South Africa
Democracy Support
From 1993 to 2001, Joint Center/South Africa engaged in activities aimed at facilitating the country's transition from autocratic to democratic rule and strengthening democratic institutions. The Joint Center played a significant role in strengthening policy research, including shaping the current national youth policy by collecting and analyzing provincial data for formulation of the national youth policy. Core funding for this project and the Joint Center South Africa office was provided by the United States Agency for International Development.
The Joint Center has worked with select local governing councils to facilitate community participation in governance through the development of sustainable communication outreach systems, and systems for soliciting public input on integrated development planning, and other issues affecting communities. Public hearings facilitated by the Joint Center have ensured that constituents' aspirations and input on development are conveyed to decision-makers at the local level. An educational video, produced by the Joint Center as a part of this initiative, received an award for its potential impact. Another outgrowth of this process has been the Community News on Tape (CNT) project, through which young people have been equipped with many skills enabling them to facilitate effective communication among community members in economically depressed areas through the use of audiotapes.