Events

• Jul 20, 2013: South Africa: Consolidating electoral democracy in Africa: International Conference on Electoral Democracy and Election Management in Contemporary Africa (POSTPONED TO 2013) Conference theme: Consolidating electoral democracy in Africa: The role of electoral laws and Election Management Bodies. Purpose and Objectives of the conference. This conference seeks to create a forum for a critical, practical and constructive reflection on Africa’s electoral democracy and election management. The primary aim is to identifying and account for weaknesses and successes in different countries and regions. This will then create a platform for experts, public policy makers, political leaders, practitioners and opinion-makers to share their knowledge and experiences on the subject. The conference will also expose University of South Africa’s (Unisa) election management programme trainees and graduates to salient ideas on election management and electoral democracy while at the same time enriching the training programme in its continuing work. The ultimate aim is to use knowledge to entrench good practices of electoral democracy for advancement of democracy in Africa.
• Jul 19, 2013: BRIDGE media Workshop in South Africa This regional BRIDGE workshop is implemented by International IDEA under the Joint Activity Plan signed by IDEA and the African Union. The programme is funded by AusAID and participants are Electoral Management Bodies in Africa. This workshop will be conducted in Portuguese.
• Jul 05, 2013: BRIDGE Training for SADC-ESN members to be held in South Africa The workshop will be conducted for SADC-ESN members. Facilitators of the workshop are Rindai Chipfunde Vava, Harris Potani and Revai Makanje Aalbaek.
• Sep 21, 2012: BRIDGE "Train the Facilitators" Course GIZ Funded IDEA and African Union TtF in South Africa. In partnership between International IDEA and the African Union a BRIDGE "Train the Facilitators" Course will be held in Pretoria, South Africa from 10-21 September 2012. Participants will be drawn from 5 African Countries participating in the GIZ Project. Please note that unfortunately we do not have spaces for any external participants.
• Aug 17, 2012: IDEA Africa BRIDGE workshop IDEA Africa - Portuguese - 5-day Module. This training is part of International IDEA’s ongoing regional BRIDGE project in Africa which is held in collaboration with the African Union. The participants at the course will be Election Administrators from African EMBs. The training will be held in Portuguese. The project is funded by AusAID through its Africa Governance Fund.
• Apr 27, 2012: IDEA Africa Gender workshop in South Africa This training is part of International IDEA’s ongoing regional BRIDGE project in Africa which is held in collaboration with the African Union. The participants at the course will be Election Administrators from African EMBs. The training will be held in Portuguese. The project is funded by AusAID through its Africa Governance Fund. Unfortunately IDEA is not able to accommodate external participants at this course.
• Feb 17, 2012: BRIDGE TtF workshop in South Africa The participants at the course will be International IDEA staff and staff and partners of NIMD (The Netherlands Multiparty Institute). The training will be held in English.

  BRIDGE TtF workshop in South Africa.

  The participants at the course will be International IDEA staff and staff and partners of NIMD (The Netherlands Multiparty Institute). The training will be held in English.

  Unfortunately IDEA is not able to accommodate external participants at this course.

   

• Nov 04, 2011: BRIDGE Portuguese 5-day Module International IDEA as part of its ongoing collaboration with the African Union host a 5-day BRIDGE Module in Pretoria, South Africa.

  BRIDGE 5-Day Module– Portuguese - Pretoria

  31 Oct – 4 Nov 2011

  Pretoria, South Africa

  International IDEA as part of its ongoing collaboration with the African Union host a 5-day BRIDGE Module in Pretoria, South Africa.

  The training will be held in Portuguese.

  It will be attended by electoral administrators from African EMBs.

  This project is generously funded by the Australian Government through AusAID.

• Sep 02, 2011: BRIDGE Train the Facilitators - Gender Focus International IDEA will host a BRIDGE TtF in Pretoria, South Africa in support of African organisations working in the field of Gender and Elections.

  BRIDGE Train the Facilitator – with a gender Focus

   

  International IDEA will host a BRIDGE TtF in Pretoria, South Africa in support of African organisations working in the field of Gender and Elections.

  The course will be attended by gender experts, mainly from Africa. The training will be conducted in English.

  Aug 22 – Sept 2 2011

  The TtF will showcase the BRIDGE ‘Gender and Elections’ module to build participants skills and knowledge in this area and it will also be required for participants to write material based on their own experiences. 

  There are spaces available for self-funded participants to attend.

• Sep 02, 2011: BRIDGE Train the Facilitators in Pretoria - Gender Focus

  BRIDGE Train the Facilitators Pretoria - Gender Focus

   
  

  Aug 22 – Sept 2 2011

  Pretoria, South Africa.

  International IDEA will host a BRIDGE TtF in Pretoria, South Africa in support of African organisations working in the field of Gender and Elections.

  The course will be attended by gender experts, mainly from Africa. The training will be conducted in English.

  Aug 22 – Sept 2 2011

  The TtF will showcase the BRIDGE ‘Gender and Elections’ module to build participants skills and knowledge in this area and it will also be required for participants to write material based on their own experiences. 

  There are spaces available for self-funded participants to attend.

• Aug 25, 2011: ECF SADC Annual General Conference The ECF SADC is a forum of electoral commissions in the SADC region and consists of 15 members (Angola, Botswana, the DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar and Zimbabwe). The conference is part of the ECF’s Annual General Conference which looks at recent trends in electoral democracy in the SADC region.

  The ECF SADC Annual General Conference

  Hosted by Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa under the theme: Challenges to Democracy and Elections.

• Aug 23, 2011:
• Jul 28, 2011: Swaziland Democratisation Seminar The Africa Institute of South Africa in partnership with Human Rights Watch and North South Institute of Canada will hold a seminar on The Challenges of Consolidating Democratic Governance in Swaziland.

  Swaziland Democratisation Seminar

  
  

  The Africa Institute of South Africa, North South Institute of Canada and Human Rights Watch are hosting a debate to address democratization challenges in Swaziland.

  PRESENTERS:

  • Ms Tiseke Kasambala, Senior Researcher, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch

  • Mr. Bongani Masuku, International Relations Secretary, COSATU

• Jul 01, 2011: BRIDGE Voter Registration BRIDGE Voter Registration Module

  BRIDGE Voter Registration Module

  International IDEA as part of its ongoing collaboration with the African Union, will host a 5-day BRIDGE Module training on Voter Registration. The training will be held in English.

  It will be attended by electoral administrators from African EMBs.

  This project is generously funded by the Australian Government through AusAID.

  For more information please contact the International IDEA project manager, Margot Gould on e-mail [email protected].

• Jun 01, 2011:
• Jun 01, 2011:
• May 12, 2011: Seminar: 2011 Local Government Elections’ – Citizen Dissatisfaction and its impact. The Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy in Africa (EISA), IDASA (an African Democracy Institute) and the Good Governance Learning Network’s (GGLN) will hold a seminar on: citizens’ dissatisfaction with local government and what impact this might have on the upcoming 2011 Local Government Elections’
• Apr 20, 2011: BRIDGE Gender and Elections Module
• Nov 27, 2010: Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) workshop on Elections and Technology EISA, with the assistance of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), would hold a three-day workshop on “Election and Technology”, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 25–27 November 2010.

  Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) workshop on Elections and Technology

   

  The participants to the workshop will be drawn from selected EMBs from the five sub-regions of the African Continent. The workshop will provide a platform for participants to discuss how technology affects the electoral process and ways in which EMBs can use technology to improve the electoral process in their respective countries.

   

• Nov 24, 2010: Fifth Annual EISA Symposium Setting Benchmarks for Enhanced Political Party Performance for Democratic Governance in Africa

  The Fifth Annual EISA Symposium

  Introduction

  For the last four years EISA has held the annual symposia, all focusing on themes in the democracy and governance terrain. The first annual symposium was held in November 2006 and examined the challenges of conflict, democracy and development in Africa. The second symposium (October 2007) focused policy discussion on the prospects for sustainable democratic governance in Africa in an environment of poor socio economic conditions and entrenched poverty. The third symposium (October 2008) dealt with the challenges of civil society engagement with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The fourth Symposium focused on the prevention and management of violent election related conflict in Africa.

  This year, the theme of the fifth symposium is Setting Benchmarks for Enhanced Political Party Performance for Democratic Governance in Africa.

  Political party benchmarks

  This symposium will focus on the development of benchmarks for political parties with the aim of enhancing their performance and contributing to their institutionalisation. We aim through this process to support political parties in young and developing democracies in Africa by enhancing their capacity to be effective, accountable, responsive, transparent and internally democratic. His Excellency Jerry Rawlings, Former President of the Republic of Ghana will deliver the Keynote Address and officially open the 2010 Symposium.

  Framework

  Benchmarks for political parties will be addressed within the framework of four thematic areas:

  1. values and behaviours of political parties
  2. functions of political parties
  3. institutional functioning of political parties and
  4. overall party system.

  Objectives

  The specific objectives of developing the benchmarks are to:

  • Explore practices for the institutionalisation of political parties
  • Encourage focus on gender equality within parties for increasing the numbers of women in party decision making positions
  • Explore practices in interparty relations
  • Explore conditions that facilitate party coalitions and establish principles for sustainable coalition building.
  • Improve existing benchmarks or principles in order to add value to the rebuilding of democratic institutions
  • Improve penetration into society, constituency building and constituency relations.
  • Encourage effective representation, accountability, responsiveness and transparency
  • Encourage inclusiveness, diversity and representativity
  • Encourage political tolerance
  • Encourage the empowerment of rank and file membership
  • Improve party operational apparatuses, including management and administration
  • Examine modalities for party funding that are equitable and lead to party sustainability.

  Stakeholders

  The stakeholders expected to benefit from the 2010 EISA Annual Symposium include ruling and opposition political parties from across the African continent, regional economic bodies, the African Union Commission, civil society organisations, media and other international actors.

  Donors and supporting agencies

  EISA would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of its donor agencies and supporting partners in this exciting initiative. We extend our gratitude to the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) for their generous financial support.

• Nov 11, 2010: Principles on Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC region (PEMMO) and Roles played by other Stakeholders

  Principles on Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC region (PEMMO) and Roles played by other Stakeholders.

   

• Oct 12, 2010: Call for Papers: The Media and Elections in Africa WISER and the Department of Political Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand will be hosting a 2-day conference on Recent Elections and the Media in Africa on the 11th and 12th of October 2010.

  Our objective is to solicit papers that encourage debate across the media – print, the electronic media, radio and television:
  

  1.    To compare and contrast techniques and strategies of media representation in recent and forthcoming African elections.

  2.    To analyse struggles to control the media during elections.

  3.    To analyse popular efforts to find a space for voice in the media.

  4.    To analyse global representations and international coverage of Africa during elections. 

  Panels will be organized around the following topics:
  

  A.    How does the media present real and fictional images of African politicians and heads of state? This could include a hard look at the role of advertising and the way leaders, their aides and their publics are represented. Also relevant here are questions that address the ‘Othering’ of African leaders in the global media (for instance as buffoon, tyrant, dictator, ‘traditional’, global, spiritual, moral). 

  B.    ‘Presentism’ and the erasure of historical memory in the media. By this we mean the reluctance of the media to set their discussion of elections in any sort of historical and political context. Instead we have the constant ‘Now’. What are the consequences of this lacuna?
  

  C.    Leadership and Contestation: Case studies of elections and media representations which focus on leaders and parties. Papers could cover the following: the Zimbabwean elections 2007/8; the Angolan 2008 elections; the 2008 Zambian elections; the South African elections of 2008; Botswana and forthcoming elections in 2010 in Togo (presidential elections), Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Sao Tome and Principe, and possibly Burundi. 

  D.    A focus on Gender, Masculinity, Sexuality and the Politics of Leadership Identity: this could address the self-fashioning of leaders as regards dress, costume, ‘signatures’ and cultural accoutrements. It also calls for a focus on the first lady/ies phenomenon in the media representation of leaders. How are women leaders represented?
  

