ELLs). For more information about this conference please contact Nancy Fisher at the University at Albany: nfisher@umail.albany.edu or (518) 442-5009. [Top of the page]

Center for International Development at the World Bank 4/30/02

Jesse Biddle, Senior Associate with CID, served as expert discussant on Thursday, April 25, at a World Bank Seminar in Washington on "Business-Government Consultation in Uganda, Vietnam and Russia: What Worked and How." The Bank encourages dialogue between business associations and governments in order to improve economic policy making The CID works with donors such as the Bank, the US Agency for International Development and foundations to strengthen and democratize deliberative bodies, such as legislatures, parliaments and public-private consultation mechanisms, in diverse developing nations. [Top of the page]

SUNY/Mexico Delegation to visit the United States 3/26/02

The CID office in Mexico is organizing a visit to Washington, DC and New York City for a distinguished group of Mexicans April 2-6, 2002. The delegation includes: Roberto Michel, Director of the Fiscal Studies Center (CBO) of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies; Deputy Miguel Ángel Martínez Navarro, President (Speaker) of the Congress of San Luís Potosí state; Deputy Alberto del Río, Chair of the Budget Committee of the Congress of Yucatán state; Deputy Carlos Calderón, Chair of the Budget Committee of the Congress of the State of Mexico. Meetings are set in Washington at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), General Accounting Office (GAO) and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities think tank. Meetings are set in New York City at the Independent Budget Office and with Frank Mauro of the Fiscal Policy Institute, the Albany-based think tank which analyzes the New York State budget. This trip offers these distinguished Mexicans the opportunity to see different models of budget analysis and fiscal oversight at the federal, state and municipal levels, while solidifying our work with each legislative entity. It also represents SUNY/Mexico´s second formal activity with the Congress of the Estado de Mexico. [Top of the page]

James Ketterer Serves on Review Panel for Boren Fellowships 3/25/02

James Ketterer, Director of CID, was invited to serve on the International Affairs Review Panel for the 2002-2003 David L. Boren Graduate Fellowships of National Security Education Program. The Boren Fellowships, which are funded by the US Government, enable US graduate students to pursue specialization in area and language study or to add an important international dimension to their education. Boren Fellowships support students pursuing the study of languages, cultures, and world regions that are critical to US national security but are less frequently studied by US graduate students, i.e., areas of the world other than Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Go to http://nsep.aed.org/index.html for additional information about the graduate fellowships. Undergraduate and institutional awards are also available. Go to http://www.ndu.edu/nsep/ for additional information about those awards.

SUNY Chancellor and Delegation Sign Agreement with the Mexican Chamber of Deputies 2/22/02

A SUNY delegation, led by Chancellor Robert L. King, traveled to Mexico February 13-15, 2002. The other members of the delegation included: Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Peter Salins; Associate Vice Chancellor for International Programs, Robert Gosende; James Ketterer, Director of SUNY's International Development Group; Robert Balkin, CID Chief-of-Party in Mexico; Margarita Seminario, CID Deputy Chief-of-Party; and Robyn Steve, CID Project Manager. Chancellor King signed an agreement with the Chamber of Deputies which formalizes the relationship between the two institutions - a relationship which began in 1998 when SUNY´s International Development Group (CID) initiated its work with the Mexican Congress. This partnership is supported by the US Agency for International Development. In the past three years, SUNY CID has organized and conducted courses, workshops and conferences in Mexico with the Chamber of Deputies, the Mexican Senate and with selected state legislatures. Specifically, the agreement will lead to more exchanges between SUNY and Mexican legislative scholars and an increase in ties between SUNY´s 64 campuses and the leaders and staff of the Chamber of Deputies. During their brief stay in Mexico, Chancellor King and the delegation were also honored at a cocktail reception for Presidents and Rectors of leading Mexican universities. In addition, on Friday, February 15, United States Ambassador to Mexico Jeffrey Davidow hosted a breakfast for the Chancellor and SUNY officials at his residence. [Top of the page]

