Tag: Social inclusion

Message for Commonwealth Day 2018

Posted on 09/03/201802/03/2020 by Vijay Krishnarayan

This year the Commonwealth’s theme is ‘Towards a Common Future.’

It’s an aspiration which many would subscribe to; what distinguishes the Commonwealth’s commitment is a focus on making that future fairer for all.

For the Commonwealth fairness is a powerful concept. We invoke it, for example, in relation to the conduct of elections and the pursuit of a global rules-based trading system. But fairness also evokes other words that are keystones for the Commonwealth, like equity and justice. Through these lenses fairness also means sustainable development and universal human rights.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) saw the global community agree that we should ‘leave no one behind’. This means that each of us has a responsibility to each of us and that we all need a say in determining what’s fair. At the Commonwealth Foundation our strapline is ‘More voices for a fairer world’ because we recognise that inclusive, fair, and accountable development is best achieved through civic dialogue and participation.

‘The architecture of the SDGs acknowledges that fairness doesn’t just happen—it requires foundations.’

There is no universal template for achieving fairness within the Commonwealth’s broad vision for plural democracies where all can expect equal treatment. Any definition of fairness should respond to an articulation of people’s needs regardless of their status. The road to fairness is culturally situated and negotiated.

Civil society is an essential part of this mix. It is these voices that can bring the interests and concerns—particularly from those that aren’t usually heard—into the public arena, where institutions and policies can respond. The architecture of the SDGs acknowledges that fairness doesn’t just happen—it requires foundations. SDG 16 calls for peace, justice, and strong institutions. These are the essential building blocks for sustainable development. Policies can signal the intent of institutions to encourage this kind of environment; at their best these policies are driven by or engage with civil society.

The Southern African Alliance for Youth Employment is bringing together organisations from seven countries, including trade unions, churches, and wider civil society to develop their ideas for policies that get young people working. The Eastern African Sub-Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women is monitoring the commitments of East African governments on gender equality and has been advocating for a regional Gender and Development Bill.

‘An environment that encourages creative expression also has a part to play in enabling citizen voice and establishes a climate for fairness.’

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative from India and the Katiba Institute from Kenya are learning from each other to establish and strengthen Right to Information legislation. Transparency International Sri Lanka is doing the same, while the Network for Non-Governmental Organisations is informing the regulatory for civil society in Nigeria.

The Commonwealth Foundation supports these initiatives but also recognises that not all voices get heard through established and institutionalised ways and means. An environment that encourages creative expression also has a part to play in enabling citizen voice and establishes a climate for fairness. Anthologies of writing on small states or the experience of indentured labour encourages each of us to see through the eyes of others. Short films from new directors from Pacific Islands reveal issues of concern to new audiences.

These examples illustrate the ways in which civic voices help to determine what fairness looks like. They deepen our understanding of what fairness needs to deliver and shape the policies that will make it happen. Most importantly they help us to be true to the commitment to leave no one behind by amplifying those that are less heard. Without less-heard voices, ‘fairness’ only works for those powerful enough to define it, leaving others with a sense of grievance and injustice. ‘Governance that is inclusive and delivers development that is inclusive’: that’s what we mean by ‘A Common Future’ and it signposts Commonwealth renewal.

Vijay Krishnarayan is Director-General of the Commonwealth Foundation.

Advocacy is not complaining: Jamaicans for clean air and water

Posted on 20/12/201702/07/2019 by Suzanne Stanley

Jamaican communities living near to mining and quarrying operations often experience adverse impacts to air and water and to their quality of life.

At the same time, these commercial operations are also a source of jobs and economic development which restrains residents from taking action. The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) has been working with mining communities on the island since 2013. Our objectives have been to ensure community members know why good air and water quality is important to their health and about their rights under the law. JET has also worked on empowering communities to advocate on their own behalf, rather than simply filing complaints with JET and/or government regulators.

‘Community members knew what their problems were – dust, noise, impacts to water – but did not know how to address them and did not know who to talk to’

With funding from the Commonwealth Foundation, JET has been implementing a project entitled Jamaicans for Clean Air and Water since October 2016. The target communities are: Hayes/New Town in Clarendon, affected by a large alumina processing company and its Residue Disposal Area (RDA), Ten Miles at Bull Bay, St. Andrew, affected by quarrying by a cement company, Pleasant Farm in Ewarton, St. Catherine, also affected by bauxite mining, processing and waste and Port Morant, St Thomas, affected by sugar cane production and processing.

