It is now 26 years since the formation of the Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), rebranded in 1992 to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). When SADC was formed, its objectives included an acceleration of the economic well being and improvements of the standard of living of all peoples in the region, improve the quality of life, promotion and maintenance of peace and security, achieving economic growth and development, alleviation of poverty, creation of common political values; systems and institutions, promoting self sustainable utilization of natural resources and effective protection of the environment, strengthening and coordinating the long-standing historical, social and cultural affinities and links among people or the region. Twenty-six years later, it is estimated that 80% of the people in the region are living below the poverty datum line. The introduction of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs), embedded in the doctrine of neo liberalisation with the objectives of privatisation of public services, reduction in government spending and deregulation of the pricing system has threatened the objectives of SADC. Chances are oblique if ever SADC will be able to raise the standards of living of its peoples, reduce poverty, and end the debt crisis and fostering pro-people and participatory development strategies. Every year, the SADC Heads of State meet to discuss problems affecting the region but the region has only slipped deeper into poverty. Has SADC become a social club or a talk show? What is the level of commitment within SADC towards improving the people’s livelihoods? Is SADC a true representation of African solidarity? Have the SADC Heads of state grabbed the neoliberal carrot and completely forgot about multitudes of poor people back home? As the SADC heads of State meet on 14 to 18 August 2006, in Maseru, Lesotho the poor peoples of the region are going to gather at the Cooperative College in Maseru in order to seek answers to the above questions. The Southern Africa Peoples Solidarity Network, SAPSN, in partnership with the Open Society Initiative, and Action Aid Southern Africa, are hosting this important People’s Summit on the 15th to 16th of August under the theme, ‘‘Reclaiming SADC for People’s Development: Assessing the Impact of Neo-liberal Policies on the Peoples’ Livelihoods’’. The purpose of the Summit will be to examine the current trajectory, the internal and external forces acting within and on SADC. Critical issues to be discussed include, but are not limited to: * The impact of neo-liberal policies from institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, WTO and how they have impacted on the lives of the SADC citizenry * The Impact of Debt on the lives of ordinary citizens of the Southern Africa region * The Impact of privatisations on the peoples with regards to access to health services, education and other social amenities *Dumping of Textile goods and impact on the local/regional textile industries particularly from China. The Summit will give the peoples of the region a chance and space to share their experiences and map out strategies and recommendations for the Heads of State Summit. The Summit will come up with Peoples’ Declaration that will be shared with the SADC Summit. The aim is to divest development strategies in the region from the current top-down approach to more people driven and participatory development strategies that includes the masses in decision-making.