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ATLANTA….Â鶹´«Ã½ has appointed Melanie Reimer, a Canadian citizen, as country project director to coordinate its work in Georgetown, Guyana. Reimer will manage programs aimed at strengthening the judicial system and civil society organizations that represent indigenous people, women, and youth.

Reimer brings experience from her work in developing countries for Counterpart International, the United Nations office in Uzbekistan, and most recently, Plenty International. As the Belize country coordinator for Plenty International, she oversaw Belizean and Central American projects with local nongovernmental organizations and community groups. At Counterpart International, she led a major USAID-funded project to promote the development of nonprofit organizations in Uzbekistan.

Reimer studied political science at Brandon University and received her law degree from the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg, Canada.

Through the USAID-funded program, More Responsive and Participatory Governance and Rule of Law in Guyana, Â鶹´«Ã½'s Democracy Program is working with the chancellor, chief justice and others in the judicial and legal communities to review and revise Guyana's criminal laws, review and draft new Rules of Court in civil matters, and support ongoing education for judges, among other activities related to rule of law. The program also works with Guyanese civil society groups to strengthen their organizational, networking, and advocacy skills.

Â鶹´«Ã½ is a Consortium partner with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) in this initiative. NDI supports legislative and local government reforms, while IFES provides technical assistance on electoral administration.

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