Affiliated Network for Social Accountability (ANSA-Africa)

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COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE

ANSA-Africa is a project of the Economic Governance Programme, IDASA

Events

Accelerating achievement of the Millennium Goals: What should we say, or do on July 7, 2007?
07 July 2007
MWENGO
Contact person: Nakatiwa G. Mulikita. ()

Exploring what else we could be doing about the Millennium Development Goals. An opportunity reach into the depths of our collective creativity.

Mwelekeo Wa NGO (MWENGO) through Kisima - the Activist Development Centre, will be hosting the next in our annual Activist Learners workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe from 8th -10th May 2007 targeted at activists in East and Southern Africa. MWENGO is a reflection and development centre for NGOs working in Eastern and Southern Africa whose mission is to nurture a community of values by strengthening and mobilising African human resources in support of organisations fighting for social justice. The Activist Development Centre (KISIMA) has been hosting Activist Learners workshops since 2003 aimed at building capacity in knowledge based advocacy skills amongst activists in the region.

The forthcoming workshop will focus on " Accelerating Achievement of the Millennium Goals" in view of the MDG mid point 7-7-7 (the mid-point falls on the 7th of July 2007). The holding of the workshop is strategic in that it will help to build on existing knowledge based advocacy skills amongst civil society organisations in the East and Southern African region to reflect, strategise and begin planning to host high profile national and regional evidence based advocacy activities to mark the mid-point and beyond.

Background to the workshop

In 2001 the United Nations launched the Millennium Development Goals in an effort to mobilize global support to end extreme poverty and hunger in the world. The world's governments committed themselves to work towards achievement of these goals by 2015. July 7 this year, will mark the mid-point between the millennium declaration and the target date of 2015, for attaining the goals.

Most countries in the region are faced with even deeper levels of poverty than before the launch of the goals. MDG 7-7-7 therefore marks a strategic point in time to remind leaders of their commitments to achieve the goals and the need to urgently accelerate their efforts if the MDGs are to be attained.

Overall Aim of the activist workshop

To strengthen knowledge based advocacy skills of civil society organizations to engage governments and international development partners to accelerate efforts and mobilize support for the attainment of millennium goals around and beyond the mid point.

Workshop Methodology

The workshop programme is designed to facilitate the stimulation and interchange of ideas, experiences, knowledge and skills and will therefore use principles of learning cooperatives, action learning and knowledge making. These will be complemented by inputs from subject matter specialists through paper presentations on topics such as the MDGs campaign, poverty and development issues, Gender, poverty and the MDGs, monitoring and reporting the MDGs and knowledge-based advocacy.

Workshop 'threads'

The MDGs as a base for providing standards to evaluate implementation as well as stimulate analysis on the different obstacles hindering the achievement of the goals.
Raise interest and awareness about the millennium goals and the importance of attaining the goals through targeted high profile advocacy (national and regional) events to mark the mid point, amongst civil society organisation (CSOs) and opinion makers.
Building skills in monitoring and reporting on the millennium goals.
Plan activities to maintain the momentum amongst CSO, campaign groups, and coalitions in engaging with poverty issues and harness support of opinion makers, so as to hold accountable national governments and development collaborating partners to speed up efforts towards attaining Millennium goals and beyond.
Promote a spirit of collaboration and peer support on MDGs nationally and across the region amongst CSOs.

Workshop objectives

Raise interest and awareness about the millennium goals and the importance of attaining the goals through targeted high profile advocacy (national and regional) events to mark the mid point, amongst civil society organisation (CSOs) and opinion makers.
Plan activities to maintain the momentum amongst CSO, campaign groups, and coalitions in engaging with poverty issues and harness support of opinion makers, so as to hold accountable national governments and development collaborating partners to speed up efforts towards attaining Millennium goals and beyond.
Promote a spirit of collaboration and peer support on MDGs nationally and across the region amongst CSOs.
Strengthen CSO skills in engaging with governments in reporting on progress towards achieving the goals and/or drafting shadow reports.

Expected Outputs

A range of concrete ideas and commitments from participants to engage in high profile knowledge based advocacy activities marking the MDGs mid-point.
Plan of activities and commitments to sustain advocacy activities beyond the mid-point in July 2007 and onto 2015.
Formats for monitoring and reporting on millennium goals. Score cards and related popular measures.
Agreement on how best to coordinate the advocacy efforts that will be undertaken from 07.07.07 in advocacy events and beyond.

Selection of participants

The workshop will have space for a maximum of 30 male and female activists from the East and Southern African region. We are seeking participants who together with their organisations or groups are available and committed to engage in high profile knowledge based advocacy activities to mark the MDG midpoint and beyond. Selection of workshop participants will therefore be guided by this, criteria among other things. For more information about this upcoming workshop contact or or fax to +263 4 738 310 marked for the attention of Nakatiwa G. Mulikita.