On 1 January 1997 the Institute for Defence Policy changed its name to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), to reflect a change in focus, ethos and organisation. The name change followed changes in the mission statement of the Institute, as well as a number of other important developments. Collectively, these changes institutionalise the natural growth and transformation of the Institute in recent years.

As a result, the ISS that has emerged at the beginning of 1997 is vastly different from the IDP of 1994 or even 1995.

The history of the Institute reflects a remarkable success story. From its humble origins in the small upper level of a thatched office building in Halfway House, the Institute has grown to become one of the largest and certainly one of the most active policy research centres in Africa. This is particularly evident from the personnel contingent that has grown from an initial staff of three in 1991 to a core of eighteen full-time employees, a number of additional contract employees and interns, and a network of research associates. Staff members and associates of the Institute are diverse, originating from several countries in Africa and beyond. While the sum effect of the metamorphosis of the Institute from the IDP to ISS is comprehensive, it is in effect another hurdle that has been passed on the road embarked upon by the Institute in the latter part of 1994.

Following an internal strategic review at that stage, the Institute started to reposition itself to meet the challenges of what it perceived to be a changing operating environment. These adaptations revolved around five core issues. Firstly, despite a name that reflected a focus on defence issues, the Institute expanded its focus areas to encompass security in its widest sense, as is evident today from its large policing, human security and other projects. In the process, activities that focused narrowly on the transformation of the military in South Africa became of secondary importance to the Institute. In its place, crime and policing have gained a far greater importance, reflecting, in particular, the more immediate challenges facing South Africa, as well as trans-national security issues. A second important change was that the Institute shifted its focus from a 'process' orientation to one concerned with 'content' in the belief that the continued need for facilitation and networking should be underwritten by sound policy research. As a result, 1996 saw the launch of two additional series of publications. Apart from the ISS's flagship journal, the African Security Review, the Institute launched the IDP Monograph Series (now the ISS Monograph Series), a series of IDP Papers (now ISS Papers) and commenced with the publication of a number of books.

A third change was the shift in focus from South African issues to those pertinent to Africa. As a result, research associates of the Institute have been increased to include a number of prominent African scholars, a very successful internship programme has been established, and a deliberate effort has been made to engage Africa in dealing with African issues. At present, the Institute undertakes a considerable amount of work for the Organisation of African Unity and engages the countries of the region, particularly members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in virtually all of its programmes. Similarly many of the issues which the Institute deals with, such as small arms proliferation, are of direct relevance to Africa.

The Institute also decided to embark upon a programme to broaden its funder base. Apart from its core funders, the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany, the Open Society Foundation for South Africa, the Anglo American and De Beers Chairman's Fund and First National Bank, the Institute and its projects are also funded by the governments of the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Britain and Switzerland. The United Nations Development Programme was also an important new funder of ISS during 1996, as were the Liberty Life Foundation, Q Data Consulting, Nedcor and Rand Merchant Bank. Other grants were received from Anglovaal and the Foundation for Global Dialogue. This support has enabled the Institute to make a substantial contribution to the promotion of peace, stability and development on the continent.

Finally, the ISS's policy review reaffirmed its long-stated position as an independent institute, ready to engage critically and in a constructive spirit where appropriate, but never on a partisan or party-political basis. Where applicable, however, some of the Institute's projects may carry the formal endorsement of the South African Government and organisations such as the OAU, but care is taken to guard the research independence of the Institute. Though the Institute, as an organisation, does not take in particular policy positions, it reserves the right to express criticism of governments and organisations where such criticism is based on thorough research findings. There is, however, a growing concern among ISS research staff about a perceived decrease in transparency and consultation in South Africa that may infringe in future upon the space that independent research organisations occupy.

The Institute for Security Studies' future direction and development will be guided by a search for strategic alliances and partnerships with organisations that share its values and commitments. The ISS will also actively move into the electronic multi-media age during 1997 and plans to make all its publications of the last year accessible on the world wide web free of charge.To this end, ISS will establish its own web server. Furthermore, an information centre will soon be operational at the Institute and will combine material from two of its larger projects – Crime and Policing and Towards Collaborative Peace – and will consist mainly of periodicals and reference material. The Criminal Justice Information Centre will focus on current South African crime information and statistics, and will collaborate with Nedcor, Business against Crime and the Ministry of Safety and Security. The collection of information that is part of the Towards Collaborative Peace project, concentrates on small arms proliferation and current arms control issues, with special emphasis on Southern Africa and South America. Documents from the ISS information centre will be available for utilisation by research institutions, business, academics and the public.

