The Sixth Congress of OSSREA was held at the White Sands Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from 24-28 April 2000. The theme of the Sixth Congress was "Globalization, Democracy and Development in Africa: Future Prospects". The Congress was attended by some 120 participants from Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, the Netherlands, Norway, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
During the Opening Ceremony, Prof. John S. Mshana, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam, welcomed the participants on behalf of Prof. Matthew Luhanga, the Vice-Chancellor. Following this, Dr. Asmelash Beyene, the President of OSSREA, gave a brief speech on the historical background of the organization and the achievements over past years. On behalf of OSSREA and himself, the President also expressed his deepest gratitude to Ford Foundation, the Government of Norway, Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation (NORAD), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida/ SAREC), The International Development Research Center (IDRC), and the United Nations' Economic commission for Africa (UNECA), who provided the necessary funds and valuable supports for organizing and convening the 6th Congress.
Under the theme of Globalization, Democracy and Development in Africa: Future Prospects, forty-five papers were presented at the Congress. Nine selected papers were presented at the plenary session while the rest of the other papers were presented at Group Discussions organized under the following seven-sub-themes:
Group 1
· Globalization and Economic Development
· Globalization and Environmental Sustainability of Development
Group 2
· Globalization and Gender Inequality
· Globalization and Cultural Confrontations
· Globalization and national Security
Group 3
· Globalization, Governance, and Democratization
· Globalization, Education, and Local Knowledge.
A separate session was held on Pastoralism, Resource Competition and Systems of Livelihood, during which three papers were presented.
Apart from the academic deliberations, various other meetings were also held in the course of the Congress. These included:
· Consultative meetings of the Executive Committee (to give direction to the activities of the Congress)
· A meeting of the Liaison Officers of OSSREA (to hear the Officers' report on national chapter activities, and to brief them on the procedures for participation in the business meeting, the election of Executive Committee members, and the venue for the next congress; the completion/ submission of biodata forms for the Register of Social Scientists; and data collection on potential sales outlets in member countries for OSSREA's publications)
· A meeting of the Advisory Editorial Board of the EASSRR (to discuss ways of improving the publication and circulation of the EASSRR and to restructure the editorial team), and
· The business meeting of the Congress.
In Addition to these events, there was an award ceremony in which OSSREA honored those social scientists who had made exemplary contributions to its growth and provided public services. The following scholars were awarded OSSREA medals and certificates of honour.
OSSREA Distinguished Service Award
· Dr. Eshetu Chole: an economist of continental stature, the late Dr. Eshetu was an active member of OSSREA who had served as its Resident Vice-President and then as its Executive Secretary. He had also contributed as Editor of its journal, the EASSRR. The posthumous award was received on behalf of his family by Prof. Bahru Zewde.
· Prof. Akiiki Mujaju: the late Akiiki Mujaju was a respectable scholar of political science. He was an active member of OSSREA and served it for two terms as a member of its Executive Committee. The posthumous award was received on behalf of his family by Prof. J. C. Munene.
· Prof. Wilfred Mlay: Prof. Mlay is a prolific scholar who has actively worked towards the founding of OSSREA. He served as Vice-President and then President of OSSREA, and still contributes as a member of the Editorial Board of its journal, the EASSRR. Currently, he works as the Vice-President of World Vision International, Africa Region, in Nairobi, Kenya.
Distinguished Public Services Award
· Right Hon. Prof. Apolo Nsibanbi: the Right Honourable Apolo Nsibambi was a professor of political science at Makerere University. As founding father of OSSREA, he had served it as a member of its Executive Committee for two terms, and then as its vice-president. He had also served as Uganda's Minister of Public Service and then Minister of Education and Sports before becoming Prime Minister. Due to pressing engagements, he could not make it to the Congress and hence his award was received on his behalf by Prof. J. C. Munene.
· Hon. Prof. Peter Anyang' Nyong'o: Prof. Anyang' Nyong'o is not only a reputed scholar of political science but also a widely respected practitioner of politics. He was an active member of OSSREA who had made an appreciable contribution as editor of its journal, the EASSRR. Currently, he is serving as Member of Parliament of the Kenya National Assembly and Parliamentary Leader of the Social Democratic party (SDP).
Furthermore, the members of the Executive Committee who had completed their terms were given certificates of service in recognition of the time and energy they had devoted to OSSREA to give overall direction to the multi-faceted efforts aimed at fulfilling its mission.
The business meeting was attended by delegated members each drawn from OSSREA's member countries. During the meeting, the Executive Secretary presented a report in which he reviewed the activities of the past three years as well as the financial status of OSSREA, highlighted the achievements registered by OSSREA, and the challenges during the years 2000-2003.
The delegated members fully endorsed the Executive Secretary's report. The participants also endorsed the summary of the action plans put forward by the tree groups who were assigned to discuss the areas of improvement in OSSREA's future activities. The meeting recommended that the future task proposed in the Executive Secretary's report be integrated with the action plans drawn by the discussion groups to serve as guidelines for OSSREA's activities during the next three years.
Following this recommendation, the delegated participants of the meeting discussed the venue for the Seventh Congress and it was agreed that the new Executive Committee would nominate a suitable venue from among the three proposed places in line with OSSREA's tradition.
At the end the election of officers for the new Executive Committee was held. The outgoing President of OSSREA, Dr. Asmelash Beyene, briefed the participants on the constitutional provisions regarding the members of the Executive Committee. The participants then nominated a few members of OSSREA for the vacant position in the Executive Committee. Finally the following persons were elected to serve as the members of the Executive Committee for the next three years.
· President: Dr. Evelyn Sandra Pangeti (Female)
· Resident Vice-President: Prof. Bahru Zewde
· Vice-President: Dr. Regina Karega (Female)
· Vice-President: Prof. Abel G. Ishumi
· Member: Dr. Nomonde Thekisho (Female)
· Member: Dr. Ackson M. Kanduza
· Member: Mr. John Were.
