Thirty CSOs meet in Accra to Discuss Participation in AU Summit
Press release - Media Foundation for West Africa
About thirty civil society organisations from across Africa met in Accra at the SSNIT Guest House on May 18, to discuss plans for civil society participation in the upcoming African Union (AU) Summit to be held in Ghana.
The African Union Summit as usual will be preceded by a series of activities, including civil society events.
Initiated by a coalition of rights-based Ghanaian NGOs, the Network of African Freedom of Expression Organisations (NAFEO) and the Centre for Research, Education and Development of Rights in Africa (CREDO- Africa), the meeting agreed to engage in events and activities on Peace, Human Rights and Development in the last half of June to precede the AU Summit.
The meeting expressed concern particularly about the following issues as among the most pressing of the problems facing the peoples of Africa:
1. Peace, conflicts and attendant problems of displaced persons and refugees
2. Human security
3. Democracy and good governance
4. Economic and social rights
5. Freedom of expression in all its manifestations
6. Food Security
7. Gender equality and women’s rights
8. Environment
9. Various public health issues, especially HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and children’s health
The civil society groups also identified the following country- specific cases as some of the most critical to engage the attention of the African Union, as they highlight the problems of conflict, peace, human rights and other issues. They are:
1. Sudan, in particular Darfur
2. Somalia
3. Chad
4. Eritrea
5. Ethiopia
6. Gambia
7. Zimbabwe
8. DRC
9. Tunisia
The events to be organised by the civil society organisations will take place around the following principal programmes and respective dates.
20/21/22 June: A general assembly of, and parallel independent Africa Civil Society consultations and meetings- covering thematic and country issues
25/26 June: Conference on strengthening freedom of expression in Africa and book launch on 50 years of the media in Africa
27th June: Day of solidarity on Zimbabwe
29th June: Presentation of African Public Health Rights Alliance “15% Now” petition, to the African Union
30th June: Day of solidarity on Darfur. The solidarity event on Darfur will consist of exhibitions, film shows, round table discussions, and arts and cultural programmes.
The following civil society organisations, including the Ghana NGO coalition, participated in the meeting:
1. Media Foundation for West Africa, Accra
2. Network of African Freedom of Expression Organisations, c/o MFWA, Accra
3. Centre for Research, Education and Development of Rights in Africa (CREDO-Africa)
4. Union Interafricaine des Droits de l’Homme (UIDH)
5. Media Rights Agenda, Lagos
6. Media Institute of Southern Africa- (MISA, Zimbabwe)
7. Journalistes En Danger, DRC
8. ARTICLE 19: Global Campaign for Expression
9. Arab Network for Human Rights Information, Cairo
10. Darfur Bar Association
11. Observatoire des Médias Congolais (OMEC)
12. Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA)
13. Darfur Relief & Documentation Coalition
14. Save Darfur Coalition
15. Union des Journalistes Camerounians
16. Sery for Social Development Organisation- Darfur
17. ABANTU
18. Defence Against AIDS, Poverty and Underdevelopment (DAAPU)
19. Foundation for Future Christian Workers International (FFCWI)
20. African Free Media Foundation, Kenya
21. NEPAD/CCRFE- Central Africa- D.R.C
22. Amnesty International- Ghana Section
23. CHPR- Ghana
24. NETRIGHT, Ghana
25. Citizens for New Ghana
26. Youth Development Foundation (YODEF), Ghana
27. Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Africa office, Accra (Ghana)
28. Ghana Committee on Human and Peoples’ Rights
29. Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre, Ghana
The following networks and their respective member organisations are linked to the initiative and planned programmes of the Accra civil society meetings:
A. Darfur Consortium and its network
B. Network of African Freedom of Expression Organisations (NAFEO) and its members
C. Africa Public Health Rights Alliance “15% Now!” Campaign members
For more information, send enquiries to:
Media Foundation for West Africa
P.O.Box LG 730, Legon
Accra, Ghana
Tel: 233-21-242470
Fax: 233-21-221084
E-mail: mfwa at africaonline.com.gh
Executive Director: Prof Kwame Karikari
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