Other important projects that will take shape during 1997 are expanded drug and organised crime programmes, and the establishment of a 'safer cities' project. A research programme to capture and distribute a 'best practices' model to the various South African Community Policing Forums has also recently been launched. In terms of peacekeeping, ISS will continue with the presentation of its in-depth regional seminars and courses in Southern Africa, while assisting the OAU in the formulation of an appropriate African peacekeeping doctrine and other related issues. In the process the Institute will capitalise on its most important strategic asset – the further integration and mutual support of the various projects at ISS, such as those concentrating on drugs, small arms proliferation, population movement and cross-border crime. A regular seminar series will also commence in 1997, with the focus on shorter afternoon seminars and expert workshops, as opposed to the longer day-long conferences of the past. Finally, this year will also see the establishment of an ISS Advisory Board and the appointment of an honorary patron to guide the future strategic direction of the Institute.

The new mission of the Institute for Security Studies is to enhance human security in Africa. This, we believe, will be achieved through applied research and the dissemination of information relating to individual, regional and international security. The Institute has also re-committed itself to a set of core values consisting of democracy, good governance and the promotion of common security. By advocating an approach based on common security (sometimes also called collaborative or co-operative security), the Institute aims to encourage particularly African countries, to shape their political and security policies in co-operation (and not in competition) with one another.

According to the Bonn Declaration, the concept of human security implies the "absence of threat to human life, lifestyle and culture." In the African context, the most salient of these threats to human security emanate from ethno-political conflict, small arms proliferation, the displacement of people, hunger, poverty, environmental degradation, crime and corruption. The prevalence of such threats on the continent is often caused or magnified by, among others, poor governance, the involvement of the military in political processes and the incomplete integration of former combatants into civil society. It is important to note that the concept of human security emphasises the fact that security must be interpreted primarily as security for people.

The ISS is committed to develop an African research capacity and to this end, pursues equal employment practices. The Institute subscribes to a broad understanding of national and regional security policy, that forms the point of departure for its inter- and multidisciplinary approach to security issues.

In pursuing its research goals, the Institute provides the following services:

independent applied research;


dissemination of information;


formulation and analysis of policy;


monitoring of trends and policy implementation;


teaching and training;


publishing;


organisation of conferences, seminars, and workshops; and


international networking.

Organisationally, the ISS is divided into three broad research areas, namely regional issues (including peacekeeping, regional security, population movement, ecological issues, defence restructuring, etc.); small arms and the culture of violence; and crime and policing.

An important new development within the Institute, that has thus far been run as a non-profit trust, is the provision of a specialised Management Consulting Service. It will initially function on a profit-centre basis within the ISS, but it is foreseen that the Service will eventually establish itself as a separate company, remitting a portion of its profits to the ISS. The establishment of the consulting service aims to reduce the Institute's total dependence on voluntary donor contributions. The ISS, in contrast to many comparable organisations overseas, does not receive a core government grant, nor does it have reserves in the form of income-producing investments that can tide it over in lean years or supplement donor income for capital expenditure and related items. Finally, Africa as the ISS's primary audience, cannot afford substantial membership subscription rates that will be sufficient to fund Institute activities to a meaningful extent. As a result, the massive publication programme is heavily subsidised by donor contributions. A long process of consultation has preceded the decision to form a consulting service – with the ISS funders, accountants and lawyers – to ensure that donor moneys do not fund commercial ventures, and that the service will not contravene the trust deed of ISS as registered with the Master of the South African Supreme Court.

The support services of the Institute have also been reorganised with each research stream supported by its own secretarial services on a decentralised basis but with project accounting, conferences and publications centralised.

Much has changed, but certain core values will always remain. One of these is the reputation of the Institute to deliver relevant research input on time and in time. A recent independent evaluation conducted during October 1996 by Mr Peter Gastrow, special advisor to the South African Minister of Safety and Security, on behalf of the Open Society Foundation for South Africa, concluded that the former IDP was "... a professional, competent and well-focused research institute which has made a significant impact on debates and policy decisions in respect of matters relating to security. Its applied research work has direct relevance to many crucial policy issues in South Africa and the continent as a whole." The Institute was, furthermore "... meticulous in reporting to donors on progress of the projects funded by them and about general activities of the IDP. In many ways they set an example to other South African NGOs in this regard." These are two important areas where the Institute for Security Studies will remain true to the reputation that has been established by the former IDP, its staff, past and present, and its variety of research and other associates.

I believe that 1997 will see the further consolidation of the Institute's contribution towards peace, stability and justice in Africa.

Jakkie Cilliers