OpenForum

The OpenForum was a six-hundred-delegate, three-day conference held in the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in Cape Town, South Africa, in May 2012.^[1] The aim of the OpenForum was to bring a variety of thought leaders and activists to discuss the inherent paradoxes of societal inequality in Africa focusing on the three interlinking areas of money, power and sex. The event was hosted by the four Open Society Africa Foundations, which are under the umbrella of George Soros's Open Society Foundations.^[2]

Overview

Each day of the OpenForum was dedicated to one of the key themes of Money, Power or Sex. Though the themes are inextricably interlinked Day 1 focussed on Money, Day 2 on Power and Day 3 on Sex. The OpenForum included major plenary debates and high-powered discussions as well as numerous smaller sessions highlighting innovative ideas and approaches.^[3]

Day 1: Money

The first day of the OpenForum was intended to focus on the factors that influence economic growth. In particular:

• Ensuring Africa’s natural resources genuinely benefit its people through replicable models of company and state transparency, accountability and commitment to the welfare of local communities and the environment;
• Understanding the role of big business in supporting policy change and in influencing political processes;
• Exploring the introduction of large-scale commercial models of agriculture and the effects that these have on patterns of rural poverty;
• Better understanding the effects of large-scale concessioning of land to private concerns in Europe, North America, Latin America and China;
• The negotiation of ports, power supplies, railways, and other important infrastructure.

Plenaries

• Who will finance Africa's Development?

This debate focused on the possible trajectory of Africa's economic development and the possible sources of the capital that will be needed to finance this economic growth. This Discussion paid special attention to the effects of the Euro Zone crisis and the rise of developing powers especially those in the BRICS bloc.^[4]

• Can global institutions work for Africa?

This discussion focused on the role of global institutions have played in Africa and potential roles they could play. The discussion focused on a range of institutions from the United Nations to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative(EITI).^[4] Attention was also paid as to whether or not these institutions can be made more responsible to Africa and Africans.

Parallel discussions

• In the Shadow of Giants - Nigeria and South Africa.

This discussion revolved around the nature and consequences of the growing regional rivalry between Africa's two largest economies.

• African Philanthropy.

The African Philanthropy debate focused on how African philanthropy could more effectively grapple with the structural and systemic issues of poverty and injustice.Looking at the role of African communities and individuals as key players in financing development and social justice, and how they can tap into new models and approaches.^[4]

• Exploding the Myths about China and India in Africa.

This discussion unpacked the true nature of growing Chinese and Indian investment in Africa

• 10x10: Educate Girls, Change the World.^[5]

A screening and discussion around the film 10x10 Educate Girls, Change the world. "[The] groundbreaking film, directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins, tells the stories of 10 extraordinary girls in 10 developing countries, written by 10 acclaimed writers and narrated by 10 world-class actresses. Woven together, the 10 stories give voice to the daunting challenges faced by girls navigating adolescence in much of the developing world."^[6]

Encounters and innovators

• Democracy for Sale? Secret Party funding -South Africa's next democratic challenge.
• Making it their business? The potential role of the business sector in supporting and resourcing LGBTI causes in South Africa
• Hitching big business and development: An uncomfortable partnership or good for both?
• Improving the Accountability of BRICS Extractive Companies
• Improving the Transparency of Contracts and Payments in the Extractive Sector: Securing national reform in Africa and supporting international standards.
• Same-sex, power and money:Is the North still the ally of choice for LGBTI groups?
• Fairy-tale or sordid reality? The 'rule of law', the United Nations and Africa.
• Building on Busan: Creating an enabling environment for civil society.
• The subtle and the bold: The power and sexiness of LGBTI advocacy.
• Patriarchy and publishing: Breaking African media's gender and sexual stereotypes.
• In our own words and pictures: Rescripting our stories and political resistance.
• African Charter and the fight for the AU chair: A new dawn for governance in Africa?
• Annual status of education report: How informed citizens can hold governments to account.
• When blind justice reinforces exclusion: The failure of the justice system to accommodate all.
• Organising online: How feminists are exploiting cyber activism.
• Blind development approaches do not work: Time for a new approach?
• Do no harm: The positives and negatives of international advocacy on Africa.
• China and African peace and security: principle or pragmatism?
• Defusing electoral crises: The impact of civil society situation rooms in recent West African polls.
• Unlikely alliances: sex, power and new ideas from the margins.
• ‘Streams of blood, streams of money’: The legacy of the suppressed history of genocides against the indigenous peoples of southern Africa and their implications for21st century indigenous marginalization.
• African women writers on education,literature and open society in Africa
• Shadowing IBSA: Towards a civil society network to monitor human rights in foreign policy.
• Citizenship and statelessness in Africa.
• Power to the people: citizens’ efforts to promote accountability and influence the use of public money.
• New media for health and rights activism:Opportunities and obstacles.
• Exploring traditional gender roles as the root cause of violence against women.
• Crime and violence prevention: Developing integrated approaches in Southern and East Africa.
• What they don’t teach you at any business school:Students and sexual consciousness.
• No money, no power, no sex: Youth with disabilities in Africa.
• Foreign land ownership and dispossession.

Day 2: power

The sessions on Day 2 focused on:

• What the Arab Uprisings can teach sub-Saharan Africa about political transitions, as well as what limitations these uprisings have faced;
• What the rise of the BRICS countries means for African politics and African politicians;
• Whether human rights and good governance – increasingly held up as pre-conditions for aid from Western countries in the last two decades – are likely to suffer as a result of increased economic and development assistance from the emerging powers;
• Where the new thought leadership and activism will come from to address the political and economic inequalities that continue to plague the continent.^[4]

Plenaries

• Arab uprisings – Spring revolution or summer of discontent.

