In the month of May drawing to a close, the Institute for Defence Policy has repositioned itself for an even more active and purposeful participation in the debate on Southern African security issues. This has led, amongst others, to an office relocation and staff expansion with Ms Euníce Reyneke as editor and Mr Mark Shaw as researcher joining IDP. Mark has been with the Centre for Policy Studies, where he has already contributed substantially to the study of conflict and conflict-resolution.

Recently the Institute, in conjunction with the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), organised a successful visit of seventeen members of the three South African parliamentary defence committees to Germany and Britain. The purpose of the trip was to learn how the parliamentary defence committees in these two countries function and to discuss specific defence policy issues, such as defence procurement procedures, defence export policy and women in the military. By all accounts the MP’s, who represented all the political parties in the South African parliament, found the trip of considerable practical value. Judging by recent submissions to the Constituent Assembly, the information gleaned during the visit has already proved to be beneficial.

On 17 and 18 May 1995, the Institute hosted a round table seminar on South African global peace support efforts in Cape Town. The purpose of the seminar was to engage key South Africans in a debate on South African involvement in preventive diplomacy, and more specifically the implications and choices that would face South Africa when participating in international peace support operations under the auspices of the United Nations. Members of parliament, the departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs, and a number of academics particpaed in these discussions which are summarised in an article in this issue of the Review. The seminar is only one element of a programme to discuss and debate South African participation in preventive diplomacy and peace support operations. Some of the papers presented at this seminar, plus a number of articles commissioned by IDP will soon appear as a special edition of the African Security Review, devoted to this subject.

Another project embarked on in May, is a policy support programme to co-ordinate and assist with the demobilisation and social reintegration of former soldiers. IDP is facilitating an integrated planning programme to identify and implement a small number of pilot schemes aimed at social reintegration. If successful, these projects will be funded by foreign governments, in conjunction with the Department of Defence, the various Reconstruction and Development Programme offices and structures, business and other interest groups. The Institute considers this project to be very important, as it will assist in preparing for thousands of former combatants who will leave the armed forces in the years to come as South Africa forges ahead with its ambitious demilitarisation programme.