|
Background | Objectives | Topics | Results | Participants | Partners | Contacts & Documents | Images
 Background
Due to lack of political will, some of the regional governance and conflict prevention instruments have not yet been ratified and remain relatively obscure to the general public. The SWAC workshop on “Women, Endogenous Governance and Conflict Prevention in West Africa” (April 2006) and the “Inter-generational Forum on Endogenous Governance” (June 2006) highlighted the need for women and youth to get a better understanding of these regional instruments. Drawing on the outcomes of these previous meetings, this workshop focused on the application, results and challenges of implementing ECOWAS and AU instruments as well as endogenous initiatives.
Objectives
-
Contribute to strengthening regional actors’ capacities primarily those of civil society, women and youth so that they may be mobilised to carry out and disseminate advocacy actions
-
Capitalise on crisis mediation capacities and mechanisms and solutions based on endogenous values and cultures
-
Support the ECOWAS early warning system through actions in network, the circulation of information and awareness raising
-
Improve the functioning and involvement of the Women’s Group and the Youth Coordination Group
Topics
Conflict Prevention
Governance and Democracy
Promotion of Women's Rights
Results
Drawing on outcomes of group discussions, participants drafted an Action Plan aiming to support the dissemination of these regional instruments. The draft Action Plan is placed in the context of the ECOWAS Strategic Plan 2007-2010 that highlights the role of civil society in fostering democratic governance and conflict prevention. The draft version will be finalised by a working group composed of representatives from ECOWAS, the SWAC, the Women’s Group and the Youth Co-ordination Group.
Participants
The workshop brought together some 50 participants from 15 West African countries. Many participants and some of the meeting’s presenters are from teaching, research, information and communication institutions.
Partners
This initiative has been made possible thanks to specific financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the International Organisation of French-speaking Countries (OIF). The African Union (AU) also participated in this initiative through the Centre d’Etudes Linguistiques et Historiques par Tradition Orale (CELHTO) based in Niamey (Niger).
|
