see url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy
see url: https://www.ned.org/
You want a grant to change your country into a democracy like the
USA...then this is where you can apply...;-)
This is an example of a small part of the "soft" power which "western
democracies" use to promote the merits of their own societies and also
use them to change other societies into ones which are more conducive to
that of the ideology and practice of their home nation states. It
usually doesn't work out...what happens is that they get rid of one
regime and put in another, either as a coup of some kind or through the
use of a new ballot system which guarantees a change from the old regime
to the new...the new one might, or might not be a democracy and even
might be a dictatorship, but as long as it is suitable to the western
governments and controlled by them, like the USG...that doesn't
matter...they are called one of ours. The other lot, whom our nation
states haven't managed a regime change in, are usually our enemies...and
they are doing all sorts of terrible things to their own people and the
governments of the rest of the world. Our lot are just heavenly and
wonderful nations...and fully support human rights in our own societies...
There are a lot of these "think tanks" around these days, some countries
have got plenty of money and resources to spend on them, usually they
are philanthropic, charitable and educational organisations, sometimes
they are independent of government, or funded by private corporations
and philanthropists; at other times funded or partially funded by
governments, or they may be secretly funded by other organisations of
government. Their personnel too are not necessarily what they seem to
be. One thing they have in common is that they have no objection to
wearing masks...;-) In some cases it can cost as much as $25,000 a year
to become a member, as well as having to be recommended by a present
member. In other cases it may be by virtue of ones office. Some have
offices and outreaches in foreign countries, some are registered as
non-governmental organisations. These organisations are not the same as
RT or VOA or even the BBC which are media organisations. and may be
agents of the state. It is questionable that the foreign service of the
BBC, though it is supposed to be independent, is so in practice, the
voice of the UK foreign office. Another organisation like the British
Council has close ties with the UK government and also promotes UK
interests abroad, arranging student exchanges and cultural visits and so
on. These are called VSO's or volunteer services abroad and most
developed countries have them...they are not necessarily spy
organisations or for the overthrow of other countries governments...most
of them are used to fill student gap years...
The Chinese and Russians also have their "think tanks", cultural and
friendship societies...know of any...
ATB
Dougie.
:-)The *National Endowment for Democracy* (*NED*) is a U.S. agency that
was founded in 1983 with the stated goal of promoting democracy
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_promotion> abroad.^[1]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy#cite_note-:0-1>
^[2]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy#cite_note-yalerichmond-2>
^[3]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy#cite_note-kitigawa-3>
Some have described it as a non governmental organization^[1]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy#cite_note-:0-1>
^[4]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy#cite_note-4>
while others have described it as a quasi-autonomous non-governmental
organization <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quango>.^[5]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy#cite_note-5>
^[3]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy#cite_note-kitigawa-3>
It is funded primarily through an annual allocation from the U.S.
Congress <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Congress> in the form of a
grant awarded through the United States Information Agency
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Information_Agency> (USIA).
It was created by The Democracy Program as a bipartisan, private,
non-profit corporation, and in turn acts as a grant-making
foundation.^[1]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy#cite_note-:0-1>
In addition to its grants program, NED also supports and houses the
/Journal of Democracy
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journal_of_Democracy>/, the World
Movement for Democracy
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Movement_for_Democracy>, the
International Forum for Democratic Studies
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Forum_for_Democratic_Studies>,
the Reagan–Fascell Fellowship Program
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reagan%E2%80%93Fascell_Fellowship_Program>,
the Network of Democracy Research Institutes
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_of_Democracy_Research_Institutes>,
and the Center for International Media Assistance
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_International_Media_Assistance>.
