A vision of a Southern African community that is informed, actively engaged and empowered to drive its own development agenda

Parkie Mbosi      

 

Since 1996, Panos Southern Africa has relentlessly devoted itself to cultivating an environment that enables the region’s marginalised people to actively participate in informed and inclusive debate and decision-making processes. 

 

Our work has centred around the often unheard men, women and youths of southern Africa, helping them to drive their own agendas and influence policies and programmes including HIV/AIDS, natural resource management, governance, poverty, economics, globalisation and international trade. 

 

We have done this through a range of tried and tested strategies, which include: radio listening clubs, oral testimonies, debates and public discussions, generating, processing and disseminating relevant information, action research, and creating effective communication channels. 

 

Our impact in these areas is evident. In a recent review of our radio listening clubs in Malawi and Zambia, one women’s group said: “The listening group has helped us as women in the sense that it keeps us busy. Instead of wasting time on gossip, we come together to discuss development needs in our area and to ask for social service provision.” 

 

Empowering groups to manage their lives and influence the allocation of resources and services is just one of the numerous demonstrable impacts of our work. We have also sought to enhance the capacity of the media (at regional, national and community levels) to effectively report development issues. And regarding HIV/AIDS we have influenced policy on access to treatment, stigmatisation, and tuberculosis.

 

The Panos Network’s Global AIDS Programme (GAP), which is now coordinated in Lusaka, has made remarkable achievements in shaping the global response to the pandemic. Through GAP, Panos has gained access to policy-making at the highest levels, notably the United Nations, African Union and Nepad. 

 

As we navigate our way into the future we face numerous but surmountable challenges. 

 

As an institution we must grow structurally and geographically across the entire Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to address emerging development issues including disease, food insecurity, climate change, natural resource depletion, governance, human rights, and gender. The region is also hampered by a generally unfavourable media environment and there are obstacles to freedom of access to information. 

 

But in the face of these challenges we are comforted and boosted by our strengths. These include a strong commitment to impact, dedicated staff and partners, systematic planning and financial discipline, strong monitoring and evaluation, and growing recognition of our work and unique approaches.    

 

With such strong foundations, no-one can doubt what the future holds for Panos Southern Africa, or indeed the entire Panos Network. 

 

Parkie Mbosi is director of Panos Southern Africa.