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Discussions around the post-2015 Development Agenda have begun and it is critical that the grassroots are actively involved in the process and that Southern African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are active participants in shaping the agenda at country and regional levels, says African Monitor.
 
“Itis crucial that civil society ensures that the processes for the post-2015 framework are democratic and inclusive,” says Ms Namhla Mniki-Mangaliso, Director for African Monitor.

African Monitor is an independent continental body monitoring development funding commitments, funding delivery as well as the impact on grassroots communities.  As part of the pan-African civil society steering group on the post-2015 agenda, African Monitor will be hosting a two-day Strategic Planning workshop on the post-2015 processes for Southern African CSOs in collaboration with UNDP.
 
The workshop starts tomorrow 15 October until 16 October 2012 at the Park Inn Sandton. It aims to establish a Southern African working group to strategise, plan and implement a coordinated consultative process in partnership with the UNDP Southern Africa regional centre and to develop a grassroots engagement plan.
 
“Our objective is to make sure that ordinary people’s voices and contributions influence the post 2015 debate,” says Mniki-Mangaliso.
 
The workshop will have panel members including Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, Ms Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Director of the Democratic Governance Group of the Bureau for Development Policy, United Nations Development Programme, Dr Sam Nyambi, Executive Director, Capacity and Development Services (CAPDEV) as well as representatives of NEPAD, Beyond 2015 and Civicus.
 
They will be discussing various topics such as lessons from the MDG framework and its implication for the post 2015 development agenda, opportunities for CSOs to influence and inform the 2015development agenda’s consultations and outcomes, and developing a common position among CSOs.
 
“It is most apt that we are having the conference during this week,” says Archbishop Ndungane, President of African Monitor, “as Monday is the International Day of Rural Women who are important contributors to social progress and Wednesday 17 October is the International day for the eradication of poverty, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries, particularly in developing countries”.
 
Mniki-Mangaliso says that the process preceding the Millennium Development Goals were not sufficiently inclusive with very limited consultation with developing countries. Therefore organisations from South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Angola, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi,Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia have been invited to the workshop.
 
“The UN has made it clear that the 2015 process must be inclusive and representative of marginalised groups.  This workshop will be the first of a series of consultations we will host leading up to March 2013 that will ensure that as many voices as possible will be heard.
 
“The final consultation will take civil society and grassroots perspectives collected at the consultations and collate them with other sub-regions into a continent-wide citizen’s perspective which will be presented to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon”.
 
For more information on the workshop, contact African Monitor on 021 713 2802.
 
A press conference will be held on 17 October at the Park Inn Sandton Hotel, 118 Katherine Street at 11h00 to relate the findings of the workshop. Contact Chantal Meugens on 011 487 0026 or email Chantal@quo-vadis.co.za for accreditation.