WEEK ONE, 22 September 2015: "Tales from a young democracy"

Our first session will take the form of an extended introduction - to South Africa, its transition to democracy and to the nature of political engagement there. A brief tour through South Africa's recent political history will give students the tools with which to analyze the development of what is still a fledgling democracy.

I will also share insights from my tenure in public office, first as a backbench Member of Parliament in South Africa's Official Opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), then as Leader of the Official Opposition in the National Assembly. Through my experiences I hope to give students an impression of what it is like to work as a young political leader at the forefront of a democracy “under construction”.

Room: Faculty Dining Room, HKS

***All study groups are off-the-record and not for media coverage***