Application Form (English) of Social Watch (Benin)

1	Name of the Organization: SOCIAL WATCH	Country: BENIN
2	“Letter of Intention” Please include: (1)   reason why your organisation is eligible to be part of Steering Committee; (2)   what kind of contribution that your organisation can make for Civic Commission for Africa
	The mission of Social Watch Benin is to maintain a social permanent surveillance of public administration. Since 2005, in collaboration with people of cities and countryside, Social Watch has engaged in consultation and activity by the means of various programmes of development, with the support of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Social Watch consults the people to collect their concerns and their deep aspirations for the development of Benin, within the framework of Citizen’s Control of public action. The analysis of perceptions of various alternative reports, which are elaborated at the stage of follow-up of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) or of development process of Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), conducts people to criticize the deficiencies of good economic and political governance (bad governance and corruption), which ruined all the efforts of socio-economic raising and improvement of the conditions of brave population. The population expressed their distress with the decay of respect for public property. They remain perplexed at the chances of success such as recognition of their interest in the national policy and in decision-makings. Social Watch also conducts CSO’s advocacy beside IMF and World Bank: petitions of our members for the fight against poverty beside IMF and WB. At the same time, the Social Watch network animates firstly the collective of federations and the network of NGOs, work secondly as a member of several plate forms on the governance, the follow-up of budget and the follow-up of planning centred on the objectives of Millennium for the development in Africa, and work finally in different researches in collaboration with international social network on social security. We now have 150 members and a space for CSO’s mobilization. We were so identified as reliable and representative interlocutor by many partners who finance our activities and by many others such as Swiss cooperation which is already engaged.
3	How much could your organisation allocate in order to fulfill responsibility to be part of Steering Committee? *Please include how to spend it. (in USDollar)
	For our actions, we consider a budget of 20 000 US Dollars.
4	Please share the view of your organisation on the report of Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa, “Our Common Interest”. http://www.commissionforafrica.org/english/report/introduction.html
	Two important considerations:   A) General vision of development   Objective of Sustainable Development, elaborated during 1980’, is "to meet the current needs, without compromising the capacity of future generations to satisfy theirs". It means to aim "a double solidarity: horizontal, with regard to most destitute moment, and vertical, between generations". Accordingly, sustainable development was revised on 4 major pillars: social, economy, environment and participative democracy. These four pillars must be in constant interaction. Socioeconomic Development, Environment and Citizenship must be regarded as indivisible on all scales of human societies’ organizations and their environment. The Sustainable Development is local, national and international question. It will be carried out only if the combat and the solidarity are conducted squarely: combat for sustainable management of resources, for disappearance of socioeconomic imbalances and for democracy. The social factors for sustainable development are the access to education, habitat, food, care... the access to satisfy the essential needs of people to fight exclusion in all its forms (social, professional...), to stabilize the demographic growth as well as to control the urban growth and migratory flows. From the economic point of view, sustainable development depends on economic development which conforms to natural environment, providing basic resources, on major change in international economic relations in order to promote fair trade, on cancellation of the debt of the poor countries, and finally, on increase in investments so that they are not constrained any more to choose short-term profits in contradiction with their sustainable development and that of planet. On the environmental level, to achieve the objective of sustainable development, it is important to respect the following principal conditions: use and sustainable management of natural resources (air, water, ground, life) and of the human knowledge, maintenance of several numbers of great natural balances (climate, biological diversity, oceans, forests...) and economy of non renewable resources (oil, gas, coal, ores...). The whole of these conditions will be reached only with the participation of each one. The Sustainable Development requires democracy and the effective participation in this democracy (citizenship).   B) Point of view   The developing countries must exercise the responsibility to not rely on the aide but to aim good governance and the fight against corruption. This effort will be useful through reform of public finance and promotion of mechanism of control by citizens. We must seek to impact the MDGs through research of good practices of follow-up of State’s general budget. Finally the 8th MDGs invites to an international partnership to reach the MDGs .We think that if this partnership is frank with a constant will of our country’s politicians, the combat for sustainable development will be gained.   In conclusion, it is true that this programme develops positive points such as education, water and health care, which conform with the achievement of MDGs. But certain points comprise negative impacts and the program remains for Africa on very general level. The reserves which we carry are related to the fact that this programme does not considerate the cultural diversity of countries and remains so very focused on numbering. Certainly with good intensions but we must be more convinced if this programme presents controllable effects and impacts in rereading of African countries. It is thus necessary to communicate around this programme!!!
5	Please list issues that your organisation would like to emphasize in order to reflect “voices” of your civil society effectively. *Please include reason why you listed those issues.
	1. Technical activity and internet 2. Promotion of Citizen’s Control of Public Action in the French-speaking African countries. We actually received this Mandate at the world general assembly of Social Watch International 3. Campaigns for reinforcement of CSO’s capacity on MDGs and Strategies of growth and reduction of poverty: for actual appropriation. 4. Reinforcement of capacity of local communities, associations for development and NGOs on the budgetary follow-up of community and on lobbying; for the effective advocacy and professional denunciations. 5. Publications and editions of reviews; letters for connection and alternative reports of civil society - visibility and communication -

