New South Institute

Strengthening Delicate Democracies by Building Effective and Accountable Institutions

Latest Insights

Bridging communities through thinking: Rafael Leite’s New South Institute article in the Portuguese Forum

The New South Institute (NSI) highlights Rafael Leite's article in the Portuguese Forum, explaining our think tank's transition from Government and Public Policy (GAPP) to NSI. The article emphasizes our global ambitions, focus on emerging democracies, and commitment to addressing unique challenges.

Cash transfer programs in Southern Africa: the emergence of the new welfare states?

Jelena Vidojevic examines the impact and constraints of cash transfer programs in Southern Africa and suggests a basic income as a viable remedy to address the challenges of structural unemployment and poverty. In her article, published in the Journal of Social Policy, Vidojevic showcases how the success of cash transfer programs points towards the transformative potential of implementing a basic income policy.

Our Impact

NSI’s purpose is to provide evidence-based policy and applied research on complex problems of government in delicate democracies. We will judge our success on whether our insights and recommendations lead to actions by government to improve performance of state institutions and the other cornerstone institutions of democracy.

Our Projects

NSI provides evidence-based policy and applied research on complex problems of government in emergent democracies. NSI’s team has deep expertise in research, policy and advocacy. We currently run six research programmes. All adopt a common approach characterised by a focus on institutions and how to build them, research that brings theory and practise together, both in-country and comparatively, and an emphasis on working through partnerships with those who must implement the change. Our big data capability and analytics adds significant value to our research.

Our Aim

The New South Institute (NSI) is not simply a research institute and policy advisory - though we are excellent at that. The NSI believes that people with passion can change the world by building democracies and capable governments - especially in fragile democracies that live with challenges of state capture, social fragmentation and civil war. This is what we call the New South.

Partners

Events

NSI is dedicated to winning important arguments in the public domain by organising and participating in a diversity of events: conferences, lectures, webinars and interviews, both face-to-face and online.