Democracy, Voter & Civic Education

In 2012 the NDP ignited the national imagination with its possibility to regain the fervour and spirit of South Africa’s can-do attitude. The NDP remains a hopeful and visionary document, despite its shortcomings.

The process of its development is the result of a concentrated national discussion with people to help shape its growth and development trajectory — what the academics call “collaborative rationality”. That year was a time when government spoke to its people and shared the dreams we all have: socioeconomic dignity for all (not only some) and for young people to dream the next chapter of the South African story. In this way the NDP invoked the idealism of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) of 1996.

Given the noble intentions, it’s important for us to be a more sober in our reflection, the thousands of service delivery protests across the country tell their own story of broken dreams and the palpable anger towards the state in all its permutations.

An increasing number of young people not employed is a terrifying number that must shake us out of the inertia and disconnected implementation plans.

South Africa is one of 134 countries globally, which have national development plans. Eighty percent of the global population lives in a country with a national development plan. We are not unique in planning. But perhaps we are unique in that our plans have not yielded nearly enough fruit.

DDP, as a value enshrined in its work and ethos, believes that most of those work requires the strengthening of partnership networks in the civil society sector, which then leads to concrete efforts that can be undertaken in different communities- these efforts, because of the diversity of skills, resources and positions, have the ability to yield deepened impact in the building of sustained constitutional democracy.

The intervention relies primarily on our community building methodology which places value and importance on existing knowledge, skills and gifts of participants; which is something that shows the extent of our belief that democracy should be citizen centred. Plenary sessions will be had in order to give greater emphasis on areas of contention, confusion or interest. This process is unique in it’s exploration of our intention to combine materials that we’ve developed over the years, which include, but are not limited to: Vision 2030: Imagine our best future; Democracy and You; Citizens guide to political life in South Africa; and The partners in Transformation workshop material amongst others.

The objectives of the intervention are:

  • To improve understanding of the fundamental principles and values underlying democracy in a society.
  • To engage in critical evaluation of South Africa’s development policies
  • To promote awareness of current issues and controversies relating to democracy.
  • To show participants that their participation can make difference in how democracy works in their country.
  • To foster justice, tolerance and fairness.
  • To develop willingness and an ability to resolve disputes and differences without resorting to violence.
  • To improve basic skills, including critical thinking and reasoning, communication, observation and problem solving.

a) The intended outputs from the intervention;

– Contracting of Civic Education facilitator

– Workshop on DDP tools on Civic Education, including NDP Vision 2030 and DDP Advocacy and Lobbying manual

– Engaging with local partners in preparation for each dialogue

– At least one dialogue per community, with room for follow-up in case this is deemed necessary from reports

– Report from each dialogue, with an overall progress report on milestones assessed and agreed upon

– Evaluation of intervention with facilitator and community partners

b) The expected outcomes from the intervention;

The intervention hopes to engage citizens and for the outcomes to be as follows:

– Strengthen citizen’s  abilities to analyze complicated social issues

– Connect and apply knowledge (facts, theories, etc.) from their areas to their own civic engagement experiences

– Connect and apply knowledge from their civic engagement experiences back to their communities, using these experiences to comprehend, analyze, and /or challenge theories and frameworks

– Clarify their civic identity

– Develop and expand their understanding of and capacity for active participation in a community

c) The targeted areas of intervention;

Broadly, this intervention will be conducted in KwaZulu Natal, with a focus on areas that have not been frequently engaged by DDP. This includes the South of KZN (including Port Shepstone and surrounds), North KZN (with a focus on uMkhanyakude District Municipality and Richards Bay) as well as parts of Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga province. Finally we will engage some of our already existing constituencies.

