Lowering the voting age – should young people head to the polls?

A conversation between International IDEA's Head of Communications and Knowledge Management, Alistair Scrutton and the authors of the recently published report "The Constitution and Laws of the Taliban 1994-2001: Hints from the Past and Options for the Future", M. Bashir Mobasher, Shamshad Pasarlay and Mohammad Qadam Shah.Guests:M. Bashir Mobasher, postdoctoral fellow at the American University’s Department of SociologyShamshad Pasarlay is a visiting lecturer at the University of Chicago Law SchoolMohammad Qadam Shah, Assistant Professor of Global Development at the Seattle Pacific University School of Business, Government, and EconomicsRead the report: https://doi.org/10.31752/idea.2022.54

Alison Anitawaru Cole, a lawyer in Aotearoa New Zealand, talks to International IDEA's Regional Communications Officer for the Asia and the Pacific, Billie Phillips, about the unique legal and constitutional responses to climate change in New Zealand and the influence of Māori perspectives on environmentalism and representation. Guest: Alison Anitawaru Cole - Kaiwhakahaere Matua Māori General Manager at the Climate Change Commission (New Zealand)Background Reading: COP26 delegate: Treaty of Waitangi offers indigenous rights precedent

Calls to enfranchise people as young as sixteen are growing around the world, with some countries already adjusting the vote to align with the national age of employment, taxation, and military service. In Australia, common consensus is lagging but some experts believe it is only a matter of time. From the sidelines of the Australian National University’s APSA conference, Billie Phillips spoke to Professor Lisa Hill about the growing movement.Guest: Professor Lisa Hill, University of Adelaide

Owen Gaffney talks to International IDEA's Head of Communications, Alistair Scrutton about  climate change, sustainability and the future of our planet, joining a lot of dotted lines between politics, technology and science. Owen Gaffney is a writer, editor, and global sustainability analyst, co-author of the recently-published Earth For All: A Survival Guide for Humanity. He has formerly worked for the Stockholm Resilience Centre and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and has advised on BBC and Netflix series including EarthShot (2021) and Our Planet. As well as academic publications, he writes and edits articles, features, and speeches, and has produced for TED, World Economic Forum, and WWF.Recommended reading:Earth For All: A Survival Guide for HumanityBreaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet

The storming of Brazil’s Congress and Supreme Court as well as the deadly anti-government protests in Peru underline the challenges facing democracy in Latin America. Why are the legitimacy of governments being questioned? What is behind the increasing political polarization of the region? And are their grounds anywhere for optimism? International IDEA's Head of Communications and Knowledge Management, Alistair Scrutton , talks to Kevin Casas Zamora, Secretary General of International IDEA.

In this episode of Peer-to-Peer, we speak with David Towriss and Atsuko Hirakawa to learn more about compounding crises, and the effect of a Richter Scale-7 earthquake on an already vulnerable Haiti, Hurricane Tomas, and a cholera outbreak in Haiti and their postponed elections in 2010. This conversation is based on International IDEA’s case study but also Atsuko’s experience and knowledge on how Haiti’s election administrators implemented their 2016 elections after Hurricane Matthew.  Guests: David Towriss was previously a Research Assistant in the Electoral Processes Team at International IDEA and is currently an Associate Programme Officer at the Democracy Assessment Unit. Atsuko Hirakawa is a Programme Officer at the Democracy Assessment Unit with previous experience in governance and electoral assistance, having worked in Port-au-Prince as a technical specialist for UNDP. Hosts: Heidi Park and Erik Asplund  Background Reading: The Impact of Natural Hazards on Haiti’s 2010 Presidential and Legislative Elections Democracy Tracker – Haiti Global State of Democracy Report 2022: Forging Social Contracts in a Time of Discontent How hurricanes threaten U.S. elections and why more flexible voting is needed Hurricane Matthew forces postponement of Haiti presidential elections The Impact of Natural Hazards on Elections  

In this episode of Peer-to-Peer, we speak to Miguel de Brito and Domingos de Rosaria about cyclones Idai and Kenneth and their impact on Mozambique’s 2019 Presidential, Legislative and Provincial elections. This was the first time in recorded history that two strong tropical cyclones hit Mozambique during the same season. This conversation is based on International IDEA’s case study on how the two cyclones devastated the country and specifically how it impacted the electoral process, as well as a discussion on how the electoral commission can be better prepared for the upcoming 2024 elections.  Guests: Miguel de Brito has been International IDEA’s Head of Programme for Mozambique since 2019 and has 20 years of experience in the field of political governance. Domingos de Rosaria is a senior lecturer at the Eduardo Mondlane University, and a senior researcher at the Centro de Estudos Urbanos de Moçambique.  HOSTS: Heidi Park and Erik Asplund GUESTS: Miguel de Brito and Domingos de Rosaria

International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy 2022 Report has been published. Report Editor and International IDEA's Head of Democracy Assessment, Seema Shah, provides an overview of the findings. Democracy is in decline around the world, undermined by problems ranging from restrictions on freedom of expression to distrust in the legitimacy of elections. This decline comes as elected leaders face unprecedented challenges from Russia’s war in Ukraine, cost of living crises, a looming global recession and climate change. But Seema also finds some grounds for optimism.

In our first episode of the new season of Peer-to-Peer, we speak with Sarah Birch and Jeff Fischer to learn more about the effect of wildfires on elections in California. The conversation is based on an International IDEA case study that focuses on the impact of wildfires on the 2016 and 2018 electoral cycles but also on the steps taken by election administrators to protecting elections. The discussion also centres on the increased vulnerability of the United States and its election cycles to climate change effects. Guests: Sarah Birch is a professor of Political Science at King’s College London, Jeff Fischer is a Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Democracy and Civil Society as well as a consultant on election administration. Hosts: Heidi Park and Erik Asplund Background reading: Wildfires and Elections in California – Case Study Wildfires, Hurricanes, Floods and Earthquakes: How Elections are Impacted by Natural Hazards The Impact of Natural Hazards on Elections How hurricanes threaten U.S. elections and why more flexible voting is needed