Puolueiden Kansainvälinen Demokratiayhteistyö Demo ry - DEMO Finland

What does Demo do?

The work of Demo Finland is based on the Finnish Government's resolution from 2004, according to which "Respect for human rights, promotion of gender equality, social equality, democracy, good governance and sound economic management are essential cornerstones of development". "Improving the premises for well-functioning parliaments and party systems in developing countries lays the foundations for the development and consolidation of democracy. The Government is examining the prospects for making better use of the experience and participation of Finnish MPs and political parties."

When working with its partners, Demo Finland particularly emphasises:

• Empowerment and participation of women, youth and marginalised groups
• Improved openness and transparency of the political system
• Development of regional as well as local activities

Central to Demo's work are joint and bilateral dialogue and training projects with political movements in developing countries. Through this dialogue Finnish party activists gain a better understanding of the state of democracy in developing countries and they can, in turn, contribute their own expertise and experience of good practices, thus supporting the multi-party system of the partner countries.

The purpose of Demo's cooperation projects is to promote dialogue and mutual learning on different forms of democracy, as well as opportunities and challenges encountered.

At the moment, Demo is focusing on two, often overlapping, issues in particular – promoting gender equality in politics in Tanzania, Ghana and Egypt and strengthening the voice of youth in politics in Nepal and Tunisia.