Application Form of AFRODAD (Zimbabwe)

1	Name of the Organization	Country
	African Forum on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) - Zimbabwe
2	“Letter of Intention” Please include: (1)   reason why your organization is eligible to be part of Steering Committee; (2)   what kind of contribution that your organization can make for Civic Commission for Africa
	We feel eligible due to our regional work in Africa. We are involved in quite a lot of international activities and do represent African CSOs in a number of initiatives as coordinators/focal points. These include civil society work with the Commonwealth Foundation, the African Union ECOSOCC, and the Reality of Aid global Network, the African Social Forum commission and Advisory body of the OECD on Aid Effectiveness among many others. We are also familiar with NGO networks in Africa working on Economic and Social justice issues. We have good institutional links with the African Union and a number of intergovernmental organizations including the UN Commission for Africa, Southern Africa Development Community, and MEFMI etc. We also have the resources (human and financial) , network and partners to work with on such initiatives.
3	How much could your organization allocate in order to fulfill responsibility to be part of Steering Committee? *Please include how to spend it. (in US Dollar) 10 000-00
4	Please share the view of your organization on the report of Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa, “Our Common Interest”. http://www.commissionforafrica.org/english/report/introduction.html
	Our view relates to the role to be played by developed countries in promoting a just world –free from domination and manipulation of the global South by the North for its advantages. Moreso, in the area of promoting fair trade, debt cancellation and effective aid delivery to free resources for sustainable development. We have and still do a lot of work in the areas of calling for a sustainable solution to the debt crisis that has crippled health and education in Africa. We agree with the observations of the Commission of Africa that Africa’s development is marred by poverty and marginalization which is well spelt out in the NEPAD document. We see the Commission of Africa report ass detailing the problems of accountability, lack of human rights, social justice, peace and security as the great impediments to the continent’s sustainable development. However, we see the Commission as just spelling out the problems and not offering the solutions that Africa has waited for long to realise.
5	Please list issues that your organization would like to emphasize in order to reflect “voices” of your civil society effectively. *Please include reason why you listed those issues.
	Creation of a fair Global structure-reform of the World Ban and IMF and the UN and allowing more voices from the South to be heard Effective aid system with no strings attached Debt cancellation Fair trade Addressing ecological problems including climate change

Application Form of CSAP (Sierra Leone ) (Additional Letter)

Dear All C-CfA Colleagues

 

Letter of intent to be member or the C-CfA steering committee

 

Our intention to present CASP-SL, as a candidate for the membership of the Steering Committee of the C-CfA is not borne out of pride or self-interest but the humble, genuine desire to serve our people wherever and whenever the occasion avails itself.

 

It is unfortunate that an opportunity which was given to 51 countries in Africa, only 17 were able to take the challenge an unfortunate but real situation. We have to reflect on why this is the situation? This is complexly because of the conditionality imposed by C-CfA: aspiring organizations must be able to provide own resources, effective means of communications including, office, telefax, e-system etc. How many CSOs/NGOs in our present day Africa where communications from most none state actors are surveillanced, CSO workers harassed can match the cardinalities and brave the government eye to apply? Most appallingly only 17 of us; a paltry 33% of the countries in Africa were able to field candidates for the general Country-Based membership. Worst still, of the 17 successful country-Based organizations there is no Women’s organization – too bad.

 

This brings me to the issue of countries emerging from war which applied for general membership of the C-CfA, none but Sierra Leone where every effort was made not to be left out. In West Africa, countries emerging from bitter war include Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire but none other than Sierra Leone applied for various reasons. Infact CSAP-SL is the only CSO that is coming from a recent war affected country in the whole of Africa and we believe that the war experience within the Steering Committee can make huge difference if it became part of the VOICES from Africa.

 

It can easily be discerned that by way of contribution, CSAP-SL, as a platform, Process and Forum that is part of the peace process in sierra Leone can enrich the Steering committee with the causes of wars in West Africa, differences between wars in English and French speaking countries; reasons for the encroachment of Guinea on Sierra Leonean land and the role of the colonial masters Britain and France.

 

We can contribute to the C-CfA by the following:-

 

·        Presenting the VOICES of Sierra Leone, Countries in the Mano River basin of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and together with others on the Steering Committee, VOICES of the people of West Africa and Africa as a whole

·        Take the feedback from the C-CfA and disseminate the information through our networks in the country, Mano Rive Union and West Africa

·        Commit resources – human, financial and technical to the achievement of the aims and objectives of the C-CfA.

 

While hoping that CSAP-SL will be voted one of the 4 Steering committee members from the Country-Based CSOs we wish every applicant success because we are not in this to be elected by all means but to have space to serve our people and mother AFRICA.

