Reality of Aid Africa Network Meeting

Highlights, Participants

Selection of participants was based on the level of engagement as well as the level of engagement with the Reality of Aid “project” (as managed by AFRODAD) since its inception in Africa:

Malawi
Andrew Kumbatira,
Malawi Economic Justice Network

Tanzania
Chamba Kajege
Tanzania Coalition on Debt Development

Nigeria
Leo Atakpu
African Network for Environment and Economic Justice

Benin
Aurélien Atidegla
Groupe de Recherche et d’Action pour la Promotion de l’Agriculture et du Développement

Uganda
Edward Ssenyange
Uganda Debt Network

Zimbabwe
Jennifer Chiriga
African Forum and Network on Debt and Development

Senegal
Malick Sy
Forum for African Alternatives

South Africa
Mandla Mbongeni Hadebe
Economic Justice Network of FOCCISA

Uganda
Patrick Tumwebaze
Uganda Debt Network

Kenya-based CSOs
Wahu Kaara
KENDREN

Rose Wanjiru
Center for Economic Governance and Aids in Africa  (CEGAF)

Facilitators:
Vitalice Meja
Kiama Kaara (Documentor)
Observers:
Antonio Tujan (Speaker)
Reality of Aid Global Chair

Josephine Dongail
Reality of Aid Global Secretariat

Estelita Geronimo
Ibon International

The following are the main highlights of the two-day meeting:

1. Participants discussed the changing global trends and the challenges being presented to the current Reality of Aid-African region. Africa has the most countries with people living in poverty, and therefore its geographical coverage is attracting considerable attention from the rest of the developed world. With the global financial crisis and dwindling aid and increasing debt levels, Africa has its work cut out in terms of addressing these problems.  These trends, the participants agreed, created a demand for a greater participation of civil society organisations to engage in the new phase of development cooperation, and then agreed on the need for a structured engagement with this process for purposes of enhancing their voices in both the regional and the international processes.
2. The meeting heard the status of the current operations of Reality of Aid in the African region, which indicated that the Reality of Aid African region was treated as a “project” by AFRODAD, and most of the activities were planned and operationalised through internal AFRODAD processes/staff.  The meeting was also informed that AFRODAD had undergone staff changes and was ready to bolster its activities for the “RoA project”.  KENDREN in its contribution to the debate, proposed for the creation of a new and independent secretariat which would enhance and continue AFRODAD’s work and that it was ready to host the new secretariat.
3. In considering both issues brought to the plenary, the participants were requested to make a decision on which direction the RoA in the Africa region should proceed. AFRODAD informed the meeting that in principle it was not opposed to the creation of a new structure, but that this be done in a gradual process that would include an evaluation of how AFRODAD had conducted RoA’s activities in Africa  for the past 10 years.
4. In making its decision, the plenary considered AFRODAD’s request for a gradual process as well as the need to move quickly to institute a structure to lead African CSO processes on aid and development cooperation.  The plenary noted that AFRODAD was free to institute its evaluation on how it managed the RoA in Africa, and that its report could feed into the operations of the next structure.  It was therefore decided that  Reality of Aid in Africa be considered an independent Network, instead of being a “Project” in AFRODAD’s processes, and to serve the purpose as those stipulated in RoA’s  goal and objectives.
5. After the agreement on the creation of a network, participants heard presentations on different forms of structure and proposals/guiding frameworks for the new structure. From the presentations, the following actions were taken:
   • The RoA-Africa network will have its own assembly, a steering committee, and a secretariat.
   • It was agreed that the present participants will become part of the general assembly and this general assembly shall be the ultimate decision-making body.  The present participants to this meeting will be considered the original founders of  the RoA-Africa Network. They include:African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD)
     African Network of Economic and Environment Network (ANEEJ)
     Economic Justice Network (EJN)
     Groupe de Recherche et d’Action pour la Promotion de l’Agriculture et du Développement (GRAPAD)
     Kenya Debt Relief Network  (KENDREN)
     Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN)
     Forum for African Alternative  (FAA)
     Center for Economic Governance and Aids in Africa  (CEGAF)
     Social Development Network (SODNET)
     Uganda Debt Network (UDN)
     IBON Africa
     Tanzania Coalition on Debt and Development (TCDD)
     IBON International
     Reality of Aid Global Secretariat
   • The selection of steering committee members will be based on regional representation. For continuity, AFRODAD is elected as chair.  Due to its hosting the RoA-Africa network secretariat, KENDREN is a member of the steering committee.  Other steering committee members are allocated on a regional basis.  Unable to participate in the meeting, Central Africa will have its slot given to African Network on Economic and Environmental Justice (ANEEJ) for an interim period until Central African  membership is identified. Other members of the steering committee include: Economic Justice Network (EJN) for Southern African, GRAPAD for West Africa, and Tanzania Coalition on Debt and Development (TCDD) for East Africa.
   • The steering committee is interim and will run for two years while preparations are underway to formally register and institutionalise the RoA-Africa network.
   • Vitalice Meja is appointed the coordinator of the RoA-Africa network for the interim period to assist with setting up the secretariat and the programmes.
6. The assembly tasked the steering committee to: a) deliberate and produce the memorandum of understanding with KENDREN, b) produce a draft constitution, and c) to decide on the mode of registration for the network.  The assembly also asked the steering committee and the secretariat to develop a comprehensive work plan and fundraising modalities. There was also a decision that two listserves be created for the steering committee and for all the assembly members for the purpose of communications and for circulation of materials on RoA.A recommendation was made that Central Africa participants to the steering committee should attend the next meeting.  At the same time, it was proposed that the North Africa region be approached for purposes of collaboration and future engagement.
7. The All-Africa meeting was adjourned at 1PM on the 17th of November, and the newly-formed steering committee held its first meeting right after.Steering Committee Meeting Highlights
8. The workplan and funding proposal will be prepared by Vitalice and sent to the Steering Committee for review by end of November 2009.
9. The next steps are:  draft the MOU between KENDREN and the RoA-Africa secretariat, develop its own logo and website for RoA-Africa, AFRODAD to take the lead in drafting a constitution for RoA-Africa,  use listserve to communicate with each other.
10. Steering Committee meetings will be scheduled twice a year, and this is aside from digital consultations (teleconferences, etc.) with each other.

Summarised  from reports by Meja Vitalice, coordinator, ROA-Africa Network Secretariat