The Civil Society Situation Report is a weekly compilation of news on civil society and citizen engagement across West Africa. It serves as a tool to monitor trends and changes in both fields across the region.
Country: Cameroon
Greenpeace Africa opposes stifling of free speech over Herakles Farms Project, Cameroon
26 September 2013
Greenpeace expresses its disagreement with the Cameroonian authorities who have banned local CSO Nature Cameroon from informing residents of the threats posed to their livelihoods and the environment by Herakles Farms palm oil project. The Divisional Officer of Nguti Subdivision issued the order to allegedly preserve "peace, law and order" in the area, despite the fact that the activities of Nature Cameroon have been conducted in an official and peaceful manner. Greenpeace calls on the Cameroonian authorities to "respect the rights of Cameroonian civil society to question and voice opposition over ill-conceived projects such as that of Herakles Farms". Read more here.
Country: Ghana
BasicNeeds to deepen awareness on mental health
16 October 2013
NGO BasicNeeds has launched a platform to create awareness about mental health in Ghana. The aim of the project is to educate families and communities on the need to take mental health issues seriously and maintain healthy lifestyles. People with mental illness often experience stigma and discrimination, suffer violence and abuse, find it harder to get work or education, and are less able to provide for their families and contribute to their communities. BasicNeeds Ghana, Mental Health Society, and Mental Health Foundation of Ghana, have called on government and civil society groups to initiate activities for better healthcare and treatment for the aged and other vulnerable groups.
Read more here.
Time for research-backed policies – Economists from the University of Ghana
8 October 2013
At the stakeholders meeting of the Ministry of Finance, representatives from the University of Ghana Economics Department urged the government to make use of research-based policy, which will help the economy to derive the right results and impacts of policies it implements or abolishes. Senior lecturer Dr. Osei Asibey cited the example of tax policies, which may produce revenue on paper but should be examined for their social impact before adoption. Other representatives at the meeting gave advice on matters such as the fiscal deficit, employment and natural resource management.
Read more here.
Country: Liberia
A welcome initiative: civil society training in conflict resolution and mediation
Editorial, 13 October 2013
The Angie Brooks International Center (ABIC) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) organized a workshop for Liberian civil society actors on the subject of conflict resolution. The trainings specifically addressed peace-building, the protection of civilians in peacekeeping operations and transitional justice. The 37 participants included individuals from civil society organisations, community based organisations, government agencies, as well as students and youth. The Minister of Justice, Christiana Tah, encouraged civil society organisations to get involved in programs that buttress government efforts, especially when sustaining peace in the country.
Read more here.
Country: Nigeria
Civil society transparency groups rank Nigeria among 25 hubs of illicit finances
Mu'Sodiq Adekunle, 11 October 2013
Last week, 150 civil society organisations from 30 countries participated in a conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to discuss transparency and tax evasion. Nigeria was identified as one of the 25 countries where 10 multinational companies in the extractive industry have run a syndicate of 6,038 subsidiaries for various illicit offshore profits, transfers involving over $1 trillion. The exact number of incorporated subsidiaries in Nigeria according to the findings of the conference was 37. The conference was organised by Financial Transparency Coalition (FTC) in conjunction with Tanzania's Policy Forum, and participants discussed the detrimental effects of illicit financial flows on the extractive industries, conflict and instability, the illicit wildlife and arms trade, as well as how to make the global economy work for the rich and the poor by increasing financial transparency.
Read more here.
Civil society groups kick against ban on rallies and social gatherings
Wale Odunsi, 9 October 2013
On Tuesday 4 October 2013, Olufemi Adenaike, Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, declared that "henceforth, no individual, groups or associations shall hold meetings, rallies or assemblies without the prior consent of the police Command." Civil society organisations in Kaduna State have condemned the ban, describing the order as illegal, unconstitutional and a violation of the fundamental rights of citizens to freedom of assembly and of speech. Comrade Shehu Sani, president of the Civil Rights Congress, condemned the security agencies, accusing them of using violence in Northern Nigeria as an excuse to "extinguish the flames of freedom". Dr. John Danfulani of the Centre for Development and Rights Advocacy (CEDRA) in Kaduna, criticized them for using "unjustifiable security action" whist failing to stem the violence in Southern Kaduna where over 500 people have been killed since 2011.
Read more here.
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