SYMPOSIA
Symposia are a new initiative for DevNet and will be held every 2 years. Symposia will differ from the conference in that they will focus on one particular topic and will feature various fora in which participants will play an active role in learning and sharing their own knowledge.
DevNet-NZAID Symposium 2007: Civil Society and Governance: implications for aid
The first ever symposium was held on the 29 and 30 November, 2007. It was on the topic of 'Civil Society and Governance: Implications for Aid' and was held in partnership with NZAID. Thank you to everyone who contributed to a very successful event.
SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS & VIDEOS
Proceedings from the symposium are now complete! If you attended the event, a printed copy of the proceedings has been posted to you and ought to have arrived by the middle of June. If you have not received it by then please contact us. You can also download a copy of the printed proceedings (as a 1.6MB PDF) by clicking here.
We have a small number of additional copies of the printed proceedings, which we can distribute on request to other civil society organisations based in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand or the Pacific, as well as to other development agencies. Any organisation wishing to obtain a copy should email DevNet.
Video of the two keynote speakers, Michael Edwards and Kumi Naidoo, has also now been uploaded. To view the video of Micheal Edwards' keynote speach please click here. To view Kumi Naidoo's keynote speach please click here.
ABOUT THE EVENT
The symposium was designed to be a structured learning event, involving talks from keynotes, panel discussions and workshops.
The symposium, and symposium structure, was informed by 5 key questions:
1. Defining the terms of the discussion: What do we mean when we use the terms governance and civil society? How do our definitions impact on our discussions?
2. What factors and frameworks provide a global context for critical thinking and action on civil society and improving governance?
3. What role does civil society play in supporting good governance?
4. What are the challenges confronting civil society in developing countries? (Government itself? Capacity? Donor expectations and requirements? etc.)
5. How can donors, CSOs, practitioners and academics act to help minimise/overcome these challenges?
The full symposium programme and participant information pack is still available (as a PDF). You can download it by clicking here.
PRE-EVENT READING
The symposium pre-event reading is also still available, you can download it here. The pre-event reading provides a simple and concise introduction into the subject of civil society and governance. It provides some definitions of the term Civil Society and outlines key debates regarding civil society's influence on governance.
ABOUT THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
We were very fortunate to have two high calibre keynote speakers at the symposium: Michael Edwards and Kumi Naidoo.
Michael Edwards
Michael Edwards is director of the Governance and Civil Society Unit at the Ford Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation he was the Senior Civil Society Specialist at the World Bank in Washington DC, where he led a program designed to improve the agency's understanding of, and engagement with, a wide range of civic groups. Before moving to the Bank, Michael spent 15 years as a senior manager in international relief and development NGOs, including periods with Oxfam-UK (as Regional Director for Southern Africa), and Save the Children-UK (as Director of Research, Evaluation and Advocacy). His many books and articles have helped to shape our thinking about NGOs, civil society and international cooperation. He is the author (most recently) of NGO Rights and Responsibilities: a new deal for global governance (Foreign Policy Center 2000), Global Citizen Action (Lynne Rienner 2001), the Earthscan Reader on NGO Management (Earthscan/Stylus 2002), Civil Society (Polity Press/Blackwell 2004), and Future Positive: International Cooperation in the 21st Century (revised edition, Earthscan/Stylus 2004).
Kumi Naidoo
Kumi Naidoo chairs the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) and has been Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Civic Participation since 1998. Since its launch in 2005, GCAP has grown into a global coalition of anti-poverty campaigners from over 100 countries, including New Zealand's own Make Poverty History Campaign. CIVICUS is an alliance of over 500 civil society organizations, networks, and individuals in more than 100 countries, which is dedicated to strengthening citizen and civil society action throughout the world.
Kumi Naidoo was born in South Africa and was actively involved in the struggle against apartheid from the age of 15. In 1986, Kumi was arrested and charged for violating the state of emergency regulations in South Africa. Upon his release from prison, Kumi was subject to persistent police harassment and went underground for one year before finally deciding to live in exile in England until 1989. During this time, Kumi was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and earned a doctorate in political sociology. After Nelson Mandela's release from prison in 1990, Kumi returned to South Africa and has worked on a wide range of issues including the legalization of the African National Congress (ANC) as a political party, acting as official spokesperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, and working as Executive Director of the National Literacy Cooperation of South Africa. Kumi is an active advocate for gender equity and against gender violence, and organised the National Men's March Against Violence on Women and Children in 1997.
FURTHER INFORMATION
If you have any questions about the symposium please contact the DevNet Coordinator.
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