(September 12, 2006) WIDE ANGLE is on the ground as the Democratic Republic of Congo holds its first elections in 45 years -- an election supported by more than $450 million from the United Nations. "Democracy in the Rough" immerses us in a nation haunted by war, threatened by corruption, and torn over how to move toward a democratic and more promising future.

by Marda Dunsky. The right of citizens to freely elect representative governments is the hallmark of democratic societies. While this right is not widely enjoyed in the Arab world, democratization in Arab societies has nevertheless taken root -- bolstered by media technologies that bypass government control and put the potential for change in the hands of the people.

This is a list of important themes and video segments that can be used in classroom discussions of Dishing Democracy.

WIDE ANGLE goes behind the scenes at Arab television channel MBC in Cairo for an inside look at the hit all-female talk show, KALAM NAWAEM, whose hosts are using the power of transnational satellite TV to push social reform.

His Highness Sheikh Saud of Ras al-Khaimah has a grandiose dream — a brand new capital for the United Arab Emirates.

Explore the history of the DRC from Belgian King Leopold II to Joseph Kabila in this photo essay.

Ruling through peace after years of relying on violence doesn’t come easy. This point was proved by three days of fighting that broke after the first round results of the presidential elections in the Congo were announced on 20 August.

Links to information on the history of the Congo and the U.N. Peacekeeping Mission (MONUC) there.

To understand Haiti's history -- only ten of its 48 presidents have served out their terms and there have been only two peaceful electoral transitions since the beginning of the republic over 200 years ago -- it is critical to look at the material and historical circumstances of the colonial period.

WIDE ANGLE reveals Haiti’s struggle to fashion a true representative government out of a volatile failed state.

(September 9, 2004) As Afghanistan struggled to adopt a new constitution, WIDE ANGLE filmed behind the scenes at the December 2003 loya jirga. The documentary profiles two aspiring Afghan delegates who face political opposition and physical intimidation as they literally risk their lives to participate in the future of their country.

See historical facts about the government in Afghanistan, as it attempts to hold its first ever democratic elections under its new constitution.

Photo Essay: A Ravaged Country - See the effects of two decades of war

Ahmed Rashid discusses nation building in Afghanistan with host Mishal Husain.