how we do it

Focus

Focus is the flagship quarterly publication of the HSF. It is used as a forum for public debate and adds new, fresh voices to the policy dialogue. Each issue centres on a specific theme and readership is garnered through the publication of Focus on the website and a print run of approx. 3000 copies. The HSF seeks to place edited versions of the articles in the media to spread the insights and debate.

View and download recent issues of Focus

Roundtable Series

The Roundtable Series is a programme of panel discussions which provides a public forum to address topical issues of importance to South Africa’s political, economic and social development. The media are invited to each event. Immediately after the event, we publish a summary on our website and later an edited but verbatim version.

View and download summaries of our most recent Roundtables

Helen Suzman Memorial Lecture

The HSF, together with its partners, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, the Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies and Research at UCT, and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty, host an annual lecture in honour of Helen Suzman. These Lectures seek to honour not only Helen’s extraordinary contribution to public life in Parliament, but also to uphold the values which she brought to public life outside Parliament. These values embody informed and reasoned discourse, fairness and equity, and above all, the protection of individual human rights. The Memorial Lecture hosts a different speaker each year.

View and Download recent lectures

Justice Project

Funded by the Open Society Foundation For South Africa, this project explores the justice system to identify problem areas and propose strategic interventions to enhance the delivery of justice. The HSF has successfully hosted three symposia which examined the civil justice system, criminal justice system and constitutional jurisprudence.

The HSF was admitted to the Constitutional Court as amicus curiae in 2011 in the case of Glenister v President of the Republic of South Africa and Others. The case concerned the dissolution of the Scorpions and its replacement with the Hawks.

The HSF has also made written and oral submissions to the National Council fo Provinces (NCOP) ad hoc Committee regarding the Protection of State Information Bill, and submissions to the Standing Committee on the South African Police Service Amendment Bill, a consequence of the Glenister case.

Youth Leadership Project

The HSF piloted a youth mentoring programme. The programme targeted talented young people with proven leadership potential. The aim was to assist these young people to convert their potential into actual success, by developing and bolstering confidence. Critically, we also aimed to promote
value-driven leadership, through both the mentor relationship and regular workshops.

Youth Outreach Project

The Helen Suzman Foundation Youth Outreach Project, in partnership with HSBC and ConHill, is an outreach initiative with a research component. The programme will run a series of workshops, host conversations and other activities for learners from selected government and independent schools around the Johannesburg metropolitan area.

Strategic Health Reform Project

The HSF entered the health debate in 2009 by hosting a Roundtable entitled “Strategic Health Reform” in response to the ANC’s policy document on National Health Insurance. Since then, strategic reform of the health system has featured prominently on the public agenda. Consequently, and following a funding grant from HSBC in 2011, the HSF initiated a Health Reform Project. The core of the project is the question: Does the health care system enable citizens to realise their right of access to health care?

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