“In this, the second of two workshops, eight countries are covered – Angola, Botswana, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
The workshops allowed researchers to present their findings and brought together leading
members of ruling and opposition political parties from all the countries. Judging by the responses and comments from most political party representatives present, this workshop had an impact on two levels. First, it allowed parties with different origins and capacities, levels of development and political cultures to exchange experiences and to share the challenges they face in their respective countries. Put differently, the workshops allowed parties to look at similarities and differences. Second, the interaction between political parties and researchers helped to enhance the credibility of the research and its findings. The workshops confirmed the
interest of high-level party representatives in discussions on the basis of systematic study and constructive dialogue. Indeed, the openness of political party members and their interaction with researchers will improve the quality of the final research product.”
