1. Introduction:
NED (National Endowment for Democracy) , what is it ?
( source of information: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=NED)
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a Washington D.C-based non-profit funded by the U.S. national budget, boasts that it is "supporting freedom around the world."
Carl Gershman has been President since April 1984.
NED's website describes its mission as being "guided by the belief that freedom is a universal human aspiration that can be realized through the development of democratic institutions, procedures, and values." NED, which is publicly funded, "makes hundreds of grants each year to support pro-democracy groups in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East." [1]
According to the New York Times: "The National Endowment for Democracy is a quasi-governmental foundation created by the Reagan Administration in 1983 to channel millions of Federal dollars into anti-Communist 'private diplomacy.'" [2]
NED funding mostly flows through the four foundations listed below; these in turn are active in influencing "civil society" and electoral processes around the world, in a process sometimes referred to as "cloak and ballot" operations. While NED remains accountable to the U.S. Congress and has to publish its disbursements, this doesn't apply to the organizations that it in turn finances.
Other groups undertaking similar activities around the world based in other developed countries include: the Australian Centre for Democratic Institutions (CDI); the Westminster Foundation; the Canadian International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development: and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy.
Another similar US group was also formed in 1984 called the Center for Democracy.
National Endowment for Democracy: People
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Founding
NED was founded during the Ronald Reagan presidency in 1982, and shaped by an initial study undertaken by the American Political Foundation. [3]
NED was created with a view to creating a broad base of political support for the organization. NED received funds from the U.S. government and distributes funds to four other organizations - one created by the Republican Party, another by the Democratic Party, one created by the business community and one by the "labor" movement (N.B.: the names of these organizations have changed over time):
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Chamber of Commerce's Center for Private Enterprise (CIPE)
AFL-CIO's American Center for International Labor Solidarity
Although publicly funded, the activities of these four institutes are not reported to Congress. According to William Robinson, "NED employs a complex system of intermediaries in which operative aspects, control relationships, and funding trails are nearly impossible to follow and final recipients are difficult to identify."
In a March 2005 interview, former CIA officer Philip Agee discussed the thinking behind NED's establishment: (Dennis Bernstein, "Philip Agee, Former CIA agent speaks on Venezuela", Flashpoints, March 14, 2005)
- During the late 1970s there was new thinking at the highest levels of the U.S. foreign policymakers, and they reconsidered whether these ugly murderous military dictatorships of the 1970s were really the best way to preserve U.S. interests in these countries – U.S. interests being defined traditionally as unfettered access to the primary products and raw materials, to the labor and to the markets of foreign countries. This new thinking led to the establishment in 1983 of the National Endowment for Democracy. They had chosen the German pattern in which the major political parties in Germany have foundations financed by the federal government. They did more or less the same thing with the establishment of the NED as a private foundation – there is really nothing private about it, and all its money comes from the Congress.
- But then there were the other core foundations – this was the fundamental mechanism for promotion of democracy around the world, but in actual fact, when they say the promotion of democracy, or civic education, or fortifying civil society, what they really mean is using those euphemisms to cover funding to certain political forces and not to others. In other words, to fortify the opposition of undesirable foreign governments as in the case of Venezuela, or to support a government that is favorable to US interests and avoid of coming to power of forces that are not seen as favorable to US interests. This will be the case since the early 1990s in Nicaragua because all those programs that were started in order to assure the defeat of Daniel Ortega in 1990 continued, and they continued to make sure that Sandinista Front was not reelected again after their defeat in 1990 – and that has been the case. These programs go on in various different countries and they require quite a bit of research. ... I am sure that one could find these programs in Mexico, Colombia, Peru probably, Brazil, and other countries outside the Latin American region.
Involvement in Foreign Political Processes
NED regularly provides funding to opposition candidates in elections in countries other than the USA. According to Allen Weinstein, one of the founders of NED, "A lot of what we [NED] do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA" (Blum, Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower, 2000, p. 180).
NED has principally supported candidates with strong ties to the military and who support the rights of U.S. corporations to invest in those countries with minimal restriction. The NED has not supported candidates who oppose investments by U.S. corporations or who promise restrictions on investment rights of U.S. corporations.
