---

Renaissance is a quarterly publication of the Sustainable Democracy Programme of the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC). The Newsletter is published under SARDC's Sustainable Democracy Programme sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Office for Southern Africa under the Strength programme.

---

The year 2001 was tinged with hope surrounding ground breaking events: the OAU, soon to become the African Union and a New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) a blueprint for the continent's economic recovery was launched.

---