Site visit to Port Morant with community group and sugar factory representatives (2017)

Community members knew what their problems were – dust, noise, impacts to water – but did not know how to address them and did not know who to talk to. JET conducted advocacy training, with a focus on developing familiarity with the legal framework for mining and quarrying, especially regarding the environmental permits issued for these activities. Residents learned, for example, that the companies were required to keep a complaints register at a location that was easily accessible to them. The registers did exist, but were held inside the companies, where local people did not have easy access. Because they were not used, the companies were able to argue to regulators that there were no complaints. We also taught communities how to do logs of pollution events, so that they would be able to provide evidence of these impacts. Work continues to encourage communities to use these unaccustomed avenues.

Participants in the training also learned how to use the Access to Information (ATI) Act. They knew they were affected by dust, and they knew air quality was being tested by the company, but they did not know how to get the information, or how to interpret it. During workshops, community members learned how to do a simple ATI request and were excited to receive the information from government agencies after their requests were submitted. Because the information was often highly technical, however, they still needed expert input from JET and its consultants to understand what was sent to them.

‘Community members also benefit from meetings with regulators through the project’

JET continues to push the regulatory authorities to proactively disclose information about air and water quality to the public, especially nearby communities, in a form that is understandable by a lay person. A major output of this first year of the project was the release of a Review of the Legal and Policy Framework for Air and Water Quality in the island of Jamaica. This was launched at an Editor’s Forum at Jamaica’s main daily newspaper, the Gleaner, and received broad media coverage. In 2018, we will engage with the main environmental regulator, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), regarding the recommendations of this study.

Community members also benefit from meetings with regulators through the project. Stakeholder meetings have given them the opportunity to meet the responsible officers and tell them in their own words of their experiences. The regulators had to grapple with their first-hand accounts and contact information was exchanged.

Meeting between JET, community members and government stakeholders (2017)

However, despite improved knowledge and networking facilitated by JET amongst the communities, participants still remain somewhat unwilling to contact government officials, as they fear victimization. JET set up a WhatsApp group to receive updates and this is being lightly used to exchange information, but the communities would much rather complain to JET and have us liaise with regulators on their behalf. Over time, through public education and training JET hopes to build the confidence of the communities and the wider Jamaican public, and inspire community-led advocacy on air and water quality, and other environmental issues.

Suzanne Stanley is CEO of Jamaica Environment Trust.

Seasonal message from the Director-General of the Foundation

Posted on 20/12/201712/12/2019 by Vijay Krishnarayan

On behalf of the Commonwealth Foundation I want to take a moment to extend good wishes to our supporters during this season of goodwill to all.

It has been an important year for the Foundation – marking the successful conclusion of one Strategic Plan and the beginning of a new cycle. This is a time to thank our member states for their continuing support for our work. Their approval of the new Strategic Plan indicated trust and confidence in the organisation.

That relationship is built on our achievements, which over the past year has seen us: manage 38 continuing grant funded initiatives and approve a further 14 projects in June; receive more than 5,200 entries for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize; and welcome a combined following of 19,000 for our Foundation and Commonwealth Writer’s Twitter feeds.

Behind the numbers are the stories of the partnerships that we have continued to nurture with civic voices across the Commonwealth. Voices like those of young people in Southern Africa, working together to shape employment policy on the region through the Southern Africa Alliance on Youth Employment. Voices like those of the six filmmakers from the Pacific Islands who saw their ideas go from script to screen at the Hawaii International Film Festival this year.

We look forward to 2018 and the opportunity provided by the Commonwealth People’s Forum, which will take place in April here in London. The Forum is the single largest gathering of civic voices from across the Commonwealth. It will bring more than 300 people together including advocates, writers, performers, film-makers and other catalysts for social change. They’ll be making the connections between inclusive governance and a contemporary Commonwealth. You’ll see that registration is open now.

A final word then to thank you for your continuing support for the Commonwealth Foundation. It’s keenly appreciated by staff and we look forward to working with you in the new year.

Vijay Krishnarayan is Director-General of the Commonwealth Foundation. Image Credit: John Stratford Flickr CC.

