e-CIVICUS - Connecting civil society worldwide - Number 146
28 December, 2001

CONTENTS

A. From the desk of the CIVICUS Secretary-General
B. Relevant position listings
C. General news about civil society and citizen action
D. International conferences/workshops/meetings/fairs and exhibitions
E. Training courses
F. New publications
G. Internet news and websites
H. Scholarly support and awards
I. From the reader
J. Funders and donors profile

We would like to wish all our subscribers a happy holiday season and a
peaceful and prosperous new year 2002.

A. FROM THE DESK OF THE CIVICUS SECRETARY-GENERAL

GEARING UP CIVIL SOCIETY FOR THE YEAR 2002

As the year 2001 draws to a close, I’d like to share my reflections with
you in this space. Needless to say, this has been a transformative year in
international relations, and governments and citizens everywhere are
confronted with tremendous challenges as we enter the new year. We have
witnessed scenes of high drama and several explosive moments (literally and
figuratively) this year. The ideological and economic polarisation and
divisions within and across societies have become visible as never before.

In January, the first World Social Forum (WSF) was held in Porto Allegre,
Brazil, as a counter reference point for the annual World Economic Forum
held traditionally in Davos, Switzerland. The WSF slogan “Another World is
Possible” sums up the purpose of the congregation: to articulate people’s
disillusionment and loss of confidence in the present economic order, and
to begin conceiving of an alternative order, premised on social justice.
While this forum, like the protests in Davos, demonstrated citizens’
willingness to express their opinions publicly, it did not go far in
engaging the attention of policy-makers. The divisions were most obvious
during a television link up between representatives at Davos and Porto
Allegre, which degenerated into a shouting match. We witnessed this
unwillingness, or should I say, the difficulties of engaging in effective
dialogue, once again at the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), with
participants at the NGO forum refusing to reach out across battlelines, and
with the United States and Israel ultimately withdrawing from the
conference.

The attacks against targets in the United States (US) on September 11, and
the ensuing war in Afghanistan and the “global war against terrorism”, have
undoubtedly had the greatest impact on existing and emerging divisions.
Calling this a “clash of civilizations” not only illustrates the
assumptions of moral and material superiority on the part of some cultures,
but it also shows the poor understanding of complex social, economic and
historical issues underlying these divisions. It is clear that there are a
million bridges to be built across these competing identities and
loyalties. However, the political and military elites of the world,
supported by the media, particularly in the West, have been over-focused on
the “clashes” rather than the opportunities for dialogue.

Elsewhere, citizens took to the streets, expressing their distrust of
international trade and economic summits, and demanding a greater role in
such negotiations. The protests in Quebec City at the Free Trade Agreement
of the Americas (FTAA) summit, and in Genoa during the G8 summit, sent
precisely this message. On occasion, citizens also demonstrated against
their own governments, (witnessed most recently in Argentina), holding them
accountable for the failing economy or corruption or authoritarianism.
While this pro-activeness of citizens is to be celebrated, the incidence of
violence on such occasions is a cause for serious concern, and reveals the
divisions within civil society itself.

In the current climate of cynicism, however, it is imperative for civil
society practitioners to step back for a moment, and reevaluate our
collective challenges in providing alternatives. Several positive
initiatives have been taken by civil society this year, particularly in the
realms of capacity-building, effective grant-making, participatory
advocacy, effective disaster relief, practitioner-research engagement,
celebrating and strengthening volunteerism, and so on. The CIVICUS World
Assembly, held at Vancouver in August 2001, was effectively a celebration
of citizen action. However, as we assess our successes, we are also
required to sharpen our focus in the new year.

Firstly, it is incumbent upon us to reach out across our narrowly defined
interests and “specialisations” and engage in cross-cutting dialogues as a
way of proving the inter-relatedness of issues. Secondly, at a time when
governments and media are focusing on the immediate “security” concerns,
civil society practitioners are challenged to draw attention to a long-term
vision of global human security and development. The HIV/AIDS pandemic and
global warming are just two phenomena which retreat into the background in
the face of war or political crises. We must ensure that these issues never
lose their urgency or immediacy, and must support our colleagues who are
trying to pressure governments into ratifying key conventions and
international treaties. Thirdly, we must be ever-vigilant and mindful of
the threats to the civil rights and liberties of citizens during times of
crises: the proposed military tribunal in the US, and the looming threat of
draconian restrictions on free speech in Zimbabwe, are just two cases in
point.

