Date: August 17, 2023
Time: 03:00 pm – 04:00 pm (Cameroon time)
Venue: Zoom Platform (Register Now)

Background

In vibrant and democratic societies, people easily relate to, and connect with representatives and institutions that govern them. Conversely, people may develop political apathy when their supposed representatives and institutions appear distant. This latter scenario is usually indicative of an autocracy, where leaders may not necessarily draw consent from the people they govern.

According to the 2021 report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) on the state of democracy in the world covering 165 independent states and two territories, democracy has declined on the African continent,  especially in Central Africa. The report reveals that the 10 Central African countries included in the ranking are classified in the category of authoritarian regimes. The poor performance of Central African countries in terms of democracy is essentially due to the deterioration in performance in the areas of the electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties and political culture. The resurgence of coups d’état, against a backdrop of security tensions has also undermined the democratic systems of countries in the region.

Think tanks may play an important role in reversing this trend. According to the Center for International Private Enterprise, think thanks indeed act as brokers of policy knowledge, centres of research, and incubators of new ideas, by disseminating research and publications on democratic processes. They also inform the public about the necessity to resist individuals and governments from capturing state institutions and democratic processes. State capture describes a corrupt situation where selfish individual’s interests supersede the decision-making processes of the state. With this in mind, the Nkafu Policy Institute, a think tank at the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation is organizing a webinar, on “The Role of Think Tanks in Strengthening Democratic Institutions in Central Africa”.

Objectives

The  primary objective of this webinar is to discuss and brainstorm on how think tanks can be instrumental in the democratic process. More specifically, the webinar will focus on :

• The relationship between political institutions (and leaders) and civil society.
• Why and how powerful individuals take control of state institutions.
• The role of think tanks in the democratic process.
• Sound suggestions to political decision-makers on the importance of democratic institutions.
• In-depth policy recommendations to stakeholders on how to strengthen democratic institutions in Africa.

Target Audience

Our target audience are policymakers, civil society organizations, think tanks, government agencies, diplomatic bodies, academics, researchers, international organizations, and individuals interested in democratic institutions.

Event Format

The event will take place online, via the zoom platform. Discussions will be led by governance and democracy experts from Central African think tanks. The event will be live-streamed on Fondation Foretia’s social media platforms.

Expected Outcome

Increased public understanding of the need for democratic institutions in society and political decision-makers of the need to include think tanks in democratic processes.

Contact details

Email: [email protected]  / Tel: (+237) 654 86 72 54.