James Ketterer Directs Legislative Training for New York State's Public Management Interns . 2/11/02

James Ketterer of CID directed a training session for the New York State Public Management Interns (PMI) on February 5, 2002. Carried out in coordination with SUNY's Rockefeller Institute of Government (www.rockinst.org), this one-day session at the New York State Legislature examined various aspects of that institution including an overview of the legislative process, the role of an individual legislator, constituent relations, public participation, legislative-executive relations, the role of the press, and legislatures in comparative perspective. The PMI, which is run by the New York State Department of Civil Service, offers a two-year professional internship to candidates with a master's degree in Public Administration or a related field. Candidates select one of four career tracks and are placed in a New York State agency. For more information about the program contact: Public Management Institute Program, Rockefeller Institute of Government, 411 State Street, Albany, New York 12203-1003. [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID Bulgaria Holds Conference on Effective Representation, Lawmaking and Oversight 2/11/02

SUNY/CID's Parliamentary Development Project in Bulgaria is sponsoring a conference on effective representation, lawmaking and oversight in Sandanski, Bulgaria on February 15-17, 2002. The conference is part of an orientation and capacity-building program for the parliament elected in 2001. The keynote speaker will be Atlantic Monthly correspondent Robert Kaplan. Other speakers include Dr. Susan Senecah of SUNY's College of Environmental Science & Forestry and the New York State Senate; Borislav Vilarov of Sofia University; Dr. Helen Desfosses of the University at Albany - SUNY; Dr. Alan Rosenthal of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University; Antony Todorov of the New Bulgarian University; Stephen Lakis of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation; Raina Timcheva of the Foundation Resource Center; Emilia Drumeva of the Bulgarian National Assembly; Georgy Koritarov of Radio Free Europe; Lili Marinkova of Bulgarian National Radio; and Dr. Louis Fortis, publisher and former Wisconsin state legislator. [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID Wins Project to Work with the Parliament of Tanzania 2/11/02

SUNY/CID has been awarded a contract from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to conduct an assessment of the operations of the Parliament of Tanzania. The assessment will provide the USAID Mission in Tanzania with an in-depth analysis of the legislature, including its formal powers and relationships to other political institutions. Specifically, CID will report on the parliament's strengths and weaknesses in the areas of lawmaking, constituent representation and oversight of the executive branch, and will examine the ways in which the Tanzanian Parliament could be strengthened to promote and support other critical policy objectives such as HIV/AIDS prevention, natural resource management, and private sector and economic development. The assessment team will consist of CID Senior Associates Jesse Biddle and Marc Cassidy, who will be accompanied by Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Science, University of Dar es Salaam, Rwekaza Mukandala. [Top of the page]

SUNY/CID at Regional Forum on Effective Legislative Oversight for Transparency and Accountability, Manila, Philippines, December 10 - 11, 2001 2/11/02

Three members of Kenya’s National Assembly and SUNY/Kenya COP John Johnson participated in the Manila’s Center for Legislative Development’s (CLD) Asia regional forum. The delegation traveled to the Philippines with the support of USAID/Kenya, for whom SUNY/CID manages a three-year parliamentary assistance project. Parliament members, staff, academics and development professionals from 20 (mostly Asian) nations, representatives of USAID, UNDP, World Bank, the National Democratic Institute, Transparency International, and a number of other international organizations participated in the Forum. In a session chaired by Hon. John Barasa Munyasia, entitled, "When and Where Does Legislative Oversight Work?", John described the difficulties and successes of the Kenyan Parliament in overseeing the executive. Using SUNY/CID’s experiences in Bolivia, Uganda and Kenya, John (a former member of the Forum Program Committee) made a presentation on the keys to building budget making and oversight capabilities. SUNY/CID has worked extensively with legislatures in Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe, and in addition, at this forum SUNY discussed possible collaborative activities in India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and China. [Top of the page]