The issue of creating an enabling environment for civil society, and for
citizen participation is at the very core of CIVICUS’ mission. In view of
this, we will launch a ‘Civil Society Watch’ programme in the new year,
intended to mobilise support and attention in defense of civil society
whenever and wherever it is under threat. As part of this programme, we
will begin featuring a ‘Civil Society Watch’ bulletin once every two weeks
in e-CIVICUS. We look forward to your support, as always, in this newest
CIVICUS initiative.

On behalf of the board and staff of CIVICUS, I wish you, your friends and
family a happy, restful and peaceful holiday season. May 2002 bring greater
peace, compassion and justice.

Warm regards, Kumi Naidoo

B. RELEVANT POSITION LISTINGS

JOBS AT CIVICUS

CIVICUS is an international civil society movement with members in over one
hundred countries. CIVICUS works with its members, and a rapidly growing
network of partners at national and global levels, to ensure that civil
society organisations enjoy the rights to organise, speak freely and to
promote the common good. CIVICUS facilitates activities to nurture the
founding, growth, protection and resourcing of citizen action worldwide and
especially where participatory democracy, freedom of association and
expression, and other enabling conditions for civil society are threatened.
Recent global events have reinforced our commitment to these values.

CIVICUS is entering a dynamic phase of expansion, with offices in
Washington, DC, London and Johannesburg. Several new positions have now
become available in our Johannesburg office, among them:

- Chief Operating Officer
- Director of Programmes
- Director of Communications
- Manager for Finance and Administration
- Human Resources and Logistics Manager

In our Washington office, we currently have an opening for: Assistant
Director, Development & Public Affairs.

CIVICUS is committed to developing an internationally diverse staff. The
official working language is English, but preference will be given to
candidates who are also fluent in major international languages as well as
those with relevant experience at the national and international levels.
For full position descriptions please visit www.civicus.org.

Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume detailing
relevant experience, qualifications, current salary, three letters of
reference, and salary expectations to:
CIVICUS, Personnel Department
ADDRESS: 919 18th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, DC 20006, USA
FAX: (1-202) 331-8774
E-MAIL: [email protected] (preferred).

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Closing date for applications for the Assistant Director, Development &
Public Affairs, Washington, DC and for the Human Resources and Logistics
Manager, Johannesburg, South Africa is 8 January, 2002. For all other
positions in Johannesburg, South Africa the closing date is 15 January,
2002.

SENIOR RESEARCHER
(Temporary Contract)

CIVICUS is an international civil society movement with members in over
hundred countries. CIVICUS works with its members and a rapidly growing
network of partners at the national and global levels to ensure that civil
society organizations enjoy the rights to organize, speak freely and to
promote the common good at all levels. CIVICUS facilitates activities to
nurture the development, growth, protection and resourcing of citizen
action worldwide, especially where participatory democracy, freedom of
association and expression, and other enabling conditions for civil society
are threatened.

CIVICUS is seeking a senior researcher to work on further development of
the CIVICUS Index on Civil Society project, which aims to assess the state
of civil society on a country-by-country basis and to provide civil society
stakeholders with a tool for reflection, dialogue and agenda-setting.

In 2000/01, the Civil Society Index project has been implemented in its
pilot phase in thirteen countries. Over the last months, an external
evaluation study has been carried out to provide CIVICUS with a thorough
assessment of the pilot implementation of the Index, in order for CIVICUS
to revise the approach and methodology and to develop a more effective
strategy of implementing the project in 2002/2003. For more details on the
project, please visit our website at www.civicus.org.

