Centre for Democratic Institutions

CDI & The Institute for Peace & Democracy

In December 2008 Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced a range of assistance from CDI and the Australian government to the Bali Democracy Forum and the Institute for Peace and Democracy in Indonesia. The Forum and the new Institute at the University of Udayana in Bali are aimed at fostering democracy in the Asia Pacific.

It is intended that the Forum will be open to all countries from across the region and will meet regularly at a ministerial level. It will be supported by the new Institute which will organise workshops and research on democratic processes, such as electoral systems, the role of civil society and the media, the judiciary and the role of the military.

Prime Minister Rudd noted that "It is in Australia’s own national interests to support an initiative aimed at strengthening democratic processes and good governance in the Asia Pacific. It is fitting that this initiative has been launched by President Yudhoyono, in Indonesia, which has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years to become the world’s third largest democracy."

The Prime Minister announced that Australian assistance to the Bali Democracy Forum will provide support for a partnership between the Institute and CDI; as well as start-up financing and “democracy scholarships".

Click on these links for more detail about IPD:

Institute for Peace and Democracy Home Page - English | Bahasa Indonesia

Prime Minister's Media Release | Australian Support for Regional Democracy | 10 Dec 2008
"Big task to tackle at Bali forum", Ben Reilly writes in the Canberra Times | 11 Dec 2008

Democracy & Development - Statement to the Bali Democracy Forum by Bob McMullan MP, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance | 10 December 2008

For an alternative view, see "Asian Democracy Still a Step Too Far" | Canberra Times | 11 Dec 2008

The Hon Stephen Smith MP | Joint Press Conference with the Indonesian Foreign Minister | 7 Feb 2008
RI Spearheads Asian Forum for Sharing Democratic Gains | The Jakarta Post | 14 Nov 2008

Click on these links for more detail about CDI's work with IPD:

2009

CDI-IPD Seminar - Dr Ketut Putra Erawan | The 2009 Indonesian Presidential Election: Processes, Dynamics & Outcomes | ANU | July 2009

CDI PPS 2009/01: Stephen Sherlock - Indonesia’s 2009 Elections: The New Electoral System & the Competing Parties

Joint CDI-IPD Seminar - Indonesia's 2009 Elections: The New Electoral System & the Competing Parties | Bali | March 2009

CDI Assists Indonesian Democracy Institute

2008

Asia | CDI & the Bali Democracy Forum


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	Crawford School of Economics and Government	The Centre for Democratic Institutions (CDI) is a government-funded body that supports the efforts of new democracies in the Asia-Pacific region to strengthen their political systems. It provides training, technical assistance and peer support for parliamentarians and emerging leaders in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, with a particular focus on Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. The Australian Government established CDI in 1998. It is funded primarily by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). One of the primary ways in which CDI works to promote democracy is through strengthening parliamentary governance and political parties. The Centre focusses on parliamentary and political party development, and conducts flagship training courses and policy-relevant research on these subjects.
© The Centre for Democratic Institutions, The Australian National University. Please direct all comments to cdi@anu.edu.au. Last modified: 31 July, 2009 CRICOSProvider Number: 00120C