A Study in Participatory Democracy: The São Tomé & Príncipe National Forum

In June and July of 2004, 56 public meetings were held throughout the African island nation of São Tomé & Príncipe, culminating in a three-day session with citizen delegates and government officials. This “National Forum of Reconciliation” was undertaken to comply with the political settlement of a 2003 coup attempt. While two previous Forums were widely perceived as having failed, it was hoped that a more participatory structure could help resolve some of the country’s political rifts. At the end of the Forum policy recommendations were made to the government. Despite these successes, it was unclear from the Forum's inception if the process would be sustainable. The objective of the workshop was to analyze the objectives, process, and results of the 2004 National Forum in São Tomé & Príncipe.