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How do civil society leaders who cross over into government stay true to their values? Listen to Erna Merdić Smailhodžić, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Andrea Villagrán, from Guatemala, discuss how they are promoting ethical, transparent, and cross-partisan politics in their countries. Erna Merdić Smailhodžić is a member of the Zenica-Doboj Cantonal Assembly in Bosnia […]

During political transitions, activists sometimes have an opportunity to “cross over” into government so they can advance democratic reform from within as elected or appointed officials.

In this #Crosssover Initiative video, Kathy Addy, Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education in Ghana, shares her experience transitioning from civil society into government to foster civic education and strengthen democracy in her country. Addy speaks about the challenges of adjusting to a new working environment while maximizing the opportunity to lead and […]

What are key skills one should develop to be successful in government? In this #CrossoverInitiative video, Ambassador Jatzel Roman from the Dominican Republic, speaks about the importance of leadership, team building, and decision-making to effectively advance democratic reforms. He also encourages civic leaders seeking to foster change to get involved in politics. “If you want […]

In 2018, Zambia grappled with political turmoil, a stifled democratic process, and limited political opportunities for the constructive engagement of young people. Physical violence among youth from different political factions was a hard reality. Amid this challenging context, two friends from opposing parties, Thompson Luzendi and Nawa Sitali founded Youth4Parliament (Y4P), with the vision to […]

Are you a civil society leader interested in going into politics? In this #CrossoverInitiative video Gina Romero, former Chief of Staff at the Secretariat of Education in Colombia shares two key pieces of advice for civil society leaders interested in crossing over into government. First, power can be felt. Know yourself and know your values. […]

After many years of leading initiatives in civil society and being part of the Red Latinoamericana de Jóvenes por la Democracia (JuventudLAC), Byron Rodríguez decided to crossover into government to advance democratic reforms. At 32 years old, Byron was elected to represent Quetzaltenango at the Guatemalan Congress. In this #CrossoverInitiative video, Byron reflects on how […]

Despite coming from diverse backgrounds Danieal Chacón Arias from Ecuador, and Mensur Seferovic from Boznia-Herzegovina share a passion for working in local government to build more inclusive communities. In this #CrossoverInitiative conversation, Daniela and Mensur share how their desire to create change in their communities led them to transition from civil society into local government […]

Mumbi Namwawa is a Program Officer at the People’s Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia. She is also a member of Youth4Parliament and Girls Gone Political (GGP), two social movements that seek to increase youth participation and representation in politics and the civic space. After being involved with Youth4Parliament, Mumbi decided to join […]