By Paulina Licon
As part of my internship with International IDEA in Panama this summer, I was privileged to join a team from the Electoral Tribunal of Panama in evaluating a groundbreaking nationwide project, the Elecciones de la Niñez y la Adolescencia del 2024. This project introduced a unique voting simulation, where the youth of Panama were not only educated about the electoral process but also asked to vote for four fundamental values: honesty, respect, tolerance, and equality. The aim was to instill in students the importance of these values in their candidate selection, promoting thoughtful civic engagement.
Continue reading Evaluating Youth Election Engagement in Rural Panama →
By Alejandra Vadillo
This summer, I had the privilege to carry out my fellowship with International IDEA in Panama City, Panama. Working closely with the Institute of Democratic Studies (INED) at the Electoral Tribunal of Panama, I collaborated with some of the sharpest minds in the field to tackle complex issues facing Panama’s democracy, as well as others around the world.
Continue reading Building Strong Democracies: Elections, Lawmaking, and Civic Education →
By Andreana Faucette
When I accepted the offer to join the University of Texas’ Government Department and International IDEA in Panama City for a summer, friends and family alike routinely prodded me with the same series of questions, akin to: “Why are you going to Panama?” Many mistakenly thought I was headed here for vacation, while many more simply failed to grasp my reasoning for choosing to spend a summer interning in a place away from home. On the surface, the answer was fairly straightforward. I had spent time there previously, have family ties to the region, and enjoyed my previous visit to the country. But more importantly than that, I was eager to learn, and found this fellowship program to be a unique opportunity to do just that. Over the course of my time interning for International IDEA at the Electoral Tribunal’s Institute of Democratic Studies, though, I’ve surpassed even my own expectations of learning more about the country by integrating myself into the Panamanian community.
Continue reading Representation, Rights, and Resistance →
Fellows in UT’s Embedded Scholars Program won an award for their research conducted in the spring Embedded Scholars class prepping them for field work in democracy assistance this summer. Fellows Andreana Faucette and Paulina Licon won the 2024 Patman Center Research Award for Advancing Democracy, which recognizes “exceptional insight and dedication to advancing the cause of democracy.”
Continue reading Embedded Scholars Win Democracy Research Award →
The 2024 Embedded Scholars conducted research this spring on a range of pressing challenges and opportunities for democracies today. Students shared their research this week, giving presentations on the role of public participation, civic and constitutional culture, and democratic resilience in preserving and advancing democracy.
Continue reading Fellows Share Research on Participation, Culture, and Democratic Resilience →
By Alejandra Jimenez
Surrealism refers to a form of visual art that produces incongruous imagery by means of irrational juxtapositions. Some argue that surrealism revolutionizes the human experience, as magic and beauty can be found in the unexpected and uncanny. In a similar way, my time in Chile has been just that—pleasantly unexpected.
Continue reading Chile Surrealista →
By Matt Martin
The time I’ve spent in Panama has been nothing short of a privilege. To work alongside International IDEA and have a peek into the world of democratic and electoral assistance was invaluable, both on a professional and personal level. Most of my time was spent at the Tribunal Electoral (“Electoral Tribunal,” or TE), where International IDEA-Panama is located. The TE houses not only the country’s civil registry, national ID directorate, and specialized electoral body but also the Instituto de Estudios Democráticos (“Institute of Democratic Studies,” or INED). I worked alongside the director of INED, Salvador Sánchez, and several other researchers on his talented team. Their kindheartedness made me feel more than welcome as an intern.
Continue reading Constitutional Performance in Panama →
By Kaitlin Passafiume
As I wrap up the initial month of working with International IDEA at the Electoral Tribunal in Panama, I reflect on the diverse experiences that I have enjoyed in a short period of time. My completion of this internship signals an ability to successfully pivot from an academic background, using my critical humanities formation for public-facing work going forward. I remain convinced that cultural considerations have their place in governmental and extra-governmental projects, and I am heartened to find that the public arena in Panama considers and even encourages diverse perspectives.
Continue reading First-Ever Symbolic Youth Voting Campaign in Panama →
A research exchange program at the University of Texas at Austin supporting student work abroad in democratic and constitutional development