The 20th issue of our monthly newsletter, Democracy Delivered, is out! 📰 📰 📰 Featuring notes from Damien J du Preez's recent observation of the Democratic Odyssey's Athenian citizens' assembly and from Kira Alberts' recent visit to Nairobi, Kenya alongside Michele Poletto and the International IDEA team, as well as articles from Prof Ursula van Beek, Paul Kariuki Ph.D, and Prof Piotr Bajor on hot #democracy topics. SUBSCRIBE -> https://lnkd.in/ddiBd4fQ
Centre for Research on Democracy (CREDO)
Higher Education
Stellenbosch, Western Cape 2,962 followers
An interdisciplinary academic centre dedicated to the study and promotion of democracy and its values.
About us
The Centre for Research on Democracy (CREDO) at Stellenbosch University is an interdisciplinary academic centre with a global reach dedicated to the study and promotion of democracy and its values. CREDO builds on a 25-year long history of studying democracy in South Africa in a global perspective and is strengthened by a team of academic experts on Africa, South East Asia, MENA, Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe. Disciplines represented within the centre include political science, International Relations, economics, sociology, and history. CREDO’s institutional network includes over a dozen institutions of higher learning and research as well as two global data gathering projects: The World Values Survey (WVS) and Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem). This international academic community has readily responded to our call to help ensure the continuity of our longitudinal research on challenges to democracy in both South Africa and globally. Besides conducting research, CREDO is steadily building up a series of initiatives designed to encourage and facilitate the study of democracy by students and young academics. Thus far, these initiatives include the African Data Hub for the Study of Democracy and the African Democracy Essay Prize. Through a series of webinars, CREDO is also positioning itself to become a national hub for debates on contemporary issues affecting South Africa’s democracy and its active promotion in the country.
- Website
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https://polsci.sun.ac.za/centre-for-research-on-democracy/
External link for Centre for Research on Democracy (CREDO)
- Industry
- Higher Education
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Stellenbosch, Western Cape
- Type
- Educational
- Founded
- 2022
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
Stellenbosch, Western Cape 7600, ZA
Employees at Centre for Research on Democracy (CREDO)
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Derica Lambrechts
Senior Lecturer, Political Scientist, Political Risk Analyst, Organized Crime Expert
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Damien J du Preez
Exploring citizens' assemblies for the future of South African democracy 🌍 Research Coordinator with CREDO 🗳️ MA student at Goethe-Universität…
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Kira Alberts
Research Associate at the Centre for Research on Democracy | Political Science Master’s Student | KAS-CREDO Scholar 2024
Updates
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What does a transnational European citizens’ assembly look like, and what lessons can be learned for South Africa’s first citizens’ assembly? 🇿🇦 Last week, CREDO’s research coordinator travelled to the Athens, Greece - a site of ancient democracy - to find out exactly this.
Exploring citizens' assemblies for the future of South African democracy 🌍 Research Coordinator with CREDO 🗳️ MA student at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt 🧑🎓
This past week I served as an official observer of Democratic Odyssey’s first transnational European citizens' assembly. What a pleasure it was to engage with and learn from such a wonderful group of observers, organisers, and participants in the historic setting of Athens, Greece. 🇬🇷☀️
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Kira Alberts representing CREDO at an International IDEA / Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung event on “Climate Deliberation in Subsaharan Africa” in Nairobi, Kenya. 🇰🇪
Many thanks to Regional Programme Energy Security and Climate Change in SSA_KAS and UNESCO Chair Strathmore for co-hosting with International IDEA the ‘Regional Dialogue on Climate Deliberation in Sub-Saharan Africa’ on 27 September in Nairobi, Kenya. In an engaging discussion with our guest speakers BONNY IBHAWOH (McMaster University, CAN), Kira Alberts (Stellenbosch University, SA), Brenda Ogembo, PhD (Kenyan Parliament), and David Ombisi (United Nations Environment Programme), we had the chance to learn about potential and challenges of deliberative practices in Africa, and to connect them to the urgent need for more effective climate action. While climate change is seldom perceived as a political priority in the region, its impact on food security, public health and conflict over natural resources is increasingly destructive. Deliberative experiences like climate assemblies can build on African traditions of participatory practices and have the potential to convey local knowledge to policy-makers for more ambitious and equitable climate policies.