To complement the team working on the re-design of the project, CIVICUS is
seeking a researcher with the following qualifications:

Essential:
- At least an M.A. degree in the social sciences (political
science/sociology/social psychology)
- Fluency in English
- Minimum five years experience in planning, developing and conducting
social science research projects, preferably on civil society/voluntary
organizations/social capital
- Experience in the management of research projects
- Wide practical experience in and theoretical knowledge of various social
research methods (especially expert rating methods, survey research,
group-dynamic processes and other qualitative research methods)
- Readiness to creatively search for viable solutions to complex research
problems
- Ability to adapt to the specific circumstances of an international and
complex research project already under way
- Familiarity with, and commitment to, the cause of civil society and
citizen participation

Desirable:
- First-rate interpersonal and teamwork skills
- Work exposure in different cultural settings
- Excellent oral and written communications skills
- Good computer skills
- Experience with international organizations
- Abilities in Spanish, French, Russian or Arabic

The researcher will be contracted on either a full-time basis over three
months or a part-time basis over six months (work schedule negotiable).
S/he will work closely with the CIVICUS Index on Civil Society project
manager.

If you would like to apply for this contract position, please submit an
electronic copy of your resume and cover letter to [email protected] by
January 9, 2002. If you have any questions regarding the contract position,
please contact project manager Finn Heinrich at [email protected].

JOB AT SHARED INTEREST!

Job Opening: Director of Development

Shared Interest is a New York City-based social investment fund that builds
support in the U.S. for South Africa's equitable development. Shared
Interest uses the funds its raises to guarantee South African bank loans to
economically marginalized communities previously denied credit because of
their color, gender and/or income level. Through its South African partner
organization, Shared Interest helps community lending institutions in South
Africa meet their borrowers' needs for credit to build very small
businesses and low-cost housing. To date it has helped to create more than
5,000 small businesses, 10,000 jobs, 40,000 low-cost houses and impacted
the lives of more than 240,000 South Africans in townships and rural
communities.

We are seeking a Director of Development, who will be responsible for
raising approximately $600,000 a year to cover the operating costs of
Shared Interest and part of those of its partner organization. This
position will be extremely important during the coming year, as Shared
Interest expands its work to help South Africa meet the challenges of
building an equitable economy.

The Director of Development is a key member of the management team, and
primary driver of the organization's fund-raising efforts. These include
prospect research, writing proposals, annual and major donor campaigns and
special events. They require close work with the organization's board,
funders and South African colleagues, as well as the ability to utilize
databases and electronic media. We are seeking an extremely dedicated,
energetic, organized and experienced fund-raiser with strong interpersonal
and strategic skills.

Applicants should submit letters outlining why they would like the job,
their resumes and writing samples (preferably a proposal they have written)
by 15 January, 2002.

Applications should be sent to:
E-MAIL: [email protected] or [email protected]
FAX: (1-212) 337-8548
POST: Search Committee, Shared Interest, 121 W. 27th Street, NY, NY 10001,
USA

C. GENERAL NEWS ABOUT CIVIL SOCIETY AND CITIZEN ACTION

ADVOCACY PROJECT TO BOOST INFORMATION CAPACITY OF EAST EUROPEAN ROMA
[AdvocacyNet]

The Advocacy Project (AP) has received a grant from the Open Society
Institute-Hungary to provide support for 26 Roma organizations in nine East
European countries.

Phase One of the project will start early in 2002. The goal of the project
is to help Roma NGOs build on help they have received from OSI and make
better use of information and communications technology as they struggle to
maintain their identity and participate in the emerging democracies of East
Europe.

Under the agreement with OSI, AP's technical director will start by
assessing the information needs of a sample number of the Roma groups,
working closely with a local researcher. Most of the technical support and
training will be provided by a team of Roma eRiders (non profit technology
assistance providers) from the region.

This project will build on two other agreements between AP and OSI. Under
these, AP is supporting the information work of the Kosovo Women's Network
(see e-CIVICUS No. 138.) and providing technical support for the Roma
Women's Association of Romania.

