Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, one of Idasa's founders, died on 14th May 2010. Idasa has compiled a series of tributes in recognition of the work of van Zyl Slabbert. Van Zyl, as he was fondly known, represented a living embodiment of active citizenship as a South African and an African public intellectual. He made enormous contributions to democracy globally through, among others, founding the Institute for Democracy in Africa (Idasa) and being a critical part of the South African transition to democracy. His life was rooted in the values of social justice which guided his participation on an ongoing basis in considering what democracy is and how it should be lived by citizens of South Africa and other countries.