Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 1. The LEND Network. Trevor Myers. University of Florida

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1 Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 1 The LEND Network Trevor Myers University of Florida Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 2

2 Abstract The Leaders Engaged in New Democracies (LEND) Network is a technologically-advanced, demand-drive online system that allows leaders in new and emerging democracies to interact with one another and exchange information on best practices to build strong, long-lasting democratic institutions that are both transparent and accountable. LEND is a joint-venture between the United States and Estonia following two major moments in political history: the fall of the Soviet Union and Arab Spring. It was officially launched on July 9, 2012 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other key world leaders. Thanks to generous contributions from its global partners, LEND uses state-of-the art technology from Google, OpenText, and Spontania, in addition to a direct line of knowledge from former world leaders of democratic nations. Moldova and Tunisia were the first emerging democracies selected to participate in LEND and have voluntarily engaged with leaders and civil society activists in countries such as Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic since its launch. LEND has been instrumental in paving the way for 21 st Century Statecraft and assisting countries in their democratic transitions. In retrospect, I am certain that it will continue to be a tool in multilateral cooperation for years to come. Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 3

3 I. Introduction To understand the need for a demand-driven network to assist key world leaders and civil society activists, we need to recognize that world communication systems have gone through accelerated changes in the past few decades. More specifically, we have to examine two pivotal moments in political history that happened in the 20 th and early 21 st centuries: the fall of the Soviet Union and Arab Spring. It is essential if we want to begin to understand the need for the LEND Network, an online platform aimed at strengthening American foreign policy abroad by playing a greater role in assisting countries going through democratic transitions. Therefore, the purpose of this paper will be to provide a brief history of these two political events. In addition, I will talk about the inception, creation, and launch of LEND as a result of these two events. Lastly, I will report on the progress and future of LEND as it relates to strengthening democratic institutions worldwide. Ultimately, I will be making the argument that a technologically-advanced network like LEND is instrumental in successful 21 st Century Statecraft, which the U.S. Department of State defines as the act of complementing traditional foreign policy tools with newly innovated and adapted instruments of statecraft that fully leverage the technologies of our interconnected world (U.S. Department of State, 2013). Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 4

4 II. Fall of the Soviet Union Following World War II, global communication was dominated by the tensions arising from the Cold War, pitting the Soviet Union against the United States and its allies (McPhail, 2010, p. 16). Global news showcased a two-sided battle with the pro-democracy media advocating for the free flow of information and the pro-communist media advocating an agenda of control to protect the masses. Leaders in the Soviet Union had a strong desire to disseminate propaganda in support of a Communist agenda through its multiple media channels. Information was flowing from the Communist Party s Central Committee to the party officials and activists, which made it an effective means of controlling the masses. Tangible reading materials, movies, and radio and television broadcasting in defiance of the Communist Party s ideology were regularly censored. Eventually, a systematic disintegration in the economic, political and social order, in addition to an environment of distrust and skepticism, led to the fall of the Soviet Union. Tikhomirov (2012) of the University College in London said that, Trust is an essential part of individual lives and the workings of modern society. Not only democracies, but also dictatorships like the Soviet state and the bloc countries needed trust as a crucial resource for social integration and the stability of the political order (p. 1). In the end, many former Soviet republics declared independence and started to be recognized as sovereign-nation states. As a result, the press, and by extension the free flow of information, was no longer under strict Soviet control and influence. Bendersky (2005) states that the introduction of democracy to the former Soviet Union itself had taken place in an unprecedented environment of unipolarity, with the dominant Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 5

