511 C Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
Tel: (202) 543-3515
Fax: (202) 547-4101
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: http://www.nff.org/
Contact: Therese Lyons

The National Forum Foundation (NFF) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization which, since 1988, has been supporting the political and economic transformation of the emerging democracies of Europe and Asia. The NFF’s training programs are characterized by a practical, hands-on and on-site approach.

They focus on three areas:

• democratic governance and civil society–the legislative process, rule of law, NGO development, political and campaign organization, coalition building, budgeting, city planning and administration, and public, constituency and media relations;
• journalism and media management–domestic and international economic and business news reporting, media organization, sales and advertising, distribution, budgeting, financial systems and controls; and
• economic development and reform–privatization, banking and finance, securities and anti-monopoly regulation, business management, public-private sector development initiatives, and trade finance.

NFF conducts the Central and Eastern European Internship program, which has provided professional internship training in the U.S. for almost 300 leaders from the former “East Bloc.” Participants have worked in the offices of hundreds of federal, state and local elected officials; in political campaigns; for NGOs; at newspapers and television stations; in banks, stock and commodities exchanges; in law firms, regulatory agencies and trade and business associations.

The American Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program, chaired by President Vaclav Havel, sends qualified American managers and experts in government, NGO and public administration, journalism, and finance to requesting host institutions in the region. AVID volunteers serve with minimum financial support for 3-12 months. Since 1993, about 70 participants have provided some 480 months of on-site service. NFF maintains a Volunteer Talent Bank of about 400 registered applicants from which volunteers are drawn.

NFF also conducts several shorter term projects in the region which promote democratic, media and economic reform.

Date: November 21, 1996 from PSH