Community Empowerment in East Africa
Equalinrights works with a variety of community actors and civil society organizations (CSOs) in East Africa to support their use of participatory, human rights-based methodologies and tools, deepening understanding of human rights, citizenship and accountability. A key partner in the region is the Eastern African Coalition on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (EACOR), a network of ecumenical and other organizations in the region working for the realisation of ESCR.
Background
In 2006, a group of six organisations including equalinrights and EACOR began to develop the idea of a long-term regional process of participatory research and action to realise active citizen participation in East Africa. The resulting proposal “Community Empowerment in East Africa: Engaging upstream action to realise rights” outlines the regional context, vision, goals and methodology for a five-year East Africa community empowerment process (EACEP) – built on the belief that people have the capacity to change their own lives. It focuses on supporting local organisations and community groups in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Sudan to address development challenges from a human rights-based perspective, effectively engaging with local communities to collectively negotiate agendas and priorities for change, collect information, strategise, act and learn. The action-focused process aims to bring economic, social and cultural rights to life by focusing on pressing needs that partner organisations identify with communities. Since the process extends across four countries in the region, it is greatly based on learning from each other, comparing experiences and developing good practices.
The core principles of this process are: Active participation of the most affected and at risk, Respect for Diversity, Empowerment, Joint Ownership, Accountability, Collaboration at all levels, Non-violence and the rule of law, and Addressing the structural underlying causes of poverty - seeking to support the transformation of unequal power structures and relations.
Partners
News
April 2008
NEW! EACOR, equalinrights and the other organisations engaged in the East Africa community empowerment process (EACEP) recently created a collaborative space for communication and shared work. Visit the EACEP Dgroup, read more about the group's work and see how to join or create a Dgroup of your own.
March 2008
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Equalinrights wishes a warm welcome to EACOR's new Regional Coordinator Ms. Bether Juma Kokach. Originally from Kenya, Bether studied Gender and Development and has worked in the area of international development for nearly 20 years. Prior to moving into the NGO world, she was a school teacher. She then held posts at the Danish Association for International Cooperation, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Kenya Red Cross Society. At CIDA, she worked for the Gender Equity Support Project, designing programmes and projects to address gender inequality at regional and national levels in collaboration with UNIFEM. For Bether, it is important to set things right at the onset of a partnership if one is to achieve concrete results. |
February 2008
Partners from the East Africa community empowerment process and other colleagues from Kenya and the wider region have been experiencing the violent impacts of post-election unrest in Kenya. Several agreed to share their reflections and analysis with equalinrights and our network. Read contributions from:
November - December 2007
NEW! From 23 November – 21 December 2007, equalinrights conducted a human rights mapping in Uganda. Meetings were held with organisations working on issues such as poverty eradication, food security, livelihood and relief, education and health including HIV/AIDS. In particular, we sought out organisations involved with the most vulnerable, and engaging with women‘s rights, Internally Displaced Persons and peace building, children and pastoralists. The overall objective of this mapping was to connect with organisations on the issues they work with. We wanted to better understand: how they are able to work with human rights and HRBD in the current situation? What are some of the struggles they face in pursuing their work? What kind of methodologies or ways of working with communities do they use to overcome those struggles? How do their efforts for education/health/food sustainability/etc. be strengthened? Read More >>
October 2007
A strategic planning meeting for the East Africa process took place in Arusha, Tanzania from 8-10 October, hosted by local partner the Tabora Development Foundation Trust (TDFT). Mr. Mwambi Mwasaru (Kenya), development and human rights consultant, led facilitation of the meeting and made several key presentations. In particular, he effectively contextualised the “Rights-Based Approach” (RBA) within the evolving history of development approaches and Eastern Africa’s history of resistance. Participants responded enthusiastically, saying this way of telling the story encouraged their sense of ownership of RBA. Mr. Mwasaru also gave an introduction to participatory tools including action research and led a RBA case study exercise concerning the Kasighau Small-Scale Miners from Kenya. In the coming months, participating organisations will explore integrating participatory methodologies and tools into ongoing projects and programmes, as well as identify specific capacity building needs in this area.
