The Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA) is a regional research network organization established in Ethiopia in 1980 by social scientists from Eastern Africa. It has presently extended its membership to Southern Africa so as to serve both sub-regions. Although its membership is currently drawn from only 13 countries, its constitution mandates it to open membership to social scientists in 21 countries of Eastern and Southern Africa.
OSSREA held its Sixth Congress in April 2000 at White Sands Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. At the same occasion, the Organization celebrated its 20th Anniversary. The coincidence of the two land mark events, i.e., the Sixth Congress and the 20th Anniversary, had provided OSSREA members with an opportunity for reflecting on the pace made during the last twenty years of the Organization's existence and to map out its future direction in the pursuit of its mission.
The Sixth Congress, among others, discussed the issue of the responsibilities of the OSSREA National Chapters and mandated the Executive Committee to draft the bylaws governing the activities of the Chapters. The Executive Committee, in its meeting of 18-20 September 2000, had endorsed the draft bylaws. Therefore, in the years to come OSSREA's major effort would focus on the strengthening of its Chapters in the various member countries and on expanding its membership to countries that have not been reached so far.
This report intends to throw some light on the activities undertaken in the year 2000 that attests to the fact that OSSREA has continued to work towards achieving its mission.
