How a reborn OSISA advances Open Society goals with a pan-African perspective
OSISA, in its OSF-Africa incarnation, has undergone reorganisation and reframing to strengthen the response to a changed – and changing – Africa.
“We’re advancing the work of Open Society throughout the continent. We now have different ways of looking at things – the opportunity this presents is unbelievable”
Thirty years ago, at the end of apartheid and the start of Namibia’s fledgling independence, Open Society’s southern African branch opened in response to both opportunities and threats to open society in the region. In 1997, the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) was founded as the first regional African Open Society foundation. Throughout its existence, OSISA contributed to advancing democratic governance, social justice, and human rights across the region. When countries regressed, the organisation increased its support for those who needed it most: the marginalised and disadvantaged.
Over the last 20-plus years, OSISA supported diverse initiatives and advocacy voices. Strengthening the role of journalists to keep the region’s governments accountable, giving extensive support for Early Child Development and access to education, working with governments to deal with discrimination against the marginalised and vulnerable, and helping protect the rights of indigenous people are just some of the inclusive ways that the organisation has advanced the aims of the Open Society.
However, the southern Africa that OSISA operated in for more than 25 years has shifted for better and worse. While OSISA’s legacy will live on, the continent calls for a revived effort to face today’s challenges. Rising authoritarianism, captured political and economic power, disinformation, human rights violations, and inequality reflect deep structural problems that have festered. We also live in an uncertain world where coups, contagions, and economic collapse are rife in many regions beyond Africa.
Despite challenges, the continent boasts many opportunities. Africa has a young population, it is resource-rich, and its people continue to demand free, just, and democratic societies. OSISA was always driven by seizing opportunities, despite setbacks, and through our intervention, many of the region’s governments were able to spearhead progressive programmes.
For example, Eswatini introduced and nationally rolled out Grade 0 after OSISA piloted it through a ground-breaking Early Childhood Development programme. Also in Eswatini, when our partner, SWAPOL, advocated for HIV/AIDS intervention, the government was pushed to enact a free, national ARV programme.
In Botswana in 2015, OSISA’s Natural Resource Governance Team supported the publication of a damning report about opaque practices in diamond extraction involving the ruling party and De Beers – and, eight years later, change is afoot with transparency and beneficiation arrangements. Mozambique passed laws to regulate a rights-responsive inception of mining operations after OSISA produced and released a report that detailed abuse by Vale and Rio Tinto. In addition, the Democratic Republic of the Congo established mobile courts to try perpetrators of conflict-based, gender-based violence with several high-ranking perpetrators convicted.
At the end of 2022, a new foundation was born – and OSISA was reborn. In line with the Open Society Foundation’s mandate to build tolerant, equal, and just democracies, OSISA and the four other foundations in Africa merged into one foundation, OSF-Africa.
The new foundation seeks to advance similar Open Society goals with a pan-African perspective. Like OSISA, OSF-Africa will remain locally grounded at the sub-region, which will inform its continent-wide approach. The new entity’s One Africa strategy prioritises diversity, equity and inclusion, and has a strong focus on women and youth.
Many of OSISA’s employees are in the new entity, albeit in different roles. They bring the legacy of OSISA with them, and the work continues. Notably, the organisation has undergone reorganisation and reframing to strengthen the response to a changed – and changing – Africa.
“We need to keep an eye on how the region continues to change so we make the necessary adjustments,” says Siphosami Malunga, programmes director at OSF-Africa. “We also must retain our humility to know that the people most affected by a problem are the people most suited to address a problem.”
African activists have fought many hard-won battles over the last two decades, but more needs to be done. Civil society has supported progressive freedoms, laws, and policies that encourage an open society, but an increasing push backwards towards regressive crackdowns, fake news, state capture, and intolerance are challenges that must be faced head-on. The continent’s challenges remain, but so does OSISA’s legacy in advancing democracy, social justice, and human rights.
Sipho has high hopes for OSF-Africa to drive change, and he believes it’s important not only to have an African perspective but also to take the nuances of regions and countries into account.
“We’re advancing the work of Open Society throughout the continent,” says Sipho. “We benefit from working with people with experience in other regions, and it’s exciting in many ways. We now have different ways of looking at things – the opportunity this presents together is unbelievable.”
Written by: Ang Lloyd
