The partnerships between SIPRI and civil society organizations (CSOs) in sub-Saharan Africa are a key component of the Africa Security and Governance (ASG) project. The partner organizations are CSOs involved in security-related advocacy work in sub-Saharan African countries.
The purpose of these partnerships is to establish a platform for much-needed dialogue on security sector issues in Africa; support the participation of African CSOs in security debates; and project civil society perspectives on security sectors issues throughout Africa and beyond.
Partnership components
The ASG project partnerships with African CSOs have four components:
a. Technical support to enhance research in the field of security (read more);
b. Country case study research by African partner organizations (read more);
c. Country seminars to disseminate the findings of CSO country case studies (read more); and
d. Networking to share experience and learn from each other (read more).
Participating civil society organizations
The partner organizations are as follows:
- Cameroon: CIPAD (Centre Interdisciplinaire pour le Développement et les Droits Humains) [Interdisciplinary Center for Development and Human Rights]. CIPAD is a non-partisan, independent, humanitarian and non-profit organization that seeks to contribute to non-violent social transformation through its programme for democratic peace-building.
- Ghana: WACSI (West African Civil Society Institute). WACSI is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to strengthen the institutional and operational capacities of CSOs for increased and effective policy engagement, and the promotion of development, good governance and democratic values in West Africa.
- Liberia: SFCG in Liberia (Search for Common Ground). SFCG in Liberia was established in 1997 to support the election process. Since that time, SFCG and its media production studio, Talking Drum Studio, have become a household name in Liberia. Throughout the country's experience of conflict, and its final transition from violence into peace, SFCG has supported the process with public information, dialogue, community outreach and capacity building.
- Mali: CONASCIPAL (Coalition Nationale de la Société Civile pour la Paix et la Lutte contre la Prolifération des Armes Légères) [National Coalition of Civil Society for Peace and the Fight Against the Proliferation of Light Weapons]. CONASCIPAL is a non-governmental organization created in 1999 by approximately 20 CSOs to work on social mediation; the fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons; and the promotion of peace and security in Mali.
- Zimbabwe: WCoZ (Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe). WCoZ is a network of women's rights activists and women’s organizations with national structures for the empowerment of women and girls through lobbying and advocacy, capacity building, information dissemination and resource mobilization.