From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri May 5 13:27:57 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Fri May 5 13:36:51 2006 Subject: [Eisa] Call for papers: First Annual EISA Symposium Message-ID: <20060505112344.7414EAC826@mx01.sangonet.org.za> The First Annual EISA Symposium ========================= Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human Development in Africa ============================================================= Date: 18 - 20 October 2006 Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa Call for Papers ----------------------- 1 Background to the Symposium As part of the celebration activities marking its tenth anniversary, EISA will launch its First Annual Symposium in Johannesburg from 18 to 20 October 2006. The theme for the Symposium is Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human Development in Africa. The Symposium is expected to attract the participation of about 500 scholars, policy makers, political parties, parliamentarians, government officials, civil society organisations, donors, representatives of African continental and regional organisations from north, east, west, central and southern Africa. Participants will deliberate on progress made in the pursuit of democratic governance and human development and interrogate the challenges that remain. The Symposium will make concrete policy recommendations for tackling these challenges. 2 Focus of the Symposium Two of the most daunting challenges facing the African continent today revolve around the institutionalisation of democratic governance and the achievement of sustainable human development. It is imperative, therefore, that both academic and policy discourses interrogate exactly how the continent can institutionalise and consolidate its new-found democratic governance since the early 1990s and simultaneously improve the socio-economic well-being of its peoples. The key policy question is this: to what extent does the African continent have the capability to drive the democracy project and the development project in tandem and succeed on both fronts? Strides towards democratic governance in Africa have been fairly impressive since the early 1990s, following the collapse of the Cold War and the demise of apartheid in South Africa, even if some pockets of authoritarian rule and political instability remain in parts of the continent. While progress on the democratic governance front is surely commendable not much progress seems underway in terms of attaining sustainable human development. Why is this so? And should progress in democratic governance, of necessity, be congruent with progress (or lack thereof) in development? Is sustainable human development only assured under a democratic governance regime? Is it not possible to have an authoritarian governance regime in a country, but have a country making impressive progress on the sustainable human development front, as the Asian Tigers proved in the 1980s? We do not intend to foreclose the debate by suggesting any mode of thought or preferring a particular train of argumentation that leads to either a positive or negative correlation between democracy and development. Suffice to observe that the causal linkage or correlation between democracy and development is not a straightforward one and hence requires in-depth research and dialogue among various stakeholders. This is in fact the essence of the Symposium. These are major policy and epistemological questions on whose precise answers the jury is still out. The link between democracy and development has been a cause of raging policy and academic debate for decades. The First Annual EISA Symposium aims to make an important contribution to this debate by bringing out evidence of the nature and magnitude of the challenges for democracy and development for the African continent. Indeed the seriousness of governance, democratisation and developmental issues as articulated within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the African Union (AU) commitment to democratic governance calls for a forum where national, regional and international experts and stakeholders develop strategies to work together if the continent is to register socio-economic and political development. 3 Topics The Symposium aims to address various issues with a view to assessing progress on democracy and development in Africa and making recommendations for affective policy interventions. The deliberations will be divided into two segments: 1. general topics and 2. specific topics. The former will ensure contextual and comparative discussions, while the latter will ensure specific country case studies. General (contextual) Topics * Challenges for democratic governance (theory and practice) * Challenges for sustainable human development (theory and practice) * Assessment of NEPAD in relation to democracy and development * Contribution of African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to democracy * The agenda of African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities for democracy and development * Globalisation and dilemmas of development and democracy in Africa * Regional integration and democratic governance Specific Topics (Case Studies) * Civil society's role in democracy and development * Executive-Legislature relations and implications for democracy and development * The role of the youth in democracy and development * The role of the private sector in development * Elections and Democracy * Practical application of the election guidelines such as the AU Principles Governing Democratic Elections and the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO) * Traditional leadership and democracy * Foreign Aid, development and democracy * Political parties and democracy * The judiciary and democracy * The bureaucracy, democracy and development * Local governance, democracy and development * Gender policies, democracy and development Call for Papers We call for papers from scholars and practitioners. Those intending to present papers should submit abstracts of a maximum of 300 words by 31 May 2006. Submissions should include a short bio-data of the author(s) including full contact details. The abstract should be accompanied by two most recently published articles/chapters by the author(s). Proposals will be assessed by the Symposium committee according to the following criteria: relevance, originality of thought, policy application, gender balance and geographical spread. Results of the evaluation of the abstracts will be announced by 16 June 2006. Full papers from authors of selected abstracts must be received by 30 August 2006. All submissions and/or queries, should be sent to Bertha Chiroro, Research Fellow, EISA, via email on bertha@eisa.org.za or fax on +27 11 482 6163. Bertha can be contacted on the telephone at +27 11 482 5495. Regards Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri May 5 14:03:14 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Fri May 5 14:07:32 2006 Subject: [Eisa] New ACE Electoral Knowledge Network Message-ID: <20060505115903.74992AC826@mx01.sangonet.org.za> Partners Launch New ACE Electoral Knowledge Network ============================================= The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network (www.aceproject.org) -- the next generation of the Administration and Cost of Elections Web site -- is now live. With the launch of the Network, we make available new tools and resources for electoral practitioners around the world. The new Web site provides a ready environment for professionals to generate, share and apply knowledge on managing elections. New features include: * An updated ACE Encyclopaedia that includes authoritative resources on electoral administration; * An interactive Comparative Data Section that allows you to compare data from different countries; * An online collection of Electoral Materials that includes reports, manuals and other hands-on materials from around the world that is searchable by region, document type or topic area; * An online newsletter (Elections Today) that provides the latest news on elections around the world; * Access to Regional and Country-level Resources; * An Online Demonstration of several features that enable professionals to interact and build knowledge on elections administration. Visit ACE today at www.aceproject.org. To receive additional information about the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network, please visit http://ace.at.org/registration. The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network is a joint effort of seven organizations involved in the electoral assistance profession, including: * Elections Canada (www.elections.ca): a non-partisan organization responsible for the conduct of federal elections, by-elections and referendums. * EISA (www.eisa.org.za): a non-profit company based in Johannesburg, South Africa, that promotes credible elections and democratic governance in Africa. Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) (www.ife.org.mx): a public, independent institution responsible for organizing and conducting federal elections in Mexico. * IFES (www.ifes.org): an international non-governmental organization that supports the building of democratic societies. * International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) (www.idea.int): an intergovernmental organization that promotes sustainable democracy worldwide. * United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) (www.un.org/esa/): a body that organizes U.N. conferences on global policy issues and serves as the Secretariat to the Economic and Social Council. * United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (www.undp.org): The United Nation's global development network, which advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. Regards Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Mon May 29 10:25:44 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Mon May 29 10:46:50 2006 Subject: [Eisa] FW: EISA web site update Message-ID: <002801c682f9$7abbbf70$d401a8c0@eisa.org.za> Dear Colleagues To improve awareness of the new resources available on our website to EISA staff and the public at large the ICT department plans to circulate a periodic e-mail detailing our progress. This is the first of these e-mails. 