Building Resilient Democracies Globally

Stories of USAID’s democracy, human rights, and governance officers on the frontlines

On June 14, 2022, USAID Administrator Power accepted the IFES Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award on behalf of USAID’s democracy, human rights, and governance officers. / USAID

Every day, USAID’s democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) officers are on the frontlines in difficult contexts — providing critical support to local leaders, reformers, and activists who champion and defend the democratic aspirations of all people. They also create important development partnerships with governments — identifying opportunities for progress and pushing for transparency and accountability.

In some of the most challenging countries where USAID works, DRG officers often face immense stress, emotional turmoil, and safety concerns. Despite these multi-layered challenges, they remain motivated.

Their hopes center around deepening democracy in the countries where they work, and their aspirations are for younger generations to have a future without authoritarian rule — to thrive and invest in their communities, rather than leave to seek opportunity elsewhere.

On June 14, these inspiring democratic heroes were honored by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) with its 2022 Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award — accepted on their behalf by USAID Administrator Samantha Power. The DRG officers were esteemed alongside Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova accepting on his behalf, and U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio).

Below are stories of some of those heroic DRG officers.

USAID/Mali Peace, Democracy, and Governance staff. Back row from left: Andrew Greer, Inna Bagayoko, Mohamed Yattara, and Salimata Marico. Front row from left: Nene Aicha Traore, Moussa Bambara, and Maria Barrón. / Fleur Some, USAID

Mali: Pushing Forward Election Integrity

In the summer of 2020, the DRG officers at the USAID Mali Mission were under COVID-19 lockdown and the threat of mandatory departure — while they focused on addressing disputed elections, intercommunal conflict, and countering violent extremism.

Unhappy with the legislative election results, former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta manipulated outcomes to grow his party’s parliamentary majority, and triggered months of protests that eventually turned deadly. While working from home, USAID’s DRG officers experienced the arc of the unrest when the sound of nearby machine gun fire interrupted their online meetings. At the period’s most violent point, staff witnessed looting and experienced tear gas from their homes.

Smoke rises over Bamako as streets were blocked and gas stations looted during post-electoral protests. / Photo courtesy of Andrew Greer, USAID/Mali

The political instability continued for over three months until the military detained the president and prime minister in a bloodless coup. Immediately after, the DRG officers came together to lead scenario planning exercises, and to promote election integrity through IFES-supported electoral reforms.

The transition government promulgated the new electoral law on June 24, 2022 — creating the country’s first independent electoral management body, an important step in Mali’s transition back to democratic rule and planned presidential elections in 2024.

Marat Kyurchevsky (left), who manages USAID’s local governance work in Ukraine, participating in the handover of power generators to local authorities in the Lviv Oblast. The power generators allow local government bodies to continue providing critical public services amid Russia’s invasion. / USAID/Ukraine

Ukraine: Continuing DRG Advances Despite the Security Risks

Since the full-scale Russian invasion, DRG officers in Ukraine have continued to show undeniable commitment to their work with USAID. During this tumultuous time, the DRG officers had two priorities: the safety and security of their families and protecting Ukraine’s democracy. Especially for USAID’s Ukrainian staff, that includes wearing multiple hats, as many are supporting volunteering in a variety of ways to help their country in addition to working for USAID. Many DRG officers are temporarily separated from their families, increasing their personal hardship while they work in support of Ukraine.

Marat Kyurchevsky, who manages USAID’s local governance work in Ukraine, experienced a harrowing journey at the Polish border where he was trapped for 60 hours waiting for a train to get his family out of the country. Today, he continues to lead local governance assistance efforts from Lviv, where he works closely with deputy ministers and regional officials to pivot the Mission’s local governance activities to better meet the needs of internally displaced people and local residents across the country.

