Tag Archives: Panama

Women’s Political Participation in Panama

By Alexys Aquino, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department, International Relations and Global Studies Department, and Spanish and Portuguese Department

I’m happy to report that humidity is universal, although sometimes it seems Texas has a monopoly on it! Along with the humidity, Panama has no shortage of lush greenery, kind strangers, and strong coffee. I had never been to Central America before this internship with International IDEA and UT Austin, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Now that I’ve been in Panama for over a month, I’ve started to get the hang of it all, from using the metro to navigating the temperamental elevators at the Electoral Tribunal. Despite all that I have learned, I’ve found that working in a multinational environment on topics as important as gender parity in Panamanian politics teaches you something new constantly.

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Constitutional Performance in Panama

By Matt Martin, PhD student in the UT Government Department

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.

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First-Ever Symbolic Youth Voting Campaign in Panama

By Kaitlin Passafiume, PhD candidate in the UT Spanish and Portuguese Department

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.

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Fellows Arrive in Panama!

Six graduate and undergraduate UT students started their Summer 2023 work today in Panama at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

Francisco Alvarado-Quiroz, Alexys Aquino, Matt Martin, and Kaitlin Passafiume are working at the IDEA Panama Office, supporting a range of democracy assistance projects including evaluations of the constitution’s performance, women’s participation in elections, and the first-ever Panamanian youth voting campaign.

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2023 Fellows Develop New Public Consultation

The 2023 Embedded Scholars have been preparing for their summer work abroad through a new government course created for the program — Research in Democratic and Constitutional Development — taught by Ashley Moran. The course delves into issues in democratization, constitutional design, and democracy assistance, engaging students in research in these areas. This semester, the students worked with Professor Moran and the Comparative Constitutions Project to design a new deliberative consultation framework to research public views on constitutional issues.

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UT, IDEA, and CCP Partner to Engage Students in Democracy Aid

This story originally appeared on the UT College of Liberal Arts website. A version of this story also appeared later on the UT Texas Global website.

Students from The University of Texas at Austin will spend the summer in Central and South America working on democracy and election assistance through a new partnership between UT’s Department of Government and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

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Embedded Scholars Program Names 2023 Fellows

The Embedded Scholars Program is an innovative research fellowship focused jointly on democracy assistance and research to launch students’ work in the field while advancing democratic development in Latin America. The program is based in the UT Government Department and developed in partnership with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the Comparative Constitutions Project (CCP). The program is led by Zachary Elkins and Ashley Moran.

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