Westminster Foundation for Democracy facts for kids
| Abbreviation | WFD |
|---|---|
| Formation | February 26, 1992 |
| Founded at | London, United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Location |
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Chair of the Board
|
Richard Graham |
|
CEO
|
Anthony Smith |
| Rushanara Ali, Maria Miller, Harriet Harman, Christine Jardine, Brendan O'Hara, Sue Inglish, Thomas M. Hughes, Simon Walker, Mark Babington | |
|
Staff (2021)
|
142 |
The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) is an organization from the United Kingdom. It helps countries around the world build and strengthen their democratic systems. WFD started on February 26, 1992. It gets its money from the UK government, mainly from the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
Richard Graham, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Gloucester, is currently the head of WFD's board. Anthony Smith, who used to be a UK diplomat, has been the CEO since August 2014.
Contents
What is the Westminster Foundation for Democracy?
The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) is a special organization from the UK. It works to support and improve democracy in other countries. This means helping countries have fair elections, strong parliaments, and governments that listen to their people.
How WFD Started
WFD was created on February 26, 1992. This was not long after the Berlin Wall fell, which changed many countries in Eastern Europe. At first, WFD mainly helped political parties in these countries as they learned how to be democratic.
Later, in the 2000s, WFD became well known for helping parliaments become stronger. They did this through special programs and training.
WFD's Main Goals
WFD works to create lasting political change in countries that are becoming democracies. They partner with other groups to make democratic systems stronger.
How WFD Helps Countries
WFD helps in several ways:
- Building Skills: They teach people and groups how to work better within a democracy. This is called "capacity building."
- Giving Advice: They offer expert help and support.
- Doing Research: They study how democracy works and how it can be improved.
WFD mainly works with:
- Political Parties: They help different political groups learn how to work together.
- Parliaments: They support the law-making bodies of countries.
- Civil Society: This includes groups like non-governmental organisations (NGOs), workers' unions, and independent news organizations. These groups help people have a voice in their country.
How WFD is Funded
WFD gets money from different sources to do its work. In 2016, WFD had a budget of about £7 million. About £2.5 million of this money was given to major UK political parties to help with their international work.
Every year, WFD's financial reports are shared with the UK parliament. By 2021, their budget had grown to over £14 million. This money came from the FCDO, the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), the European Union (EU), and other sources.
Where WFD Works
WFD's main office is in London, United Kingdom. As of September 2021, WFD works in 25 different countries. These countries are grouped into different regions around the world.
Asia-Pacific (8 countries)
Europe & Central Asia (7 countries)
Middle East & North Africa (5 countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (5 countries)
Latin America (1 country)
Past Work Locations
WFD has also worked in these countries in the past, but their programs or offices there have since closed:
See also
- National Endowment for Democracy, a similar organization based in the United States
- Electoral Reform Society, an organization working to improve democracy in the UK
- Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, another fund set up by the UK government