Left: One of USAID’s key local governance activities in Ukraine provided water tanks to the city of Mykolaiv, where citizens lack access to clean drinking water. The city’s water system was severely damaged by Russia’s shelling. Right: A USAID-provided Starlink satellite internet terminal being installed on a local government building in Ukraine’s Poltava Oblast. USAID has provided thousands of Starlink terminals to help Ukraine maintain uninterrupted communications amid Russia’s invasion. / USAID/Ukraine

Maksym Darkin, USAID’s e-governance expert in Ukraine, stayed in Kyiv with his family when Russia made its initial advances. Despite his community coming under fire, he continued to work all hours of the day to ensure the continued operation of e-governance programs — including the e-platform “Diia,” which has allowed citizens to continue receiving public services, accessing vital records, reporting damage to private homes and property, and obtaining government financial assistance as internally displaced persons. Eventually, Maksym led his family to safety in Romania before he returned to Kyiv.

Iryna Smolina (second from left, top), from USAID’s Ukraine Mission moderating a meeting with USAID Administrator Power (middle bottom) and civil society documentation groups on May 6. / Christina Sheetz, USAID

Iryna Smolina, USAID’s human rights expert in Ukraine who led efforts to document war crimes during Russia’s first invasion in 2014, made the agonizing decision to leave the country along with her 12-year-old daughter. They walked across the border overnight during frigid February weather. She left behind her husband who joined the local defense forces. Since then, Iryna has been based in Strasbourg, France, where she leads efforts to hold Russia accountable for war crimes in this most recent invasion — a complex and difficult process.

Asma Ben Aicha, a democracy and governance specialist at USAID’s Mission in Tunisia, champions democracy tirelessly in Tunisia and has been a fierce champion for gender and social inclusion, helping to focus USAID’s local programming on marginalized populations. / Photo courtesy of Asma Ben Aicha

Tunisia: Promoting Inclusion and Empowerment

Asma Ben Aicha is a democracy, human rights, and governance specialist at USAID’s Mission in Tunisia and the Mission’s lead on LGBTQI+ and also Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). She also serves as the co-chair of the joint Libya External Office and of the U.S. Embassy to Tunisia’s DEIA Council.

She exemplifies our talented local staff whose contributions and dedication to our cause are invaluable.

Asma champions democracy tirelessly in Tunisia and has been a fierce advocate for gender and social inclusion, helping to focus USAID’s work on marginalized populations.

For example, she was instrumental in a democracy program that reached 34,000 women and encouraged their participation in municipal elections. Nearly 70% of the 34,000 women voted, which is twice the national average. Additionally, Asma has been a champion for elevating the voices of illiterate women in rural areas in Tunisia.

Since joining USAID in 2018, Asma has been working to increase the civic participation of people with disabilities. The USAID Mission in Tunisia’s Icharti Sawti (“My Sign My Voice”) program empowers brilliant deaf and hard-of-hearing leaders to become civic ambassadors who can train their community in advocacy.

This year, Asma was the recipient of the fourth annual Xulhaz Mannan Inclusive Development Award, in recognition of her spirit of inclusion, and in tribute to Xulhaz’s memory and his commitment to serve others. Her work, like Xulhaz, who was murdered in 2016 for courageously protecting human rights in Bangladesh, has helped people feel safe, seen, and empowered.

MEET SOME OF USAID’S OTHER DEMOCRACY HEROES. Above: In November 2021, during the tense and difficult time when the conflict in the north of Ethiopia intensified, the USAID/Ethiopia democracy, human rights, and governance staff incorporated a conflict-sensitive approach and directed programming to areas most in need. From left to right: Mahlet Tiruneh, Stephanie Garvey, Tessema Mebratu, Reshid Abdi, Corinne Rothblum, Adrienne Stone, Michael Haines and Benyam Akalu. Below: 2022 IFES Award Dinner with DRG colleagues. From left to right: Shannon Green, Anti-Corruption Task Force Lead, Jessica Benton Cooney, Senior Communications Specialist/DRG Center, Stacie Brown, Democracy Specialist/DRG Center, Ambar Zobairi, Senior Elections Advisor/DRG Center, Administrator Samantha Power, Laura Pavlovic, DRG Center Deputy Director, Rosarie Tucci, DRG Center Director, and Danielle Reiff, Team Lead Cadre Care and Development/DRG Center. / William Herkowitz, USAID/Ethiopia; USAID

About the Authors

Jessica Benton Cooney is the Senior Communications and Outreach Specialist and Stacie Brown is a Democracy Officer in USAID’s Center of Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance.