Democracy Works Foundation (DWF), through the Charter Project Africa, is set to host multi-stakeholder national dialogues in four countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The first dialogue is scheduled in Botswana on the 18th and 19th of May, with subsequent ones to follow in Zambia, Tanzania and South Africa. The main theme of the dialogues is to put the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance at the centre of consolidating good governance and democracy in Africa.
The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) is crucial to promote democracy, good governance, and the rule of law in our continent. Its adoption marks a significant milestone in Africa’s democratic development and is pivotal in shaping its governance landscape.
The dialogues will bring together multiple actors, including government officials, civil society organisations, regional institutions and the AGA, to reflect on the imperative of acceding to AU’s shared values and instruments, particularly the ACDEG, as well as facilitating conversation, collaboration and co-action.
The two-day events comprise Democratic Governance Initiatives (DGIs) capacity-building workshops, keynote addresses, and panel discussions. The public dialogues are an opportunity to present the Charter Project Africa’s contribution to facilitating engagement between local civil society and the African Governance Architecture (AGA) using civic technologies. Subsequently, which will also engage on how promoting and fostering cooperation between regional and continental institutions and civil society increases the prospects of entrenching AU’s shared values.
The dialogues will take place over the months of May, June and July as follows:
- Botswana, Gaborone, 18 and 19 May 2023
- Zambia, Lusaka, 29 and 30 June 2023
- Tanzania, Dar Es Salaam, 5 and 6 July 2023
- South Africa, 27 and 28 July 2023
You can read more on the national multi-stakeholder dialogue taking place in Botswana, The Hilton Hotel, in the concept note
—
About the Charter Project Africa
The Charter Project Africa is a pan-African project that focuses on the commitments contained in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) – the African Union’s principal policy document for advancing democratic governance in African Union member states. The project promotes using civic technology to amplify citizens’ voices in African Union member states; Botswana Benin, Cabo Verde, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia – as well as at regional and continental level. DWF is implementing the Charter Project Africa in Southern Africa, targeting Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. The consortium comprises AfricTivistes, Code for Africa (CfA), Gorée Institute, European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) and European Partnership for Democracy (EPD). The project is made possible with the financial support of the European Union.