Project Stream: Open grants call

Enhancing the ability of civil society to monitor the implementation of the Tonga Strategic Development Framework

Issue

The Tonga Strategic Development Framework 2015-2025 is an overarching framework to ensure Tonga’s development. Civil society plays a key role in its implementation but a more engaged interaction with government is required.

Project

The Civil Society Forum of Tonga (CSFT) is collaborating with government and the private sector to monitor the implementation of the Tonga Strategic Development Framework, ensuring civil society actors are better informed, better coordinated and better able to engage with government in a structured and productive way. With an emphasis on the priority areas of climate change and local governance, the CSFT is mapping alignment between the priorities of civil society and government, and undertaking a comparative analysis to ensure the Tonga Strategic Development Framework aligns with commitments made in international treaties. By building the capacity of CSOs in data collection, research and monitoring and evaluation techniques, CSFT is ensuring civil society can make a credible contribution in helping government to implement the Tonga Strategic Development Framework to its full potential.

By the end of the project, it is expected that institutionalised engagement between civil society and government will have been established to promote improved implementation of the Tonga Strategic Development Framework and the sustainable development of Tonga. CSOs will be better informed on issues of climate change and local governance; better equipped to play a monitoring role alongside government in the implementation of national priorities and better able to access and interact with government processes through the structured engagement framework. There will also be a clear process established for CSOs to provide constructive feedback to improve processes of engagement and policy dialogue.

The Civil Society Forum of Tonga

The Civil Society Forum of Tonga (CSFT), established in 2000, is a national umbrella organisation of CSOs in Tonga. It represents civil society organisations and coordinates their activities in Tonga, playing a key role in building their capacity. It also serves as the National Liaison Unit for the Pacific Island Association of NGOs. The forum enjoys the recognition of government as the main coordination body for CSOs. As a result of this recognition, CSFT is able to represent civil society in political spaces on national committees appointed by government.

Enhancing localisation of the Papua New Guinea informal economy act

Issue

In Papua New Guinea, the informal economy is central to the livelihoods of approximately 80 to 85% of the population. The informal economy revolves around women’s food production, distribution and trade, and street trading. Since early 2000s, the Papua New Guinea government has made efforts to develop laws and policies for the promotion and protection of the informal economy. The Informal Sector Development and Control Act 2004 opened the doors to legalise informal trade by facilitating and encouraging the development of informal businesses in urban and rural areas. However, challenges in implementing laws and policies at provincial and local government level have resulted in vendors, who are mostly women, sometimes working in unsafe and unhealthy environments.

Project

PPPA, alongside partner organisations, is using a comprehensive approach to improve conditions for informal vendors. They are strengthening the capacity of the vendors to better understand the relevant laws and policies and to be able to plan, organise and advocate with local governments, and strengthening the knowledge of provincial and local governments on relevant laws and policies, as well as facilitating gender sensitising and social inclusion trainings. Meetings are being facilitated between the vendors, their organisations, local government and key stakeholders on the collection, analysis and the use of data in support of enhanced planning. The scheme is also piloting a new model of participatory governance, in local informal economy development, through the development of a business case that can be scaled up for replication by provincial and national governments.

At the end of the project, it is expected that East Sepik and Jiwaka provinces will be more committed to effective local implementation of the relevant laws and policies, with informal vendors benefitting from a safer and more conducive working environment.

Photo Credit: HELP Resources

Pacific People’s Partnership Association

Pacific People’s Partnership Association (PPPA), has been working in the South Pacific region for over forty years mainly in the areas of peace building, environmental sustainability, social justice and community development. PPPA is currently focused on promoting climate resilience and gender equity in South Pacific communities, and on facilitating knowledge exchange between Pacific Islanders and the Indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand and Canada. www.ckc.victoriafoundation.bc.ca/org/pacific-peoples-partnership-association

HELP Resources

HELP Resources, established 1999, has experience of working on human rights, gender equality and social development. HELP Resources has served as a partner working on projects with PPPA, for more than a decade particularly in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. In the past, HELP Resources has been supported by UNICEF, UNDP, DFAT Australia and New Zealand Aid.

Voice for Change

Voice for Change, established in 2003, has grown from a small NGO working with rural women famers to become a provincial NGO working on advocacy, women’s empowerment and gender based violence. VFC has been successful in mobilising men and women in a major campaign to against violent conflict and violence against women. VFC has received funding support from Global Fund for Women, OXFAM PNG, and the UN Global Trust Fund.