Just, peaceful and inclusive societies: CPF 2018 programme takes shape

Posted on 24/11/201702/07/2019 by Shobha Das

No matter how many international events I help organise, I always face the same challenge. How do I best capture and present the priorities, aspirations and dreams of the many thousands, hundreds of thousands, or in the case of the Commonwealth, the 2.4 billion people the event is about?

In designing and delivering the biennial Commonwealth People’s Forum (CPF), the Commonwealth Foundation takes an effective approach to this challenge. Using a series of well-conceptualised internal and external processes, it formulates and validates the themes, focus areas, and aims of the event in active consultation with civic voices from around the Commonwealth.

The core conceptual framework for CPF 2018 has emerged from the Foundation’s extensive experience with and understanding of civil society priorities across the Commonwealth. CPF 2018 will focus on Sustainable Development Goal 16, and examine how inclusive governance can engender just, peaceful and inclusive societies.

This framework is being sharpened in consultation with a 7-member external Content Design Committee (CDC), which is made up of civil society actors from Bangladesh, Ghana, Jamaica, Malaysia, Malta, Samoa, and the United Kingdom.

‘Content Design Committee Members members have been at the forefront of civil society in their countries’

CDC members have been at the forefront of civil society in their countries and regions for a long time, and have an impressive breadth thematic expertise between them. The range of interests and focus of the CDC includes: human rights, access to justice, gender equality, community organising, environmental justice and advocacy, education, digital activism, LGBTI+ policy and creative expression. They bring diverse lenses with which to interrogate the purpose, content and methods of CPF 2018. Their clear vision and robust questioning helps ensure that the programme for the 3-day event is coherent in its content and flow, relevant to current civic debates, and most importantly, useful to delegates in the important work they do.

During the design process, the CDC asked challenging questions about the CPF 2018 programme. What are the difficult questions the Forum needs to ask? What are the important sessions to have, what innovative methods can we use to discuss complex themes, and who might be suitable speakers and panellists? How can we maximise delegate participation? How can we make sure the outcome document will have positive social benefits?

The process so far points to an exciting and inspiring CPF 2018. I feel certain it will be grounded in people’s everyday realities, it will challenge the status quo where necessary, and it will dare to dream about creating a genuinely inclusive, just, and accountable Commonwealth for all.

Our shared vision: The Southern African Civil Society Forum

Posted on 26/09/201702/07/2019 by Emma Theofelus

I graduate from law school in 18 months but since I was 16 years old I have been a child rights and youth activist.

As the only young Namibian voice at the recently concluded Southern African Development Community – Civil Society Forum (SADC – CSF), I felt strongly that I needed to make the voice of Namibian youth heard and to describe the complex issues facing Namibia’s young people and women. I attended as one of six country representatives from the Southern African Alliance on Youth Employment (SAAYE).

‘To attend meetings such as these, senior members of organisations have priority and it is difficult to source funds to participate.’

My experience at the forum was rich. I was eager to learn from delegates from a variety of civil society organisations about the work they do across the region and to engage in conversations around youth employment. The forum explored topics ranging from the rule of law, statelessness, sexual reproductive health and people living with disabilities, all of which have a huge impact on young people. Sexual and gender based violence, youth unemployment, inequality and poverty are regional predicaments, all of which are prevalent in Namibia. To me, the main lesson is that SADC needs to collaborate more, to plan and strategise on how to collectively solve the issues we all face.

The CSF is a unique platform. There are not that many events where civil society converge in the region to talk about the diverse problems we face. It was a pleasure to engage with participants that have been in advocacy for longer than I have and to learn improved ways of setting an advocacy agenda and how to engage with key players. The Forum is also a great opportunity for young people to voice their concerns, hopes and challenges. Through the stories shared, I saw many similarities in the hopes and challenges faced by my fellow youth across Southern Africa.

‘I could say I am the personification of Namibia because I am a young, black, 21-year-old citizen, which according to the 2011 census is the average Namibian person.’

It is a sad truth that young people in the region rarely have the opportunity to be participants and contributors to the development agenda of the region. To attend meetings such as these, senior members of organisations have priority and it is difficult to source funds to participate. Youth however make up 60% of the total population in the SADC region. I pointed out that a specific commission dedicated to youth might be needed.

