Newsletter
Newsletter, usually issued periodically, prepared by or for a group or institution.
In last year’s editions of our newsletter, we introduced you to our three pillars of work around democracy and governance, equitable development, and African philanthropy. This year, we are looking forward to introducing you to the core strategies we use in delivering our work namely, grantmaking, African knowledge and research generation, capacity strengthening, and movement building.
We have reached the end of yet another extraordinary and challenging year as we clock two years living with the Covid-19 pandemic whose impact will reverberate long into the future. Equally, we have witnessed major developments on the social, economic, and political front with a bearing on the continent’s future. At TrustAfrica our commitment remains “shaping the future we want for Africa” consistent with the continent’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. As we look back, we are delighted to share some of the most notable highlights of our activities this past year in our work to advance equitable development, strengthen democratic governance and nurture African philanthropy on the continent.
Read the full newsletter here.
We’re excited to share this latest edition of our newsletter with you, particularly because we’ve been privileged to be part of so many important conversations about Africa’s development and the possibilities for transformative participation available to citizens, public and private leaders and academics. Read more to find out what interesting conversations we’ve been a part of around Democracy and Governance, Equitable Development and African Philanthropy. To start you off we have as our center piece in this edition remarks delivered by our Learning Manager, Ms. Tendisai Chigwedere during the 2nd African Philanthropy Conference from 3-5 August 2021.
Shaping the Future We Want Through Pan-African Collaboration
When TrustAfrica was founded in 2006 our mandate was to mobilize and channel substantive resources to stand behind African actors and organizations to enable them to respond to the most pressing challenges facing the continent. Bringing together some of the leading Pan-African thought leaders and practitioners in the Board and through the executive leadership, TrustAfrica has been committed to a strategy of collective impact focusing on nurturing and encouraging collaboration in every intervention across programs. This edition of our newsletter will focus on this collective impact strategy and how we are witnessing outsized impact by working collaboratively trans-locally, nationally and at the Pan-African level. Read more in this newsletter to find out how this translates across our three strategic priority areas of Equitable Development, Democratic Governance and African Philanthropy as a means of defending the key questions facing the continent: Accountability, Equity and Justice. If you haven’t had a chance yet, don’t forget to check out our Shaping the Future We Want for Africa Strategy 2020-2024.
The Covid-19 pandemic exposed, at a global level, the abnormalcy of prevailing social, economic and political systems – particularly their failure to protect the most vulnerable. At TrustAfrica, we are clear that there is no going back to the old normal. Accordingly, our current focus is on building forward better. We need new models across our economic, social and political systems that will protect the most marginalized and work for everyone. Earlier this month we concluded our strategic retreat, where we reaffirmed the theme of our strategic plan for the period 2020-2024 as Shaping the Future we Want for Africa!
This year's International Women’s Day (IWD) theme recognizes the impact of the COVID-19 global health pandemic in 2020. For the 2021 campaign, the UN Women announced the theme "Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a Covid-19 World". A social media campaign was launched to inspire women to #ChooseToChallenge and call out gender prejudice and disparity. The theme profiles women's incredible work in creating an equal future for everyone, recovery from the pandemic, and the existing gaps...
While 2021 may feel like a continuation of 2020, there is something significant about marking the start of a new year. As we get into our programming rhythm in the new year, we would like to reach out to you with an update. A new year brings with it, new possibilities and new trajectories for becoming a healthier, more just and vibrant society. We invite you as partners, friends and communities to be in solidarity with communities who are working tirelessly with hope for justice, participatory democracy, peace and decent living conditions across the continent.
News from TrustAfrica’s Solidarity Fund: Supporting the Informal Sector and Community-Led Responses During COVID-19 It is hard to believe 5 months have passed since the world was turned upside down. As the impact of COVID-19 continues to rage across the world, we at TrustAfrica continue to find ways to respond. In April 2020, we launched a COVID-19 Africa Solidarity Fund to support emergency responses across Africa in the face of this new virus. Through the catalytic support of this fund we have contributed to the protection of the health of informal sector workers in Zimbabwe, the protection of women against GBV during nationwide lockdowns in West Africa, and provided relief funds for local communities to develop contextually relevant responses such as collective purchasing of goods, community gardens and more. Please read more about this support from TrustAfrica’s Solidarity Fund in this newsletter.
Nous sommes très heureux de reprendre la publication régulière de notre Newsletter, un important moyen par lequel TrustAfrica a eu à communiquer avec vous sur les questions qui agitent le monde en général et l’Afrique en particulier.
Il ne fait aucun doute que la COVID-19 va profondément changer le monde tel que nous le connaissons. Cette pandémie va marquer un tournant décisif dans la structuration et l’histoire de nos sociétés dans le monde.