  E.    Media and the Hazards of Representation: in this session we interrogate/celebrate the role of popular culture during elections. How the readings of popular culture can illuminate listeners’/viewers’ opinions and bases of knowledge through tapping into pavement talk (‘radio trottoir’), popular songs, slogans and so on. What is the role of popular culture during elections?
  

  F.     Satire and the insights and subversions of cartoon voices and political comedians. In what ways has satire contributed to a critical and edgy understanding of the nature of politics, particularly during periods leading up to elections.

   

  Please send titles and abstracts of not more than 300 words by 31 May 2010 to Najibha Deshmukh [email protected]. Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be notified by the 17th June 2010. Some of the papers will be selected for publication in relevant journals, such as the Journal of Southern African Studies. There will be no conference fee. We hope to be able to subsidise the attendance of younger scholars should we acquire requisite funding. 

  Convenors: Liz Gunner, WISER, Sheila Meintjes, Political Studies, Wits University.
  

   

• Oct 08, 2010: BRIDGE TtF For Gender Specialists BRIDGE TtF for Gender Specialists in Africa.

  BRIDGE TtF for Gender Specialists in Africa. Pretoria, South Africa. Sept 27- Oct 8 2010.

  The TtF will have a special “Gender and Elections” focus and will highlight the gender specific training materials in BRIDGE in order to familiarise the participants on the gender dimension of the curriculum. In addition as part of the course TtF participants are required to develop new BRIDGE materials. During this course we will ask participants to develop materials with a gender theme which will add to the quantity and quality of the existing gender training materials.

  Participants will be drawn mainly from gender specialists working in Africa. UNDP GPECS will sponsor the participation of 5 participants.

  This event is being organised by International IDEA.

  There is limited availability of space, however gender specialists who are able to self fund their participation are encouraged to contact International IDEA.

• Aug 23, 2010:
• May 12, 2010: Seminar and Launch of EISA’s Election Update South Africa Seminar on the future of elections as an instrument of democratic political contestation in South Africa and the launch of EISA’s Election Update South Africa.

  Seminar: The future of elections as an instrument of democratic political contestation in South Africa

  Perspectives on political contestation & emergent trends

  The seminar is aimed at provoking thinking and debate about the future of elections as an instrument of democratic political contestation in South Africa.

  Because elections are an instrument constitutive of government, they matter considerably for the future mode through which the governance regime is incepted.

  Some recent scholarship, commentary and analysis suggests that elections, though entrenched, are but one tool of democratic political contestation and political expression. They are resonating less with citizens, even though the electorate take the vote and the electoral process seriously. One political commentator has suggested that the spate of violent protests pose an existential threat to elected local government. Violence against elected councillors amounts to sedition... ^[1]

  Others have suggested that fractured relations between political parties and adversarial relations amongst individuals in the main parties, as well as a questioning of key constitutional values and the lack of a civic culture amongst citizens, conspire to erode the credibility and legitimacy enjoyed by government and the level of stability in the political and governance system.

  ¹Khehla Shubane. Business Day, Wednesday 7 April 2010, p. 7.

   

  Launch: Election Update South Africa 2009

  This seminar is being held to coincide with the launch of EISA’s Election Update South Africa: February - July 2009, a collection of individually produced monthly updates around the 2009 National and Provincial elections. The Election Update will be launched together with a Policy Brief synthesising key findings. The Brief suggests policy recommendations for effective future political and electoral management and administration.

  Programme

  10:00-10:05	Mr Denis Kadima, EISA Executive Director - Welcome and Introduction
  10:05-10:15	Mr Ebrahim Fakir, Manager, Governance Institutions and Process - Presentation of the Election Update
  10:15-10:30	Commissioner Dr Brigalia Bam, Chairperson, Independent Electoral Commission
  10:30-10:45	Professor Susan Booysen, University of the Witwatersrand - Key Policy recommendations arising from election updates and key emergent trends
  10:45-11:00	Dr Mcebisi Ndletyana, Chief Researcher, Human Sciences Research Council
  11:15-11:30	Khehla Shubane, Political Analyst and Associate: Centre for Policy Studies (former Robben Island Prisoner)
  11:30–11:45	Professor Raymond Suttner, Research Professor at UNISA and honorary professorial research fellow at Wits (former Political Prisoner, ANC M.P, ANC head of Political Education, and former South African Ambassador to Sweden)
  11:45-12:30	Discussion and Questions and Answers
  12:30	Lunch

   

• Mar 20, 2010: BRIDGE Implementation Workshop International IDEA as part of its ongoing project with the African Union, and funded by the Australian Governement (AusAID) is organising a 5-day BRIDGE Implementation Workshop, in Pretoria, South Africa.

