The Southern Africa Development Community Council of Non-Governmental organisations (SADC-CNGO) in collaboration with the Fellowship for Christian Councils in Southern Africa (FOCCISA) and The Southern Africa Trade Unions Coordination Council (SATUCC) will hold the 6^th SADC Civil society Forum along the sidelines of the SADC Heads of State Summit in Windhoek, Namibia in August, 2010.

The purpose of the Civil Society Forum is to:

• Reflect on civil society’s positions and attitudes around selected themes
• Agree upon a way forward and emerge with priority areas for action,
• Come up with recommendations to input into SADC Summit.

Themes:

“Regional Integration: Responding to People’s Demands.”

Key areas of focus to be discussed in relation to regional integration will be:

1. Regional Economic Integration: financial crisis and trade;
2. Food Security and Climate Change;
3. AU Peace and Security year: Implications for good governance, corruption, democracy and human rights in SADC;
4. Poverty Eradication and sustainable livelihoods.

Thematic or sectoral organisations will take the lead in ensuring a consultative process of coming up with a position paper with key recommendations in each of the four broad themes. Sub topics will also be identified and presented for discussion within the broad framework.

This year’s civil society forum will be extended by a day in order to build consensus towards civil society’s input at the SADC Consultative Conference on the Global Economic Crisis and its effect on the Region. The Conference will be held in Maseru Lesotho on 28^th and 29^th October, 2010 under the theme: “Global and Economic Financial Crisis: Impacts and Lessons for SADC Regional and Economic Integration”.

Participation:

Participation to the SADC Civil Society Forum is open to all civil society organisations both within and outside the region. Organisations are encouraged to support participation of their representatives to this forum where civil society moves as one to making SADC a developed region. Those organisations interested in participation are requested to kindly fill in the attached participation form by 30^th July 2010 for conferencing purposes. Only a limited number of delegates will be sponsored by the conveners.

Dates and Venue:

Tentative Dates for the forum is 9^th – 12^th August, 2010 in Windhoek, Namibia. Venue will be communicated to all at a later date.

Format:

The forum will mainly take the form of presentations, discussions and break away groups. Progress reports from the last forum on different themes will be presented by different organisations working in the respective areas. In addition to this, the program will accommodate member sponsored issues in line with the themes of the Forum or the Conference.

Exhibitions:

Participants are encouraged to carry material for exhibition which will be displayed during the forum. The exhibitions are meant to encourage cross learning and alliance building among civil society organisations, in addition to encouraging civil society organisations to know who is doing what in the region or beyond. Those organisations wishing to have exhibition tables will need to inform the Secretariat by 15^th July, 2010.

For further information and confirmations, contact the Secretariat:

Ms Ivy Mutwale,
Capacity Building and Networking Manager,
Southern African Development Community – Council of Non-Governmental Organisations
Phone number: +267 3912982, Fax: +267 3912954; E-mail: ivym@sadc-cngo.org.bw
Private Bag 204, Plot 18682, Khurutshe Road, Phase 2, Gaborone, Botswana

Download Participation form