Historical Background
The Forum for Social Studies (FSS) was set up
by a group of academics and professionals in 1998.
Two main objectives underscored the establishment
of FSS: the pursuit of independent policy research
and the provision of public forum for debates and
consultations on policy issues. In carrying out
its program activities, FSS aims to contribute its
share to the fostering and expansion of the
democratization process.
FSS was set up as a membership organization,
with power ultimately residing in the General
Assembly, which meets annually. The Board, which
holds quarterly meetings, exercises closer
supervision and gives guidelines for the running
of the organization. The day-to-day work of the
organization is led by the Executive Director,
assisted by the Management Committee and the
general staff.
In line with its mandate, FSS has organized a
series of policy debates (in the form of workshops
and symposia) on a number of issues. These debates
and dialogues have almost invariably resulted in
publication
of proceedings and consultation papers. While most
publications are in English, some have been either
bilingual or in Amharic. Another innovation is the
launch of FSS
Update in January 2006. Since 2003, FSS has
also had a contractual agreement to manage a new
venture of CODESRIA, the Africa Review of
Books .
The organization's fairly impressive record has
won donor confidence and attracted a steadily
growing donor support. The culmination of this has
been the Memorandum of Understanding that FSS
signed in June 2005 with a consortium of donors
(DFID, the Irish Embassy, the Royal Netherlands
Embassy and the Royal Norwegian Embassy),
committing the latter to a three-year core
funding. The Royal Danish Embassy and SIDA have
now joined this consortium.
Vision
The vision of FSS is to see the creation of a
vibrant democratic society in Ethiopia where the
public can actively participate in and influence
the policy-making process in all development
sectors.
Mission
The Mission of FSS is to catalyse the emergence
of viable policy options that promote the
democratic and development aspirations of the
Ethiopian people.
Core Values and Principles
The core values and principles that are upheld
by FSS and that guide its program activities and
initiatives are:
• Application of democratic principles
and norms;
• Proactive and informed engagement of
stakeholders;
• Originality and intellectual integrity
of research products;
• Right of access to reliable, usable and
timely information in the public domain;
• Tolerance, respect for diversity and
gender sensitivity;
• Institutional independence.
