International Conference

Book and Report launch

Southern Africa: Civil Society, Politics, Development and Donors Strategy
Angola, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa


17 November 2009, European Parliament, Brussels

Organization: Angolan Catholic University – UCAN; University of Coimbra – FEUC; Wageningen University – Social Sciences; Center for Social Studies - Faculty of Economics –University of Coimbra – CES-FEUC

A lot of expectation has been raised on the civil society role within the so-called Southern African development and democratization processes. Civil society organizations – CSO, have gradually shown some effectiveness since the transitions began in early nineties, acting upon several politically sensitive issues. Nevertheless, there are major constraints to the work of these organizations at the national, regional and international level that need to be discussed and addressed in order to support its role as a decisive actor for development, democracy and the respect of human rights. In the same way, donors’ development aid strategies (as stated, for instance, in the Paris declaration and Accra agenda) conceal several problems as identified by civil society activists in the field, such as unwanted promiscuous alliances with not so democratic governments and regimes, that end up having detrimental effects to democratization processes, CSOs and Community Based Organizations - CBOs.

In order to discuss these issues the Angolan Catholic University, the University of Coimbra and the Wageningen University are planning an international conference, book and report launch, centred on the relationship between civil society, democracy and development, taking into account the regional and international context as well as donors most recent policies and aid strategies. The conference, book and report launch will take place in Brussels, on 17 November 2009.

The conference is meant to be overarching, encompassing civil society activists, donor community, governmental and non-governmental organizations, academics, journalists, trade union members, opinion makers and politicians (from Europe, US and Southern Africa region). The book and report follows a similar pattern gathering myriad authors, from academics to prominent civil society activists, journalists and politicians.

The event comes in sequence of a process of reflection and publications on civil society and politics started in 2002 by the Angolan Catholic University and the University of Coimbra leading to two international conferences (Luanda, 2002 and 2008) and two books (2004 and 2008) gathering several authors from the region. Being a long-term process/project not only of reflection but also of advocacy, it was now decided that a new book and report in English on the issues under scrutiny should be launched at the European Parliament in Brussels in parallel to an international conference to discuss these matters and take the message directly to one of the main Western donor decision making centres.

General themes under scrutiny

Civil Society, Human Rights, Democracy, Development, International Community role in the region (donors, governmental and non governmental organizations), Gender, Youth, Media, Elections, Corporate Social Responsibility and Regional Context.

E.mail for contacts: angola.conference@gmail.com

Free entrance requiring previous registration and approval by the scientific and organizing commissions
angola.conference@gmail.com For more details please click here