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Marking Gains and Counting Losses in 20 years of democracy

September 08, 2014

South Africa, 9 – 10 September, 2014

As South Africa celebrates 20 years of freedom and democracy, International IDEA is marking the occasion with a Democracy Roundtable event on 9 – 10 September entitled Marking Gains and Counting Losses in 20 Years of Democracy: Perspectives on Democratic Accountability in South Africa.

Like many post liberation African contexts, South Africans have had to “learn” how to engage in a democratic political system, while at the same time, actually “doing democracy.” Although being rooted within a constitutional democracy, this transformation has not been without its challenges. The event aims to bring together a mixed group of thinkers, activists and engage in a robust reflection and debate on the achievements and pressing issues relating to South Africa’s experience with democracy during the past 20 years.

Issues to be covered include:

  • Discourse and Emerging Trends and Perspectives on Democratic Accountability in the African Context
  • African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance in Re-Imagining Democratic Accountability in State-Society Relations in Africa
  • Perspectives on Progress and Trends in the Interface Between Elections and Citizen Accountability: Does the Social Contract Still Exist?

Outcomes of the roundtable include:

  • To ‘mark’ the “democratic accountability” gains and losses to date and reflect on their respective drivers and contributing factors
  • To identify key levers, responses and further knowledge and research
  • To reflect on new thinking and new ways of understandings on how to strengthen democratic accountability through: citizen agency, policy and advocacy efforts and finally, democratic institutions

Read the full concept note.

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