What's Being Done On . . . Effective Networking?

Main List of Network Profiles Survey Results Sample Survey Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace, Interview with Mahnaz Afkhami, President and CEO. African Democracy Forum, Interview with Hannah Forster, Chair. Graðansko Organizovanje Za Demokratiju (GROZD)/Citizens' Organization for Democracy, Interview with Milan Mrdja, Program Manager. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Interview with staff. Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption, Interview with John Williams, Founder and Current Chair.

African Democracy Forum (ADF)

The ADF is a regional network of democracy, human rights, and governance organizations. It seeks to consolidate democracy in Africa by providing opportunities for democrats to express their views openly, while also serving as a platform for mutual support. Over 250 organizations and individuals currently participate in the ADF. The objectives are monitoring democracy in Africa, working to protect democrats, providing support for the development of information technologies in Africa, sharing advocacy skills, training the members of the network, establishing and maintaining dialogue with state leaders, and encouraging civil society.

The ADF is led by a Management Committee elected by ADF members. The responsibilities of the Committee include: prioritize ADF activities, oversee the work of and provide guidance to the ADF Secretariat and coordinator, and assist in fundraising. The non governmental Kenyan Human Rights Commission serves as the Secretariat.

For more information, please go to: http://www.africandemocracyforum.org/

Interview:

We would like to thank Hannah Forster, African Democracy Forum Chair, for answering the following questions.

Q: How does the ADF, as a network, seek to achieve the objectives outlined above?

The ADF seeks to achieve its objectives by providing essential information, sharing advocacy skills, organizing training for the members, and establishing and maintaining dialogue with State leaders while building solidarity among African democrats.

Q: How does the ADF facilitate networking among its members? What are its major tools for networking? And, what motivates its members to come together?

The ADF facilitates networking among its members by developing a database and an online e-mail listserv to provide regular information and share ideas among its members. Over 120 e-mail messages have been exchanged through the listserv. The ADF plans to publish a newsletter on a regular basis. ADF members also meet once a year, during which they share and exchange information and skills on various aspects of their work as well as strategies used to respond to challenges in their area of work.

Q: How often does the ADF hold meetings or conferences? How has it used new information and communications technologies (ICTs) to bring its members together?

The ADF holds a General Assembly annually in partnership with local ADF members. However, conferences are held based on the urgency of action plans and availability of funding. ADF encourages participants to join online discussions to follow up on workshops held during the Assemblies. The online discussions not only continue the workshop discussions among the Assembly participants, but also bring other African democrats into the regional discussions. We have, in collaboration with Kabissa (an organization that provides grassroots organizations and NGOs with Internet services and training), organized training on the use of the Internet to ensure that members have the requisite skills for effective participation.

Q: How do you measure the ADF's success? What aspects of the ADF have made it successful in the region? What is the key to successful networking?

The ADF's success is premised on its use of ICT tools in information sharing, its exchange of skills and ideas, and the commitment that its members make in specific regions. However, we still think that we have a lot of work to do in terms of strengthening our ability to reinforce the grassroots partners and our sub-regional focal points. To us, the key to successful networking is information dissemination and accessibility of network members.

Q: What are the important factors considered in selecting Management Committee members?

The important factors to be considered in this matter depend on each organization and its objectives. In general, we can say that experiences, skills, a background relating to the activities conducted by the network, availability, commitment, and representation of sub-regions, languages, and gender are all important aspects to be considered. We hold elections among members to ensure their representation and endorsement of mandates.

Q: Have there been setbacks since the ADF was launched? If so, how did it overcome them?

The absence of a Coordinator during 2005 and 2006 limited ADF activities and development. During the absence, the Management Committee and the World Movement for Democracy Secretariat took on some of the Coordinator's responsibilities in carrying on ADF activities. The Management Committee prioritized the recruitment of a Coordinator as a task for 2006 and was able to put one in place in December 2006.

A lack of an independent Secretariat has caused some confusion about what the ADF can or cannot do. As an informal network, the ADF has been operating its information sharing and other networking activities without being formally registered. It succeeded in expanding its membership and conducting various workshops and training programs by relying on the work and contribution of ADF members. However, as the ADF grows and becomes increasingly more active, members have been expressing their interest in the ADF obtaining observer status with inter-governmental organizations. For this, it would need to be formally registered. Therefore, the ADF Management Committee recently decided to register the ADF as a formal network of non governmental organizations and individuals. The Committee is currently studying how and in which country the ADF can be registered and have its Secretariat.

Q: There are over 250 organizations with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise participating in the ADF. How does the ADF keep such a large number of members involved in the network and its activities?

While recognizing the difficulty in getting all members with different backgrounds and expertise involved, the ADF emphasizes common objectives for democracy promotion. These include the dissemination of information on democracy issues and initiatives in Africa, such as the African Unity Charter on Democracy, the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), and NGO Laws. We ensure that our e-mail listserv is open to all democrats in Africa and we encourage them to share news and information. The mail listserv has been developed as a forum for all members to participate in.

Q: How do you see the ADF developing during the next five years?

We are certain that the ADF will grow up more and more and become one of the leading networks in democracy, good governance, and human rights in Africa. We are planning to register and establish an independent Secretariat for the ADF within the next twelve to eighteen months. We also aim to strengthen cooperation with the African Union (AU), NEPAD; the African Commission on Human and People's Rights as well as other intergovernmental organizations; the various regional economic communities and institutions including the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and so on. Furthermore, a strategic plan detailing the road map for the future direction of ADF will be developed, which will include, among other points, the consolidation of membership, and thereby consensus, around issues of importance to the Forum and Africa as a whole.

Thank you very much for talking with us and sharing the experience of the African Democracy Forum.