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32 Dullah Omar Lane, Durbaninfo@ddp.org.za
School of Political Education and Leadership
The Democracy Development Program has since 1993 worked tirelessly to build a culture of human rights and entrench democratic principles through its programs and various initiatives. The evolving socio-economic landscape dictated that as a learning organization, we now and again reflect on our work and adapt our programs to meet the pressing challenges and prevailing political and socio-economic conditions of the time. Our primary focus has always been to empower and educate citizens so that they can be able to hold those in power accountable through active citizenship and accompaniment. In the process, we nurture leaders who can lead social change and advocate for active citizenship throughout our society.
About the DDP School of Political Education and Leadership
The DDP School of Political Education and Leadership is a leadership capacity-development initiative aimed at enhancing the political knowledge and leadership capabilities of emerging leaders aligned with the DDP’s mission of deepening democracy in South Africa. As the Democracy Development Program (DDP), we realize that political education is essential to sustain our constitutional democracy.
Sustainable democracies around the world thrive on an informed citizenry, supported by an ethical political leadership that facilitates the lived values of democracy in individuals, organizations, and communities. These values then give rise to new norms and practices in DDP’s constituencies which support equality, power sharing, active citizenship, and social justice. This initiative is about ensuring the lived values of democracy are passed to the next generation of leaders.
The Rationale: Why the School of Political Education and Leadership?
South Africa and Africa is at a crossroads. The majority of citizens are concerned about the state of politics in theircountries and the rapid deterioration of the democratic wins gained in 1994. Moreover, political representatives are distant from the electorate and no longer represent their interests. Additionally, the uncaring and corrupt political elite is uninterested in changing their behavior. Furthermore, most citizens are becoming despondent about their future given the magnitude of the crisis facing the country, and the deepening of social injustices. As a result, most citizens are losing hope in the vision of an equal, safe, and prosperous future in which their full human potential can be realized.
This situation calls for a new cadre of leadership that can take the lead in advancing responsive politics, one that respects the interests of the citizenry. South Africans and Africans in general are yearning for nation states where equality, power sharing, and social justice are upheld as a norm. The DDP recognizes this call to action that demands a new cadre of leadership that will give meaning to the promise of our Constitution. The establishment of this capacity development initiative is in response to this call.
Vision
A Centre of Excellence for Political Education and Active Citizenship in South Africa and beyond.
Mission
Nurturing community builders, civic and political leaders promoting social change in South Africa and beyond.
Objectives
- To enhance participants’ political and civic leadership capabilities.
- To empower participants with critical thinking and political reasoning skills as well as communication, observation, and problem-solving skills.
Target Group
The school targets champion partners of DDP who are actively working in their communities and in the networks that they are a part of. Moreover, they have proven experience in community development, civic engagement, election observation and violence monitoring, process facilitation and leadership.
The Structure
The DDP School of Political Education and Leadership is a year-long capacity development initiative comprising two main schools: the Summer School and the Winter School. The schools will run for a week, covering a range of specific modules, such as civic education, democracy, human rights, voter education, project management, fundraising (resource mobilisation), governance, women and leadership, youth and civic leadership, as well as parliamentary advocacy, among others.
Mode of Delivery
The content of the program will be delivered via targeted capacity development training and transformational dialogues in communities where applicable.
The Expected Outcomes
- A cadre of civic and political leaders taking the lead in advancing responsive politics, good governance and accountability of political parties, citizenry and civil society in South Africa and beyond.
- A network of civic activists and leaders passionate about the lived values of democracy, including social justice, equality, power sharing, the rule of law, political accountability, and active citizenship in South Africa and beyond.
Contact Persons
The Democracy Development Program (DDP) aims to deepen the practice of democracy in South Africa. We build strong and active communities that can hold those in power to account. Since our beginning in 1993 we have achieved this mission.
