Western Hypocrisy in Democracy Promotion

Western Hypocrisy in Democracy Promotion
The American Academy of Diplomacy - The American Academy of Diplomacy
Amidst the ongoing foreign policy challenges of extremism, weak or failing states, and regional instability, US efforts to encourage democratic reform abroad remain controversial, but little understood.Is it possible to balance both our strategic interests in stability with our national values? Are reform and stability fundamentally incompatible or can they be complementary? What are the diplomatic tools, including work with the private sector and NGOs, we have at our disposal to balance reform and stability in the long term national interest?The American Academy of Diplomacy, in partnership with the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) held a well-attended panel discussion on April 28 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs to discuss the valuable tool of diplomatic engagement with non-governmental organizations and civil society to promote effective democratic governance.Featured speakers are: Ambassador Edwin Corr, former ambassador to Peru, Bolivia and El Salvador, Ambassador Barbara Bodine, former ambassador to Yemen, currently diplomat-in-residence and lecturer at Princeton University, Ken Wollack, president of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and Lorne Craner, president of the International Republican Institute (IRI). J. Brian Atwood, Dean of the Hubert Humphrey Institute, moderated the discussion - The American Academy of Diplomacy