By Zainab Joaque
The Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD on Tuesday 12th March launched their “‘Initiative to Build Social Movements in Sierra Leone” project which costs US$ 225,000. The project is funded by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) to facilitate the mobilization and organization of social movements, with a mission to engage, strengthen the capacity of civil society movements and other right owners including local communities to work for the transformation of society so that they can work for an alternative society or alternative value systems. Giving an overview of the project, the Executive Director of NMJD, Abu Brima said that it was the commitment to transform society because “Civil society organizations cannot be there and remain indifferent to the problems of the day”. Brima said that the solidarity with people who are suffering, the poor and marginalized and those who society had politically and economically rendered them incapable of caring for themselves. “These are some of the alternative value systems that we promote and we want to live by and we hope that our actions would bring about that” said Mr. Brima. He said that his organization would recognize and work with existing civil society organizations, assuring: “We will not create any new group or work with any new group. We work with the existing ones recognizing that they have had tremendous experiences that are worth copying, experiences that are worth articulating and learning from, and that these are perhaps the real change makers having attempted one way or the other to prove a lot to Sierra Leone and Sierra Leoneans”. In her opening remarks the Chairperson and head of Campaign for Good Governance, Valnora Edwin said CSOs contributions in terms of advocacy and watchdog role had gained greater prominence with the demand for accountability and transparency which she said had grown over time especially in view of the continued poverty and deprivation that had “strangled” all opportunities for economic growth and addressing the needs of the common man. “This, obviously, calls for more accountability within CSOs aimed at enhancing our legitimacy to hold the government to account”. She went on that “within this context also we need to note the formation and structure of CSOs and how various groups can meet around issues to have a greater impact”. “Several years ago, we had very formidable platforms such as the civil society movement, the national forum for human rights, and women’s forum but where are they today?” she asked, adding: “ Only the women’s forum seems to have survived. We have the West Africa Civil Society Forum, and we also ask where it is today? We also have the Sierra Leone Non Governmental Organization which seems to be alive but urgently needs to be strengthened and decentralize” she queried. The CSO’s, she said no longer assembled to address national issues to quickly force action, adding that people only come together to discuss when called by donors. She urged CSOs to be more focused and better coordinated. The presentation of the project was done by its coordinator Sallieu Kamara, the main objective of which he said was to strengthen national civil society platforms to become more organized, cohesive, confident and effective in holding power holders to account.. Kamara maintained that society organizations have over the years not been able to effectively mobilize due to low knowledge and skills, adding that high illiteracy and poverty, the problem of accountable leadership, lack of clear cut programmes and direction, are all factors responsible for weak, fragmented and ineffective service delivery. The project was formally launched by the Coordinator of Non-State Actors at the Ministry of Finance and Economic development (MoFED) Sidi Bah.