For more information please visit: www.advocacynet.org

DEVELOPMENT GATEWAY FOUNDATION RAISES USD 47 MILLION TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL
DIVIDE

The Development Gateway Foundation, a nonprofit coalition of international
organizations, governments, civil society, and the private sector held its
inaugural donors and board meetings on December 4 in Washington, DC. The
meetings were attended by Founding Members, sponsors, and potential future
partners of the Foundation. Prior to the meetings, the Founding Members -
Australia, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mali (sponsored by the
Netherlands), and the World Bank - and other sponsors committed to
contribute USD 42 million in cash and in kind over the period of 2001-2003.
After the board meeting, the Government of Pakistan announced its intention
to join the Foundation as a Founding Members by committing to contribute
USD 5 milllion to the initiative.

The Development Gateway Foundation (www.dgfoundation.org) will complement
the efforts of other ICT initiatives, such as the DOT Force
(www.dotforce.org) and the UN ICT Task Force
(www.un.org/esa/coordination/ecosoc/itforum/icttaskforce.htm) to enhance
global understanding and consensus on the challenges and opportunities
posed by information and communications technologies, and to propose
practical ways to overcome the digital divide. The Development Gateway
portal (www.developmentgateway.org) is a key program of the Foundation.

For more information on the Development Gateway Foundation, visit
www.dgfoundation.org.

COURT RULES IN FAVOUR OF AIDS DRUGS FOR HIV+ MOTHERS
[AFP]

South Africa's government must provide HIV treatment to pregnant women to
help prevent transmission of the Aids-causing virus to their unborn
children, the High Court ruled in Pretoria on 14 December, 2001. The
landmark decision swept aside the official line that such treatment was
impracticable, given the scale of the problem in a country where a
government survey last year found 25% of pregnant women to be HIV positive.
The government is "obliged to make Nevirapine (an anti-Aids drug) available
to pregnant women with HIV who give birth in the public health sector",
providing their condition allows it, the court ruled.

The case had been brought by a non-governmental organisation, the Treatment
Action Campaign (TAC), in a bid to force the government to provide
retro-viral drugs under the public health care system. "We've made history
today (...) The judgment brings hope to potentially tens of thousands of
women who have HIV," TAC representative Mark Heywood said after the ruling.

The High Court also ruled that the government must come up, within three
months, with a detailed blueprint of how it intends to extend the
mother-to-child transmission prevention programme. Health authorities, who
currently only provide the drug on an experimental basis to 18 health
centres around the country, had argued that they lacked the resources to
distribute the anti-Aids drug to all HIV-positive pregnant women.

An estimated 70 000 to 100 000 babies are infected with HIV every year.

D. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, MEETINGS, FAIRS, EXHIBITIONS
(Conferences marked with an asterisk (*) are appearing in this newsletter
for the first time)

RESPECT TRANSNATIONAL CONFERENCE: MIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS - ACTING
TOGETHER (*)

European RESPECT Network brings together migrant domestic workers, trade
unions and other supporting organisations from across the EU to carry out
lobbying at EU level and to share experience and expertise. The Network
includes organisations such as ETUC, ICFTU, FILCAMS-CGIL and the T&G,
alongside smaller frontline support groups working with migrant domestic
workers.
The conference is a culmination of an EU project that has empowered migrant
domestic workers to speak out against situations of violence and abuse
through using innovative forum theatre techniques.

The RESPECT Network has been funded by the Daphne Budget (violence against
women) of the European Commission since 1998.

DATE: 20th and 21st January 2002
VENUE: London, UNITED KINGDOM
ORGANISERS: Kalayaan and SOLIDAR
CONTACT: Amaya Fernández Gordillo, Project Officer, SOLIDAR
ADDRESS: Rue du Commerce 22, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
TEL.: (32-2) 500-1029
FAX: (32-2) 500-1030
E-MAIL : [email protected]
INTERNET: www.solidar.org

GLOBAL GOVERNANCE 2002: CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF GLOBAL
GOVERNANCE (*)