5 Western democratic United States as the most powerful state in the world -- politically, economically and militarily (p. 59). The United States knew that if it wanted to stop any other type of Soviet-communist threat in the newly independent states from challenging its hegemony, spreading democracy was paramount. The consensus being that neo-liberal states do not challenge each other the way that authoritarian and communist regimes do. Fifteen independent states have emerged since the Soviet Union s collapse. Several have joined or are in the process of joining the European Union; three former states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) are part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). And although it hasn t been without challenges, the world looks to certain post-soviet states as prime examples of emerging democracies that have made great strides towards neo-liberalism since the fall of communism. This is why several former members of government and civil society activists from these states, such as Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic, are important contributors to LEND and role models to new democracies in the region, like Moldova. They have been a part of their countries transition from communism to democracy, sometimes putting themselves in the line of public scrutiny and danger for what they believe is right. They understand the importance of strong institution building, transparency, and accountability. They know what works and what doesn t, which is vital to countries seeking assistance to build a strong democracy after years of authoritarian and oppressive rule. Metaphorically, they are the soul of LEND and what it aims to do: provide strong and lasting democratic foundations where there traditionally hasn t been any. Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 6

6 III. Arab Spring In Tunisia, President Ben Ali lost power after weeks of protests against his rule and created a revolutionary domino effect in Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, Jordan and Syria. According to Lim (2012), Longstanding grievances concerning corrupt and oppressive governments, growing inequalities, looming unemployment, and the rising cost of living were the roots for contention in the region (p. 234). Social media has been instrumental to Arabs sharing their grievances and to the uprisings of the Arab Spring, but it has been an effective tool long before the introduction of Facebook and Twitter through the use of blogs and online communities. Arab Spring activists not only gained the power to overthrow powerful dictatorships with the internet but also helped Arab civilians become aware of the underground communities that exist of others willing to listen to their stories and mobilize (Kassim, 2012). Being able to spread out valuable information and uncensored material through social networking sites only added needed fire to the Arab Spring activists goals. The end result hasn t been universal for all countries involved in the Arab Spring, but a few noticeable changes have occurred since the uprisings began in In Egypt, President Mubarak stepped down from his position after nearly 30 years in power and was replaced by Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. In Libya, Muammar al-gaddafi, the selfproclaimed Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution of Libya, was captured and killed by members of an anti-gaddafi uprising led by the National Transitional Council. And in Tunisia, less than a year after the revolution began, Tunisians voted for the first time to appoint

7 Running Head: The LEND NETWORK 7 members to the constituent assembly to start drafting a new constitution. Although the Arab Spring is nowhere near completion, especially in Syria, the U.S. Government and its democratic allies around the world (particularly the former Soviet states) realized that this is a critical opportunity to invest in the possibility of a democratic Arab world. Sadly, radical Islamist movements threaten that very possibility with their constant fear tactics. However, civil society activists and individuals once labeled dissidents by the old authoritarian regimes that harnessed the untapped power of social media during the uprisings are now coming together and playing an instrumental part in the direction that they want their countries to head in, which is why the need for LEND has never been greater. IV. Inception & Creation Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recognized the need for an office to assist the department in developing and carrying out a civil society agenda and strengthening emerging democracies worldwide. The Office of the Senior Advisor for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies (abbreviated as SACSED) was created in 2010 and Secretary Clinton appointed her former speechwriter, Dr. Tomicah Tillemann, to head the office for a four-year term. Speaking at a TED conference at Yale University, Dr. Tillemann said that he and his team work like venture capitalists to identify ideas that can strengthen new democracies and civil society groups, and then bring together the talent, technology, and resources needed to translate promising concepts into reality. Tillemann often refers to his work as policy entrpreneurship (TEDxYale, 2013). Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 8

