10th NGO Directors Summer School – 1 Week to go

The annual NGO Directors Summer School, a platform that was created for senior leadership in the NGO sector to meet and share knowledge and information with development partners, government and the corporate community celebrates its tenth anniversary.

This year NANGO, its members and various stakeholderstake stock of how NGO Directors have contributed towards inclusivity of all stakeholders in Zimbabwe through strengthening of multi-stakeholder engagements and partnerships. This is also an opportunity to explore how civil society has been able to facilitate dialogue and create synergies among various stakeholders in an endeavor to bridge the gap between the general citizenry and policy makers for meaningful realization of national development.

The NGO Directors Summer School will be held on 15 and 16 November 2018 at Cresta Churchill Hotel in Bulawayo. This year it runs under the theme Towards an inclusive Zimbabwe: A decade of strengthening multi-stakeholder engagements and partnerships.

Objectives of the 2018 NGO Directors Summer School

1. To share opportunities and challenges affecting NGOs’ active participation towards an inclusive Zimbabwe
2. To define and determine sector specific alternative funding, programming pathways and synergies for non-state actors.
3. To develop a common engagement plan with government, development partners and business that will strengthen multi stakeholder engagements and partnerships.
4. To appreciate and share information, lessons learnt and best practices on NGO sustainability.

Expected Outputs

1. A clear understanding of the challenges and possible avenues for private and non-profit sector partnerships in national development.
2. Creation of synergies and follow up dialogue platforms for future engagements with government, private sector and funding partners.
3. Clearly defined and precise sector specific funding and programming pathways for non-state actors.
4. An engagement plan with government on the opening up of operating spaces for non-state actors.
5. Knowledge sharing of information, lessons learned and best practices among NGO directors.

NANGO is the national coordination and umbrella body for over 1000 registered Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Zimbabwe, founded in 1962. It is a non-political, non-partisan, non-profit making and non-denominational organization mandated to coordinate the activities and work of civil society working on the following thematic aspects affecting development:  Arts and Culture, Children, Disability, Economic, Health, Human Rights, Humanitarian, Land and Environment, Women and Youth. NANGO works through five regional offices that coordinate the activities of the CSOs in all ten Provinces of Zimbabwe. 

Our Vision at NANGO is to become a proactive community of NGOs who are responsive and committed to the sustainable development needs of all people in Zimbabwe and the full realization of human rights, democracy, good governance and poverty alleviation. Our Mission hinges on the commitment to strengthen, represent and coordinate the work of NGOs in Zimbabwe through creation of space that promote networking, dialogue and engagement to enable the fulfillment of member’s visions and missions.

NANGO is a meeting place of the hopes and aspirations of millions of men and women in their capacities as the disabled, the vulnerable, the displaced, the oppressed and a host of other marginalized groups. Concomitantly NANGO bears the responsibility of unifying these various concerns by creating spaces for collaboration, mutual support and the development of common best practices. 

Some of the discussion topics to look out for include at the summer school include:

Day One:

1. Reflections from a decade of strengthening multi stakeholder engagements and partnerships

This session will aid delegates to reflect on the participation of civil society in national development in the last ten years, explore challenges and opportunities and aid stakeholders to explore best advocacy strategies and synergies.

1. From Kariba to Bulawayo: 2018 Reflections and Prognosis of 2019

This is a feedback report from the National Board Chairperson on the strides taken to respond to civil society priority areas as set out at the 9^TH NGO Directors Summer School.

1. Zimbabwe as a middle-income economy by 2030:  The state of the economy in Zimbabwe, implications on the social, economic and political rights of citizens.

The session analyzes the economy’s trajectory and explores further the implications and impact on the general citizenry and non-state actors at large in an endeavor to come up with joint solutions and advocacy plans to improve the economy.

1. Winning the fight against corruption – roadmap to Zimbabwe’s transformation-

The session will explore the importance of fighting corruption through exposing all local, national, regional occurrences of fraud, corruption and illicit flows of resources, together with any actions which point towards the capture of public institutions for purely private illicit and fraudulent interests.

1. Roundtable side discussions: State of the Nation Analysis (SONA)

The four-way sector specific SONA round table dialogues will afford delegates the opportunity to explore further key economic and social determinants in smaller groups, come up with a way forward for engagement of the state and other key interested parties

1. Governance and institution building

1. Human rights and governance
2. Chapter 12 Commissions
3. Security sector reforms
4. Economic development

1. Extractive industries and land rights
2. Agriculture based economic development
3. Unpacking the Zimbabwe is open for business rallying point
4.  Health and well being

1. Access to primary health care
2. State preparedness to combat epidemics

Day Two:

1. Towards an inclusive Zimbabwe: “strengthening multi stakeholder engagements and partnerships, the role of Civil Society”
2. Shrinking political and civic spaces in Zimbabwe

Stakeholders to the Conference

It is expected that the Conference will bring together 100 NGO Directors from across the country. Also, the following stakeholders have been invited as well to share experiences and knowledge: government ministries and institutions, independent commissions, labor, development partners, private sector and the church.