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I. BACKG ROUND
1. At the initiative of Nexus International,
and a host of African community organizations, an n African “Third
Sector” Conference was held at the Hilton Hotel in London
from the 7th to the 10th of July 2004. The Conference brought
together African Consulates base in the UK, African NGOs an community-base
organizations (CBOs), Faith Based organizations, African NGOs
and community groups based in the UK, international non governmental
organizations, UN agencies and multilateral institutions and donor
organizations. Mr. Hosia Mohlabane of the Africa Institute of
South Africa of South Africa chaired the conference.
2. The theme of the conference was “The
Third Sector, Overseas Missions in the UK, Innovation and African
Development”. The NGO sector in Africa The main objective
of the conference was to explore ways by which a reasonable framework
and levels of cooperation and collaborative networks can be established
between established NGOs, CBOs and other civil society organizations
on the one hand and African diplomatic missions, Northern development
agencies, donor and governmental organizations, UN agencies and
multilateral institutions on the other.
II. OPENING
3. The conference was officially opened by Dr
Uzo Owuwne, International Co-coordinator and Convener of INGO
2004 who welcomed all present especially the dignitaries in the
audience. The latter included His Excellency, Dr Chigozie Ogbou,
the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Nigeria: Honourable Jaja,
Leader of the House of Parliament, Rivers State, Nigeria and the
Chair of the Apostolic Congress of GB and Head of the Institute
for Community and Development Studies, Dr. Bishop Henry Kontoh.
 4.
At the opening, His Excellency, the Honourable Isaac Osei, Ghana
High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, highlighted the purpose
of the conference as one of harmonizing and integrating the hard
work of African sates and communities, especially NGOs and civil
society, in tackling poverty reduction issues, while at the same
time, being faced with the major economic effects that AIDS is
placing o their resources and workforce. He lamented the loss
of trained and skilled African personnel to countries such as
the UK and the USA who welcome this move with open arms to bolster
their already advanced health service. Yet another issue the Ambassador
raised was the need for a free, equal and open world trade market
that would allow Africa to develop and strengthen itself, independently
of the aid agencies. He reiterated the fact that Africa had so
much to offer the world that it was easily capable of reversing
the image of a continent that relied on handouts to one that could
lead and contribute on an equal basis with developed nations.
5. Further, the High Commissioner underscored
the need for the conference to emerge, at the end of its two-day
deliberations, with an articulate set of recommendations on the
harmonization of the work of African states and civil society.
6. Addressing the conference participants in his
keynote address Dr Bishop Henry Kontoh spoke on “African
Theologies and Development”.
III. PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
7. On the first day, the conference received three
presentations. The first was from Mr. David Wicket of Chapel &
York and American Fund for Charities. In order to avoid complicating
his presentation he confined it to the environment in the USA
in particular as well as to the UK. He spoke on “Effective
Fundraising in the US and the UK” and chose not on the European
situation, as there were issues around language and culture that
in the allocated time he could not adequately address. He sake
on the need for NGOs to use the Internet for fundraising and in
line with this he gave out some of the website addresses that
can be visited to obtain information on funders and their requirements.
He emphasized the importance for NGOs to handle their own fundraising
activities and to lobby own governments, to speak with one voice.
8. A representative of the Medicin Sans Frontier, Ms Kaai de Kock
addressed the conference the topic “Women and Reproductive
Health and HIV/AIDS – African Community Involvement”
and focused her presentation on the work done by the organization.
She spoke on the organization’s work with HIV.AIDS victims
in West Africa and South Africa, among others and of the urgent
need for education and social change as a means of combating the
disease in the long run.
9. On the second day of the conference, there were four presentations.
Dr. Bishop Henry Kantor addressed the conference on “African
Development – The Way Forward”. In his presentation
he stated that the challenges facing Africa presently are similar
to those faced by the old industrial areas of the West and the
East: conflict, natural disasters and the vast over-population
of the cities and urban centers – all affecting the lives
of millions of people. In support of this argument, he emphasized
the affect that Africa represents, on the one hand, the face of
the growing pains in the worldwide human family and, on the other,
and the prospects of endurance, solutions, and striking achievements.
He reiterated the urgent need to highlight and market the wealth
of valuable African expertise in the filed of transforming initiatives
and activities so that the wider world can also benefit from the
richness of the continent’s human resources in helping to
build a strong, confident, inclusive and prosperous world.
10. This was followed by a presentation by Mr.
Zaya Yeebo of the Community Development and Advocacy Centre (CODAC)
and a former African diplomat who spoke on the nuts and bolds
of running an NGO, particularly as they apply to fundraising and
lobbying.