8 The office also actively partners on projects with the Community of Democracies, an organization founded in 2000 consisting of 25 democratic countries that work together to build up democratic principles around the world through strategic partnerships. SACSED s key goals are to 1) Elevate the role of civil society in the formulation of U.S. foreign policy. 2) Support emerging democracies as they work to complete successful transitions. 3) Engage multilateral organizations that advance democracy and civil society. 4) Promote the independence of civil society globally (U.S. Department of State, 2013). In March 2012, Secretary Clinton and Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet announced that the United States and Estonia would support a new breakthrough technology in collaboration with the Community of Democracies that would facilitate live information sharing between leaders and civil society activists in new and emerging democracies. The Secretary and Foreign Minister asked Dr. Tillemann and Estonian Ambassador Merle Pajula to spearhead the creation of what would be called the LEND Network. LEND brings together partners from Club de Madrid, an organization comprised of former leaders in government of democratic countries, and OpenText, a Canadian software company. The belief is that an exchange of personal experiences from leaders who have been through transitions before will assist those leaders in emerging democracies as they work to build a solid foundation for long-lasting accountable institutions. LEND is a demand-driven online platform that gives participants the opportunity to leverage the technology of Google tablets and the videoconferencing abilities of Spontania to initiate conversation on specific topics. Participants can also invite others to contribute to a particular discussion centered on key aspects of democracy. Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 9

9 Within the platform, different communities listed by the Community of Democracies (2013) have been created: civil society, constitutional reform, media sector development, development policy, accountability mechanisms, education, human rights, justice sector reform, diplomacy, local governance, political party development, security sector reform, strengthening the legislature, and government transparency. LEND addresses both the logistical and financial barriers that prevented similar efforts in the past by leveraging groundbreaking communication and translation tools. V. Launch On July 9, 2012, Secretary Clinton officially launched LEND in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Speaking enthusiastically about the new online forum, Secretary Clinton said that LEND will use the latest communications technology to give leaders access to a global network of experts to share best practices of building institutions, implementing democratic reform, and strengthening the rule of law (Club de Madrid, 2013). Those in attendance included member countries of the Community of Democracies, President Elbegdorj of Mongolia, Senior Advisor Dr. Tillemann, and important officials across the globe in real-time through the same Spontania videoconferencing technology that is to be used in LEND. VI. Democracy Partnership Challenge The previous year, during a Community of Democracies meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, a new initiative was launched called the Democracy Partnership Challenge. According to the U.S. Department of State s website, its purpose is to encourage and support reforms in countries that Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 10

10 have experienced recent democratic breakthroughs by creating a global race to the top (U.S. Department of State, 2013). The winners of the Democracy Partnership Challenge, Moldova and Tunisia, are the first emerging democracies to participate in LEND. The Moldovan leadership s goal is to help the country move forward towards a true European democracy by carrying out a series of governmental reforms which include, 1) Separation of powers 2) Independent judiciary 3) Free press 4) Respect for human rights 5) Increased efforts in the areas of security sector reform, government transparency, decentralization, migration policies, and judicial reform (Humanrights.gov, 2013). In Tunisia, the new leadership is committed to creating a long-lasting stable democracy and finding areas in which some assistance will have a critical impact on its success. Tunisians are looking to 1) Reform public administration, the security sector and the judiciary 2) Support regional development 3) Promote the role of civil society to succeed in their transition to a democratic state (Humanrights.gov, 2013). These two countries will continue to voluntarily engage with leaders through LEND in countries like Poland, Romania, Mongolia, Slovakia, etc., that have first-hand experience in dealing with successful democratic transitions. VII. Progress and Future Since the launch in Mongolia, LEND has made great strides in helping Moldovans and Tunisians move forward. From October 15-17, 2012, Deputy Foreign Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova formally opened the first face-to-face meeting of the Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 11