We are pleased to resume the regular publication of our Newsletter, an important medium through which TrustAfrica has been communicating with you about both global and the specifically African issues. There is no doubt that COVID-19 will profoundly change the world, as we know it, and mark a remarkable turnaround in the shape of global society. TrustAfrica was born from a vision to enable African actors to respond most effectively to the most pressing issues affecting the continent.
TrustAfrica is pleased to announce the resumption of its newsletter. This quarterly publication will highlight key activities carried out by TrustAfrica and provide you with the schedule of its upcoming activities. It will focus mainly on the work of our partners, highlighting their efforts to improve the living conditions of fellow citizens. TrustAfrica newsletter is an open space for conversations, debates and discussions which seek to promote pan-Africanism, democracy, good governance and responsible citizenship. The Newsletter will therefore provide a veritable platform to cultivate ideas which are likely to contribute to the development and growth of Africa and its diaspora.
TrustAfrica a le plaisir d’annoncer la reprise de sa lettre d’information. Cette publication trimestrielle permettra de revenir sur les temps forts des activités déjà déroulées par TrustAfrica. Elle mettra à votre disposition les programmes de ses activités. L’accent sera surtout mis sur le travail de nos partenaires qui sont sur le terrain et qui se battent pour améliorer les conditions de vie de leurs concitoyens. Notre lettre d’information se veut un espace de discussion et de promotion du panafricanisme, de la démocratie et de la citoyenneté. Elle fera donc la promotion des idées á même de contribuer á l’épanouissement et au développement de l’Afrique et de sa diaspora.
We are honoured by your participation at this our 10th year anniversary celebration conference on philanthropy and Africa’s development. By honouring us with your presence and recognising this significant milestone together with us, you are contributing to the process of shaping our future. As we mark TrustAfrica’s 10-year anniversary we are also unveiling TrustAfrica’s new strategy for the period 2016 – 2020. Our goal under the new strategy is to advance political economic and social justice in Africa by tackling a number of priority thematic issues. These issues which have found expression in the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the African Mining Vision, the African Union’s Transitional Justice Policy Framework as well as the Sustainable Development Goals will be a major focus of the next phase of TrustAfrica’s programming. We are humbled by your support not only today but in the decade that has brought us to this point.
With this issue of TrustAfrica Now, we are pleased to share some of the latest work we've been doing with our partners these past months. They are making headway on some of the toughest issues we face, mounting creative
responses and advancing a shared vision of democratic governance and truly equitable development.
Nous avons le plaisir de vous faire part, dans cette édition de TrustAfrica Now, du travail que nous avons réalisé ces derniers mois avec nos partenaires. Ces derniers sont en train de réaliser des progrès dans la résolution de certaines
des questions les plus difficiles auxquelles nous sommes confrontées, en proposant des réponses innovantes et en oeuvrant à promouvoir la vision commune d'une gouvernance démocratique et réellement équitable.
It is with great pleasure that I address you as TrustAfrica's new executive director, having received the baton, so to speak, from Akwasi Aidoo at the start of October. I begin with a tremendous sense of optimism, based on the great energy and passion with which our partners are advancing good governance and equitable development on our continent. I look forward to working with you to realize our vision over the coming weeks, months and years.
There is much news to share with you, but we start with a gathering we hosted to honor the truly remarkable Akwasi on his departure.
Ces derniers temps, les questions relatives aux abris fiscaux et au blanchiment d'argent ont suscité un sentiment d'indignation partagée dans les locaux de TrustAfrica. Vous avez sans doute regardé tous ces documentaires vidéo sur la façon dont les ressources de l'Afrique sont extraites et illégalement sorties du continent. Selon un récent rapport de la Banque africaine de développement et du Programme mondial Intégrité financière (Global Financial Integrity) les flux financiers illicites ont fait perdre à l'Afrique 1,4 trillion de dollars entre 1980 et 2009!
Lately in the offices of TrustAfrica, we have been sharing a lot of outrage around the issues of tax shelters and money laundering. You've seen the video documentaries of how African resources are extracted and illegally taken out of the continent. A recent report from the African Development Bank and Global Financial Integrity states that between the years of 1980-2009, Africa lost $1.4 trillion dollars from illicit financial flows!
Welcome to our revised edition of TrustAfrica Now! TrustAfrica would like to ensure that you receive your newsletter in your preferred language. In order to do so, we need you to please click on the "Update Profile/Email Address" link at the very, very bottom of this email. When it takes you to your profile page, please be sure to complete the final question regarding your language preferences. In the future, you will only receive this email in your preferred language. Many thanks.
