Definition of CSOs who and why CSOs

1. Definition of CSOswho and why CSOs Civil Society Organizations means (NGO’s, CBOs, local committees and other informal or non governmental bodies those who are contributing to the community development and to its positive change. This would include women organizations, social, cultural groups, children organizations, faith groups, trade unions, etc. all of them have essential role to play in social change (The case of Sudan before and after independence) CSO’s are the voice of people that can be reflected nationally and internationally. They are the liaison between societies, donors international community and authorities and able to lead social change if only empowered. Muna Khugali

2. Civil Society and Plan-Sudanthe vision Plan Sudan is a child rights organization who works in Sudan since 1977 with local communities to improve child’s life. In this presentation I would like to raise some issues related to the relationship between Plan as INGO on one hand and CSOs in Sudan on the other. Plan works closely with CBOs, Plan has 7 offices in the different regions of Sudan. Plan also work with the government bodies to ensure that CSOs are enabled to function. It is Plan duty to work as a liaison body between government and CSOs. As for the African charter, beside Plan’s efforts with other INGOs and NGOs to campaign for the African Charter, Plan has produced a small colored book for children that tells them about their rights. Plan also work with artists who produces songs and films about child rights. In fact Plan has very strong programs that are devoted to children rights. Muna Khugali

3. continue But the burning question is: Does Plan has a holistic vision that allows it to work with all CSOs bodies in Sudan?? Is it only the CBOs that Plan should work with to support the csos TO LEAD THE social change to improve the children’s life? What is the relationship between Plan strategy that is designed to empower CSOs in order to improve the child life and the application of this strategy? Muna Khugali

4. continue Plan realizes that social change cannot be achieved without the cooperation of all and believes that CSOs with all their forms are the main tool to make it happen. Throughout its full engagement with CBOs; Plan became aware it has to have a holistic vision where all bodies are working together to make the difference. CBOs need NGOs to jump the locality and be able to network with others in other locations. Together they can be part of the global movement. CBOs need NGOs to lobby with them nationally and internationally. NGOs have the duty to advocate for rights especially child rights. It is important to work with all CSOs because we cannot improve the child’s life without improving the family, the community and the society, improvement is an integrated process! Muna Khugali

5. Plan’s vision In 2010, Plan started working fully with CSOs. Plan realizes that while it has very strong relationship with CBOs, there is still a strong need to support NGOs and youth groups, CSOs with all its groups could lead the social change and work hard with others to make development sustainable. Plan is the connection between CSOs and the governmental bodies, it works hard to improve the life of children and the CSOs in general. Plan believes in supporting CSOs to play their developmental roles in order to improve children’s rights. CSOs need to engage together to be able to defend rights. In Sudan, Plan has established its own new program on civil society to contribute to the improvement of societies and children’s life, with total consideration to gender as a cross cutting issue in all of its programs. Muna Khugali

6. Continue The purpose and aim of the CSOs program is to build the capacity of Sudanese civil society organizations; ones again strong CSO can contribute effectively to development and to the improvement of child life. Plan’s program with CSOs: Many areas in Sudan are witnessing armed conflicts. Children and women are the first victims to this. Plan leads a unique peace building program titled Building harmonious communities learn shop, participants in this program confirm in their feed back that they have benefited a lot from it. The Learn-Shop helped them discover their inner abilities and how to control their anger, promoted their skills as practitioners and supported them in dealing with conflicts. Over 150 participants representing 100 NGOs, CBOs and local committees have participated in the Learn shop same as some governmental bodies, governments bodies are also invited to participate in the program. Muna Khugali

7. continue Last October, Plan organized the first Training of Facilitators “TOF” course for 30 Organizations, the training which ends in December will qualify them to work as professional facilitators, and to deliver more Peace Building activities. Peace Building Program is in the process of producing a manual based on Building harmonious community concept and practice to be used by Sudanese CSOs in their peace building activities. Plan is also managing a program on youth employability where CSOs were brought together with the private sectors. Muna Khugali

8. Partnership is our understanding to empowering CSOS Partnership, transparency and accountability are the values and practices that Plan observes while working with CSOs. While Plan evaluates others, others also have the right to evaluate Plan, they do that through the feedback and the follow up, on the 24th of November Plan and CIDA have a feedback workshop with CSAF organizations. Civil Society In Action Fund, (CSAF) Is a CIDA initiative, Plan Sudan managed the fund in 2010. Eighteen organizations with nineteen projects won the fund. Plan is satisfied that the work in this project has helped many of CSOs to build their capacity during the delivery of their activities. Plan offered the organizations training course on risk based management and offered advices while visiting the projects, Plan used its own human resources to train them on head of them is the country director. Many of these projects had a very direct effect on children (AMRI ) . . Muna Khugali

9. continue The need for capacity building training came also as a strong demand from CSOs. In 2010 Plan invited civil society organizations to a wide meeting in Khartoum (Darfur), the aim was to listen to them, to their needs and hopes, they discussed several issues a major one was their needs for capacity building training (proposal writings, report writings, etc) In most of the training programs Plan has for its staff, Plan invites some of the CSOs to benefit from the training. Plan also has its partners from NGOs in the different regions of Sudan. Plan Sudan and Plan Egypt: Both Plans have started working together on the issue of CSOs, both are exchanging expertise through the visits to the different programs units in both countries. During 2010 we had a delegation from Egypt participating in the peace building’ program. Both Plans are keen on having partnership and continuous cooperation to strengthen CSOs. Our CSOs program is also active in deferent forum activities; Sudanese forums and INGO forum, we also believe in networking with NGOs and INGOs. Muna Khugali

10. Challenges facing CSOs and Plan as an INGO in particular The overwhelming majority of CSOs lack the needed capacity to deliver their work; while we try to support them and use little resources, still lack of financial resources and the funding issue in general is a problem for Plan. The Sponsorship money could not be used to support NGOs, grants are needed and this is a challenge, because donors agencies and their priorities in funding are different, pure capacity building training is not in their priorities as Plan sees it. Donors would like to put their money in a well established organization. Donors assistance is appreciated, but one problem is that they come with huge money to assist when the conflict has transformed into an armed conflict. Donors can locate money for projects admin cost and others but not pure capacity building. Muna Khugali

11. Continue: challenges The new situation in Sudan (north and South and absence of Peace agreement In the conflicting areas has made it difficult for CSOs based in other areas to get funding. Political dynamics in South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur is affecting CSOs work. Restriction on movement and registration of NGOs allows them to work only in certain places. The challenge for Plan is how to maintain a strong relationship between Plan Units as an INGO and CBOs on one hand and CSOs’ program in Plan on the other, this is very important for the whole program. Most of the challenges Plan Sudan faces are related to funding, Plan sees the huge need of CSOs for capacity building training and work with little resources to satisfy this, however, donors need to give more consideration to this need if they are really keen to enable CSOs to lead the social change and development. Muna Khugali

12. Recommendation Despite the constrains, CSOs should come and work together to improve children’s life. CSOs should negotiate their position with governmental bodies and agree at least on the minimum. We are pleased that our government has ratified the convention, however still the road is long because enforcement of laws is another struggle that CSOs should lead Muna Khugali

13. Finally,Together, We build a better community This is our aim and SLOGAN we work hard to make it happen Thank you! Muna Khugali