 

Your Comrade in the struggle

 

 

Falla Ensa-N’Dayma

 

Application Form of CSAP (Sierra Leone)

1	Name of the Organization	Country
	Civil Society Alternative Process of Sierra Leone (CSAP-SL) – Sierra Leone
2	“Letter of Intention” Please include: (1)   reason why your organization is eligible to be part of Steering Committee; (2)   what kind of contribution that your organization can make for Civic Commission for Africa
	CSAP-SL feels eligible due to our broad national coverage with more than 100 national and regional NGOs, district and grassroots CSOs and CBOs including organizations of the physically challenged and marginalized for instance the blind through Vision for the Blind and those with epilepsy through Epilepsy Society of Sierra Leone (ESSL) as our members. We do not know a registered organization for PLWHA. At this national level, with and through our members we carry out research into Heavily indebted Poor Countries (HIPC), engage the government on Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We held the First Sierra Leone National Social Forum (9-13 January 2007) before we left for the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. The report is nearing completion which we must share with all of you, members of our new C-CfA family.    We are actively involved in several activities at national, Mano River Union sub regional level and at the ECOWAS level. We represent our members on the West African Social Forum (WASF) and we chair the Anglophone West African Social Forum Network (WASFNET) a body within the WASF. We are involved with the AU/ECOSOCC and have just received application Forms to apply as one of the two national CSOs to the 150 member advisory body. We work with national thematic platforms like National Elections Watch (NEW), Independent Radio Network (IRN), Community Radio network (CORNET).
3	How much could your organization allocate in order to fulfill responsibility to be part of Steering Committee? *Please include how to spend it. (in US Dollar) 6 000-00
	We could use some of this money to collect information from the rural areas as to the impact of Foreign Aid, PRSP and the benchmarks achieved so far with regard to the MDGs. The rest could be used to traffic information from the C-CfA to the rural people and Voices from sierra Leone to the C-CfA.
4	Please share the view of your organization on the report of Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa, “Our Common Interest”. http://www.commissionforafrica.org/english/report/introduction.html
	When we received the Tony Blair’s “Commission for Africa”, we agreed it was an effort too late in the development paradigm of Africa. We saw it as a near replica of the NEPAD document in matters relating to lack accountability, lack of human rights, social justice, peace and security as the great impediments to the continent’s sustainable development but no solutions were proffered in the Commission report. The role we play in this as can be seen is shouting loud about making the world a better place for al, free from the grips of the West especially led by Britain and USA. We believe that if the World Bank and IMF were reformed to fairly distribute their Board Membership, cancel all the poor northern countries’ debt, settle the Palestinian issue, leave Iraqis alone etc., the World would be a just and better place this are some of the things we are fighting for by raising awareness about. As part of the Global Campaign Against Poverty (GCAP) we are fighting for FAIR not more trade and effective delivery of resources to the poor people because we agree with the observations of the Commission of Africa that Africa’s development is marred by poverty and marginalization but we say that it is imposed from Northern countries.
5	Please list issues that your organization would like to emphasize in order to reflect “voices” of your civil society effectively. *Please include reason why you listed those issues.
	Free and Fair elections not as an event but as a process Reform of the World Bank and IMF Boards to reflect population figures and to cancel all the debts of the southern countries Removing the VETO power of the 5 permanent members of theUN and allowing more voices from the South Effective, unencumbered aid system    Climate change issues brought back on the world calendar

Application Form of BOCONGO (Botswana)

1	Name of the Organization	Country
	Botswana Council of Non Governmental Organisations.   Republic of Botswana
2	“Letter of Intention” Please include: (1)   reason why your organisation is eligible to be part of Steering Committee; (2)   what kind of contribution that your organisation can make for Civic Commission for Africa
	BOCONGO is eligible to be in the Steering Committee because it is the national umbrella body of NGO’s in Botswana. It therefore is the logical representative of the NGOs in Botswana. BOCONGO has representation in many sectors of the registered NGOs in the country. BOCONGO can make valuable contribution to Civic Commission for Africa by sharing with other members the invaluable experience of BOCONGO in lobbying for the civil society. The manner in which BOCONGO works with the government is admired by other countries in Africa and many African countries can learn a lot from Botswana’s experience of peace stability and progress.
3	How much could your organisation allocate in order to fulfill responsibility to be part of Steering Committee? BOCONGO is relatively well funded in terms of budget for regional and international networking. The organization has a budget to cover for communication (phones, email, internet and mail, memebership fees etc. Roughly amounting to US Dollar 5000.00 *Please include how to spend it. (in USDollar)
4	Please share the view of your organisation on the report of Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa, “Our Common Interest”. http://www.commissionforafrica.org/english/report/introduction.html
	BOCONGO has read the report and our opinion is that it is a commendable proposal and a step in the right direction. He report needs to be followed up with concrete action. Perhaps the most important recommendation from the report is the emphasis on giving Africa a stronger voice in terms of poverty eradication measures.
5	Please list issues that your organisation would like to emphasize in order to reflect “voices” of your civil society effectively. *Please include reason why you listed those issues.
	BOCONGO would like to like to reflect on poverty eradication since we view this as the single biggest challenge facing Africa. It is important for countries to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals are fully implemented. The MDGs captures the challenges facing Africa and offer a platform on which to tackle the problems. The mosty important solution is to give the poor a voice in poverty eradication and also make poverty eradication an urgent political priority.