TrustAfrica has successfully completed its second training of media professionals in Banjul, The Gambia. The training programme which was held from 12-16 November 2018, was organised by TrustAfrica in partnership with The Netherland Embassy in Dakar. The aim of the meeting was to build the capacity of media personnel from a select number of West African countries to effectively report on and create constructive public debates on transitional justice developments and international criminal justice at the local, national, regional and international levels.
On behalf of TrustAfrica, Bethule Nyamambi was invited to contribute to the workshop convened by the African Risk Capacity Agency (ARC) and the African Union Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (AU-DREA) held at the African Union, in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, on 26 and 27 November 2018.
Par Amandine Rushenguziminega,
Project Associate International Justice et Illicit Financials Flows
L’exemple de la Suisse, Première Place des juridictions secrètes au monde
Les flux financiers illicites (FFI) ont une importance capitale sur le développement économique, social et même politique de l’Afrique. Ils contribuent à appauvrir le continent. Durant ces cinquante dernières années, l’Afrique a perdu plus de 1’000 milliards de dollars dû aux FFI.
Abdarahmane Wone, known to us as Abda, joined TrustAfrica as a Communications Officer in November 2018. He is an experienced journalist and a communications specialist who has been engaged in a full spectrum of communications roles and activities for over two decades, both within and outside Africa. He has worked with key players, sectors and organizations implementing programmes for the benefit of the African Social Science community and in support of the Africa citizenry. In addition to the communications aspect, he is also currently managing Social Movements Program (SMP) and the Discrimination Based on Work and Descent and the Slavery portfolio at TrustAfrica.
Abdarahmane Wone, is a leading Human Rights activists from Mauritania, who has been involved in the fight against human rights abuses and equality for more than thirty years. Born in 1973, in the Southern part of Mauritania, Abda Wone and his family were forced to leave the country in 1989. While in the US, he was a speaker for the American Anti-Slavery group, traveling around the world to speak against racism and slavery in Mauritania. These experiences have made Abda particularly passionate about the questions of citizenship on the continent which he is harnessing in managing the portfolio on Discrimination Based on Work and Descent.
In 2008, Abda Wone joined the Brooklyn, NY- based CBO, CAMBA, Inc and worked and taught US culture, ESL and Job readiness and professional development to diverse groups of migrant students and job seekers. Prior to being resettled in the United States in 2000, Abdarahmane was a reporter for the Senegalese newspaper, Sud Quotidien.Prior to joining TrustAfrica, he was the head of the Communication Unit of CODESRIA for seven years (2011-2018).He is also currently a Global Council member for the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCPA).
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Welcome and thank you for being here. It is indeed heart-warming to see your strong interest in Transitional and International Criminal Justice issues which are at the very heart of our national discourse.
I would also like to appreciate TrustAfrica for organizing this important training. This is further evidence of the potential impact that could be generated by cooperation between States and Civil Society Organisations. I would most importantly like to thank, H.E Ambassador Theo Peter, for being present today and the Kingdom of the Netherlands for supporting this great initiative.
Today marks the beginning of a 5-day training on Transitional and International Criminal Justice for Journalists. Journalism has very often been referred to as the ‘Fourth Estate”, a recognition of the crucial role the media plays in a democratic society. The media throughout modern history has played a crucial role in upholding free speech and protecting democratic practices.
Ogo Chukwudi is a fun-loving music aficionado who joined TrustAfrica in 2018 as a Project Associate for the Kiisi Trust Fund Project, where she worked closely with key stakeholders to identify and fund initiatives that empower and bring sustainable development to Ogoniland. She is a development professional working on the African philanthropy work at TrustAfrica. She has spent the past seven years in the development sector, working with like-minded activists seeking to improve the world's complex social issues. Ogo is currently a Program Associate for the Equitable Development and African Philanthropy programs at TrustAfrica, where she works on initiatives that meet the needs of underserved communities through policies and programs that reduce disparities while fostering a healthy and vibrant society.
Ogo's experience and outstanding contributions to the Kiisi Trust Fund made her a strong fit for the Karibu Foundation New Reality Grant (KNRG) to which she was nominated and selected to be part of the inaugural group to pilot the new Karibu foundation participatory grantmaking project. The KNRG core group comprises six African activists invited to co-create a new grantmaking Programme (KNRG). The Core Group will contribute to defining the criteria, reporting requirements, and the initiatives in Sub-Sahara Africa that will receive grants in the bounds of this project. More information about the activities of the KNRG core group and the progress so far can be found here. Ogo holds a master's degree in International Development from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, and speaks 4 languages.
Globally, there are increased constraints on external funding and even criminalization of CSOs work. To counter this narrative, an emerging discourse around “participatory philanthropy” is being championed and innovated by civil society activists. Making the shift from external to local resources is one part of this.
In Sub Saharan Africa, the field of organized philanthropy and efforts to developed it has been dominated by Anglophone influences and practices and there has been far less investment in building local philanthropy in Francophone Africa.
Citizens’ mobilizations in several African countries, including Burkina Faso, Senegal, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Congo Brazzaville, and Madagascar to name a few, have revolutionized democratic processes. These social movements are often born on the eve of elections in opposition to recalcitrant incumbents and the will of certain elites to perpetuate themselves in power.
Fundamental human rights are reported to have diminished in almost two-thirds of the 113 countries surveyed for the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index. This backlash against human rights coupled with a global trend of closing civic spaces creates serious challenges for funders and their grantees. In 2015, 12% of global human rights funding was for work to benefit Sub-Saharan Africa, and included grants from seven Africa-based funders.
This session will discuss a shift towards the more multi-stakeholder end of the philanthropy spectrum, emphasizing participatory philanthropic models. Philanthropy as:
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