Introduction
From TrustAfrica wiki - African Regional Organizations
This report emanates from a survey of African Regional Organizations (AROs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Research Institutes and Think Tanks initiated by TrustAfrica in 2007. The aim of the survey was to help identify opportunities and strategies for donor agencies, and in particular private foundations, to consider in helping to strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of African regional organizations. It is the first time an audit of this kind has been conducted.
The survey focused on organizations with a continental or sub-continental mandate in five broad thematic areas: peace and security; human rights; environment; governance; and population. TrustAfrica’s rationale for selecting these themes, and not others, is that these five fields together constitute sustainable foundations for African development, in the sense that there can be no durable development without a freer, safer and sustainable environment. Two main types of organizations were surveyed: TBOs or IGOs, which in the past constituted the main continental and regional actors; and CSOs and networks, which now occupy center stage in advocating continentally on the themes of the survey. An additional category identified in the survey covers cross-cutting organizations that work across themes.
The survey was conducted in two phases. The first phase, spanning February to April 2007, involved gathering data, including information on their track records and details of donor support for their work. The second phase entailed putting together the report—a draft of which was submitted at the end of May, peer reviewed, revised on the basis of feedback and completed in October 2007. In light of this assessment, and using the findings as an entry point, a conference was convened in April 2008 in Dakar to discuss wider issues of sustainability around existing and future support for AROs and CSOs. Participants at the conference included senior CSO, think tank and research institute leaders, representatives of donor agencies (private foundations as well as bilateral and multilateral funders), and a cross-section of experts.
In addition to publishing the survey, and further to the conference, TrustAfrica plans to take a number of initiatives — including the creation, updating, and maintenance of a dynamic online database of continentally-focused African organizations — as part of a long-term strategy to promote the sharing of knowledge and strengthen collaboration among AROs.
The report is divided into two parts. The first is a narrative section that includes a thematic overview, discussion of the donor landscape as it relates to continentally-focused organizations in Africa, and an analysis of gaps and opportunities identified in the course of the survey. It ends with key findings and strategic recommendations. The second part features profiles of more than 100 organizations.
