The African Inter-Party Dialogue Network (AIPDN), hosted by Social Innovation Africa ( SIA) in partnershsip with the University of Nairobi is a platform working to advance democratic governance, conflict prevention, and sustainable development in Africa. AIPDN aims to strengthen inter-party dialogue mechanisms, effective policy implementation, and the promotion of multi-party democracy across the continent.
BACKGROUND
Political parties are key actors in any political system and party leaders and party activists have the potential to contribute for finding solutions to conflict, political agreements on contentious issues or political settlements after conflict.
Indeed, parties are unique among political institutions in their potential to give political expression to grievances that may otherwise be expressed through violence and to aggregate and articulate the interests of citizens during both peace negotiations and transition processes, as well as more broadly in post-conflict political governance and state building.
Many examples show that political parties have too often been seen not playing a constructive role and the reasons for this are multifaceted. One strategy is to engage political parties in constructive engagement and at the same time build capacity for political parties on key elements of cooperation, compromise and consensus building, all key elements in political negotiations can be to facilitate inter-party engagement and dialogue through facilitated and systematic inter-party dialogue.
Such inter-dialogue mechanisms can play a crucial role in promoting democratic governance, conflict prevention, and sustainable development in Africa. By facilitating dialogue and consensus-building among political parties, these mechanisms contribute to reducing unhealthy rivalries, tensions, and potential violence associated with competitive multi-party electoral systems.
AIPDN Diplomacy,Negotiation and Mediation Training IGAD-AIPDN Roundtable, Juba, South Sudan-Members of Parliament, South Sudan
Despite their importance, there is a lack of comprehensive knowledge, and best practices shared across the continent on effective models and strategies for establishing and sustaining inter-party dialogue initiatives.
To start the process of building local knowledge, an experience sharing workshop in support of African Inter-Party Dialogue Mechanisms was held 2023 in Addis Ababa.
The workshop was organized by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) with technical support from Social Innovation Africa (SIA), a Pan African Non-Governmental Organization.
The meeting brought together officials from the IGAD and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Secretariats, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) officials, experts, and representatives of inter-party dialogue mechanisms, from Senegal, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda. The meeting concluded that dialogue is the best way for resolving and mediating conflicts as well as promoting consensus and ownership for any governance transformational and reform agenda in Africa.
ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND
AIPDN’s guiding principles emphasize the importance of cooperation with other inter-party dialogue mechanisms in Africa. Through experience sharing, information exchange, training, and pooling of resources, AIPDN aims to advance inter-party dialogue, democratic governance, peace, and conflict prevention.
The network’s objectives include supporting the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms (RMs) in promoting good governance and peace, expanding knowledge of emerging trends, and advocating for strengthened inter-party dialogue mechanisms at the regional and country levels.
At the operational level, the AIPDN members in their respective sub-regions serve as focal points for engagement with their RECs, Inter-Party dialogue mechanisms and civil society.
The member organizations include the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Social Innovation Africa (SIA), University of Nairobi- Kenya, African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET),
Africa Bioethics Network (ABN)-Kenya, Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) – Ghana, Entrepreneurial Forum for Peace and Development, Inter-Party Organization for Dialogue (IPOD)- Uganda, Horn Center for Democracy (HCD)-Ethiopia, Gender Empowerment South Sudan Organization (GESSO- South Sudan, Uganda Council on Foreign Relations (UCFR), Civic Trust for Human Development- Zimbabwe, Prospect Peace Institute (PPI).