Helen Suzman Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Helen Suzman Foundation is an independent, non-partisan think-tank in South Africa
dedicated to promoting liberal democratic
values and human rights
in post-apartheid South Africa through its research and publications. The foundation was established in honour of Helen Suzman
, a long-time liberal opposition MP who opposed apartheid in the South African parliament
and the foundation's patron
.
The foundation publishes opinion pieces in newspapers, a quarterly magazine, Focus, and also conducts public opinion polls in South Africa as well as neighbouring Zimbabwe
.
Academic R. W. Johnson was the foundation's first director until he resigned in 1995. He continued to write freelance articles for the press describing himself as the foundation's former director, one of which led to a falling-out with Helen Suzman herself in 2003. Suzman and Johnson's successor at the Foundation, Lawrence Schlemmer, accused Johnson of racism and sought to distance the foundation from him after he wrote an article in which he referred to senior South African politicians of India
n descent as "enterprising Asian countrymen".
In 2006, former Democratic Alliance MP Raenette Taljaard succeeded Schlemmer to become the foundation's director.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
dedicated to promoting liberal democratic
Liberal democracy
Liberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
values and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
in post-apartheid South Africa through its research and publications. The foundation was established in honour of Helen Suzman
Helen Suzman
Helen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
, a long-time liberal opposition MP who opposed apartheid in the South African parliament
Parliament of South Africa
The Parliament of South Africa is South Africa's legislature and under the country's current Constitution is composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces....
and the foundation's patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
.
The foundation publishes opinion pieces in newspapers, a quarterly magazine, Focus, and also conducts public opinion polls in South Africa as well as neighbouring Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
.
Academic R. W. Johnson was the foundation's first director until he resigned in 1995. He continued to write freelance articles for the press describing himself as the foundation's former director, one of which led to a falling-out with Helen Suzman herself in 2003. Suzman and Johnson's successor at the Foundation, Lawrence Schlemmer, accused Johnson of racism and sought to distance the foundation from him after he wrote an article in which he referred to senior South African politicians of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent as "enterprising Asian countrymen".
In 2006, former Democratic Alliance MP Raenette Taljaard succeeded Schlemmer to become the foundation's director.