Partners for Democratic Change, also sometimes called simply Partners, was a non-government organization founded in 1989. The goal of the organization is to recruit leading social entrepreneurs to establish independent Centers for Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution

Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...

 and Change Management around the world. Raymond Shonholtz established Partners for Democratic Change dedicated to building sustainable local capacity to advance civil society

Civil society

Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...

 and a culture of change and conflict management worldwide. The group was created as a response to the imminent collapse of the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

. Partners and the Centers officially incorporated an International Association, Partners for Democratic Change International

Partners for Democratic Change International

Partners for Democratic Change International is a global partnership of Partners for Democratic Change and the eighteen independent, local organizations Partners founded in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa that work to advance civil society, good governance and a culture of...

 under Belgium law in 2004. This enables PDCI to have an office and staff in Brussels.
Currently there are 18 Centers, which include operations in 50 countries. These centers provide forums for groups to reconcile differences. Through the Centers, Partners' mission is to contribute to the democratic and economic transitions of many countries. As of 2011, Partners has currently established centers in Albania, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Jordan, Kosovo, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Romania, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia and Yemen.

Partners established from 1991 to 1994 six national Centers led by trained, local professionals. By the end of 2009 the organization had 14 national Centers, a hub in Brussels and one in Washington, DC, as well as Center and Partners programs in another 20 countries. The Centers focus on promoting and supporting civil society, interethnic relations, network building, anti-corruption reform, family mediation and youth and women’s leadership in their home countries. In 2009 Partners Jordan underwent a project to open a co-ed library in the conservative area of Ma'an

Ma'an

Ma'an is a town in southern Jordan 218 km away from the capital Amman. It is the capital of Ma'an Governorate. Ma'an has a population of around 50,000. The city had a population of 22,989 in the 1992 census and is estimated as being about 50,000 as of 2007 according to the Ma'an Municipality...

, with the goal of giving burgeoning youth the "communications in life they need" to be successful.