AIDC was formed in 1996 in response to the democratic transition in South Africa and the new opportunities and challenges it brought those seeking greater social justice within the democracy. Over the years AIDC has played a leading role in various civil society responses to ongoing inequality including facilitating the launch and building of the South African Jubilee 2000 debt cancellation campaign, and the Right to Work Campaign. AIDC has established itself as a leading source of research and information on themes of poverty, trade, and globalisation as well as playing a central role in various regional and international networks and forums including the Southern African Peoples' Solidarity Network (SAPSN), Third World Network (TWN), Jubilee South, and the Trade Strategy Group (TSG) .