Welcome to OSISA

OSISA works to build and strengthen the values, practices and institutions of an open society throughout Southern Africa.

As a foundation, OSISA provides African leadership in the definition and development, within the specificities of Southern African realities, of the concept and ideals of an open society. In this connection, Southern Africa is deliberately conceived of by OSISA as a unitary geo-political formation with a common history and, potentially, a common destiny – hence “Southern Africa”.

OSISA is autonomous and governed by a Board of Southern Africans who are committed to the principles of an open society. These individuals are leaders associated with social and organising spaces, institutions or professions with which OSISA co-operates in carrying out its programmes. Each country within the OSISA mandate is represented by a Board member from that country, thus adding to the foundation’s ability to retain a unique level of rooted-ness in the Southern African region. There is also an effort to ensure gender balance and youth representation in the composition of the Board.

Together with the other OSI-affiliated African foundations, as well as national partners, OSISA is a part of the Africa Governance Monitoring and Advocacy project (AfriMAP) a research and advocacy programme seeking to foster compliance by African states with the governance and human rights commitments that they have signed to under the African Union Constitutive Act, as well as under SADC-level and international agreements, norms and standards.