  The workshop will take palce from 15-19 March 2010.

  The workshop will be attended by participants who have previously taken part in the IDEA project coming from African EMBs in Southern Africa.

  For more information please contact the project manager Margot Gould from International IDEA on [email protected].

• Dec 04, 2009: BRIDGE training the Facilitators in Pretoria Vacancies for Self-Funding Participants at the Pretoria, South Africa Train the Facilitators Course Nov 23 - Dec 4 2009. There is no charge for attending the course, however you would need to fund your travel, accommodation and per diem while in South Africa.
• Nov 20, 2009: Workshop: Development of Sustainable Voter Registration Methodologies Workshop on the Development of Sustainable Voter Registration Methodologies.
• Nov 19, 2009: EISA Workshop for South African Political Parties in Polokwane Province This workshop was conducted with the aim to strengthen political parties in order to contribute towards sustainable democratic consolidation and good governance in the SADC region. ACE was promoted as part of the event.
• Nov 18, 2009: 4th Annual EISA Symposium The Symposium was held with the theme Preventing and Managing Violent Election Related Conflicts in Africa: Exploring Good Practices. It focused upon the problem of persistent, violent election related conflicts in Africa with a view to understanding their causes, magnitude and consequences for democratic governance. ACE was promoted as part of this event.
• Aug 28, 2009: EISA Training Workshop: Election Observation for African CSOs This was the first of a series of EISA workshops that aims to build observer capacity and a continental observation network. Special attention was paid to civil society organizations (CSOs) from countries without a long tradition of democratic elections and a number of experienced CSOs were included to facilitate peer learning. ACE was used and promoted at the workshop.
• Jul 14, 2009: Regional Policy Dialogue: Democracy Protection Institutions in Southern Africa The aim of this regional policy dialogue was to share and discuss the findings of an empirical study on selected democracy protection institutions in Southern Africa. The study was undertaken between March and May 2009.
• May 08, 2009: Capacity strengthening workshop on Network for Enhanced Electoral and Democratic Support (NEEDS) 2009: Capacity strengthening workshop on Network for Enhanced Electoral and Democratic Support (NEEDS) hosted by EISA on 4-8 May 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa
• May 08, 2009: EISA Network for Enhanced Electoral and Democratic Support (NEEDS) Workshop This NEEDS workshop was co-organized by EISA in Johannesburg, South Africa. ACE was promoted as part of the workshop.
• Jan 30, 2009: EISA Workshop for South African political parties in North Western Province The aim of this workshop was to strengthen political parties in order to contribute towards sustainable democratic consolidation and good governance in the SADC region. ACE was promoted as part of this event.
• May 28, 2008: South African Political Parties Workshop EISA held a workshop for South African political parties as part of its Strengthening Political Parties for Sustainable Democracy in the SADC Region programme, funded by the Embassy of Finland in Pretoria.
• Mar 14, 2008: BRIDGE TtF Training (in cooperation with EISA, IDEA, South Africa Electoral Commission and Goree)
• Nov 09, 2007: Second Annual EISA Symposium The Second Annual EISA Symposium was entitled: "In Search of Sustainable Democratic Governance for Africa: Does Democracy Work for Developing Countries?"

  Specific objectives of the Symposium were:
  
  

  • Deliberate on current models of democratisation in Africa and policy challenges facing sustainable democratic governance
  • Investigate whether poor countries can sustain democracy organically and reach their developmental goals
  • Demonstrate how participatory democracy could enhance policy interventions aimed at poverty reduction through citizen participation, accountability, responsiveness and transparency
  • Make specific recommendations regarding possible institutional and policy reforms that African countries could embark upon in order to strive towards sustainable democratic governance