March 14, 2021

Civic Education Dialogue- 13 March 2021: Pavilion Hotel

The Democracy Development Program in partnership with the Partner facilitator hosted a Youth Dialogue with the youth of different communities. This dialogue was guided by this […]
November 20, 2020

Local government in crisis: how it can be fixed

Part 1 This three-part Mail & Guardian webinar series was sponsored by the Democracy Development Program (DDP). The first webinar featured Aubrey Matshiqi, Independent Political Analyst; Kavisha Pillay, […]
October 26, 2020

Bottlebrush Local Government Dialogue

By: Mbalenhle Mkhize The South African government systems consist of three spheres of government which are National, Provincial, and Local. These spheres all have legislative and […]
October 5, 2020

Youth Representation Awareness Campaign at Howick West

By: Mbalenhle Mkhize The Democracy Development Program in partnership with Africa Unite and Empophomeni/ Howick West youth hosted a youth representation awareness campaign. This campaign was […]
August 19, 2020

DDP Webinar on independent Candidacy

The Democracy Development Program hosted a webinar on Independent Candidacy and Its Implications on Political Parties: Concerns, Challenges and Adaptation. This engagement was held on the […]
April 9, 2020

2020 Theme: Building partnerships towards an informed and active citizenry

By: Sphamandla Mhlongo As an organization, we still believe that part of our values is the concept of collaboration – as we think that the work […]
March 18, 2020

Civic Education Dialogue

The Democracy Development Program hosted it’s second Civic Education Dialogue in Northern KZN. This dialogue was hosted on the 17th of March 2020 in KwaSkhemelele, in […]
March 16, 2020

2nd Student Dialogue in partnership with PACSA in PMB.

The Democracy Development Program in partnership with PACSA and DUT Student Union organized a Student Dialogue on the 13th March 2020 and the dialogue was held […]
March 16, 2020

Sudent Dialogue- Durban CBD

The Democracy Development Program organized a Student Dialogue on the 14th March 2020 and the dialogue was held at the Poynton House (Mangosuthu University of Technology […]
March 13, 2020

DDP Forum to Debate Funding

The Democracy Development Program in Partnership with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC) hosted a Public Forum […]
March 11, 2020

Civic Education Dialogue

Our first in our series of Civic Education to be facilitated by Mr. Shakespear Baleni for the year. This dialogue was hosted in Clermont Library situated […]
March 4, 2020

DDP Dialogue Program: Re-imagining youth participation as an informed electorate

The Democracy Development Program has created the Students’ dialogues program as a platform for meaningful engagement among students. It is a space that can be initiated […]
February 28, 2020

Local Government Dialogue: “Count us in on better services”

The Democracy Development Program convened a local government dialogue themed: Count us in on service delivery, the dialogue was held on the 27th of February 2019, […]
November 22, 2019

EXPLORING ETHICAL LEADERSHIP IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

By: Sanelisiwe Mabaso The Democracy Development Programme (DDP) in collaboration with the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), hosted a two- […]
September 3, 2019

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ROUNDTABLES: RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY

Afesis-corplan in partnership with Democracy Development Program (DDP) and the Pietermaritzburg Agency for Social Action (PACSA) hosted a civil society roundtable in Pietermaritzburg on the 28-29 […]
August 20, 2019

LOCAL GOVERNMENT DIALOGUE

Making Local Government work at Glenwood in Durban facilitated by Mandy Chili  (Civic Educator–DDP)
July 31, 2019

CIVIC EDUCATION DIALOGUE:

Empowering the Youth to Promote Participatory Democracy at Community Level (Local Government), a Civic Education Dialogue facilitated by Msizi Khumalo, DDP Associate/ civic education facilitator. The […]
July 29, 2019

CIVIC EDUCATION DIALOGUE

A civic education dialogue at UMbumbulu, north of KZN, facilitated by Blessing Nyuswa, DDP Associate / civic education facilitator.
July 17, 2019

Elections, Electoral Accountability And Youth Participation In Africa

As 24 countries across Africa will be holding elections this year, the Democracy Development Programme in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and My Vote Counts hosted […]
June 26, 2019

CIVIC EDUCATION DIALOGUE –

Civic Education Dialogue at the INK Creative Art Centre in Durban, facilitated by Melusi Mahlab, DDP Associate / civic education facilitator