European Parliamentarians with Africa

For twenty-five years, AWEPA has been a pioneer in implementing parliamentary capacity building programmes in Africa. The ideology of this organisation, established for and by parliamentarians, is rooted in the struggle against apartheid.

In 1984 the ‘Association of West-European Parliamentarians for Action against Apartheid' (AWEPAA) started to mobilise politicians in democratically elected European parliaments in this struggle against apartheid. The organisation grew fast; from a small group of members in 16 national parliaments and in the European Parliament in September 1985, to some 1000 members in the early 1990s. Parliamentarians ensured effective sanction policies by passing laws, they monitored the implementation of these laws and they sought to hold governments accountable for their policies. AWEPAA's involvement contributed to an early end to apartheid and to the end the occupation of Namibia and it halted South Africa's policy of destabilization in Southern Africa.

After the apartheid regime was overthrown in South Africa, the first democratic elections were held and the transformation process in Southern Africa was set in motion, AWEPAA shifted its focus of attention. With advice from its African partners AWEPAA changed its mission to promote democracy, peace, human rights and democratic governance in Africa. In 1993, AWEPAA was renamed ‘The Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa' (AWEPA) and grew to some 1500 members.

The history and evolution of the organisation strengthened AWEPA's conviction that it should use its identity as 'an organisation of parliamentarians for parliamentarians' to contribute where possible in finding solutions to conflicts, and in promoting human rights by strengthening parliamentary democracy in Africa.