The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) has sparked much debate on the future of the African continent. While some have hailed it as ground-breaking in its efforts towards global integration and promotion of democratic governance, others have dismissed it as a weak attempt to create a framework that simply promotes global economic priorities.
The purpose of this document is not to sway opinion for or against it. Instead it is intended to break down the original, rather dense NEPAD document into an accessible format that can facilitate debate at all levels - national, sub-regional and continental. This is in line with the OSF-SA's mission to foster debate and dialogue by civil society in order to strengthen and promote participatory governance.
While NEPAD is principally a pan-African initiative, real challenges, including ownership of the national agenda, have yet to be addressed. The role of civil society is key to effecting some of the laudable proposals of this initiative. It is also a significant barometer of popular sentiment.
NEPAD should not be viewed as an event, but rather a process that has the potential to widen and deepen democracy on the African continent.
Zohra Dawood
Executive Director
Open Society Foundation for South Africa
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