Fellowship Programs Ilyas Akhmadov (Chechnya) Named in honor of two of NED’s principal founders, former president Ronald Rea- Chechnya’s Struggle gan and the late congressman Dante Fascell, the Reagan-Fascell Democracy for Independence Fellows Program was established in 2001 by the U.S. Congress to enable democratic October 2004–February 2005 activists, policy makers, scholars, and journalists from around the world to deepen Ilyas Akhmadov has long been an out- their understanding of democracy and enhance their ability to promote democratic spoken advocate of peace, moderation, change. Reagan-Fascell fellowships are typically five months in duration and focus on and independence for Chechnya. He the political, social, economic, legal, or cultural aspects of democratic development. was appointed foreign minister in 1999 by Aslan Maskhadov, who was demo- In 2004–2005, the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program hosted leading demo- cratically elected to the presidency of cratic activists, journalists, and scholars from every region of the globe, including Chechnya in 1997. In February 2003, Mr. Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Chechnya, China, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Monte- Akhmadov presented a comprehensive negro, Nigeria, South Korea, South Africa, Tajikistan, Turkey, and the United States. peace proposal, titled, The Russian–Chechen Tragedy: Conditional Independence under The Reagan-Fascell program seeks to deepen the knowledge, enrich the skills, broaden an International Administration (coau- the perspectives, and strengthen the morale of some of the world’s most committed and thored with Roman Khalilov), in which courageous democratic practitioners, journalists, and scholars. Fellows are in residence at he argued that the only way to solve the the International Forum for Democratic Studies, NED’s research and publications arm, in Chechen conflict was through democ- Washington, D.C., which offers a collegial environment for fellows to conduct research and ratization of the region and its integra- writing, to develop contacts and exchange ideas with counterparts in Washington, and to tion into the international community. build ties that contribute to the development of a global network of democracy advocates. During his fellowship, Mr. Akhmadov conducted research on the history of the Through its outreach efforts, the Reagan-Fascell program seeks to connect its fellows Chechen conflict and explored potential with the media, policy, and academic communities in Washington, D.C. The program mechanisms to end the current stalemate organizes an active calendar of public presentations by the fellows, and promotes con- in the region. On January 27, 2005, he tacts between fellows and experts in the U.S. Congress, the State Department, and other gave a public presentation at NED, titled government agencies, as well as at universities, think tanks, and media organizations. “Chechnya’s Struggle for Independence.” Reagan-Fascell Fellows in 200–2005 Dragan Djuric (Montenegro) Fatima Ahmedova based in Khujand. During her fellowship, Prospects for Democracy (Tajikistan) Ms. Ahmedova researched how ethnic and European Integration Democracy and Conflict and political conflicts in the Ferghana in Montenegro Resolution in Central Asia Valley of Central Asia could potentially be October 2004–January 2005 March–June 2005 resolved to bring peace and democracy Dragan Djuric is Montenegro’s assistant Fatima Ahmedova has served as a lecturer to the region. On June 21, 2005, she gave minister for European Integration at the at Khujand State University in Tajikistan a seminar at NED, titled Ministry for International and as a leading specialist at the Center “Conflict and Democracy Economic Relations and Euro- for Democratic Transformations, an NGO in the Ferghana Valley.” pean Integration in Podgorica. working to prevent conflict and curb hu- Her article, “The Future Before joining the Montenegrin man rights violations in Central Asia. She of the Ferghana Valley government, he served for five has worked as a country coordinator and States,” was published in years as director of the NGO conflict-management specialist for the the September 2005 is- Center for the Development Swiss Peace Foundation and the United sue of democracy@large. of Industrial Democracy, in Nations Office for Project Services, both Podgorica. During his fellow- Fatima Ahmedova 12 2005 NED Annual Report chapters on Korean politics. During his fellowship, Dr. Jaung worked Dragan Djuric on a major es- Raul Gangotena say concerning Hoon Jaung ship, Mr. Djuric analyzed Montenegro’s Raul Gangotena the “account- prospects for accelerating its European (Ecuador) ability deficit” in South Korean foreign pol- integration process within the constitu- Inclusion