[AU-Monitor] Short note from Session on the CSO policy engagement

[Firoze Manji]

Short note from Session on the CSO policy engagement around Pan  
African Institutions, 21st January in the margins of the WSF, Nairobi

Close to thirty people from thirteen organizations interested in  
scaling up CSO capacities around the African Union and other Pan  
African institutions met for three hours to share progress on current  
initiatives to support CSOs and the upcoming January AU Summit. This  
note attempts to bring together some of the main insights in the  
meeting. It does not necessarily reflect agreement on each of the  
points, but it should be noted that the overall atmosphere was  
collegial and mutually supportive. Thanks to Janah Ncube of ACORD for  
moderating the discussion, Oxfam and SARPN staff for the logistics.

Progress on CSO Support facilities in Addis and Midrand Trust Africa/ 
Open Society: Open Society, Trust Africa and the MacArthur Foundation  
have secured mutual agreement and funding to establish an NGO center  
in Addis. They are considering establishing a physical space and  
logistical support for CSOs to set up meetings with the AU  
Commission, travel grants for CSO leaders to come to Addis and  
hosting meetings for CSOs in Addis. Issues curerently being discussed  
is how to broaden ownership through a reference group, securing  
additional resources and remaining autonomous yet connected with the  
African Union. For further information: Tawanda Mutasa  
tawandam at osisa.org

Fahamu: The AU Monitor is a three year old idea that was energized  
more recently with work around the 2006 Summits as an information  
service hosted on www.pambazuka.org and through an email list-serve.  
300,000 hits have been recorded to date. Hakima Abbas will be the  
Editor for AUM, initially working from Nairobi with a view to  
relocating to Addis. Issues AUM is grappling around is how to make  
sure that the facility is used more by African CSOs, does galvanise  
campaigns and advocacy and leads to a cadre of pan Africanists For  
further information: Firoze Manji firoze at fahamu.org

Southern Africa Trust: Research and consultations are underway to  
establish a support facility in the Midrand with a focus on the APRM  
and NEPAD secretariats and the African Parliament. The facility is  
guided by several agencies including ActionAid, AFRODAD, Oxfam and  
SAT among others and has secured resources from CIDA, ActionAid and  
SAT. In may 2007, there will be a consultation to structure the  
facility based on the research findings. For further information:  
Neville Gabriel Ngabriel at southernafricatrust.org

Areas for mutual thinking and possible support:

1.    Closer collaboration between the Trust Africa/OSI and Fahamu  
initiatives in Addis will avoid potential duplication. Oxfam also  
offered any Addis based support they could give towards both initiatives

2.    Shared learning and ownership across the initiatives will lead  
to specialization and greater effectiveness. Having each of the  
initiatives represented on the reference/governance structures for  
the three facilities and inter-website links will strengthen  
information flows between them. There should be conscious attempts to  
have face to face design, review and learning spaces say around the  
Summits and also to specialize and develop specific niches.

3.    The facilities should encourage new and diverse voices and  
perspectives and promote coalitions and alliances to engage the Pan  
African institutions. A clear issue for all three is the balance  
between direct advocacy (coherency) and facilitated advocacy  
(diversity). Should the initiatives take up causes they will seen as  
partisan and the information they provide will be suspected of being  
influenced by internal agenda, should they have no agenda of their  
own, they will be challenged a few years down the line as having an  
impact that is not being measurable in terms of policy change.

4.    There was general agreement that the context is ripe for the  
initiatives with CSOs conspicuously silent on a number of important  
political, social and economic issues and the perception that the AU  
is either at best, unable to widen the space or at worst, actually  
closing down the space for non-state actors.

5.    There is a need for CSO alliances and coalitions to engage  
member-states in the capitals and not only around Summits. This will  
require broad popularization strategies.

6.    Around the AU Summit, after a quick briefing on the issues on  
the agenda, it was agreed that one action would be taken around the  
coordination of a statement around the Presidency and Darfur.
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______________________________________
Irungu Houghton
Pan-Africa Policy Advisor/Conseiller en Politiques Panafricaines
Oxfam GB, Shelter Afrique, Mamlaka road,
P.O. Box 40680, GPO (00100), Nairobi, Kenya.
Direct Line: +254-20-2820155,  Switch board +254-20-2820000
Cell: +254-(0) 733-635-354,
Fax: +254-20- 254-20-2820105/4
Email: irunguh at oxfam.org.uk
Skype: <irunguh>