1. PUBLICATIONS All EISA publications that we have electronic copies of are online: They can be accessed by choosing the publication type from the Publications online catalogue at http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/catalogue.htm. The exception is the "Journal of African Elections", where a Contents listing has been made available at http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/jaec.htm. There are a few older publications that are not available electronically, but the Library has undertaken to scan them and make them available in due course. This is a tedious and time-consuming process, so please be patient. 2. LINKS PAGE The Links page has been transformed into a mini-directory of websites and resources for those engaged in our field of work. The links page can be accessed at: http://www.eisa.org.za/category/links/links.htm. Subjects covered include: * ELECTIONS: Calendars, civic and voter education, information and communications technology, management bodies in Africa, observation, results databases, systems and administration (organisations, projects, handbooks and manuals). * GOOD GOVERNANCE: Civil society bodies, intergovernmental organisations, projects, news sites, key documents, handbooks and manuals. * CONFLICT MANAGEMENT: Specialists, educational projects, handbooks and manuals. * HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION: Organisations, Handbooks and Manuals, Curriculum development * LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Organisations, projects, literature. 3. POLITICAL PARTIES The website is undergoing a revamp of our political parties pages. We wish to improve our party lists and to add information on the legal situation as far as aspects such as party registration, regulation, funding and campaign codes of conduct are concerned. We have engaged in close reading of the relevant laws and paid careful attention to referenceing so that users can easily find the sources on which the text is based. We are also reviewing the previous election results for each country as we go along to make sure that they are complete, accurate and include all available information. The following countries have been updated so far: * Angola: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/angparties.htm. * DRC: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drcparties.htm * Lesotho: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/lesothopp.htm. * Seychelles: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/seyparties.htm. * Swaziland: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/swaparties.htm. * Zambia: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/zamparties.htm Regards Deane ------------------ Deane Stuart Researcher (ICT), EISA deane@eisa.org.za http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 5495 fax +27 11 482 6163 EISA - Promoting Credible Elections and Democratic Governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Mon Jun 5 15:10:26 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Mon Jun 5 15:07:07 2006 Subject: [Eisa] Abstracts for EISA Symposium - urgent notification Message-ID: <20060605130422.B224CACBAF@mx01.sangonet.org.za> WOULD THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD SUBMITTED THEIR ABSTRACTS FOR THE EISA CALL FOR PAPERS FROM 26 MAY TO 2 JUNE PLEASE RESUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACTS TO THE SAME MAILING ADDRESS, bertha@eisa.org.za. Due to a system malfunction some files have been lost. Apologies and thank you for resubmitting. Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jun 6 13:27:33 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Jun 6 13:49:16 2006 Subject: [Eisa] EISA DRC Observer Mission - Elections 2006 Message-ID: <20060606112128.4C4ADAC938@mx01.sangonet.org.za> EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 2006 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections EISA hereby launches its Regional Election Observer Mission for the forthcoming DRC Parliamentary and Presidential Elections that will be held on 30 July 2006. Leading the delegation is Mr. Yusuf Aboobaker, Chairperson of the Electoral Supervisory Commission in Mauritius. The mission will be composed of 25 members drawn from civil society organisations, election management bodies and academic institutions from various countries, namely Angola, Mozambique, C?te d?Ivoire, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Madagascar, South Africa and Mauritius. EISA?s Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO) was launched in the DRC on 28 February 2006. It should be recalled that these principles, adopted in November 2003, were drafted in consultation with all electoral commissions in the SADC region as well as civil society organisations (CSOs) working in the field of elections. PEMMO provides the region with an objective basis with which to conduct and assess elections. The mission is expected to arrive in the DRC on July 23 2006 in order to hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders such as political parties, CSOs, the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) and academics, ahead of election day. The mission will remain in the country until 02 August 2006 after observing the voting and counting processes as well as post-polling activities. The mission will cover selected rural and urban areas around the country. EISA is a regional non-governmental organisation established in 1996, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its mission is to strengthen electoral processes, good governance, human rights and democratic values in the SADC region and beyond through research, capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. The organisation services governments, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations and other institutions operating in the democracy and governance fields in the SADC region and beyond. Issued by EISA Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jun 20 11:07:45 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Thu Jun 22 08:42:24 2006 Subject: [Eisa] Vacancy: Country Director, EISA Mozambique Field Office Message-ID: <20060621160020.3E5ACAC943@mx01.sangonet.org.za> ***EISA Mozambique Country Director*** ================================ EISA is a not-for-profit section 21 organisation located in Johannesburg, South Africa. EISA's mission is to strengthen electoral processes, good governance, human rights and democratic values through research, capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. EISA services governments, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations, parliaments and other institutions. EISA is looking for a dynamic, motivated and independent candidate to manage its country office in Maputo, Mozambique. Qualified SADC nationals are encouraged to apply. Candidates are required to be fluent in written and spoken Portuguese and English. Resident Director, Mozambique (Maputo) ================================= Reporting to the Executive Director or to the relevant designated manager, the overall responsibility of the country director will be to develop, manage and coordinate EISA's programmes in Mozambique. Responsibilities ---------------------- * Manage and provide strategic leadership for the field office and programme staff; * Provide technical assistance to civil society organisations, political parties, the media, election management bodies and parliament, as necessary, on governance, democratisation and electoral matters; * Conceptualise supplemental and/or new programmes in the country and carry out fundraising for their implementation; * Oversee, monitor and evaluate projects to determine that the programmatic goals and financial requirements are adhered to; * Maintain relationships with key partners in civil society, political parties, the electoral commission, parliament, government and the donor community; and * Write and submit regular reports and consult with Johannesburg-based staff on programme progress and about political developments in the country. Qualifications --------------------- * Candidates should hold at least a Master's degree in political science, international relations, law or any other relevant field of social sciences; * At least seven years relevant experience working with civil society organisations, political parties, the media and parliament; * Prior work experience in crisis and/or post-conflict situations is desirable; * A solid record of generating sustainable results through strong strategic planning, organisational, financial, human resources and programme management skills; * Sound understanding of constitution and law-making processes; * Proven ability to make sound political analyses; * Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior political and civic leaders as well as members of the donor and diplomatic community; * Demonstrated ability to write sound, precise and persuasive communications, briefings, project proposals and reports; * Ability to formulate and implement advocacy and lobbying strategies; * Strong written and oral communication skills; * Self-motivated and able to work under pressure; and * Excellent computer skills. Applications -------------------- Closing date for applications is Friday 30 June 2006. A commitment of a minimum of two years is required. Salary commensurate with experience. Interested candidates should submit a letter of application, including a resume with three referees, for the attention of Ms Zahira Seedat on fax +27 11 482 6163 or email zahira@eisa.org.za . Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Please do not call the office. From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri May 5 13:27:57 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007 Subject: [Eisa] Call for papers: First Annual EISA Symposium Message-ID: <20060505112344.7414EAC826@mx01.sangonet.org.za> The First Annual EISA Symposium ========================= Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human Development in Africa ============================================================= Date: 18 - 20 October 2006 Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa Call for Papers ----------------------- 1 Background to the Symposium As part of the celebration activities marking its tenth anniversary, EISA will launch its First Annual Symposium in Johannesburg from 18 to 20 October 2006. The theme for the Symposium is Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human Development in Africa. The Symposium is expected to attract the participation of about 500 scholars, policy makers, political parties, parliamentarians, government officials, civil society organisations, donors, representatives of African continental and regional organisations from north, east, west, central and southern Africa. Participants will deliberate on progress made in the pursuit of democratic governance and human development and interrogate the challenges that remain. The Symposium will make concrete policy recommendations for tackling these challenges. 2 Focus of the Symposium Two of the most daunting challenges facing the African continent today revolve around the institutionalisation of democratic governance and the achievement of sustainable human development. It is imperative, therefore, that both academic and policy discourses interrogate exactly how the continent can institutionalise and consolidate its new-found democratic governance since the early 1990s and simultaneously improve the socio-economic well-being of its peoples. The key policy question is this: to what extent does the African continent have the capability to drive the democracy project and the development project in tandem and succeed on both fronts? Strides towards democratic governance in Africa have been fairly impressive since the early 1990s, following the collapse of the Cold War and the demise of apartheid in South Africa, even if some pockets of authoritarian rule and political instability remain in parts of the continent. While progress on the democratic governance front is surely commendable not much progress seems underway in terms of attaining sustainable human development. Why is this so? And should progress in democratic governance, of necessity, be congruent with progress (or lack thereof) in development? Is sustainable human development only assured under a democratic governance regime? Is it not possible to have an authoritarian governance regime in a country, but have a country making impressive progress on the sustainable human development front, as the Asian Tigers proved in the 1980s? We do not intend to foreclose the debate by suggesting any mode of thought or preferring a particular train of argumentation that leads to either a positive or negative correlation between democracy and development. Suffice to observe that the causal linkage or correlation between democracy and development is not a straightforward one and hence requires in-depth research and dialogue among various stakeholders. This is in fact the essence of the Symposium. These are major policy and epistemological questions on whose precise answers the jury is still out. The link between democracy and development has been a cause of raging policy and academic debate for decades. The First Annual EISA Symposium aims to make an important contribution to this debate by bringing out evidence of the nature and magnitude of the challenges for democracy and development for the African continent. Indeed the seriousness of governance, democratisation and developmental issues as articulated within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the African Union (AU) commitment to democratic governance calls for a forum where national, regional and international experts and stakeholders develop strategies to work together if the continent is to register socio-economic and political development. 3 Topics The Symposium aims to address various issues with a view to assessing progress on democracy and development in Africa and making recommendations for affective policy interventions. The deliberations will be divided into two segments: 1. general topics and 2. specific topics. The former will ensure contextual and comparative discussions, while the latter will ensure specific country case studies. General (contextual) Topics * Challenges for democratic governance (theory and practice) * Challenges for sustainable human development (theory and practice) * Assessment of NEPAD in relation to democracy and development * Contribution of African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to democracy * The agenda of African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities for democracy and development * Globalisation and dilemmas of development and democracy in Africa * Regional integration and democratic governance Specific Topics (Case Studies) * Civil society's role in democracy and development * Executive-Legislature relations and implications for democracy and development * The role of the youth in democracy and development * The role of the private sector in development * Elections and Democracy * Practical application of the election guidelines such as the AU Principles Governing Democratic Elections and the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO) * Traditional leadership and democracy * Foreign Aid, development and democracy * Political parties and democracy * The judiciary and democracy * The bureaucracy, democracy and development * Local governance, democracy and development * Gender policies, democracy and development Call for Papers We call for papers from scholars and practitioners. Those intending to present papers should submit abstracts of a maximum of 300 words by 31 May 2006. Submissions should include a short bio-data of the author(s) including full contact details. The abstract should be accompanied by two most recently published articles/chapters by the author(s). Proposals will be assessed by the Symposium committee according to the following criteria: relevance, originality of thought, policy application, gender balance and geographical spread. Results of the evaluation of the abstracts will be announced by 16 June 2006. Full papers from authors of selected abstracts must be received by 30 August 2006. All submissions and/or queries, should be sent to Bertha Chiroro, Research Fellow, EISA, via email on bertha@eisa.org.za or fax on +27 11 482 6163. Bertha can be contacted on the telephone at +27 11 482 5495. Regards Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri May 5 14:03:14 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007 Subject: [Eisa] New ACE Electoral Knowledge Network Message-ID: <20060505115903.74992AC826@mx01.sangonet.org.za> Partners Launch New ACE Electoral Knowledge Network ============================================= The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network (www.aceproject.org) -- the next generation of the Administration and Cost of Elections Web site -- is now live. With the launch of the Network, we make available new tools and resources for electoral practitioners around the world. The new Web site provides a ready environment for professionals to generate, share and apply knowledge on managing elections. New features include: * An updated ACE Encyclopaedia that includes authoritative resources on electoral administration; * An interactive Comparative Data Section that allows you to compare data from different countries; * An online collection of Electoral Materials that includes reports, manuals and other hands-on materials from around the world that is searchable by region, document type or topic area; * An online newsletter (Elections Today) that provides the latest news on elections around the world; * Access to Regional and Country-level Resources; * An Online Demonstration of several features that enable professionals to interact and build knowledge on elections administration. Visit ACE today at www.aceproject.org. To receive additional information about the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network, please visit http://ace.at.org/registration. The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network is a joint effort of seven organizations involved in the electoral assistance profession, including: * Elections Canada (www.elections.ca): a non-partisan organization responsible for the conduct of federal elections, by-elections and referendums. * EISA (www.eisa.org.za): a non-profit company based in Johannesburg, South Africa, that promotes credible elections and democratic governance in Africa. Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) (www.ife.org.mx): a public, independent institution responsible for organizing and conducting federal elections in Mexico. * IFES (www.ifes.org): an international non-governmental organization that supports the building of democratic societies. * International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) (www.idea.int): an intergovernmental organization that promotes sustainable democracy worldwide. * United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) (www.un.org/esa/): a body that organizes U.N. conferences on global policy issues and serves as the Secretariat to the Economic and Social Council. * United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (www.undp.org): The United Nation's global development network, which advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. Regards Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Mon May 29 10:25:44 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007 Subject: [Eisa] FW: EISA web site update Message-ID: <002801c682f9$7abbbf70$d401a8c0@eisa.org.za> Dear Colleagues To improve awareness of the new resources available on our website to EISA staff and the public at large the ICT department plans to circulate a periodic e-mail detailing our progress. This is the first of these e-mails. 