Australia Volunteers International

Australia Volunteers International, is an Australian not-for-profit organisation committed to achieving economic and social development outcomes by connecting people to share experience and knowledge. They have experience of providing technical assistance to local NGOs in Papua New Guinea and are able to contribute to bring about economic, social and environmental change for communities.

Ensuring the right to health for vulnerable people

Issue

Availability and utilisation of monetary resources play a central role in the realisation of the right to health in Kenya. Resources allocated to health need to be utilised in an accountable and transparent manner, thus ensuring that everybody, especially the most vulnerable, can access health services.

Project

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN) is building a network of knowledgeable civil society organisations (CSOs) Community Based Organisations (CBOs), the media and communities of persons affected by HIV and TB to monitor the implementation of the right to health commitments, including the availability and utilisation of resources allocated to health at county and national level. This includes participation in health planning processes at county level and the development of communications to inform stakeholders on health issues. KELIN is also facilitating constructive engagement between the network and decision makers, such as government officials at county level, to advocate for measures that can promote greater transparency and accountability in the health sector.

This project builds on the “Influencing HIV Policy in Kenya” project funded by the Commonwealth Foundation from July 2013 – June 2016. The project established and built the capacity of networks in key target counties to engage in local governance processes for enhanced and inclusive delivery of health services.

Through the proposed project these networks will be expanded and further strengthened to monitor the implementation of the right to health. Network members are closely involved in the planning, implementation and monitoring of the project in order to promote ownership.
By the end of the project, network members will have acquired skills and experience to enable them to continue to monitor the implementation of the right to health commitments in the long term.

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS

KELIN is a Kenyan civil society organisation working to protect and promote health-related rights in Kenya by: advocating for integration of human rights principles in laws, policies and administrative frameworks; facilitating access to justice in respect of violations of health related rights; and developing the capacities of civil society organisations and groups working to promote the right to health. KELIN has been at the forefront in advocating for increased public participation in governance processes relating to the health sector, including policy making and legislation review, in Kenya. The organisation has experience of participating in the development of policies and legislation relating to health in Kenya, including the Health Act 2017 and the Reproductive Health Bill 2015.

Accelerating national commitments to reduce non-communicable diseases

Issue

The Government of India is taking action and targeting the greatest risk factors contributing to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). As part of its efforts, India has implemented the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It has also adapted the Global Monitoring Framework on NCDs and set specific targets under the National NCD Action Plan, in order to reduce the number of premature deaths from NCDs.

Project

Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY), along with its partners from the Healthy India Alliance – A national coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) working on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases NCDs – is engaging with multiple stakeholders to form a clear picture of the progress made by the government and mitigation strategies required to overcome any challenges faced in achieving the targets. This process involves establishing a task force under the auspices of the Healthy India Alliance that documents and maps key NCD indicators to capture and update evidence on progress, recommend solutions to address impediments to progress, and develop an NCD Accountability Framework.

HRIDAY is facilitating consultations, round tables, forums and meetings and conducting a programme of concerted action focused on accelerating the implementation of the key steps first identified in the National NCD Action Plan. Policy briefs are being produced to inform decision makers at the national level on the impact of tobacco on economic and social development, and the need to strengthen national tobacco control policies. Monitoring and accountability reports are being made available to the Government and other stakeholders for use at the national and international review of progress on NCD prevention and control.

Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth

HRIDAY, established in 1992, is a voluntary organisation engaged in awareness raising, capacity building, advocacy and research to promote informed health activism through multi-stakeholder partnerships to prevent NCDs. The organisation’s main areas of focus are: tobacco control; diet and physical activity; diabetes, CVD and obesity prevention; alcohol control; road safety; mental health; and the environment. www.hridayindia.in

Strengthening the effective implementation of pro-tribal legislation and policies

Issue

The indigenous peoples of India known as Adivasi constitute 8.6 per cent of India’s population, equivalent to 104 million people. Although the Indian government has introduced a number of laws and policies that are specifically designed to promote the rights of tribal communities, more needs to be done to monitor the implementation of legislation and policy at the central and state levels of government. A network of Tribal Rights Fora (TRF) was established by Find Your Feet to do just this, but they need to be strengthened so they can effectively engage policy makers and make recommendations to the institutions responsible for implementing legislative changes.

Project

Find Your Feet is designing and implementing a tailored programme of capacity development for TRF members in leadership, advocacy skills and engagement with governance and the media. The project is also forging strategic partnerships between TRF members and other alliances and networks so they can campaign on issues of mutual concern and engage with the government’s implementing bodies, particularly the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs). The TRF will document incidences of rights violations, hold regular meetings with NHRI representatives, and contribute to NHRI procedures such as formal complaints, expert inquiries and fact-finding missions.

