International Affairs
South Africa
Recognizing that a peaceful democratic transition in South Africa would be central to establishing a secure environment required promoting democracy, combating poverty and to promoting broad-based economic development opportunities in Southern Africa, the JCPES used its wealth of experience and resources to contribute to South Africa’s democratic transition.
In 1993, the Joint Center established a presence in South Africa, beginning a ten-year period of on the ground engagement with critical issues. Initially, the Joint Center South Africa (JCSA) provided technical assistance and non-partisan support to newly formed political parties in preparation for the historical 1994 democratic elections. Following the elections, the Joint Center expanded its democracy program and began to work with democratic institutions to strengthen their capacities to increase civil society participation.
Special attention has been paid to strengthening the public’s participation in policy formulation and in efforts to inform South Africa’s policy debates through research, analysis and information dissemination in a number of areas—ranging from democracy and governance, to the empowerment of women and youth, to HIV/AIDS, to global climate change and the environment, and to economic and social development. These diverse activities contribute to bridging the gap between policy and research.
Programs Include:
Support for Economic Growth Analysis (SEGA) and Mandela Economics Scholars Program (MESP)
Education for Development and Democracy Initiative