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Civil Society and Governance (CS&G) Thematic group

The Canadian NGO Network in Ethiopia aims to contribute to the development of Ethiopia civil society organisations and enhance the integration of all sections of society into the mainstream of political, economic and social life of the country.

The Civil Society and Governance (CS&G) Thematic Group refers to civil society organisations (CSOs) as varieties of registered and unregistered non-governmental organisations, traditional community based organisations, trade unions, cooperatives and professional associations created to advance the rights of their constituencies. These organisations are common and should assume an important space in the social fabric of Ethiopia. Given the necessary support and recognition, civil society organisations are powerful instruments to mobilise the public for change and development. This can include, inter alia, the improvement of work culture, promotion of sense of responsibility of citizens in nation building, the sustainable utilisation of development interventions, the mobilisation of both local and external resources, the protection of human rights and the strengthening of the democratisation process. Despite the importance of the various forms of civil society organisations in the country, the growth and development of the civil society sector is at its infancy stage.

This Thematic Group was formed from the recognition by CANGO Network Partners that Ethiopian Civil Society is an essential element to longer term development in Ethiopia in all sectors. The challenge of good governance in Ethiopia is directly linked to the promotion of human rights and the eventual end to hunger and poverty in the country. The CS&G Group was inspired by a desire on the part of the Network Partners to present a unified and forward-looking response to the civil society capacity building, while taking into account the important work which has already been completed.

This group has undertaken significant consultations among civil society stakeholders in Ethiopia’s development. These have led to a strong understanding of the challenges faced by Ethiopian civil society and of the obstacles to good governance in Ethiopia.

Thematic Group Objectives

• To work with others for the creation of a better enabling environment for the development of a vibrant civil society in Ethiopia.
• To enhance the institutional capacity of civil society organisations and government departments in Ethiopia, thereby enabling them to play pro-active roles in the formulation and implementation of development policies.
• To capacitate Ethiopian partners to implement civil rights and governance projects aimed at empowering the most vulnerable and marginalised social groups and regions in Ethiopia.
• To work with academic and research institutions on the documentation of the experience of civil society development programmes and promotion of learning (best-practices).

Key Approaches
To complement the initiatives undertaken by donors and civil society alike, this Thematic Group intends to target the creation of positive and strong relationships between the government, civil society and the private sector through the facilitation of continuous dialogues and roundtable discussions among policy makers, academic institutions, CSOs and political parties. Civil society partners and the press must be supported to work in good faith towards these goals and assisted in conducting civil rights awareness creation and education programmes.

• Canadian NGOs and networks have invaluable international experience working with and building the capacities of civil society organisations. The CANGO CS&G Group will make theses resources available to the Ethiopian government bodies and the civil society groups through information sharing, exchange visits, short-term training, workshops and conferences.
• Based on the best practices of some traditional and faith-based civil society organisations in the country, the CS&G Group will work with local NGOs, networks and associations towards the creation of more inclusive, open, transparent and vibrant civil society.
• There are little or no learning and action oriented research centers for the civil society development in the country. The CS&G Group will create and strengthen opportunities for the strengthening / development of these centers so that knowledge gained through this and other partnership programmes will be retained and made available for others in the future.

Thematic Group Members

• Canadian Foodgrains Bank (observer)
• Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief
• CARE - Ethiopia
• CHF – Partners in Rural Development
• Lutheran World Federation (observer)
• Oxfam Canada
• Partnership Africa-Canada
• Plan International - Ethiopia
• Save the Children Canada