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.