Civil Society Support Programme (CSSP)
The participation of civil society is a crucial element of democracy. The concept of civic participation in governance is arguably the fundamental pillar in the promotion and protection of democratic governance. However, especially in the rural areas in Namibia, civil society organisations often lack the institutional capacities to play a meaningful role in the development of Namibia’s democracy. This hampers the rural CSOs’ capacities to meaningfully interact with Government at all levels.
The Civil Society Support Programme (CSSP) therefore strengthens civil society in Namibia by providing institutional and programmatic technical support and training to mainly rurally based civil society organisations (CSOs). A further goal of the programme is to strengthen CSOs’ interaction with Government on all levels.
In this endeavour, a collaborative network of about 65 well-trained and institutionally strong CSOs in all 13 regions of the country was established. These organisations are assisted in strengthening their advocacy skills through training and technical assistance. Furthermore, CSOs also receive organisational management skills training. In turn, this network of CSOs assists the NID in conducting civic education programmes in the regions, such as, for example, awareness on anti-corruption.
The NID has developed an effective grant-award system including standardised grant application procedures, contracts, request and liquidation of funds and evaluation of sub-grantees and their programs and has, to date, awarded a total of 69 sub-grants to local CSOs. A training programme for CSOs on the financial management of grants has been developed and is being used for training every grantee organisation.
The NID is also assisting with the establishment of community media throughout Namibia, which are incorporated to significantly showcase, enhance and expand the reach of the NID’s civic education and other programmes. The NID has so far set up community media in four regions (Erongo, Omaheke, Oshana and Karas). Presently, steering committees in all of these identified regions are in place. Stations in Omaheke and Erongo are now registered, and have received preliminary training in administration, as well as training on the production of radio programmes, financial management and proposal writing.
The CSSP has recently been strengthened through the establishment of 12 Study Circles, that comprise of groups of people who share a common interest for a particular issue or have the same need to study the same subject.
Gallery
Selected CSOs active in the NID’s CSSP network are the following:
- Citizens for an Accountable and Transparent Society (CATS)
- Namibia Democracy Support Centre (NDSC)
- Urban Trust of Namibia (UTN)
- Voluntary Association of Namibia (Ivan)
- Fighting Further For the Future Youth Club
- Ocean Wave Community Radio
- Youth With A Vision
- Okashana Community Development Forum
- Oshakati Community Platform
- Total Child Youth Forum
- Tulimumwe Support Group
- Youth for Development
- Regional Youth Forum
- Namibia Womens Council (NWC)
- Namibia Rural Development Program (NRDP)
- Namibia Radio Community Network
- Ounongo Technology Centre
- Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS)
- Youth against crime
- Forum for the Future (FFF)
- Namibia Development Trust (NDT)
- Kuisebmund Community Centre
- Insight Karas
- Walvis Bay Youth Forum
- Lironga Eparu
- Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN)
- Eehnana Multi Purpose Youth Centre
- Change of life styles
- National Society for Human Rights (NSHR)
- Oruuano Artist’s Union of Namibia
- True Love Waits
- Namibian National Farmers Union
- National Youth Council of Namibia
- Rössing Foundation
- Criminals Return to Society (CRIS)
- MISA Namibia
- National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW)
- Ombetya Yehinga
- Katutura Community Radio (KCR)
- Womens Action for Development (WAD)
- Legal Assistance Center (LAC)
- Walvis Bay Multi Purpose Trust (WBMPT)
- Big Issue
- Sister Namibia
- Catholic Aids Action
- Walvis Bay District Aids Committee