My country Namibia, is very young and has a unique profile. I could say I am the personification of Namibia because I am a young, black, 21-year-old citizen, which according to the 2011 census is the average Namibian person. The forum added to my insight on shared identity by showing me it exists regionally too. A shared identity should help us find the right path toward creating the SADC we all want.

I am grateful to the Commonwealth Foundation and the Economic Justice Network for the collaborative effort in making it possible for me to be heard.

Emma attended SADC – CSF as one of six country representatives from the Southern African Alliance for Youth Employment (SAAYE), a project supported by the Commonwealth Foundation.

Grants roundup: steps to a fairer future

Posted on 31/08/201722/07/2020 by Commonwealth Foundation

The Commonwealth Foundation’s Grants Committee recently approved 14 projects. This new cohort of initiatives complements the Foundation’s key 2017-2021 strategic objective: to strengthen people’s voices so they can engage with governance.

Following a rigorous, multi-stage selection process, the newly endorsed projects are as ambitious as they are regionally varied, with initiatives being implemented from the Pacific islands to East Africa.

Here’s a snapshot of a few:

Find Your Feet are working towards the realisation of the rights of India’s 104 million indigenous people. The Indian government has introduced a number of laws and policies that are specifically designed to promote the rights of tribal communities. Find Your Feet have focussed on the need to adequately monitor the implementation of legislation and policy at the central and state levels of government. The Tribal Rights Fora (TRF) was established by civil society to do just this—but as new entities, they need support if they are to engage policymakers and make recommendations to the institutions responsible for implementing legislative changes.

Find Your Feet of India are going to design and implement a tailored programme of capacity development with TRF members in leadership, advocacy skills and engagement with governance and the media. Its key utility will be to focus on assisting, influencing and engaging with the government’s implementing bodies, particularly the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs).

AbleChildAfrica are paying close attention to the parliamentary cycle as they form alliances between Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) and government officials. The Government of Kenya has demonstrated its commitment to the right of Children with Disabilities (CWDs) by ratifying both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). With the Children’s Act due for review in the Kenyan parliament, AbleChildAfrica will facilitate meetings, the attendance of national parliamentary review sessions and develop the coalition’s ability to advocate using awareness-building campaigns. A series of evidence-based reports and the involvement of policymakers throughout will help to better inform the Children’s Act review process.

In Mauritius, Prevention Information Lutte contre le SIDA (PILS) are taking action on HIV. Despite the success of recent harm reduction programmes in reducing the occurrences of the virus among adults, progress has rolled back with a recent spike in cases among people who use drugs (PWUDs), a community with limited awareness of health care options. By facilitating their access to services and raising awareness of prevention techniques, PILS hopes to tackle the spread of the virus while at the same time demonstrating the value of the harm reduction approach to national drug policy.

A welcome upsurge in the number of grant applications to the Foundation from the Pacific region has led to the endorsement of some important new initiatives. The Tonga Strategic Development Framework 2015-2025 provides a roadmap for the localisation of commitments made in international treaties, particularly on the environment. The Civil Society Forum of Tonga (CSFT) plans to work towards a constructive working relationship with the Tongan Government so they can jointly monitor the progress of the Tonga Strategic Development Framework. Crucially, the CSFT will begin the process mapping the alignment of civil society and government priorities. These form solid foundations that make a partnership between civil society and government more likely to work.

In Papua New Guinea, the Centre for Environment Law and Community Rights (CELCOR) have linked the issues of environmental legislation and indigenous rights. They will engage government agencies to deliver changes to legislation and policies that govern the use and management of natural resources to benefit indigenous customary landowners. This will involve 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.

In this latest round of grants projects, there is a discernible sense of civil society cooperating with governments and building on their work. Constructive engagement and adding value to development lie at the core of the Commonwealth Foundation’s strategic objectives. Many of the new projects do this by broadening and deepening participation to make national legislation effective. They are aimed at achievable, sustainable and institutionalised change and highlight the importance of including marginalised voices that offer a worldview from which there is much to learn.

Grant calls for the 2017/18 period will open in December 2017. For information on our next grants call and all other updates on our grants programme please sign up here. Profiles for each newly endorsed project will be available on the Commonwealth Foundation grants pages soon.