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The co-chair of our Citizens' Assembly Working Group, in partnership with the Politics and Urban Governance Research Group (PUG), is in Athens conducting fieldwork on transnational European citizens' assemblies. We wish him the best of luck! 👏
Exploring citizens' assemblies for the future of South African democracy 🌍 Research Coordinator with CREDO 🗳️ MA student at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt 🧑🎓
This week I'm in Athens to observe Democratic Odyssey’s first transnational European citizens' assembly. 🇬🇷 The Ancient Agora, pictured here, once served as the heart of the Greek city state and the centre of Athenian democracy and philosophy. Over 2,500 years later, Athens is once again setting an example for democracies the world over. 🏛️
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Have you signed up for the African Democracy Essay Award 2024? Eligibility -> Undergraduate students across South Africa 👨🎓 Awards -> R5000, R3000, or R2000 🎖 Submission deadline -> 12 Oct 2024 ✍ MORE INFO: https://lnkd.in/eFmCivqP KAS South Africa - Country Office
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Centre for Research on Democracy (CREDO) reposted this
Research Assistant at CREDO, Department of Political Science, Stellenbosch University
In honour of the International Day of Democracy that took place on 15 September, I'm excited to share my article 'Regional blocs can safeguard democracy' published in the Cape Argus🎊 A bird's eye view of politics today will show you a number of concerning trends emerging; the rise of right wing authoritarianism and escalation of violent conflict, to name a few. The article explores how Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are playing a significant role in consolidating democracy regionally in Africa. In many ways, RECs act as a safety net to mitigate democratic backsliding and promote intra-continental cohesion. Many thanks to Alec Basson and Cape Argus for editing and publishing this piece!
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We're excited to announce the African Democracy Essay Award 2024! Eligibility-> Undergraduate students across South Africa 👨🎓 Awards-> R5000, R3000, or R2000 🎖 Submission Deadline-> 12 Oct 2024 ✍ MORE INFO: https://lnkd.in/eFmCivqP KAS South Africa - Country Office
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Centre for Research on Democracy (CREDO) reposted this
✍ To advance the study of democracy by African students, the Centre for Research on Democracy (CREDO) at Stellenbosch University is pleased to announce the third edition of our annual essay writing initiative - the African Democracy Essay Award 2024. 🤝 We are very proud partners of this initiative. Further details can be found below: 💡 General information: https://lnkd.in/eFmCivqP 🔖 Submissions Close: 12 October 2024 ⌨ Essay Submission Details: https://lnkd.in/d9aSgKU7 #KAS4Democracy
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Centre for Research on Democracy (CREDO) reposted this
Senior Lecturer, Political Scientist, Political Risk Analyst, Organized Crime Expert
Come and join our team! Opportunity at Political Science, Stellenbosch University.
Lecturer in International Relations Nicola De Jager Cindy Lee Steenekamp Guy Lamb Collette Schulz-Herzenberg Derica Lambrechts
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Centre for Research on Democracy (CREDO) reposted this
Exploring citizens' assemblies for the future of South African democracy 🌍 Research Coordinator with CREDO 🗳️ MA student at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt 🧑🎓
Afrobarometer's latest democracy scorecard for South Africa is out, and it's cause for concern! 🇿🇦 Based on 2022 survey data gathered by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), the new scorecard graphically maps both the demand and supply for democracy amongst South African citizens. Worryingly, the data shows a decline both in the support for democracy as well as in satisfaction with democracy. This is accompanied by perceptions that elected officials rarely listen to citizens, that much of the Presidency is corrupt, and that national elections are dubiously free and fair. South African policymakers, civil society, and democrats have a long road ahead of them to reinvigorate the democratic spirit among citizens. As with most things, the best way to do this is to produce tangible, meaningful democratic good for citizens. Perhaps the 'GNU dawn' is the first step on the road to the recovery of South African democracy? Link to Afrobarometer's democracy scorecards -> https://lnkd.in/eKcWzrhX
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