and Democracy icy making since the country’s democratic tional framework of the State Union of in Ecuador transition. On May 31, 2005, he gave a pub- Serbia and Montenegro. On January 19, April–September 2005 lic presentation at NED, titled “Democrati- 2005, he gave a public presentation at NED, Ambassador Raul Gangotena served zation and Foreign Policy Making in South titled “Montenegro’s Prospects for Democ- recently as Ecuador’s ambassador to the Korea: From Secret Garden to Town Square.” racy and European Integration.” His article, United States. Over his lengthy public His article, “Political Parties and Foreign “Montenegro’s Prospects for European career, he has been actively involved in Policy Making in South Korea,” was sched- Integration: On a Twin Track,” appeared in Ecuadorian politics, business, education, uled for publication in the January 2006 the Winter 2004 issue of the South-East and journalism. He has published widely issue of the Taiwan Journal of Democracy. Europe Review for Labour and Social Affairs. on business and public administration in Latin America and has been a respected Andrew Finkel op-ed columnist in Ecuador for more than (United States/Turkey) fifteen years. During his fellowship, Ambas- Strengthening the Role of sador Gangotena examined the history of the Press during a Process of Ecuador’s inclusion of indigenous people Reform: The Case of Turkey and looked at poverty reduction as a strat- March–July 2005 egy for greater political and social inclusion Andrew Finkel is a prominent freelance of Ecuador’s minority populations. On July journalist who has been based in Istanbul, 14, 2005, he led a luncheon roundtable Guobiao Jiao Turkey since 1989. He has served as a cor- on “Corporate Strategies for Promoting respondent for and as a freelance con- Indigenous Poverty Reduction in the Guobiao Jiao tributor to a number of publications and Americas,” and on October 19, he gave a (China) broadcasting organizations, including Time, public presentation titled “Inclusion and Historical and Contemporary The New York Times, the Economist, and Democracy in Ecuador: The Way Forward.” Perspectives on the CNN. He has also been a featured columnist Media in China in the Turkish language press for the daily Hoon Jaung April–August 2005 newspapers Sabah and Milliyet. Mr. Finkel’s (South Korea) Guobiao Jiao was, until recently, associate fellowship project focused both on the The Accountability professor at Beijing University’s College of media’s ambivalent role in Turkey’s current Deficit in South Korean Journalism and Communications. Follow- process of reform and on formulating a Foreign Policy Making ing the appearance online of his March methodology whereby Turkish journal- January–July 2005 2004 essay condemning the Chinese ists can help raise the standards of their Hoon Jaung is a professor of political sci- government’s Central Propaganda Depart- own industry. On June 22, 2005, he gave a ence at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, ment and his continued efforts to promote public presentation titled “How Not to Read Korea. He has served as editor-in-chief of freedom of the press and human rights in a Turkish Newspaper: Promoting Account- the Korean International Studies Review and China, he was suspended from his teaching ability in a Globalized Media Environment.” is author of numerous articles and book duties. During his fellowship, Dr. Jiao wrote 2005 NED Annual Report 12 a series of articles on the challenges and Impact of Traditional Cultural Values in prospects for the media in China, includ- Africa and Asia: The Cases of South Africa ing essays in Modern China Studies, Asia and South Korea.” On June 17, 2005, Dr. Weekly, and Guancha, an online newslet- Mattes gave a public presentation at NED, ter published by the China Information titled “Democracy Without the People: Center. On July 20, 2005, he gave a public Reassessing the South African Miracle.” presentation at NED, titled “Perspectives on Chingiz Mammadov Censorship in China.” In July, Dr. Jiao was Michael McFaul also selected as “Outstanding Journalist at the Baku office of Mercy Corps Interna- (United States) and Writer of the Year 2005” by the Chan tional, a leading humanitarian assistance International Dimensions of Journalism and Culture Foundation. organization. He is also chairman of the Democratic Breakthroughs Azerbaijan Micro-Finance Association April–July 2005 Abiodun Kolawole and part-time lecturer on management Michael McFaul is associate professor of (Nigeria) and organization theory at Western and political science at Stanford University, Rural Empowerment and Khazar Universities. During his fellowship, where he is also a senior fellow at the Popular Participation in Nigeria Mr. Mammadov explored the variety of Hoover Institution.