Annual Report 2010-2011

At TrustAfrica we try to focus on both sides of this equation. In it for the long haul, we know that reversing the damage done by many decades of colonization and exploitation will not happen overnight. At the same time, we strive to be alert to emerging trends and opportunities— unique moments when it becomes possible to transform the status quo. The opening chapters of the Arab Spring have shown how rapidly social movements can coalesce and how quickly the political order can change. New technologies and social media gave momentum to the popular uprisings in Tunis and Cairo. But it is important to note that daring efforts by civil society actors going back many years helped set the stage. The challenge now is to secure the democratic gains that have been won on the streets, a feat that will require continued vigilance and activism by a vital civil society sector.