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FREEDOM DAY MESSAGE: 27 APRIL 2024
As we celebrate Freedom Day on April 27th, it is important to take time to contemplate the difficult path that was paved for us to enjoy the freedom that we now have. The struggle for freedom against the oppressive regime of apartheid, which enabled us to cast our votes, on this day in 1994, is evidence of the steadfast [...]
South African Youth: Seize the Power
Across South Africa, a generation stands at a pivotal crossroads, their voices echoing the complexities of a nation in flux. From the Eastern Cape to Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Northern Cape, young voices are shaping the narrative of democracy in the so-called ‘Rainbow Nation’. Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of engaging with young people across [...]
Critical Conversations on Women Peace and Security in Africa: A Dialogue for Progress
Johannesburg, April 9, 2024 - The ‘Critical Conversations on Women Peace and Security in Africa’ symposium took place in Johannesburg, with participants from various sectors extending their support for the dialogue. They emphasized its crucial role in advancing gender-inclusive peace processes across the continent. As the clock ticks towards the 25th anniversary of the Women Peace and Security (WPS) [...]
Mobilizing Africa’s Youth for Political Change
Against the backdrop of significant political shifts and recent and emerging popular coups across the continent, 2024 stands as an important year for Africa, with 19 countries gearing up for presidential and general elections. These elections occur against the backdrop of recent popular coups in countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea. Unfortunately, these coups have set [...]
2024: A Decisive Year for South Africa’s Future Trajectory
2024 is a milestone election year for South Africa. Not only does it mark three decades since the country’s democratic transition, it also could also herald in a new era of political contestation. With the majority of polls thus far conducted pointing to the ruling party losing its overall majority in parliament, President Cyril Ramaphosa was at pains to [...]
From Hope to Crisis: Senegal’s Victory and Togo’s Setback
A few hours after 44-year-old Senegal’s President-elect Diomaye won the hotly contested elections, which had seemed impossible due to outgoing President Macky Sall’s attempt to tamper with the constitution and defer elections to November 2024, a sense of relief swept through Senegal and the region. The elections brought a sigh of relief to a region struggling with a decline [...]
Applications for Peace Inclusion Monitors
Women’s Election Mechanism for Peace (WEMP) The Women’s Election Mechanism for Peace (WEMP) is a conflict prevention mechanism that seeks to promote women’s participation, as peace monitors, in the conduct of peaceful National and Provincial elections in South Africa. The IJR and its Women Peace and Security Project Partners, working with the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa [...]
Peace Inclusion Monitors: Empowering Women in South African Elections
In an effort to foster peaceful and inclusive elections in South Africa, the Women’s Election Mechanism for Peace (WEMP) is gearing up for action in the upcoming May 2024 elections. This initiative, spearheaded by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa Media Monitoring Africa, South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID) and partners, [...]
US Pledges Additional $22M to Fight Terrorism in Mozambique
U.S. officials pledged $22 million in new funding Thursday to help Mozambique fight Islamist militants in the country’s troubled, oil-rich Cabo Delgado, where an insurgency has intensified in recent weeks. The United States already had pledged $100 million. At the end of a five-day visit to Maputo, Anne Witkowsky, U.S. assistant secretary of state for conflict and stabilization operations, [...]
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