1. PUBLICATIONS All EISA publications that we have electronic copies of are online: They can be accessed by choosing the publication type from the Publications online catalogue at http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/catalogue.htm. The exception is the "Journal of African Elections", where a Contents listing has been made available at http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/jaec.htm. There are a few older publications that are not available electronically, but the Library has undertaken to scan them and make them available in due course. This is a tedious and time-consuming process, so please be patient. 2. LINKS PAGE The Links page has been transformed into a mini-directory of websites and resources for those engaged in our field of work. The links page can be accessed at: http://www.eisa.org.za/category/links/links.htm. Subjects covered include: * ELECTIONS: Calendars, civic and voter education, information and communications technology, management bodies in Africa, observation, results databases, systems and administration (organisations, projects, handbooks and manuals). * GOOD GOVERNANCE: Civil society bodies, intergovernmental organisations, projects, news sites, key documents, handbooks and manuals. * CONFLICT MANAGEMENT: Specialists, educational projects, handbooks and manuals. * HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION: Organisations, Handbooks and Manuals, Curriculum development * LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Organisations, projects, literature. 3. POLITICAL PARTIES The website is undergoing a revamp of our political parties pages. We wish to improve our party lists and to add information on the legal situation as far as aspects such as party registration, regulation, funding and campaign codes of conduct are concerned. We have engaged in close reading of the relevant laws and paid careful attention to referenceing so that users can easily find the sources on which the text is based. We are also reviewing the previous election results for each country as we go along to make sure that they are complete, accurate and include all available information. The following countries have been updated so far: * Angola: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/angparties.htm. * DRC: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drcparties.htm * Lesotho: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/lesothopp.htm. * Seychelles: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/seyparties.htm. * Swaziland: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/swaparties.htm. * Zambia: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/zamparties.htm Regards Deane ------------------ Deane Stuart Researcher (ICT), EISA deane@eisa.org.za http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 5495 fax +27 11 482 6163 EISA - Promoting Credible Elections and Democratic Governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Mon Jun 5 15:10:26 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007 Subject: [Eisa] Abstracts for EISA Symposium - urgent notification Message-ID: <20060605130422.B224CACBAF@mx01.sangonet.org.za> WOULD THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD SUBMITTED THEIR ABSTRACTS FOR THE EISA CALL FOR PAPERS FROM 26 MAY TO 2 JUNE PLEASE RESUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACTS TO THE SAME MAILING ADDRESS, bertha@eisa.org.za. Due to a system malfunction some files have been lost. Apologies and thank you for resubmitting. Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jun 6 13:27:33 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007 Subject: [Eisa] EISA DRC Observer Mission - Elections 2006 Message-ID: <20060606112128.4C4ADAC938@mx01.sangonet.org.za> EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 2006 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections EISA hereby launches its Regional Election Observer Mission for the forthcoming DRC Parliamentary and Presidential Elections that will be held on 30 July 2006. Leading the delegation is Mr. Yusuf Aboobaker, Chairperson of the Electoral Supervisory Commission in Mauritius. The mission will be composed of 25 members drawn from civil society organisations, election management bodies and academic institutions from various countries, namely Angola, Mozambique, C?te d?Ivoire, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Madagascar, South Africa and Mauritius. EISA?s Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO) was launched in the DRC on 28 February 2006. It should be recalled that these principles, adopted in November 2003, were drafted in consultation with all electoral commissions in the SADC region as well as civil society organisations (CSOs) working in the field of elections. PEMMO provides the region with an objective basis with which to conduct and assess elections. The mission is expected to arrive in the DRC on July 23 2006 in order to hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders such as political parties, CSOs, the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) and academics, ahead of election day. The mission will remain in the country until 02 August 2006 after observing the voting and counting processes as well as post-polling activities. The mission will cover selected rural and urban areas around the country. EISA is a regional non-governmental organisation established in 1996, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its mission is to strengthen electoral processes, good governance, human rights and democratic values in the SADC region and beyond through research, capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. The organisation services governments, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations and other institutions operating in the democracy and governance fields in the SADC region and beyond. Issued by EISA Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jun 20 11:07:45 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007 Subject: [Eisa] Vacancy: Country Director, EISA Mozambique Field Office Message-ID: <20060621160020.3E5ACAC943@mx01.sangonet.org.za> ***EISA Mozambique Country Director*** ================================ EISA is a not-for-profit section 21 organisation located in Johannesburg, South Africa. EISA's mission is to strengthen electoral processes, good governance, human rights and democratic values through research, capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. EISA services governments, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations, parliaments and other institutions. EISA is looking for a dynamic, motivated and independent candidate to manage its country office in Maputo, Mozambique. Qualified SADC nationals are encouraged to apply. Candidates are required to be fluent in written and spoken Portuguese and English. Resident Director, Mozambique (Maputo) ================================= Reporting to the Executive Director or to the relevant designated manager, the overall responsibility of the country director will be to develop, manage and coordinate EISA's programmes in Mozambique. Responsibilities ---------------------- * Manage and provide strategic leadership for the field office and programme staff; * Provide technical assistance to civil society organisations, political parties, the media, election management bodies and parliament, as necessary, on governance, democratisation and electoral matters; * Conceptualise supplemental and/or new programmes in the country and carry out fundraising for their implementation; * Oversee, monitor and evaluate projects to determine that the programmatic goals and financial requirements are adhered to; * Maintain relationships with key partners in civil society, political parties, the electoral commission, parliament, government and the donor community; and * Write and submit regular reports and consult with Johannesburg-based staff on programme progress and about political developments in the country. Qualifications --------------------- * Candidates should hold at least a Master's degree in political science, international relations, law or any other relevant field of social sciences; * At least seven years relevant experience working with civil society organisations, political parties, the media and parliament; * Prior work experience in crisis and/or post-conflict situations is desirable; * A solid record of generating sustainable results through strong strategic planning, organisational, financial, human resources and programme management skills; * Sound understanding of constitution and law-making processes; * Proven ability to make sound political analyses; * Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior political and civic leaders as well as members of the donor and diplomatic community; * Demonstrated ability to write sound, precise and persuasive communications, briefings, project proposals and reports; * Ability to formulate and implement advocacy and lobbying strategies; * Strong written and oral communication skills; * Self-motivated and able to work under pressure; and * Excellent computer skills. Applications -------------------- Closing date for applications is Friday 30 June 2006. A commitment of a minimum of two years is required. Salary commensurate with experience. Interested candidates should submit a letter of application, including a resume with three referees, for the attention of Ms Zahira Seedat on fax +27 11 482 6163 or email zahira@eisa.org.za . Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Please do not call the office. From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri May 5 13:27:57 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007 Subject: [Eisa] Call for papers: First Annual EISA Symposium Message-ID: <20060505112344.7414EAC826@mx01.sangonet.org.za> The First Annual EISA Symposium ========================= Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human Development in Africa ============================================================= Date: 18 - 20 October 2006 Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa Call for Papers ----------------------- 1 Background to the Symposium As part of the celebration activities marking its tenth anniversary, EISA will launch its First Annual Symposium in Johannesburg from 18 to 20 October 2006. The theme for the Symposium is Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human Development in Africa. The Symposium is expected to attract the participation of about 500 scholars, policy makers, political parties, parliamentarians, government officials, civil society organisations, donors, representatives of African continental and regional organisations from north, east, west, central and southern Africa. Participants will deliberate on progress made in the pursuit of democratic governance and human development and interrogate the challenges that remain. The Symposium will make concrete policy recommendations for tackling these challenges. 2 Focus of the Symposium Two of the most daunting challenges facing the African continent today revolve around the institutionalisation of democratic governance and the achievement of sustainable human development. It is imperative, therefore, that both academic and policy discourses interrogate exactly how the continent can institutionalise and consolidate its new-found democratic governance since the early 1990s and simultaneously improve the socio-economic well-being of its peoples. The key policy question is this: to what extent does the African continent have the capability to drive the democracy project and the development project in tandem and succeed on both fronts? Strides towards democratic governance in Africa have been fairly impressive since the early 1990s, following the collapse of the Cold War and the demise of apartheid in South Africa, even if some pockets of authoritarian rule and political instability remain in parts of the continent. While progress on the democratic governance front is surely commendable not much progress seems underway in terms of attaining sustainable human development. Why is this so? And should progress in democratic governance, of necessity, be congruent with progress (or lack thereof) in development? Is sustainable human development only assured under a democratic governance regime? Is it not possible to have an authoritarian governance regime in a country, but have a country making impressive progress on the sustainable human development front, as the Asian Tigers proved in the 1980s? We do not intend to foreclose the debate by suggesting any mode of thought or preferring a particular train of argumentation that leads to either a positive or negative correlation between democracy and development. Suffice to observe that the causal linkage or correlation between democracy and development is not a straightforward one and hence requires in-depth research and dialogue among various stakeholders. This is in fact the essence of the Symposium. These are major policy and epistemological questions on whose precise answers the jury is still out. The link between democracy and development has been a cause of raging policy and academic debate for decades. The First Annual EISA Symposium aims to make an important contribution to this debate by bringing out evidence of the nature and magnitude of the challenges for democracy and development for the African continent. Indeed the seriousness of governance, democratisation and developmental issues as articulated within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the African Union (AU) commitment to democratic governance calls for a forum where national, regional and international experts and stakeholders develop strategies to work together if the continent is to register socio-economic and political development. 3 Topics The Symposium aims to address various issues with a view to assessing progress on democracy and development in Africa and making recommendations for affective policy interventions. The deliberations will be divided into two segments: 1. general topics and 2. specific topics. The former will ensure contextual and comparative discussions, while the latter will ensure specific country case studies. General (contextual) Topics * Challenges for democratic governance (theory and practice) * Challenges for sustainable human development (theory and practice) * Assessment of NEPAD in relation to democracy and development * Contribution of African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to democracy * The agenda of African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities for democracy and development * Globalisation and dilemmas of development and democracy in Africa * Regional integration and democratic governance Specific Topics (Case Studies) * Civil society's role in democracy and development * Executive-Legislature relations and implications for democracy and development * The role of the youth in democracy and development * The role of the private sector in development * Elections and Democracy * Practical application of the election guidelines such as the AU Principles Governing Democratic Elections and the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO) * Traditional leadership and democracy * Foreign Aid, development and democracy * Political parties and democracy * The judiciary and democracy * The bureaucracy, democracy and development * Local governance, democracy and development * Gender policies, democracy and development Call for Papers We call for papers from scholars and practitioners. Those intending to present papers should submit abstracts of a maximum of 300 words by 31 May 2006. Submissions should include a short bio-data of the author(s) including full contact details. The abstract should be accompanied by two most recently published articles/chapters by the author(s). Proposals will be assessed by the Symposium committee according to the following criteria: relevance, originality of thought, policy application, gender balance and geographical spread. Results of the evaluation of the abstracts will be announced by 16 June 2006. Full papers from authors of selected abstracts must be received by 30 August 2006. All submissions and/or queries, should be sent to Bertha Chiroro, Research Fellow, EISA, via email on bertha@eisa.org.za or fax on +27 11 482 6163. Bertha can be contacted on the telephone at +27 11 482 5495. Regards Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri May 5 14:03:14 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007 Subject: [Eisa] New ACE Electoral Knowledge Network Message-ID: <20060505115903.74992AC826@mx01.sangonet.org.za> Partners Launch New ACE Electoral Knowledge Network ============================================= The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network (www.aceproject.org) -- the next generation of the Administration and Cost of Elections Web site -- is now live. With the launch of the Network, we make available new tools and resources for electoral practitioners around the world. The new Web site provides a ready environment for professionals to generate, share and apply knowledge on managing elections. New features include: * An updated ACE Encyclopaedia that includes authoritative resources on electoral administration; * An interactive Comparative Data Section that allows you to compare data from different countries; * An online collection of Electoral Materials that includes reports, manuals and other hands-on materials from around the world that is searchable by region, document type or topic area; * An online newsletter (Elections Today) that provides the latest news on elections around the world; * Access to Regional and Country-level Resources; * An Online Demonstration of several features that enable professionals to interact and build knowledge on elections administration. Visit ACE today at www.aceproject.org. To receive additional information about the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network, please visit http://ace.at.org/registration. The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network is a joint effort of seven organizations involved in the electoral assistance profession, including: * Elections Canada (www.elections.ca): a non-partisan organization responsible for the conduct of federal elections, by-elections and referendums. * EISA (www.eisa.org.za): a non-profit company based in Johannesburg, South Africa, that promotes credible elections and democratic governance in Africa. Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) (www.ife.org.mx): a public, independent institution responsible for organizing and conducting federal elections in Mexico. * IFES (www.ifes.org): an international non-governmental organization that supports the building of democratic societies. * International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) (www.idea.int): an intergovernmental organization that promotes sustainable democracy worldwide. * United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) (www.un.org/esa/): a body that organizes U.N. conferences on global policy issues and serves as the Secretariat to the Economic and Social Council. * United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (www.undp.org): The United Nation's global development network, which advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. Regards Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Mon May 29 10:25:44 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007 Subject: [Eisa] FW: EISA web site update Message-ID: <002801c682f9$7abbbf70$d401a8c0@eisa.org.za> Dear Colleagues To improve awareness of the new resources available on our website to EISA staff and the public at large the ICT department plans to circulate a periodic e-mail detailing our progress. This is the first of these e-mails. 