Africa

A progress report on the Alliance in Africa requires, among others, that we make an evaluation of the African Caravan, which began in Cape Town, South Africa, in June 2000, and ended with the Continental Meeting of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania in June 2001. Our intention has been to make this evaluation jointly with David Gakunzi, who was the main facilitator of this initiative, but we have not been able to work with him so far. Although the Caravan reached the end of its journey, as planned, for the Continental Meeting of Dar es Salaam and the elaboration of an African Charter for Peace and Solidarity, a number of difficulties came up during the implementation of the initiative, the responsibilities of which have been difficult to determine. While it is true that a few Allies withdrew from the Alliance after this experience, others have tried, on the other hand, to overcome the obstacles and to pursue the initiative. As an illustration, a network of Allies in West Africa (some of the facilitators of which also work with the network Governance in Africa), answered the Call for Initiatives and are implementing a number of actions to promote an economy of solidarity, the fight against child trafficking, citizenship and local and regional governance, etc.

In the Horn of Africa and in the region of the Great Lakes, problems specifically related to the partnerships established with the FPH have made it difficult to maintain direct contact with the local actors. Partners backed in Africa by the Foundation are often a single partner, and in the course of the process, the partnership is rarely enlarged. More than an organization, the partner is often a person—a man, in the cases under consideration. Negede, more than GRAPECA, has been the exclusive partner of the Foundation in Ethiopia for more than ten years. Similarly, David Gakunzi was, for a long time, the almost exclusive mediator between the Foundation and the Burundian and Rwandan organizations, or even between the Foundation and some of its African partners.

In Southern Africa, an articulation of the Allies is beginning to see the day. John Stewart in Zimbabwe and other partners in Zambia, Mozambique, and South Africa are prepared to work together. John is also joint editor of the English edition of the Proposal Papers and contributes to the facilitation of the Charter. Perspectives are open once again.