David Ansara | Chief Executive (Designate) | Free Market Foundation | mail me |
In January 2023, I will be joining one of South Africa’s leading think tanks, the Free Market Foundation (FMF), as its new Chief Executive.
It will be an honour to serve an organisation that has promoted a market economy, the rule of law, and individual rights for nearly half a century.
My appointment has led me to reflect on what think tanks are for, and their rapidly changing role in the policy – and political – landscape in South Africa.
Why do think tanks exist?
At a basic level, think tanks promote specific policy-related causes and objectives. Through their work, they seek to influence the thinking of governments, businesses, and other social actors, such as the media.
Traditionally, think tanks have been staffed by researchers, lawyers, economists, academics, or public relations experts who devote their time and energy to publishing research papers, authoring books or journal articles, and hosting conferences.
That is what think tanks do, but what exactly is their purpose, you might ask?
They serve a vital role in entrenching constitutional democracy by acting as a coordination mechanism for civil society to be involved in the formulation and adoption of policy.For too long, think tanks in South Africa have seen themselves as…
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Read the full article by David Ansara, Chief Executive (Designate), Free Market Foundation, as well as a host of other topical management articles written by professionals, consultants and academics in the December/January 2022/3 edition of BusinessBrief.
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