Today, 27 February 2023, Namibian civil society organisations (CSOs) kicked off the World NGO Day Celebrations in Namibia with a media conference at the House of Democracy, Windhoek. There are two remaining events scheduled during the week to engage non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or CSOs on policy through a workshop and to celebrate the work of CSOs at a networking braai which is open to the public. See the outline of events below:
World NGO Day is a day set aside to recognise, celebrate and honour the fundamental contributions and profound impact of CSOs. The global theme for this year is "the role and influence of NGOs in advancing human rights and achieving sustainable development goals".
At the media conference the Convenor of the World NGO Day Celebrations in Namibia, Mr Ronny Dempers, spoke about the significance of the day and the importance of celebrating human endeavours towards social change. The localised theme for the celebrations in Namibia is "Celebrating and Collaborating in Accelerating the Achievement of the National Development Goals".
Group picture of CSOs present at the media conference.
This year, CSOs have started exploring mechanisms around setting up a network aimed at strengthening coordination mechanisms and influencing development policy in Namibia. The CSO umbrella associations and loose networks which were present at the media conference included:
- the Nutrition and Food Alliance Alliance of Namibia (NAFSAN) which was represented by Mr Ben Schernick,
- the Namibia Network of AIDs Service Organisations (NANSO) which was represented by Mr Zack Makari,
- the Access to Information (ACTION) Coalition which was represented by Ms Zoe Titus,
- the National Federation of People with Disabilities (NFPDN) which was represented by Mr Matheus Shilongo,
- the Namibia Association of Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Support Organisations (NACSO) which was represented by Ms Maxi Louis, and
- the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) which was represented by Mr Mahorongo Kavihuha.
The present organisations delivered statements around their work and policy demands. This included but was not limited to:
- advocacy for inclusive policy reform,
- social protection,
- the Community Engagement Strategic Plan (NANASO),
- the operationalisation of the Access to Information (ATI) law,
- the review of the National Disability Policy and making sure that people with disabilities are included in all structures,
- the importance of making sure that minority/marginalised voices are heard on issues around land especially the San Community,
- CSOs' role in assisting the government with developmental programmes, etc.
The World NGO Day 2023 Celebrations in Namibia are made possible through a collaboration between NACSO, the Namibia Development Trust (NDT), the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF), the Civil Society Information Centre Namibia (CIVIC +264), the Namibia Diverse Women's Association (NDWA) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - with sponsorship from Namib Mills.
For more information on the World NGO Day 2023 Celebrations in Namibia or to participate in upcoming events, inquiries and RSVPs can be directed to Ms Disney Andreas via email dandreas@nnf.org.na