11. Ms Dionne Gravesande, Deputy Head of Churches
of the Christian Aid Worldwide gave an excellent presentation
of the positive work done by her organization. She highlighted
the importance of conferences like INGO 2004 and mentioned that
because of the sort and caliber of such her organization would
co-sponsor the next one planned for Dublin, Ireland later in 2004.
This was an important commitment from such an influential organization
and bodes well as an example for future partnerships at the NGO
level.
12. Ms Emma Donnelly of the Commission for Africa,
an institute of the UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to provide
a coherent set of policies to accelerate progress towards a strong
and prosperous Africa, was next. She gave a thought-provoking
and informative presentation on the work of the Commission, which
stirred the participants into a frenzy of questions, and comments
that went on into the lunch hour. She reported that the Commission
would report in spring 2005, including recommendations to the
G8, EU and other wealthy countries, as well as African countries.
13. After lunch it was the turn of Mr. Mike Day
of the Big Lottery Fund (formerly The UK National Lottery
`
14. The afternoon session was a plenary with inputs from Bishop
Kantor, Professor Zacchaeaus Ademuwagon and Ms Thoko of Akina
Mama WA Afrika.
15. His Excellency Dr Christopher Kolade, the
Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK gave the closing remarks.
IV. INTERIM STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
16. The brief was to come up with a communiqué
reflecting the conference’s deliberations and to steer a
way forward for INGO 2004. It was agreed that Bishop Henry would
chair the body until a properly constituted executive is elected.
17. The following were adopted as the key focal
points of INGO 2004
• The establishment of a robust and respectable
platform to support and report on the state of African NGOs
• The provision of a clearing house/forum for networking
and information sharing
• The development/adoption of a Code of Conduct for the
Third Sector
• A campaign or Third Sector awareness in Africa
V. FIELD VISITS
18. The final day of the conference was both innovative
and extremely educative and informative to the conference delegates
were transported by both car and coach from London to Oxford to
visit the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies that is based in a
decommissioned church in the heart of the academic city of Oxford.
Dr. Chris Sugden and other staff and researchers on his team welcomed
them. The staff outlined some of the important work that they
are engaged in and also spoke of the special need for inter-faith
dialogue between Christian and Islamic believers. The delegates
were also invited to consider if they was a calling for any of
them to study in that unique and inspiring environment and if
so, then they would be heartily welcomed and supported in their
endeavors by all who worked there.
19. From there the delegates were driven on to
Manchester to visit a number of concerned NGOs in the North of
England. There they were hosted by Reverend Doye Agama in the
Space Life College complex and were warmly welcomed that everyone
commented that this was nor of the most gratifying elements of
the conference and added a whole new dimension ands insight to
the reality and importance of partnership building. Reverend Agama
spoke with such positive and clear thinking ideas that it sparked
many exchanges after the meeting had been opened to the floor
for contribution. Mr. Nigel Kielczewski, who co-chaired the meeting
as one of the organizers of the INGO 2004 Conference, read out
as some of the expected outcomes of meeting that may need to be
acted upon once everyone has returned to their own communities.
They were as follows:
1. Initiate a “Practitioner to Practitioner”
training programme.
2. Establish an information exchange mechanism
3. Establish a rolling programme of youth exchange visits
4. Communicate the “Voice from the Ground” of grassroots
organizations in relation to Advocacy Strategies
20. Speakers from community groups such as BOLT
(Building Our Lives Together), CSV Media and others then outlined
the work that they do to encourage and involve young people in
the cultural life of Manchester.
21. After the main session of the meeting food
from the Caribbean, Africa and the Ukraine was offered. During
the whole buffet meal talented young people from the ‘Strong
tower Mission’ sang, gave public presentations and video
recorded the whole event of the visit. A final uplifting thanksgiving
was offered by Dr Bishop Henry Kantor to all concerned in making
the day a success that it was.
VI. AWARDS DINNER
22. Finally on the night of Saturday 10th July
delegates were invited to attend an awards dinner at the Nigerian
Embassy in the heart of London. The organizers of the conference
were instituting the Kofi Annan African Leadership Achievement
and Recognition Awards in honour of the Secretary General of the
United Nations and in recognition of his courage and relentless
efforts to reduce conflict and bring about peace globally, as
well as his support of initiatives to eradicate poverty and he
attainment of economic development, particularly in Africa. As
stated by Dr Bishop Henry Kantor, who presented the awards “It
is hoped that by honouring these committed and consistent supporters
of positive endeavours for Africa, they will nurture future generations
like them, to become role models for and inspire Africans from
all walks of life, to enhance the voluntary sector and encourage
philanthropy”. Those who were recognized through the awards
include President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and President Obasanjo
of Nigeria. |