Tom Engelhardt notes that "we've seen "the Rose Revolution" in Georgia, "the Orange Revolution" in Ukraine, and now "the Tulip Revolution" in Kyrgyzstan, all heavily financed and backed by groups funded by or connected to the U.S. government and/or the Bush administration." He then quotes Pepe Escobar of the Asia Times, who writes:
- "The whole arsenal of US foundations -- National Endowment for Democracy, International Republic Institute, International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), Eurasia Foundation, Internews, among others -- which fueled opposition movements in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine, has also been deployed in Bishkek [Kyrgyzstan]... Practically everything that passes for civil society in Kyrgyzstan is financed by these US foundations, or by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). At least 170 non-governmental organizations charged with development or promotion of democracy have been created or sponsored by the Americans. The US State Department has operated its own independent printing house in Bishkek since 2002 -- which means printing at least 60 different titles, including a bunch of fiery opposition newspapers. USAID invested at least $2 million prior to the Kyrgyz elections -- quite something in a country where the average salary is $30 a month." [4]
Revolving Doorways
The close alignment of the NEDs activities with US foreign policy interests comes as no surprise, especially when you consider the revolving doorways between the US Government and the NED Board of Directors, some of the most notable of which include:
- "...former US Secretaries of State, Henry Kissinger (Nixon) and Madeleine Albright (Clinton), former US Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci (Reagan), former National Security Council Chair Zbigniew Brzezinski (Carter), former NATO Supreme Allied Command in Europe, General Wesley K. Clark (Clinton), and the current head of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz (George W. Bush). Another notable, Bill Brock, served as a US Senator, a US Trade Representative, and US Secretary of Labor, and then Chairman of the Board of NED." [5]
Fostering "Free Press"
In late 2004, Adam Wild Aba wrote, "The new intelligence law also directs the State Department to promote a free press and the development of 'professional journalists' in the Muslim world. It says free press is a must as part of the overall public diplomacy strategy for the Middle East, according to the State Department’s statement. Under the law, the National Endowment for Democracy shall fund a private-sector group to establish a free-media network to help participants share information concerning development of free media in 'societies in transition'." [6]
NED also supports the nonprofit organization Internews which encourages media worldwide to "promote democracy". In 2004, Internews had a budget of $27 million, 80 percent of which came from the U.S. government.
"Marguerite H. Sullivan is Director of the Center on International Media Assistance at the National Endowment for Democracy."
Covert embedded reporters
Several articles about the political process in Haiti, Iraq, and the Palestinian-occupied territories have appeared in The New York Times, NPR, and other mainstream US media. The impression is given that the articles are from bona fide journalists, but it transpires that several of them are paid by the NED or its affiliated organizations. The case of Regine Alexandre is particularly interesting. She wrote articles for the New York Times, AP, and commented on NPR. It transpires that she is on the NED payroll, and the NED confirmed this fact. However, when confronted with this information both the NYT and NPR failed to respond or take this seriously.
Source: Anthony Fenton and Dennis Bernstein, "AP reporter RéGINE is wearing two hats," Haiti Action.net, December 29, 2005.
Conducting polls
NED (or its satellite organizations) has been active in conducting election exit polls in Serbia, Ukraine, Venezuela. These results were used on occasion to cast doubt on the actual election results, and thus deligitimize the winner of the election, and thus create pressure for an election re-run. [7]
In December 2004, the NED-association organization International Republican Institute conducted a survey in Iraq to determine the popular intent to vote. It found that 75% of Iraqis would opt to vote, thus lending some legitimacy to the electoral exercise. However, IRI didn't poll the key cities where the insurgency is strong, i.e., Fallujah, Ramadi and Mosul. [8] Such surveys lend legitimacy to so-called demonstration elections, and discredit those opposed to the elections.
Critiques and Support
On the right, NED has been criticized by the Cato Institute which issued a briefing which states, "NED, which also has a history of corruption and financial mismanagement, is superfluous at best and often destructive. Through the endowment, the American taxpayer has paid for special-interest groups to harass the duly elected governments of friendly countries, interfere in foreign elections, and foster the corruption of democratic movements." [9]
On its website, NED notes the criticism but responds that "over the years mainstream conservative activists have been among the most outspoken advocates on behalf of the Endowment. Endorsements of NED have been offered by the leadership of such stalwart conservative organizations as the Heritage Foundation and Empower America, and favorable editorials have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times and National Review." [10]
In his 2004 State of the Union Speech, Bush proposed doubling funding for NED and called for a greater focus on "its new work on the development of free elections, and free markets, free press, and free labor unions in the Middle East. And above all, we will finish the historic work of democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq, so those nations can light the way for others, and help transform a troubled part of the world." [11]
In March 2006, a number of activists (including amongst many others Howard Zinn, Gore Vidal, Michael Parenti and David Harvey) launched a new US project called the International Endowment for Democracy which critiques the activities of the NED.