1. PUBLICATIONS All EISA publications that we have electronic copies of are online: They can be accessed by choosing the publication type from the Publications online catalogue at http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/catalogue.htm. The exception is the "Journal of African Elections", where a Contents listing has been made available at http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/jaec.htm. There are a few older publications that are not available electronically, but the Library has undertaken to scan them and make them available in due course. This is a tedious and time-consuming process, so please be patient. 2. LINKS PAGE The Links page has been transformed into a mini-directory of websites and resources for those engaged in our field of work. The links page can be accessed at: http://www.eisa.org.za/category/links/links.htm. Subjects covered include: * ELECTIONS: Calendars, civic and voter education, information and communications technology, management bodies in Africa, observation, results databases, systems and administration (organisations, projects, handbooks and manuals). * GOOD GOVERNANCE: Civil society bodies, intergovernmental organisations, projects, news sites, key documents, handbooks and manuals. * CONFLICT MANAGEMENT: Specialists, educational projects, handbooks and manuals. * HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION: Organisations, Handbooks and Manuals, Curriculum development * LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Organisations, projects, literature. 3. POLITICAL PARTIES The website is undergoing a revamp of our political parties pages. We wish to improve our party lists and to add information on the legal situation as far as aspects such as party registration, regulation, funding and campaign codes of conduct are concerned. We have engaged in close reading of the relevant laws and paid careful attention to referenceing so that users can easily find the sources on which the text is based. We are also reviewing the previous election results for each country as we go along to make sure that they are complete, accurate and include all available information. The following countries have been updated so far: * Angola: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/angparties.htm. * DRC: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drcparties.htm * Lesotho: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/lesothopp.htm. * Seychelles: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/seyparties.htm. * Swaziland: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/swaparties.htm. * Zambia: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/zamparties.htm Regards Deane ------------------ Deane Stuart Researcher (ICT), EISA deane@eisa.org.za http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 5495 fax +27 11 482 6163 EISA - Promoting Credible Elections and Democratic Governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Mon Jun 5 15:10:26 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007 Subject: [Eisa] Abstracts for EISA Symposium - urgent notification Message-ID: <20060605130422.B224CACBAF@mx01.sangonet.org.za> WOULD THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD SUBMITTED THEIR ABSTRACTS FOR THE EISA CALL FOR PAPERS FROM 26 MAY TO 2 JUNE PLEASE RESUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACTS TO THE SAME MAILING ADDRESS, bertha@eisa.org.za. Due to a system malfunction some files have been lost. Apologies and thank you for resubmitting. Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jun 6 13:27:33 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007 Subject: [Eisa] EISA DRC Observer Mission - Elections 2006 Message-ID: <20060606112128.4C4ADAC938@mx01.sangonet.org.za> EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 2006 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections EISA hereby launches its Regional Election Observer Mission for the forthcoming DRC Parliamentary and Presidential Elections that will be held on 30 July 2006. Leading the delegation is Mr. Yusuf Aboobaker, Chairperson of the Electoral Supervisory Commission in Mauritius. The mission will be composed of 25 members drawn from civil society organisations, election management bodies and academic institutions from various countries, namely Angola, Mozambique, C?te d?Ivoire, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Madagascar, South Africa and Mauritius. EISA?s Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO) was launched in the DRC on 28 February 2006. It should be recalled that these principles, adopted in November 2003, were drafted in consultation with all electoral commissions in the SADC region as well as civil society organisations (CSOs) working in the field of elections. PEMMO provides the region with an objective basis with which to conduct and assess elections. The mission is expected to arrive in the DRC on July 23 2006 in order to hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders such as political parties, CSOs, the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) and academics, ahead of election day. The mission will remain in the country until 02 August 2006 after observing the voting and counting processes as well as post-polling activities. The mission will cover selected rural and urban areas around the country. EISA is a regional non-governmental organisation established in 1996, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its mission is to strengthen electoral processes, good governance, human rights and democratic values in the SADC region and beyond through research, capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. The organisation services governments, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations and other institutions operating in the democracy and governance fields in the SADC region and beyond. Issued by EISA Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jun 20 11:07:45 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007 Subject: [Eisa] Vacancy: Country Director, EISA Mozambique Field Office Message-ID: <20060621160020.3E5ACAC943@mx01.sangonet.org.za> ***EISA Mozambique Country Director*** ================================ EISA is a not-for-profit section 21 organisation located in Johannesburg, South Africa. EISA's mission is to strengthen electoral processes, good governance, human rights and democratic values through research, capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. EISA services governments, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations, parliaments and other institutions. EISA is looking for a dynamic, motivated and independent candidate to manage its country office in Maputo, Mozambique. Qualified SADC nationals are encouraged to apply. Candidates are required to be fluent in written and spoken Portuguese and English. Resident Director, Mozambique (Maputo) ================================= Reporting to the Executive Director or to the relevant designated manager, the overall responsibility of the country director will be to develop, manage and coordinate EISA's programmes in Mozambique. Responsibilities ---------------------- * Manage and provide strategic leadership for the field office and programme staff; * Provide technical assistance to civil society organisations, political parties, the media, election management bodies and parliament, as necessary, on governance, democratisation and electoral matters; * Conceptualise supplemental and/or new programmes in the country and carry out fundraising for their implementation; * Oversee, monitor and evaluate projects to determine that the programmatic goals and financial requirements are adhered to; * Maintain relationships with key partners in civil society, political parties, the electoral commission, parliament, government and the donor community; and * Write and submit regular reports and consult with Johannesburg-based staff on programme progress and about political developments in the country. Qualifications --------------------- * Candidates should hold at least a Master's degree in political science, international relations, law or any other relevant field of social sciences; * At least seven years relevant experience working with civil society organisations, political parties, the media and parliament; * Prior work experience in crisis and/or post-conflict situations is desirable; * A solid record of generating sustainable results through strong strategic planning, organisational, financial, human resources and programme management skills; * Sound understanding of constitution and law-making processes; * Proven ability to make sound political analyses; * Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior political and civic leaders as well as members of the donor and diplomatic community; * Demonstrated ability to write sound, precise and persuasive communications, briefings, project proposals and reports; * Ability to formulate and implement advocacy and lobbying strategies; * Strong written and oral communication skills; * Self-motivated and able to work under pressure; and * Excellent computer skills. Applications -------------------- Closing date for applications is Friday 30 June 2006. A commitment of a minimum of two years is required. Salary commensurate with experience. Interested candidates should submit a letter of application, including a resume with three referees, for the attention of Ms Zahira Seedat on fax +27 11 482 6163 or email zahira@eisa.org.za . Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Please do not call the office. From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri May 5 13:27:57 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007 Subject: [Eisa] Call for papers: First Annual EISA Symposium Message-ID: <20060505112344.7414EAC826@mx01.sangonet.org.za> The First Annual EISA Symposium ========================= Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human Development in Africa ============================================================= Date: 18 - 20 October 2006 Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa Call for Papers ----------------------- 1 Background to the Symposium As part of the celebration activities marking its tenth anniversary, EISA will launch its First Annual Symposium in Johannesburg from 18 to 20 October 2006. The theme for the Symposium is Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human Development in Africa. The Symposium is expected to attract the participation of about 500 scholars, policy makers, political parties, parliamentarians, government officials, civil society organisations, donors, representatives of African continental and regional organisations from north, east, west, central and southern Africa. Participants will deliberate on progress made in the pursuit of democratic governance and human development and interrogate the challenges that remain. The Symposium will make concrete policy recommendations for tackling these challenges. 2 Focus of the Symposium Two of the most daunting challenges facing the African continent today revolve around the institutionalisation of democratic governance and the achievement of sustainable human development. It is imperative, therefore, that both academic and policy discourses interrogate exactly how the continent can institutionalise and consolidate its new-found democratic governance since the early 1990s and simultaneously improve the socio-economic well-being of its peoples. The key policy question is this: to what extent does the African continent have the capability to drive the democracy project and the development project in tandem and succeed on both fronts? Strides towards democratic governance in Africa have been fairly impressive since the early 1990s, following the collapse of the Cold War and the demise of apartheid in South Africa, even if some pockets of authoritarian rule and political instability remain in parts of the continent. While progress on the democratic governance front is surely commendable not much progress seems underway in terms of attaining sustainable human development. Why is this so? And should progress in democratic governance, of necessity, be congruent with progress (or lack thereof) in development? Is sustainable human development only assured under a democratic governance regime? Is it not possible to have an authoritarian governance regime in a country, but have a country making impressive progress on the sustainable human development front, as the Asian Tigers proved in the 1980s? We do not intend to foreclose the debate by suggesting any mode of thought or preferring a particular train of argumentation that leads to either a positive or negative correlation between democracy and development. Suffice to observe that the causal linkage or correlation between democracy and development is not a straightforward one and hence requires in-depth research and dialogue among various stakeholders. This is in fact the essence of the Symposium. These are major policy and epistemological questions on whose precise answers the jury is still out. The link between democracy and development has been a cause of raging policy and academic debate for decades. The First Annual EISA Symposium aims to make an important contribution to this debate by bringing out evidence of the nature and magnitude of the challenges for democracy and development for the African continent. Indeed the seriousness of governance, democratisation and developmental issues as articulated within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the African Union (AU) commitment to democratic governance calls for a forum where national, regional and international experts and stakeholders develop strategies to work together if the continent is to register socio-economic and political development. 3 Topics The Symposium aims to address various issues with a view to assessing progress on democracy and development in Africa and making recommendations for affective policy interventions. The deliberations will be divided into two segments: 1. general topics and 2. specific topics. The former will ensure contextual and comparative discussions, while the latter will ensure specific country case studies. General (contextual) Topics * Challenges for democratic governance (theory and practice) * Challenges for sustainable human development (theory and practice) * Assessment of NEPAD in relation to democracy and development * Contribution of African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to democracy * The agenda of African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities for democracy and development * Globalisation and dilemmas of development and democracy in Africa * Regional integration and democratic governance Specific Topics (Case Studies) * Civil society's role in democracy and development * Executive-Legislature relations and implications for democracy and development * The role of the youth in democracy and development * The role of the private sector in development * Elections and Democracy * Practical application of the election guidelines such as the AU Principles Governing Democratic Elections and the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO) * Traditional leadership and democracy * Foreign Aid, development and democracy * Political parties and democracy * The judiciary and democracy * The bureaucracy, democracy and development * Local governance, democracy and development * Gender policies, democracy and development Call for Papers We call for papers from scholars and practitioners. Those intending to present papers should submit abstracts of a maximum of 300 words by 31 May 2006. Submissions should include a short bio-data of the author(s) including full contact details. The abstract should be accompanied by two most recently published articles/chapters by the author(s). Proposals will be assessed by the Symposium committee according to the following criteria: relevance, originality of thought, policy application, gender balance and geographical spread. Results of the evaluation of the abstracts will be announced by 16 June 2006. Full papers from authors of selected abstracts must be received by 30 August 2006. All submissions and/or queries, should be sent to Bertha Chiroro, Research Fellow, EISA, via email on bertha@eisa.org.za or fax on +27 11 482 6163. Bertha can be contacted on the telephone at +27 11 482 5495. Regards Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri May 5 14:03:14 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007 Subject: [Eisa] New ACE Electoral Knowledge Network Message-ID: <20060505115903.74992AC826@mx01.sangonet.org.za> Partners Launch New ACE Electoral Knowledge Network ============================================= The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network (www.aceproject.org) -- the next generation of the Administration and Cost of Elections Web site -- is now live. With the launch of the Network, we make available new tools and resources for electoral practitioners around the world. The new Web site provides a ready environment for professionals to generate, share and apply knowledge on managing elections. New features include: * An updated ACE Encyclopaedia that includes authoritative resources on electoral administration; * An interactive Comparative Data Section that allows you to compare data from different countries; * An online collection of Electoral Materials that includes reports, manuals and other hands-on materials from around the world that is searchable by region, document type or topic area; * An online newsletter (Elections Today) that provides the latest news on elections around the world; * Access to Regional and Country-level Resources; * An Online Demonstration of several features that enable professionals to interact and build knowledge on elections administration. Visit ACE today at www.aceproject.org. To receive additional information about the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network, please visit http://ace.at.org/registration. The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network is a joint effort of seven organizations involved in the electoral assistance profession, including: * Elections Canada (www.elections.ca): a non-partisan organization responsible for the conduct of federal elections, by-elections and referendums. * EISA (www.eisa.org.za): a non-profit company based in Johannesburg, South Africa, that promotes credible elections and democratic governance in Africa. Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) (www.ife.org.mx): a public, independent institution responsible for organizing and conducting federal elections in Mexico. * IFES (www.ifes.org): an international non-governmental organization that supports the building of democratic societies. * International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) (www.idea.int): an intergovernmental organization that promotes sustainable democracy worldwide. * United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) (www.un.org/esa/): a body that organizes U.N. conferences on global policy issues and serves as the Secretariat to the Economic and Social Council. * United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (www.undp.org): The United Nation's global development network, which advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. Regards Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Mon May 29 10:25:44 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007 Subject: [Eisa] FW: EISA web site update Message-ID: <002801c682f9$7abbbf70$d401a8c0@eisa.org.za> Dear Colleagues To improve awareness of the new resources available on our website to EISA staff and the public at large the ICT department plans to circulate a periodic e-mail detailing our progress. This is the first of these e-mails. 