By the end of the project, it is expected that the TRF will be able to independently engage in policy dialogue and decision-making alongside government institutions. It is also anticipated that there will be improved monitoring of legislation and tribal policies by NHRIs as a result of interaction and information sharing with the TRF.

Find Your Feet

Find Your Feet, established in 1960, works in South Asia and Southern Africa to mobilise local knowledge, skills and resources, so poor, rural families can find sustainable solutions to poverty, exclusion and discrimination. Find Your Feet works with small family farmers who depend on plots of land for their livelihood; tribal people who are often denied access to the land and forest on which they depend for their survival; women who seldom have an equal voice in their communities; and young people who are seeking an opportunity to break the ongoing cycle of poverty for their families. www.find-your-feet.org

Badlao Foundation

Badlao Foundation based in Jharkhand is committed to working with tribal communities for their transformation. For more than three decades, it has been working in the areas of women’s empowerment, gender justice and livelihood development. Lokshakti Samaj Sevi Sanstha, is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1986. It is involved in women’s empowerment, livelihood promotion and rights based advocacy with community based organisations and self-help groups in Chhattisgarh. www.badlao.org.in

Strengthening legislation and policy development on natural resource management

Issue

Papua New Guinea has several pieces of vital legislation around the use and management of natural resources, but customary landowners often lack awareness or a clear understanding of the legislation and polices that protect their rights.

Project

The Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights (CELCOR) is engaging government agencies to deliver changes to legislation and policies that govern the use and management of natural resources, including the Land Act (1996), the Environment Act (2000) and the Climate Change Management Act (2015), so that they better reflect customary land owner’s rights. This involves raising awareness among community based organisations (CBOs), conducting a detailed review and analysis of existing policies and legislation, and working with government agencies directly to present and propose changes to the First Legislative Counsel and advocate with Parliamentarians for these changes to be adopted.

By the end of the project, it is expected that some pieces of legislation will be revised to more strongly reflect support for customary land rights.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC Stefan Krasowski

Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights (CELCOR)

The Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights is an environmental and conservation NGOnot for profit public interest firm that promotes sustainable management of natural resources in Papua New Guinea. The objectives of the organisation are to carry out policy research on national development issues and management of the environment and to use the research findings to advocate for change of policies and relevant legislation. Their activities include legal advice and assistance to communities, policy research, advocacy, as well as education and awareness programs on environmental issues, development, land and resource rights of customary landowners.

Pioneering financial inclusion for refugees

Issue

In November 2016, the Indian government announced the immediate demonetization of large currency notes, whereby these would no longer be legal tender. The objective was for India to transform into a cashless economy where every individual has a bank account, thus achieving complete financial inclusion. This necessarily excludes those who do not have access to the formal banking system, such as refugees. Their lack of legal status and access to government documentation had already rendered them extremely marginalized, vulnerable, and at risk. With the overnight change in policy and no access to banking services, refugees had no means of acquiring the new currency. They have thus been left completely destitute and excluded from the economy. This has particularly impacted women and children who constitute nearly 70% of the refugee population and are most vulnerable to economic and other forms of exploitation.

Project

The Ara Trust is studying the new financial policy so it can identify the appropriate avenues to help the 40,000 affected refugees, registered with United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) India, to access financial services. Further, it will engage with the relevant authorities to create awareness about the specific needs of this population, advocate for their financial inclusion, and seek clarifications on the implementation of current financial policies. It will share the findings with UNHCR and other interlocutors to inform appropriate interventions. The project will also use these findings to implement a targeted financial education programme for the refugee community and train service providers so as to create a referral pathway between the community and service providers.

At the end of the project, it is expected that government and other relevant authorities will be better able to respond to the needs of refugees, enabling them to access financial services, thus paving the way for their inclusion into the mainstream economy.

The Ara Trust was established in 2013 as a centre for the study of refugee law and forced migration. The Ara Trust is a woman-led organisation with an all-woman staff. It seeks to use innovative methods to expand the protection space available for forced migrants and refugees in India. The Ara Trust works closely on refugee issues with UNCHR, India. It receives funding from several institutional donors including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, The Clifford Chance Foundation, University of York and AmplifyChange.

The Ara Trust

Strengthening the capacity of civil society to advocate for the rights of young people with disabilities

Issue

Equal rights for children and young people with disabilities, although recognised in Kenya, need to be strengthened through engagement between policy makers and civil society.

Project

AbleChildAfrica is working with disabled peoples’ organisations and civil society organisations to improve the rights of Children with Disabilities (CWDs) in Kenya.