DATE: 13-16 October, 2002
VENUE: Palais des Congrès, Montréal, CANADA
CONTACT: Nigel Martin, Mario Lavoie, FIM/G02 Secretariat
ADDRESS: 380, rue St-Antoine Ouest, Bureau 3200, Montréal (Québec) CANADA
H2Y 3X7
TEL.: (1-514) 499-9468
FAX: (1-514) 987-1567
E-MAIL: [email protected]
INTERNET: www.fimcivilsociety.org

Download G02 Preliminary Programme and Registration:
www.fimcivilsociety.org

E. TRAINING COURSES

COURSES OF THE INTERNATIONAL NGO TRAINING AND RESEARCH CENTRE (INTRAC)

INTRAC COURSE: AN ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPROACH TO CAPACITY BUILDING

DATE: 18-22 February, 2002
VENUE: Oxford, UNITED KINGDOM

A current concern and priority for managers and senior practitioners in the
NGO sector is how to build the capacity of their organisations and that of
their partner organisations. Southern and Eastern NGOs, other civil society
groups and Northern NGOs and official agencies seek to develop and
implement strategies that focus not only on programme performance but also
on strengthening organisations.

This course takes an Organisational Development Approach to Capacity
Building, focusing on the strengthening of the organisation as its central
theme. In particular, the importance of understanding organisations and the
process of change and development within them will be addressed:
- Understanding organisations; how they work, develop and adapt in a
rapidly changing environment
- Relating understanding of organisations to the way you work, both
internally and with partner organisations
- Unpacking `capacity-building’ - what is good practice?
- Examining the roles of Northern NGOs/ donors in capacity-building
- Exploring new forms of partnership

Cost: GBP 785.00 (Price includes course fees, accommodation and meals).
Deadline of applications: 18 January, 2002

INTRAC COURSE: MANAGING A PARTICIPATIVE MONITORING & EVALUATION PROCESS

DATE: 18-22 March, 2002
VENUE: Oxford, UNITED KINGDOM

Donors’ demands for greater accountability, together with our own need to
learn from & build on our own experiences have led to rapid developments
within the field of Monitoring and Evaluation. Participatory methods have
grown in importance as the development community recognises the necessity
for involving all stakeholders in the process of development, in order that
learning should take place which can contribute to sustainable development
processes. At the same time, there has been the realisation that the more
traditional monitoring & evaluation methods, based on linear, cause effect
interpretations of social development, are limited and need to be enriched
by contributions of other perceptions and realities.
This course will examine:
- The purposes of monitoring & evaluation
- Stakeholder perspectives and an overview of participatory methods
- Monitoring & evaluation of outcomes & impact at project, programme and
organisational level
- Managing the process
- Ensuring institutional learning

Cost: £785.00 (Price includes course fees, accommodation and meals).
Expressions of interest by 18 January, 2002.

For further information and application forms please contact:
Rebecca Blackshaw, INTRAC
ADDRESS: PO Box 563, Oxford OX2 6RZ, UNITED KINGDOM
E-MAIL: [email protected]
INTERNET: www.intrac.org

F. NEW PUBLICATIONS

GLOBAL CORRUPTION REPORT FROM TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL

Transparency International (TI) is one of the world's leading
anti-corruption NGO, and has just published its first annual Global
Corruption Report (GCR), a report which offers a systematic analysis of
corruption across the world (for further information, please see
www.globalcorruptionreport.org.

The report includes assessments of every region in the world and key topics
of global importance. It also brings together empirical findings from
leading researchers on different aspects of corruption.

For more information please:

CONTACT: Julia Schweizer
E-MAIL: [email protected]

THIRD SECTOR IN SERBIA - STATUS AND PROSPECTS

"Third Sector in Serbia - Status and Prospects" is the title of the
publication on the 3rd sector in Serbia which is based on the research and
analysis of the NGO Policy Group. The analysis summarizes the findings of a
survey of 821 NGOs throughout Serbia (excluding Kosovo and Metohija),
consultations with more than 200 NGO representatives in six regional NGO
meetings, and an on-line discussion.

