Citizen Engagement Program

About this program

Purpose: To accompany citizens and communities to achieve their full human potential through creating, facilitating and fostering spaces for critical dialogue and change.

Why?

To activate, educate and mobilise citizens in order to become active co-participants in the creation and accomplishment of their own development agenda.

How?

  • Hosting public dialogues around critical issues of governance, accountability, social and economic justice, and nation building
  • Empowering and accompanying communities through capacity building workshops to support, capacitate and mentor those we work with
  • Producing educational materials that can be distributed to communities to inform and educate them about critical issues of active citizenship
  • Building partnerships with community radio stations in order to increase the reach of our educational programmes to remote and marginalised areas
March 20, 2023

African Peer Review Mechanism Webinar

The African Policy Circle (APC) brought together think tanks and research organizations working on African issues – including governance, development, and democracy, from across Africa on […]
March 8, 2023

Unpacking the 2023 Budget

On 7 March 2023, the Democracy Development Program held a Public Forum that focused on unpacking the 2023 National Budget. The event comes just shy of […]
February 22, 2023

Women Dialogue: Mpendle Local Municipality

In partnership with Impendle Local Municipality, DDP co-hosted a dialogue with women in the community of KwaNxamalala. The theme of this activity was ‘women as agents […]
February 13, 2023

Women Dialogue – Buhlebezwe Municipality

In partnership with Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality and the Department of Social Development, DDP co-hosted a dialogue with women in the community of Sangcwaba. The theme of […]
February 2, 2023

DDP SONA Forum 2023: Unpacking the state of the nation

The South African State of the Nation Address (SONA) remains to be the most highly anticipated address annually. SONA is an opportunity for South Africans to […]
November 15, 2022

DDP Annual Local Government Conference

The DDP hosted its annual local government conference at Elangeni Hotel on 10 November 2022. The theme for this year’s conference was: Local Government in focus: […]
November 10, 2022

Student dialogue: Coastal college, A Salam Campus

Reimagining youth participation as an informed electorate The Democracy Development Program in partnership with Coastal College SRC hosted a Students Dialogue with the students at Coastal […]
November 8, 2022

Corruption Watch (Land Justice Survey + Community Policing Forum Veza Tool)

Corruption Watch (CW), in response to the many whistle-blower complaints it has received on police corruption, and inspired by its engagements with communities experiencing police violence […]
November 4, 2022

People’s hearing: the future of our electoral systems

The Democracy Development Program in partnership with My Vote Counts hosted a People’s hearing on the future of the South African electoral systems at The Station […]
October 21, 2022

Student dialogue- Hlanganani campus

Reimagining youth participation as an informed electorate The Democracy Development Program in partnership with uMgungundlovu TVET College SRC hosted a Students Dialogue with the students at […]
October 20, 2022

‘We are sleepwalking into a constitutional crisis’

Democracy Development Program (DDP), in partnership with Rivonia Circle and the Mail & Guardian hosted a webinar, the Electoral Amendment Bill and the Case for Electoral Reform in […]
October 17, 2022

Reimagining students’ participation and activism – integrating students’ activism and community activism

The Democracy Development Program in partnership with uMgungundlovu TVET college SRC hosted a Students Dialogue with the students at uMgungundlovu TVET college in Msunduzi campus. This […]
October 3, 2022

Migration, Security And Migrant Entrepreneurship In South Africa, 29th September Elangeni Hotel.

We hosted the first-ever Migration Conference on the 29th of September at the Elangeni Hotel. The conference was held in partnership with the African Policing Civilian […]
September 27, 2022

DDP |IEC Thought Leadership Session- Heritage day edition

The Democracy Development Program in partnership with the Independent Electoral Commission and Impendle Local Municipality hosted a community dialogue and a celebration of the heritage month […]
September 23, 2022

Student Dialogue: University of Zululand

The Democracy Development Program in partnership with the University of Zulu land SRC hosted a Students Dialogue with the students at UniZulu Empangeni at Dlangezwa campus […]
August 18, 2022

DDP 3rd Annual Women in Leadership and Development Conference

On 17 August 2022, Democracy Development Program hosted its 3rd Annual Women’s Conference. The theme for the year: Women in leadership and development: promoting women as […]
August 12, 2022

Activist Exchange

The Rivonia Circle, in partnership with  DDP and 9 other organizations hosted an Activist Exchange on 9 August 2022. This is an event for 600 activists […]
August 1, 2022

Civic Education Conference – 27 July 2022

The Democracy Development Program hosted this year’s Civic Education Conference on 27 July 2022 at Elangeni Hotel. In partnership with One Voice, Independent Electoral Commission, Campaign […]
July 19, 2022

Young and presidential: Youth as catalyst for change

DDP in partnership with the Mail and Guardian hosted a Webinar to unpack Youths’ political participation and access to opportunities for socio-economic development which remains an […]
July 18, 2022

DDP 4th Annual political summit: Crisis in political participation

Concerns over declining levels of political participation, particularly in traditional activities such as voting and political party membership, have led many to argue that political apathy […]