In partnership with Action Network for Disabled (ANDY), AbleChildAfrica is forming a coalition of child focused civil society organisations (CSOs) and disabled peoples’ organisations (DPOs) to work with government officials, and to deliver a public campaign that will enhance government and the public awareness of child focused disability rights. AbleChildAfrica is developing the coalition’s ability to advocate for the rights of children with disabilities, facilitating meetings between coalition members and government officials, and developing evidence based reports of policy recommendations for policy makers.

By the end of the project, it is expected that effective public campaigns and engagement between policy makers and the coalition will lead to the implementation of policies that strengthen the rights of children with disabilities.

AbleChildAfrica

AbleChildAfrica is a UK based charity working with and alongside partner organisations in Africa to achieve equal rights for children and young people with disabilities. AbleChildAfrica works in partnership to provide direct services such as education and health, and engages in advocacy and influencing working in the UK and internationally. www.ablechildafrica.org

Action Network for Disabled (ANDY)

Action Network for Disabled (ANDY) works to promote the equality, inclusion and empowerment of young people with disabilities in Kenya. ANDY supports young people with disabilities to become involved in development and decision-making processes. It facilitates their socio-economic empowerment by involving them in small scale self-sustainable projects. www.ablechildafrica.org/our-partners/kenya-partner

Empowering residents of waterfront slums to advocate for an inclusive city

Issue

It is estimated that between 20 and 40 percent of the city of Port Harcourt’s population lives in self-built waterfront settlements. The government in Nigeria have plans to redevelop the city which would benefit from the inputs of local communities. The project is working with young people to share their experiences living in these waterfront slums.

Project

Human City Media Advocacy Initiative is establishing a group of engaged musicians and producers from marginalised communities with the technical skills, artistic capacity and cultural connections to initiate independent radio productions. The project is working with renowned Nigerian and international musicians, producers, artists and scholars to train and mentor young people. The project will also engage state and city government officials in debates on issues affecting communities, through community radio programmes and discussions.

Stakeholder Democracy Network and Human City Media Advocacy Initiative in Nigeria are empowering residents of waterfront slums to use music and other art forms to advocate for a more inclusive cityscape. Using music and radio production as a medium for social expression and constructive political engagement, the project is increasing the visibility of waterfront communities and their issues at local and national level.

Endorsed project title: Empowering residents of waterfront slums to advocate for an inclusive city in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Photo credit: Flickr CC Igor Putina Soundboard

Stakeholder Democracy Network, UK

Stakeholder Democracy Network supports empowerment of citizens to work together and with their government to address development challenges. With core focus on democratisation, resilient communities, access to energy, environment and resource governance SDN has partnered with Human City Media Advocacy Initiative to work with marginalised waterfront communities in Port Harcourt over the past five years. www.stakeholderdemocracy.org

Promoting greater women’s participation in governance

Issue

Stronger recognition of women’s issues in policy is required through increased representation in national and state governance. The experience in India shows that women elected in local government have played a key role in addressing critical issues affecting them and their broader communities, such as education, water management, health and domestic violence. The Women’s Reservation Bill, which was passed by the Upper House of Parliament in March 2010, is yet to be enshrined in law.

Project

Centre for Social Research is generating public and governmental support around greater representation and participation of women in national and state governance structures in India.

The project is advocating for the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which seeks to reserve 33 per cent of seats in parliament and state legislative assemblies for women. Women’s representation in national and state governance will promote greater equality in politics and support stronger representation of women’s issues in policy.

The project is engaging members of parliament and advocating with political parties to promote more opportunities for women in leadership structures. This is being achieved using direct engagement with officials, media campaigns and mobilising citizens to raise public awareness. It is hoped that by forming a block of parliamentarians committed to voting and advocating in favour of the bill in the Lower House, it will be tabled and passed before the project comes to a close.

The project is fostering greater awareness and appreciation of women’s involvement in politics.

Endorsed project title: Promoting greater representation and participation of women in national and state governance structures in India

Centre for Social Research

Centre for Social Research (CSP) aims to empower the women and girls of India, guarantee their fundamental rights, and increase understanding of social issues from a gender perspective. CSR has a long history of engagement with policy makers on issues affecting women. And during the project will be leading the 33 per cent Coalition and facilitate a joint advocacy strategy in partnership with Women Power Connect (WPC). WPC promotes effective implementation of gender friendly legislation and the active participation of women in policy outcomes. It is the largest advocacy body for women in India, with a membership of over 1600 individuals and women organisations across 28 states. www.csrindia.org

www.womenpowerconnect.org