11 LEND platform in Chisinau. The LEND co-chairing governments, Estonia and the United States, were represented by the U.S. Ambassador to Moldova William H. Moser. According to press releases from the Community of Democracies (2013), participants discussed a variety of different issues during their meetings, including how the process of democratic consolidation was coming along in the Moldovan state. Additionally, special panels delved deeper into topics that included issues of modernization and democratization of local governments. In January 2013, Tunisian government representatives and civil society activist met with Club de Madrid members and discussed different key issues related to the process of moving towards a true democracy. As recorded by Club de Madrid (2013), the former prime ministers of Canada and Romania joined Maria Leissner, Secretary General of the Community of Democracies, and other members in discussions with high political and civil society representatives that support Tunisia in its efforts to build a stable democracy. Most recently, on March 19 and 20, the Permanent Secretariat of the Community of Democracies hosted a methodology seminar summarizing a year and a half of work going into Moldova and Tunisia. Reports from the Community of Democracies (2013) indicated that representatives showed a high level of engagement and expressed their will to prolong the project beyond the current mandate, thus eager to contribute their experiences for constant improvement. The seminar is just one among several stages of evaluation that will allow LEND s continuation in the current participating countries. Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 12

12 VIII. Conclusion As former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told The Economist, It s ironic, in a way, that we live in this cyber virtual reality. It s almost as though people demand to see more of you than they did before because they want to make sure you re not taking them for granted, that you really will listen to them, that you ll see things from their perspective. So we ve invested a lot in beginning to build relationships (The Economist, 2012, as cited in Democracy Digest, 2012). Since its inception, LEND has been instrumental in paving the way for 21 st Century Statecraft and building long-lasting global relationships not just online but face-to-face as well. The future looks optimistic and the public seems to agree. Knight (2012) of Foreign Policy Association said that while many of us are interested in democratization and in international relations agree that it is vital for countries and leaders to learn from history, there are relatively few instances of leaders coming together in a systematic, practical way to do so. LEND addresses this and has solved many issues, especially when it comes to the problem of proximity. Leaders and civil society activists, no matter where they are in the world, can come to this online platform and exchange information in real-time while being mindful of each other s histories. It also addresses the need for collective understanding of each other s problems and the goals to address them. While many may argue that the United States only gets involved in the affairs of other countries politics for its own selfish interests, LEND counters this claim because of its multilateral approach. Even though LEND is still young and developing, I am certain that it will Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 13

13 continue to be an effective tool in American foreign policy, multi-state cooperation, and an invaluable democracy investment for years to come. Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 14

14 Works Cited Bendersky, Y. (2005, 01 02). Democracy in the former Soviet Union: Retrieved from Club de Madrid. (2013). Leaders Engaged in New Democracies. Received from mocracies Community of Democracies. (2013). History of the Community of Democracies. Retrieved from temid=23 Community of Democracies. (2013). Initiatives. Retrieved from d=261&itemid=158 Democracy Digest. (2012, 03 22). E-ngaging, e-mpowering leaders in new democracies. Retrieved from Humanrights.gov. (2013). Fact Sheet: The Community of Democracies Democracy Partnership Challenge: A Race to the Top for Emerging Democracies. Retrieved from Kassim, S. (2012). Twitter Revolution: How the Arab Spring was helped by social media. Retrieved from Knight, J. (2012). In case you missed it: A State Department program for Leaders in New Democracies. Retrieved from Lim, M. (2012). Clicks, cabs, and coffee houses: Social media and oppositional movements in Egypt, Tempe, Arizona: Journal of Communication. Retrieved from cial_media_and_oppositional_movements_in_egypt_ McPhail, T. L. (2010). Global communication: Theories, stakeholders, and trends. Singapore: John Wiley & Sons Running Head: THE LEND NETWORK 15 TEDxYale. (2013). Tomicah Tillemann: Solve for Y. Retrieved from

15 Tikhomirov, A. (2012, 09 15). Trust and distrust in the eastern bloc and the soviet union, Retrieved from U.S. Department of State. (2013). Office of the Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies. Retrieved from U.S. Department of State. (2013). 21st century statecraft. Retrieved from

By Encyclopedia Brittanica, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 1,286

The Arab Spring By Encyclopedia Brittanica, adapted by Newsela staff on 04.14.17 Word Count 1,286 Egyptians wave the national flag in Cairo's Tahrir Square during a rally marking the anniversary of the