Keynote Address: Christian Relief and Development Association (CRDA)

Honourable Invited Guests,
Dear Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, I wish to thank you all for sparing your time to be gathered here today to deliberate on this issue of civil society participation in development and governance processes, which is an issue of common concern. I would also like to express my appreciation to ECA Secretariat for making this gathering possible for us to exchange our views and ideas.

On behalf of the Civil Society Sector, it gives me real great pleasure and I feel honoured to deliver this brief message to this august gathering of far-reaching regional significance.

As most of you know, popular participation as a development concept gained increased recognition in Africa in the early nineties. However, development literatures indicate that the idea has been around since the 1950’s and 60’s. Participatory development, as it is referred to, started as grass-root development model that sought to get local people or the beneficiaries involved. While these projects and activities succeeded in bringing increased community involvement they were not able to meaningfully empower them. Communities were viewed as contributing to and supporting a development programme and not necessarily as being instrumental in determining its content or direction.

In spite of the various programs and initiatives that have come and gone, poverty still continues to persist in much of Africa. The lack of significant progress in this area has forced development researchers and parishioners to re-examine the appropriateness and limitations of development models prescribed to alleviate poverty. The exclusion and marginalization of poor people both from broader societal participation and also from direct involvement in development initiatives has been identified as one of the many impediments for the success of development models to address poverty.

In response to the above Popular Participation in Development emerged as an idea that would address areas overlooked in the previous development paradigms. It represented a fundamental shift - both in attitudes and in methodology, as it was to change decades of top-down, non-participatory approaches to development. And since the 1990s most development agencies and institutions, have made efforts to ensure that the projects and programmes that they are involved in are designed in a participatory manner.

In Africa, the move toward conceptualizing participation in the broader developmental context started with the declaration of African Charter for Popular Participation in Development and Transformation – (Arusha 1990). The Charter pointed out that popular participation need to be viewed both as a means and as an end. As an instrument of development, popular participation provides the driving force for collective commitment for the determination of people-based development processes and willingness by the people to undertake sacrifices and expend their social energies for its execution.

As an end in itself, popular participation is the fundamental right of the people to fully and effectively participate in the determination of the decisions, which affect their lives at all levels and at all times. Furthermore, the Charter reaffirmed the importance of popular Participation for the consolidation of democracy, good governance, and sustainable economic growth.

Today it is widely accepted that the best way to build and sustain democracies, reduce conflict and achieve human development is through genuine participation of all citizens in the policy-making and implementation process and concerted effort of civil society, the private sector and the state

Against this background, it is common knowledge today that through the relentless struggle wedged over the past two decades, the idea of Civil Society has achieved prominence in political and developmental discourse, particularly with respect to successive waves of democratization. Civil Society has been widely seen as a crucial agent for limiting authoritarian governments, strengthening popular empowerment, enforcing political accountability, and in improving the quality and inclusiveness of governance.

In the African context too, Civil Society has managed to play an increasing role in facilitation of public participation in development activities and governance. This has led to wider recognition of the importance of Civil Society as a development partner that provides a vital link with grassroots communities, particularly in areas that require public mobilization.

This is a laudable healthy development. As the English adage goes, “It is better late than never”. It has taken a very long time for African governments to come to this level of understanding of the crucial role of Civil Society in social transformation and sustainable development.

Honourable Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is worth noting at this juncture that we appreciate this recognition; but we need not sit back satisfied until such time that this recognition is genuine and lasting. It should not be an attempt by African governments to quell the protracted struggle of the Civil Society for recognition as development partner and request for its due space in the political, social and economic life of the society. It should not be an attempt to satisfy the preconditions of donors and international financial institutions.

It is our firm conviction that governments should genuinely recognize the contribution of Civil Society organizations in light of the need for ensuring inclusive development endeavours with a view to enhancing the prevalence of good governance and subsequently paving the way for building a democratic society.

Needless to say, the mere fact that Civil Society Organizations are working at grassroots level places them in a suitable position to closely attend to the day-to-day life of the people. This goes a long way to mobilize the communities to actively engage in development endeavours, a situation which enhances inclusiveness, an element, which plays a prominent role in good governance.

I, on behalf of the Civil Society, would like to emphasize that it is high time African governments listened to the voices of the Sector. The governments should believe that there are other ways of doing things. They should be convinced that there are other alternatives; and that what they forward is not the only solution to all problems.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In order to be able to discharge our responsibility effectively, civil society organizations need to build our research and analytical capacity. As civil society we should also look into our internal democracy by being transparent and accountable in the conduct of our business prior to pointing figures at others.

In many African countries, there is noticeable distrust and competition between CSOs, and particularly between NGOs, that has hampered us from playing our policy advocacy role effectively. As civil society we have to show that it is possible to collaborate on issues of common concern while maintaining differences that we may have between our selves. It is only when we can demonstrate this that we will have convincing reasons to demand governments to create space for those that may have differing opinion and outlook with them.

In conclusion, as indicated in the background document, this symposium has been initiated to discuss and debate on ways and means to strengthen civil society participation in the process of formulation, implementation and evaluation of public policies at national and local levels, based on the core values of dialogue, negotiation and partnership. Your contributions to this symposium at plenary and breakout sessions are, indeed, crucial to achieve this objective. May I, therefore, urge you all to try your best in addressing your ideas, interventions and comments during the meeting towards enhancing and setting the stages for effective participation of civil society in the policy and governance processes.

I wish you every success in your endeavours.

Thank you all for your kind attention.