Democracy's Hero
For more than 25 years IRI staff have had the privileges to work with committed and courageous individuals who are working to improve the communities and countries. Here are a few of their stories.
The cause of democracy lost a true friend and advocate with the passing of Representative Donald M. Payne on March 6, 2012. During his years in Congress, Payne was at the forefront of efforts to restore democracy and human rights in nations around the world.
Colonel Bakosoro has devoted his life to the promotion of unity, transparency and the democratic process in his native South Sudan since the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which officially ended his country’s devastating civil war. 
Revolutions are almost never the work of a single person, but it is surely impossible to imagine the wave of change that swept Central and Eastern Europe in 1989 without Vaclav Havel. His death calls upon us to remember the courage and conviction of a man who stood against a system that most expected would outlive him.
Tired of living in fear of a harsh dictatorship which prohibited free speech and political freedom, the founders of iWatch wanted a new, free and democratic Tunisia. When the revolution began in Sidi Bouzid, they were among hundreds of young Tunisians who stood up to the brutality of President Ben Ali’s security services.
Laura Pollán Toledo, a leader for human rights in Cuba and founder of the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White), passed away on Friday October 14, 2011. Her legacy, one of leadership and strength in the face of oppression, provides inspiration in the struggle for freedom in Cuba.
A lifelong student, human-rights activist, political leader and champion of democracy, Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj embodies the very principles that IRI works to advance around the world and was instrumental to his country’s transition from one of the world’s most closed societies to a robust democracy.
Jega has devoted his life promoting transparency, good governance and democracy in his home country of Nigeria. Under his leadership, Nigeria took a monumental step forward in its quest to become a more transparent democracy during the 2011 elections..jpg)
Anatoly Lebedko, one of the most prominent pro-democracy leaders in Belarus, is facing up to 15 years in jail because of his peaceful protest against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.
Millions of women work tirelessly to improve their communities and strengthen women’s participation in political life. As IRI and the Women’s Democracy Network prepare to celebrate their efforts on International Women’s Day, we recognize the work of Djingarey Maiga of Mali.
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