Building Bridges 2017 and beyond: Promoting inclusive governance through public leadership development
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In Africa, there is an increasing call for real engagement with stakeholders around governance-related policy issues. The continent faces a number of development challenges that need strategic intervention and resources to promote reflection and action.Más información
In Africa, there is an increasing call for real engagement with stakeholders around governance-related policy issues. The continent faces a number of development challenges that need strategic intervention and resources to promote reflection and action. This requires strong leadership, which is hampered due to control by elites, corruption, and lack of accountability, all of which present major stumbling blocks to inclusive development. This lack of inclusive and engaged governance has led to an increasing mutual mistrust between different stakeholders, combined with a growing frustration about the limited space for citizen engagement. In addition, there are few platforms that facilitate frank and informed conversations on issues related to governance and development between activists, policymakers, and practitioners.
Through the Building Bridges program, implemented by the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice, this project aims to build bridges and new networks of trust and expertise between political decision-makers, policy researchers, and civil society. It also aims to contribute to the strengthening of leadership around development challenges through engagement, dialogue, and research. An evaluation from the first phase of the program underscored the importance of collective action by citizens and/or non-governmental organizations who can push for governance reforms aimed at promoting ethical, accountable, and inclusive governance through their sustained interaction with state actors.
The intent is to consolidate the Building Bridges program as a unique platform for governments, civil society, donors, and researchers to explore solutions and identify effective strategies. The project aims to grow and support a network of capable, ethical leaders that contribute to inclusive and engaged governance to address emerging challenges for development in Africa.
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“Building Bridges” is the leadership development platform of The Mandela School of Public Governance. The workshop addressed the challenges of youth, (un) employment and livelihoods in Africa. The Research Roundtable integrated written contributions (think pieces) by the Emerging African Leaders Programme (EALP) alumni. These think pieces and proceedings focused on five core themes: 1. Existing policy frameworks which address youth (un) employment 2. The role of the informal sector in creating work opportunities 3. The labour market and youth: Demography, skills versus market needs 4. The entrepreneurship debate 5. The impact and opportunities of the 4th Industrial Revolution. The report includes biographies of participants.
These reflections are from participants gathered at the Nairobi Workshop and presented by Kathryn Toure, Regional Director, International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The Building Bridges programme brings together emerging leaders from all over Africa towards promoting and building ethical public leadership, while establishing new networks of expertise and trust. Part of “Building Bridges” is the Emerging African Leaders Programme (EALP).
This report provides a summary of key themes which emerged during the Regional Workshop on youth inclusion, and begins the reflective process towards a detailed report. A focus for reflection is “Translating Policy to Practice: Moving Beyond Shop-talk to Action: Examples of Inclusive and Youth-Driven Processes at Local, National and Regional Levels.” The report urges consideration of the potential of individuals to act as change makers. The definition of “youth” is discussed. It argues that there is a gap in visionary leadership in national planning, and that African leaders and their institutions have mastered the art of using democratic means to promote undemocratic policies.
The Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice (GSDPP), Building Bridges Programme, delivered the fourth round of the “Leading in Public Life – Emerging African Leaders Programme” in March, 2018. For the first time the programme hosted 30 emerging leaders from all ten focus countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The GSDPP is part of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance in Cape Town, South Africa. The report provides details and feedback from the workshop.
The reporting period (2018-2019) has been a time of consolidation for the Building Bridges programme, indicated by the list of outputs in section iv, which showcase the leadership development work, thematic research activities, and deepening of understanding and linkages with peer networks of alumni over the four years of the programme. Themes addressed by the programme are African Economic Integration, Accountability and Inclusivity, and Youth Inclusivity in Africa. As a leadership development platform, Building Bridges leverages the unique convening power of the university environment to bring together influential Africans around key challenges affecting the African continent.