December 2009

 

Between July and September 2009 in Angola, considerable attention has been devoted to constitutional reforms led by members of the Angolan parliament. The electoral system itself is one key element considered in the reform process, and therefore constitutional reform has been seen as a prerequisite for presidential elections. With the continuing debate over the constitution, the hope of holding a presidential election by the end of 2009 has faded. The Constitutional Commission has asked for a 180-day delay beyond its original September deadline to complete the constitutional reform, fixing the date for late March 2010. The vote, which will be the first presidential poll since 1992, has consequently been delayed until sometime after that date. During a joint appearance with South African President Jacob Zuma, Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos seemed to indicate that Angola would use indirect elections, with the President as the head of the party list, and then ratified by the National Assembly. This proposal caused a great deal of speculation and debate, as some questioned its difference from the ruling MPLA’s promise of universal adult suffrage.

Meanwhile, the Angolan government and media have also focused on another major event in 2010, the Angola-hosted African Nations Cup. It is estimated that over 1 billion dollars is being spent on the construction of soccer stadiums, airports, hotels and other infrastructure crucial to the event’s success. But this effort is challenging state coffers at a time when prices for Angola’s two main exports – oil and diamonds – have continued to be volatile on international markets.

Finally, social programming continues to advance, and Angola was recently approved for an IMF loan agreement. The IMF deemed that the country was on its way to passing an “appropriately tight 2010 budget, backed by firm policies on monetary management” and the loan marks a significant milestone in improving relations between the IMF and Angola. The loan comes at an important time as Angola struggles to avoid a humanitarian crisis in the form of 32,000 returnees who were recently expelled from the DRC. This “tit for tat” deportation of refugees between the DRC and Angola has characterised much of the quarter, causing tensions not only between the countries, but also between Congolese and Angolan workers within Angola.

Introducing Antonio Muhungo, SFCG’s Angola Country Director

Antonio Muhungo, SFCG’s Angola Country Director

SFCG is pleased to welcome its new country director, Antonio Muhungo. Antonio’s hiring marks an important benchmark in SFCG’s operations in Angola, fulfilling its strategy of transitioning to national leadership in recognition of the strong capacity and long experience of common ground programming in the country. Antonio has worked for 13 years in collaboration with the Angolan government, civil society and international donors on behalf of several international organisations. He has extensive experience in management, media and communications, donor, government and civil society relations, project monitoring and evaluation, proposals and reports writing. Before joining SFCG, he worked as Chief of Party for Research Triangle Institute to implement Presidential Malaria Initiative, as National Secretary-Executive for the Forum of International NGOs in Angola to support their relation with government, donors and national NGOs, and with a variety of other NGOs and WFP. He speaks fluent English and Portuguese and earned International Diplomas in Business Management & Administration, Business Economics and Public Relations at International Cambridge College.

WELCOME! And Bem vindo!

Stories: Journalists’ election reporting manual

In the lead-up to the 2008 Parliamentary elections, SFCG in collaboration with IFES published a training manual to help Angolan journalists understand the electoral process, as well as develop practical skills central to reporting on elections. The manual, entitled “Cobertura Eleitoral Responsável em Angola: O Papel do Jornalista na Prevenção de Conflitos Durante o Processo Eleitoral,” (Responsible Election Coverage in Angola, the Role of the Journalist in Preventing Conflict During the Electoral Process), received extremely positive reviews from users. National media bodies such as Angola’s Center for the Training of Journalists have commended the manual and requested additional copies. The first version is available online via SFCG’s website, as well as on the “Radio for Peace building Africa” website, www.radiopeaceafrica.org. Radio for Peace building Africa was developed by SFCG and its partners to make resources available to journalists in Africa.

Following the positive response to the manual, SFCG and IFES decided to extend the training component in order to finalise the manual as well as distribute it more widely. In order to reach a large professional audience and create a durable tool, the 2nd edition of the manual includes professional design and printing, illustrative graphs and content updates. The final result is a well-polished product, with easily accessible and relevant information on electoral reporting which will be distributed to national, private, and community media sources throughout Angola. Because it will be distributed for use as a resource within media institutions, it is expected to have a large readership in hard copy, as well as via electronic dissemination.

Promoting greater youth engagement in determining Angola’s future

School Parliament participants attend a discussion to involve more youth in leadership activities.

At the beginning of 2009, with support from DFID through the British Embassy, SFCG launched a School Parliament project, building understanding of democratic concepts and practices among Angolan youth, and managing their expectations of the newly elected Parliament through an experience of the challenges of reaching decisions with a diverse group. As DFID funding ended, BP Angola stepped in with a new partnership to continue the School Parliament project, which is built on the model developed by SFCG in Burundi. Last week the European Commission announced its intention to support the project, securing its implementation for another 18 months.

During the months of August and September, SFCG surveyed the level of awareness among students of school parliament activities and structures, which exist to encourage youth involvement in political life. The study – carried out through surveys with 107 students in 5 target schools – reinforced the importance of engaging youth in civic education. Overall, the survey revealed that 80% of students questioned were very aware of the School Parliaments, although 64% of respondents had never participated. Students were unanimous in believing that it would be interesting to participate in School Parliament as a means to voice their opinions. Most students believe that School Parliament activities allow them to gain more knowledge about citizenship, participation and leadership. Since the project started, SFCG has organised 32 School Parliament preparatory meetings for 241 students in five target schools, convened one school parliament forum, and held seven parliament commission sessions. SFCG is using its weekly radio programme Baza Madie to provide information on democracy, governance, and participation to a broader youth audience beyond the student participants in Luanda.

Identifying conflicts and finding local solutions in Massabi

Women in Lake Massabi region attend conflict resolution training.

During the month of August, SFCG undertook a series of conflict resolution trainings and workshops in communities surrounding Lake Massabi. This region, which lies on the border with the Republic of Congo in the enclave of Cabinda, was one of the worst-affected areas during the separatist violence. A recent assessment found that there was very little collaboration or communication between communities and the local government, and that the population in Massabi was the least likely to directly confront conflicts through dialogue. The training programme has achieved some successes in encouraging a strong participation of women. While still far from parity, the participation rate of 31% is nonetheless higher than expected for trainings for community leaders, particularly organised in rural areas.