This panel investigated the connotations of the North African uprisings on the rest of the African continent.

• Elections – The good, the bad and the ugly: How elections in Africa confirm and confound what we know about inequality.

This session discussed the role and effectiveness of elections in Africa.

Parallel discussions

• New generation of African artists and activists talk politics

In this discussion a panel of African authors and musicians discussed activism and politics in Africa fifty years after the decolonization of most of Africa.

• Winner takes it all – corruption and politics.

This panel lead discussion investigated the scourge of corruption on the African continent and discussed manners in which it can be prevented as well as perpetrators could be made more accountable.

Encounters and innovators

• The African Right to Information Model Law: Empowering vulnerable groups to utilize their right to access information held by public institutions.
• Cooperation between Brazil and Africa for educational development
• ICT Innovation for Social and Political Change in Africa.
• Stronger together: Opportunities for joint action among BRICS civil society to improve accountability of oil, gas and mining companies.
• When money and power determine access to medicines: Building a civil society movement to overcome this health inequality.
• Pedagogy of the oppressed: Raising consciousness in LGBTI and sex worker communities.
• Transgender and Intersex: All you want to know but were too afraid to ask.
• Cooperation between Brazil and Africa for educational development: The case of the South-South Cooperation Programme for the right to education.
• ICC and civil society: Conversation with the ICC deputy Prosecutor.
• Stripped of their clothes and rights: How can Malawian women reclaim the streets?
• Student mobilization for social change- Equal Education and the Chilean Student Movement.

Day 3: sex

The third day of the OpenForum focused on gender inequality and homophobia and the extent to which both continue to define virtually every society on the continent – and how to support social movements in a context of growing inequalities,where activists have fewer financial resources and are simultaneously required to address growing social discrimination. In particular, the sessions on Day 3 looked at the extent to which:

• The LGBTI movement (and other social movements)can learn and benefit from the gains of the women’s movement;
• New economic challenges intersect with the civil and political rights agendas that have traditionally been the domain of women’s groups and the LGBTI movement.

Plenaries

• Are women occupying new movements?

Explored the extent to which new protest movements against global economic inequality have the potential to challenge economic models and phenomena that work against women and rest on unequal relations between women and men.

• The politics of sexual pleasure.

This session sought to understand the politics around women’s right to sexual pleasure, the policy implications of this desire to control women’s bodies and, more importantly, their sexualities, as well as how masculinities are often framed in ways that encourage violence and unhealthy sexual relationships.

Parallel discussions

• Playing politics with gay rights.

This panel tried to understand the broad responses of key actors to the issue of homosexuality – from donors to heads of states and government – by looking at specific recent examples from Nigeria, Uganda and Malawi.

• Traditional and Religious Fundamentalism – Confronting the backlash.^[7]

This session investigated the recent patriarchal backlash that Africa is seeing towards the recent gains made by Women's rights and LGBTI groups. This session sought to understand why this backlash is occurring and discuss what can be done to confront it.

• In our image – Defining African-ness

This session asked whether popular African culture reflects the ‘real Africa’ and looks at whether there is a disconnect between traditional development approaches that seek to ‘develop’ Africans and new ways in which Africans live, love and work.

Closing plenary

• Changing the rules, changing the game and changing the future

The final plenary discussed some of the major game-changers in the past few decades and discuss how to find, fund and facilitate the appearance of new game-changers from young politicians to innovative activists to technological innovators to people forging a new business path.

Speakers

The OpenForum involved a variety of activists, artists, businesspeople and decision-makers including:

Keynote speakers

• Aryeh Neier
• Fatou Bensouda
• Tawanda Mutasah

Money speakers

• Akwasi Aidoo
• Aniket Alam
• Akwe Amosu
• Dr Wiebe Boer
• Buddy Buruku
• Howard French
• Neville Gabriel
• Anne Gathumbi
• Yao Graham
• Michel Kazatchkine
• Joanna Kerr
• Janet Mawiyoo
• Professor Thandika Mkandawire
• Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
• Deprose Muchena
• Cedric Ntumba
• Dr Adebayo Olukoshi
• Liepollo Pheko
• Clare Short
• eL Seed

Power speakers

• Tutu Alicante
• Asef Bayat
• Bibi Bakare-Yusuf
• Joaquim Chissano
• Shirin Ebadi
• Mona Eltahawy
• Andrew Feinstein
• Petina Gappah
• Khaled Hroub
• Brian Kagoro
• Ory Okolloh
• Mamphela Ramphele
• Theo Sowa
• Christopher Stone, Research Director at CPD
• Abdul Tejun-Cole
• Binyavanga Wainaina
• Lynne Muthoni Wanyeki
• Femi Kuti
• Simphiwe Dana

Sex speakers

• Hakima Abbas
• Rudo Chigudu
• Staceyann Chin
• Mark Gevisser
• Pumla Gqola
• Jessica Horn
• Hauwa Ibrahim
• Regina Jane Jere-Malanda
• Zola Maseko
• Phumi Mtetwa
• Darlene Miller
• Zanele Muholi
• Binaifer Nowrojee
• Kapano Ratele
• Yara Sallam
• Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah
• Zandi Sherman
• Jane Bennett

External links

• Official website

References