Academic CentreJoin Sanjay Pradhan, CEO of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) for a stimulating, thought-provoking conversation on rethinking governance - democracy beyond the ballot box, fostering transparency, accountability and public participation. The lecture will take place on December 4th 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
The promise of democracy has been defined by the ballot box. But that promise has not often translated into reality and the ballot box alone has not been sufficient. In recent years, the attacks on democracy are also not coming from stolen elections or military coups. They are coming from outside of the electoral process, from the erosion in civic engagement and responsive governance which makes elections meaningful. They are coming from attacks on activists, journalists, the media, oversight institutions and the rule of law.
Sanjay will talk about an emerging movement - the Open Government Partnership (OGP) - that is seeking to reinvigorate democracy beyond the ballot. OGP was launched in 2011 by eight Heads of States, including US President Obama. In just seven years, 79 countries and a growing number of local governments – representing more than two billion people – along with thousands of civil society organizations have joined OGP.
Sanjay will take us through a tour around OGP countries to share stories of courageous and committed reformers and activists who are empowering citizens to shape and oversee government, so it serves them rather than itself. Sanjay will discuss our collective imperative to forge a positive global force to reinvigorate democracy and a countervailing force against the rise of authoritarianism.
Sanjay Pradhan Bio
Sanjay Pradhan joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) as CEO in May 2016. Sanjay leads a partnership of 79 countries and a growing number of local governments – representing more than two billion people – along with thousands of civil society organizations, working together to make governments more open, participatory and responsive to citizens. Since joining OGP in 2016, Sanjay has led policy dialogue with Heads of States, Ministers and civil society leaders across OGP member countries.
Prior to OGP, Sanjay held three Vice-Presidential positions at the World Bank, including Vice President for the World Bank Institute. Over a 30-year World Bank career, Sanjay led the World Bank’s Governance and Anticorruption Strategy, served as Director for Public Sector Governance, launched the Global Partnership for Social Accountability, and led high-level policy dialogue on governance across Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and South Asia.
Sanjay is a well regarded global expert on open governance and anticorruption issues, speaking at major world forums, including the TED Global Conference, the UN General Assembly, the European Parliament, the BBC World Debate, the British House of Commons, South by Southwest (SXSW), London Anti-Corruption Summit, International Anti-corruption Conference, and OGP Global Summits in Europe, Asia and the Americas. He has published widely, and was a principal author of the 1997 World Development Report, The State in a Changing World. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard University.
