AID grant agreement no. 674-0301-G-SS-3061-00 to the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) to provide impartial assistance and training to enable political organizations to educate voters and to participate in South Africa"s first democratic elections under the South Africa community outreach and leadership development [COLD] project

NDI and IRI will conduct a joint program stressing the procedure and skills needed to effectively communicate with voters and maximize participation in the election. The Institutes will each identify bipartisan teams of professionals in areas such as planning and organization, issue research and presentation, press and media communication, voter contact and field organization; special attention will be paid to the women"s and youth vote. The teams will also collaborate in multiparty forums organized by JCPES on issues and areas of common concern and interest. JCPES, in cooperation with the Institute for MultiParty Democracy (MPD), will develop a series of multiparty roundtable discussions in an effort to encourage confidence in the political institutions by the previously disenfranchised population. Possible topics include: civic education and voter training, vote monitoring and electoral law, security issues, media access, code of conduct for political parties, public opinion surveys and analysis, and the role of international observers. JCPES will also host a post-election roundtable at which key party strategists can discuss the election in a relaxed and neutral environment.