1. PUBLICATIONS All EISA publications that we have electronic copies of are online: They can be accessed by choosing the publication type from the Publications online catalogue at http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/catalogue.htm. The exception is the "Journal of African Elections", where a Contents listing has been made available at http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/jaec.htm. There are a few older publications that are not available electronically, but the Library has undertaken to scan them and make them available in due course. This is a tedious and time-consuming process, so please be patient. 2. LINKS PAGE The Links page has been transformed into a mini-directory of websites and resources for those engaged in our field of work. The links page can be accessed at: http://www.eisa.org.za/category/links/links.htm. Subjects covered include: * ELECTIONS: Calendars, civic and voter education, information and communications technology, management bodies in Africa, observation, results databases, systems and administration (organisations, projects, handbooks and manuals). * GOOD GOVERNANCE: Civil society bodies, intergovernmental organisations, projects, news sites, key documents, handbooks and manuals. * CONFLICT MANAGEMENT: Specialists, educational projects, handbooks and manuals. * HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION: Organisations, Handbooks and Manuals, Curriculum development * LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Organisations, projects, literature. 3. POLITICAL PARTIES The website is undergoing a revamp of our political parties pages. We wish to improve our party lists and to add information on the legal situation as far as aspects such as party registration, regulation, funding and campaign codes of conduct are concerned. We have engaged in close reading of the relevant laws and paid careful attention to referenceing so that users can easily find the sources on which the text is based. We are also reviewing the previous election results for each country as we go along to make sure that they are complete, accurate and include all available information. The following countries have been updated so far: * Angola: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/angparties.htm. * DRC: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drcparties.htm * Lesotho: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/lesothopp.htm. * Seychelles: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/seyparties.htm. * Swaziland: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/swaparties.htm. * Zambia: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/zamparties.htm Regards Deane ------------------ Deane Stuart Researcher (ICT), EISA deane@eisa.org.za http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 5495 fax +27 11 482 6163 EISA - Promoting Credible Elections and Democratic Governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Mon Jun 5 15:10:26 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007 Subject: [Eisa] Abstracts for EISA Symposium - urgent notification Message-ID: <20060605130422.B224CACBAF@mx01.sangonet.org.za> WOULD THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD SUBMITTED THEIR ABSTRACTS FOR THE EISA CALL FOR PAPERS FROM 26 MAY TO 2 JUNE PLEASE RESUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACTS TO THE SAME MAILING ADDRESS, bertha@eisa.org.za. Due to a system malfunction some files have been lost. Apologies and thank you for resubmitting. Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jun 6 13:27:33 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007 Subject: [Eisa] EISA DRC Observer Mission - Elections 2006 Message-ID: <20060606112128.4C4ADAC938@mx01.sangonet.org.za> EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 2006 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections EISA hereby launches its Regional Election Observer Mission for the forthcoming DRC Parliamentary and Presidential Elections that will be held on 30 July 2006. Leading the delegation is Mr. Yusuf Aboobaker, Chairperson of the Electoral Supervisory Commission in Mauritius. The mission will be composed of 25 members drawn from civil society organisations, election management bodies and academic institutions from various countries, namely Angola, Mozambique, C?te d?Ivoire, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Madagascar, South Africa and Mauritius. EISA?s Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO) was launched in the DRC on 28 February 2006. It should be recalled that these principles, adopted in November 2003, were drafted in consultation with all electoral commissions in the SADC region as well as civil society organisations (CSOs) working in the field of elections. PEMMO provides the region with an objective basis with which to conduct and assess elections. The mission is expected to arrive in the DRC on July 23 2006 in order to hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders such as political parties, CSOs, the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) and academics, ahead of election day. The mission will remain in the country until 02 August 2006 after observing the voting and counting processes as well as post-polling activities. The mission will cover selected rural and urban areas around the country. EISA is a regional non-governmental organisation established in 1996, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its mission is to strengthen electoral processes, good governance, human rights and democratic values in the SADC region and beyond through research, capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. The organisation services governments, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations and other institutions operating in the democracy and governance fields in the SADC region and beyond. Issued by EISA Alka Larkan-Grobler Senior Programme Officer, ICT EISA http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 11 482 61 63 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jun 20 11:07:45 2006 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007 Subject: [Eisa] Vacancy: Country Director, EISA Mozambique Field Office Message-ID: <20060621160020.3E5ACAC943@mx01.sangonet.org.za> ***EISA Mozambique Country Director*** ================================ EISA is a not-for-profit section 21 organisation located in Johannesburg, South Africa. EISA's mission is to strengthen electoral processes, good governance, human rights and democratic values through research, capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. EISA services governments, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations, parliaments and other institutions. EISA is looking for a dynamic, motivated and independent candidate to manage its country office in Maputo, Mozambique. Qualified SADC nationals are encouraged to apply. Candidates are required to be fluent in written and spoken Portuguese and English. Resident Director, Mozambique (Maputo) ================================= Reporting to the Executive Director or to the relevant designated manager, the overall responsibility of the country director will be to develop, manage and coordinate EISA's programmes in Mozambique. Responsibilities ---------------------- * Manage and provide strategic leadership for the field office and programme staff; * Provide technical assistance to civil society organisations, political parties, the media, election management bodies and parliament, as necessary, on governance, democratisation and electoral matters; * Conceptualise supplemental and/or new programmes in the country and carry out fundraising for their implementation; * Oversee, monitor and evaluate projects to determine that the programmatic goals and financial requirements are adhered to; * Maintain relationships with key partners in civil society, political parties, the electoral commission, parliament, government and the donor community; and * Write and submit regular reports and consult with Johannesburg-based staff on programme progress and about political developments in the country. Qualifications --------------------- * Candidates should hold at least a Master's degree in political science, international relations, law or any other relevant field of social sciences; * At least seven years relevant experience working with civil society organisations, political parties, the media and parliament; * Prior work experience in crisis and/or post-conflict situations is desirable; * A solid record of generating sustainable results through strong strategic planning, organisational, financial, human resources and programme management skills; * Sound understanding of constitution and law-making processes; * Proven ability to make sound political analyses; * Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior political and civic leaders as well as members of the donor and diplomatic community; * Demonstrated ability to write sound, precise and persuasive communications, briefings, project proposals and reports; * Ability to formulate and implement advocacy and lobbying strategies; * Strong written and oral communication skills; * Self-motivated and able to work under pressure; and * Excellent computer skills. Applications -------------------- Closing date for applications is Friday 30 June 2006. A commitment of a minimum of two years is required. Salary commensurate with experience. Interested candidates should submit a letter of application, including a resume with three referees, for the attention of Ms Zahira Seedat on fax +27 11 482 6163 or email zahira@eisa.org.za . Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Please do not call the office.