Funding
NED receives an annual appropriation from the U.S. budget and, while a non-governmental organization, is subject to Congressional oversight. In the financial year to the end of September 2002 NED's budget was US$48.5 million. [12]
In December, 2005 PhD researcher Sreeram Chaulia noted that:
- "...97 percent of NED’s funding comes from the US State Department (through USAID and before 1999, the USIA), the rest being allocations made by right-wing donors like the Bradley Foundation, the Whitehead Foundation and the Olin Foundation.(http://www.ned.org/publications/04annual/auditors04.pdf see)" [13]
Officers
Vin Weber Chairman
Thomas R. Donahue Vice-Chair
Julie Finley Treasurer
Matthew F. McHugh Secretary
Carl Gershman President
Directors of the Board 2006
Affiliated Contractors
While most of NED's funding is directed towards the four affiliated core foundations, these in turn hire a variety of "consulting" companies. In the past, these have included:
Albert Einstein Institution - involved in most Eastern European countries
Delphi International Group - involved in Nicaragua
Development Alternatives Inc. - involved in Venezuela
IFES - involved in Haiti, Pakistan, Afghanistan
Penn, Schoen and Berland - Specializes in surveys and "exit polls"; involved in most Eastern European countries and in Venezuela
Contact information
1025 F Street NW, Suite 800
Washington DC, 20004
Phone: (202) 378-9700
Fax: (202) 223-6042
Web: http://www.ned.org
The following is NED's self-introduction found in its website:
The struggle to advance human rights and political freedom in Tibet continues to be driven in large measure by the efforts of the exile Tibetan community under the leadership of the Dalai Lama. The Endowment's Tibet program, which concentrates its resources on the exile community, focused on three areas of activity: information and media, institution and civil society building, and democracy and human rights education. NED-supported Tibetan-language media outlets such as the Tibet Times newspaper and the Voice of Tibet radio provide an independent source of information to the Tibetan people. And, through a mini-grants program, the NED helped strengthen grassroots democracy and civil society in Tibetan communities throughout India. ( source: http://www.ned.org/grants/06programs/highlights-asia06.html)
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A list of NED (National Endowment for Democracy) 's
Tibetan Operations 2006 (Total Bill : 303,000 USD ) :
Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet
$40,000*
To document the situation of political prisoners in Tibet and provide support for political prisoners in Tibet and former political prisoners in exile. Gu-Chu-Sum will organize lectures and workshops, publish a magazine, maintain a human rights research desk, and support former political prisoners in exile through various activities ranging from job training to adult education.
International Campaign for Tibet
$53,000
To increase understanding between Tibetans and Chinese by providing greater access to information about Tibet. The organization will facilitate interaction between Tibetan and Chinese officials, academics, and the public through meetings, conferences, and the publication of a Chinese-language newsletter and website.
Khawa Karpo Tibet Cultural Centre Charitable Trust
$20,000
To provide news and analysis to the Tibetan public and promote greater discussion and debate on current issues related to Tibet and Tibetans. Khawa Karpo will publish the Tibetan-language newspaper, Bo-Kyi-Bang-Chen (Tibet Express), three times per month, establish two branch offices to facilitate news collection and distribution, maintain a trilingual website, and organize a three-day workshop on the role of media.
Longsho Youth Movement of Tibet
$15,000
To build leadership skills, promote cultural and political awareness of Tibet, and encourage greater civic engagement among Tibetan youth. Longsho will establish a branch office in Northeast India, conduct a training-of-trainers workshop, and organize leadership camps to strengthen awareness of Tibetan culture and religion and foster democratic values among Tibetan youth.
Tibet Museum
$15,500*
To preserve and present material related to modern Tibetan history and to educate visitors about the Tibetan culture and people. The Tibet Museum will continue to maintain and operate its Dharamsala-based museum, "Demton Khang," promote a touring exhibition, organize seminars and lectures, and maintain a website.
Tibetan Literacy Society
$28,500*
To provide the Tibetan public independent and accurate information on developments in Tibet and in the exile community, and to promote open discussion among intellectuals and a general readership on civic issues, including human rights and democracy. The Tibetan Literacy Society will publish and distribute throughout the Tibetan community in exile and in Tibet Bod-Kyi-Dus-Bab (Tibet Times), a Tibetan-language newspaper published three times a month.
Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre
$20,000*
To strengthen local Tibetan assemblies, the first level government of the Tibetan government-in-exile. The organization will conduct a workshop for members of the local assemblies, facilitate their attendance during a session of the national parliament, and encourage discussion of the functions and procedures of the parliament among local assembly members.
Tibetan Review
$26,000*
To promote freedom of press and understanding of democratic concepts in the Tibetan exile community. Tibetan Review, a monthly English-language news magazine, will provide Tibetans in exile and the international community with Tibet-related news and insightful opinion pieces and editorials, featuring articles written by prominent journalists, academics, and others interested in Tibetan issues.
Tibetan Women's Association
$30,000*
To promote the social, political, and economic empowerment of Tibetan refugee women and raise awareness of human rights violations against women in Tibet. TWA will publish a bi-weekly newsletter, an annual magazine, and a memoir by one of Tibet's most famous female former political prisoners. TWA will also expand outreach efforts internationally and to regional chapters and strengthen its organizational capacity through trainings and workshops.
Tibetan Writers Abroad PEN Center
$10,000*
To preserve Tibetan literature and culture and protect and support Tibetan writers in Tibet. The Tibetan PEN Center will translate essays and other written materials into Tibetan, much of it originally published in Chinese; publish a collection of writings by its members; and conduct an extensive research project on Tibetan writers imprisoned in Tibet.
Voice of Tibet
$35,000*
To encourage and sustain independent public opinion inside Tibet and to familiarize Tibetans with the ideals of democracy and human rights. The Voice of Tibet, an independent, Tibetan-language shortwave radio station, will continue to broadcast regular news about Tibet, the Tibetan exile community, and the Tibetan government-in-exile to listeners in Tibet and in exile in neighboring countries.