The NGO Policy Group is an independent, voluntary, consultative body that
includes professionals in the third sector interested in the development of
an effective, responsible and transparent non-governmental sector in
Serbia. The NGO Policy Group embodies the union of knowledge, experience
and interests of individuals and organizations. Its goal is to promote
cooperation within the third sector, dialogue with governmental and
business institutions and development of responsible partners in the
process of development of the society.

The analysis is available (PDF, Word) at:
www.crnps.org.yu/xdoc/arhivavesti/ngopg/Third Sector inSerbia.pdf

Suggestions or comments are welcome.

For more information please
CONTACT: Zarko Paunovic, Director, Center for the Development of Non-profit
Sector/NGO Policy Group
ADDRESS: Zmaj Jovina 34, Belgrade 11000, FR Yugoslavia
E-MAIL: [email protected]
INTERNET: www.crnps.org.yu

G. INTERNET NEWS AND WEBSITES

JOBS IN THE NONPROFIT WORLD
www.dotorgjobs.com

H. SCHOLARLY SUPPORT AND AWARDS

2002 IPPY AWARDS: RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE IN INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING
Call for Entries

The sixth annual Independent Publisher Book Awards, honoring the year's
best independently published titles, will accept entries until March 1,
2002. Early Bird entry fee of $55 per title runs through Dec. 31, 2001 -
regular fee is $60. All independent, university, small press, and
self-publishers in North America are eligible to enter their books
published with a 2001 copyright or that were released in 2001.

Entries will be accepted in 49 categories, and both audio and electronic
books are eligible in their appropriate subject categories. Ten Outstanding
Books of the Year will be chosen and awarded $500 each. Winners will be
announced at BookExpo America in New York on 3 May, and an Awards
celebration will take place at the historic Algonquin Hotel.

Visit the Independent Publisher Online Book Awards site for guidelines, an
entry form, and a complete listing of last year's winners:
www.independentpublisher.com/ipaward.lasso.

CONTACT: Jim Barnes
TEL.: (1-800) 706-4636
FAX: (1-231) 933-0448
E-MAIL: [email protected]
INTERNET: www.independentpublisher.com/baentry.html

I. FROM THE READER

Dear Sir,

Thank you very much for sharing with us basic informaations on civil
society activities.

Unfortunately, I keep complaining that:

1) Disabled People should have a strong voice in all you good Programmes;
2) French Speaking people too; as well as African Countries.

I am very happy to learn that you will soon open an Office in Johannesburg.
Is it possible to examine a possibility to associate me, in my capacity of
S.G. of French speaking Committee within DPI?

Also, I kept sending some important information concerning the AFRICAN
CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATION created in Gore Island (Senegal) in August 2000;
the 2nd general Assembly held in Yaounde (Cameroon) in July 2001, I am
sorry to say that till now, nothing appeared in the CIVICUS network!

Anyway, we appreciate and support the good job you people are doing to
strengthen the civil society movement around the world.

Keep in touch, wishing you HAPPY NEW YEAR!

ONDOUA ABAH Gabriel
Président/FACAPH/D/E/UNAPHAC
Cameroun

TO THE CO-ORDINATOR AND THE FAMILY OF e-CIVICUS:

There's magic and a sense of wonder in the air,
peace, goodwill and beauty spread everywhere,
for Christmas is here and once again brings with it
the promise of dreams coming true in the new year and
all the days ahead.

And as you are someone very special who brings
joy and warms the heart, so you are thought about
with love all through the year and wished joy and fun and
everything that you hold dear.

Have a Happy Christmas and New Year 2002.

With love,

Netra Kafle
Kathmandu, Nepal

J. ABOUT CIVICUS

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is an international
alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society
throughout the world.

e-CIVICUS is produced weekly, and distributed to thousands of subscribers
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Due to space restrictions, we may not be able to include all submissions.

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Co-ordinator of e-CIVICUS:
Miklos Barabas, Programme and Communications Director
TEL.: (36-1) 356-8440 FAX: (36-1) 356-8499
E-MAIL: [email protected]
INTERNET: www.civicus.org