• We are exponents of democratic change. The very nature of democracy is about evolving and adapting governance systems to address the needs of an ever changing society. • We are supporters of change. The drivers of change must come from within societies themselves. Our programme Democracy cannot be imported or exported, but it can be supported. And because democratic actors can be inspired by what others are doing elsewhere around the world, International IDEA plays an instrumental role in supporting their initiatives by: Providing comparative knowledge and experience in: • • • • • • elections and referendums; constitutions; political parties; gender in democracy and women’s political empowerment; democracy self-assessments; and democracy and development. Assisting political actors in national reform processes: As democratic change ultimately happens among citizens at the national and local levels, we support, upon request and within our programme areas, national reform processes in countries located in: • Latin America; • Africa and the Middle East; and • Asia and the Pacific. Influencing democracy-building policies: A fundamental feature of strengthening democracy-building processes is the exchange of knowledge and experience among political actors. We support such exchange through: • dialogues; • seminars and conferences; and • capacity building. 219 Annex D. International IDEA at a glance Our work encapsulates two key principles: