MANILA -- A myriad of organizations from North America and Europe operate in various parts of the world with the objective of advancing democratic governance. While their strategies may differ, these "democracy-assistance foundations" hold the common belief that promoting democracy essentially promotes peace. This conviction is founded on the empirical fact that democracies don't go to war with one another; thus a democratic world is also a more peaceful world.

Life has not become easier for international democracy-assistance foundations since the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which Washington says is aimed at bringing democracy to Iraq and the region at large. It is too early to judge whether this plan will succeed. On the other hand, most observers agree that the occupation so far has not strengthened democratic forces in the Middle East; on the contrary, it has driven many Muslims into the folds of extremism.

Beyond Iraq, the question of how to spread democracy to authoritarian societies remains crucial for international relations. Although the wind of democratic change has swept across many parts of the world over the past two decades, dark spots of suppression and tyranny remain.