ACGC Connect - Autumn 2012

A publication of the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation

AUTUMN 2012

Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation Enabling environment holds the key to civil society’s role in implementation Based on a joint article by Open Forum for CSO Development Effectiveness and CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. Original version published in the Hauser Center blog on 1st of March 2012. Updated by Open Forum for CSO Development Effectiveness on 25th of July 2012.

Creating and Maintaining an Enabling Environment for Effective International Development

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Current Funding Realities for CSOs | ACGC Sharing Stories of Identity and Approach | Change for Children

Engagement, Creativity and Diversification | CAUSE Canada

A Few Hands Making A Big Difference | WEIF

Creating Space For Innovations | Engineers Without Borders

Change Your World Tour | ACGC and Sombrilla 2012 ACGC Annual General Meeting | ACGC

Photo (above): Two young Nicaraguans celebrate the inauguration of their village’s new community well – part of the CFCA and Centro Humboldt “Water Project”. Photo by Brenda McDonald.

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The 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF4), held December 2011 in Busan, Republic of Korea, was a landmark event where civil society participated in negotiations on norms to guide new direction for international development cooperation.

This engagement was on an equal basis with partner governments and donors - a unique experience in global multilateral meetings.

HLF4 concluded with the agreement on the new Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, for which an operational framework has just been finalized in a multi-stakeholder negotiation process that culminated in Paris at the end of June 2012.

For civil society, the Busan outcome agreement entailed mixed results and compromise. One important gain was the acknowledgement by donors and partner governments of the International Framework for CSO Development Effectiveness and the Istanbul Principles therein - as a reference on best CSO practices and the conditions required from governments and donors.

Governments and donors committed to implement an enabling environment, consistent with international human rights norms, for CSOs to be effective actors in development.

But while putting the International Framework into practice is now a priority for civil society organizations across the globe, the enabling environment in which they operate continues to deteriorate in many countries.

Part of the agreements reached in Paris at the end of June is a global monitoring framework for the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. One of the ten areas to be monitored will be a CSO enabling environment indicator. This inclusion represents an important opportunity for development actors to mobilize around this critical issue, as enabling environment conditions can indeed “make or break” civil society development efforts, consistent with the Istanbul Principles.

During the Busan HLF4, the issue of an enabling Civil society environment proved to be one of the stumbling blocks for has seen a civil society with other stakeholders in the negotiations. one of the key civil society expectations from regressive Indeed, Busan was a firm, clear and explicit commitment for trend of action in improving an enabling environment for civil shrinking society, in the face of a wave of restrictions and attacks on across a wide range of countries. space CSOs “The evidence was clear and compelling. Since 2008, although governments made explicit commitments to provide an enabling environment for civil society, civil society around the world has seen a regressive trend of shrinking space, and is facing various legal, policy and regulatory barriers as well as unwarranted harassment and persecution” explained Netsanet Belay, Policy and Research Director at CIVICUS. ...continued on page 4

How Should We Continue? Current Funding Realities for CSOs In 1976 NGOs received approximately $315 million annually from CIDA. In 2010 the annual allocation to the Canadian NGO community had fallen to approximately $200 million.

The current funding environment for Canadian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) seeking federal government support for their overseas program activities has never been as challenging. Although the Canadian general public has demonstrated generous and sustained levels of charitable giving, in terms of percentage of GNP allocated to international aid, the current government has dropped Canada’s support for international development to its lowest point since the Canadian International Development Agency’s (CIDA) inception in 1976.

As a consequence of the recent budget, Canada’s Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) is projected for 0.25% by 2015.

This is a step backwards from the Pierre Elliot Trudeau years, when ODA represented 0.53% of Canada’s GNP. However, even the ODA funding levels of the Trudeau years fall far short of the United Nations request of 0.7%, as articulated within the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) initiative.

Compounding this challenge has been the precipitous drop in funds being allocated from within the ODA envelope towards NGO programming. In 1976 NGOs received approximately $315 million annually from CIDA. In 2010 the annual allocation to the Canadian NGO community had fallen to approximately $20 million. With the 2012 budget, this allocation will immediately drop by a further 14%.

No program area within CIDA has been as aggressively targeted for budget cuts as the division within CIDA that directly finances the work of NGOs.

These are challenging times for Canadian NGOs – organizations that have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with CIDA; relationships that have tremendously benefitted many of the world’s poorest and most marginalized people. Recently, it has been decided that, in the name of “aid effectiveness”, bigger, but fewer grants should be provided for a significantly diminished number of development assistance partners. This has meant that more

funding is being provided to multi-lateral organizations (The World Bank, IMF, Regional Development Banks, etc.) and to various UN bodies (UNICEF, WHO, UNDP, etc.), than by any government in Canadian history.

I believe that the current foreign aid policies are significantly weakening Canada’s international profile, hurting our home-grown capacity to effectively reach out to the world’s poor, and stifling the aspirations of hundreds of young Canadians that are graduating yearly from the Development Studies programs that are offered by virtually every university in the country. However, the bad news gets worse.

The latest budget diminished funding allocations to virtually all branches of the federal government, with the notable exception the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA). The CRA was given more funding and a bold mandate to implement a redefinition of what lobbying and/or advocacy might mean. Under the new guidelines, a charity that publicly addresses “political issues” will run the risk of losing its charitable status. Given the recent and, one could argue, somewhat vindictive defunding of organizations like the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC), KAIROS Canada, the Canadian Centre for Human Rights & Democracy, and the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, the government appears to be telling Canadian Civil Society that opposition will result in punishment.

How should the Canadian NGO community respond to this new reality? Perhaps now, more than ever, the voluntary sector needs to come together with a strong, clear, and unified voice. Canadian NGOs should not abandon their historical role of speaking out against poor policy decisions and practices, and should demand a rights-based approach to poverty reduction.

By Paul A. Carrick, Board Chair, ACGC

Creating an Enabling Environment for Canadian CSOs Sharing Stories of Identity & Approach Our achievements at the grassroots level are immense

Candida Escalante accepts the United Nations Equator Prize at the Rio+20 Summit Photo courtesy of United Nations Equator Prize Initiative

“What makes your organization different?”

Last week, a man walking down 124th street in Edmonton noticed our office’s front entrance and wandered upstairs to ask us that very question. He wanted to know: Who are we? What do we do? What makes us different? We responded that 1) we are a small organization – we believe small is beautiful, 2) we partner with local organizations who implement grassroots development projects (according to locally identified needs), and 3) we can do more with less. Our approach to development focuses on managing resources through innovation and efficiency, while striving to maximize the donations of Canadians through federal and provincial matching grants.

These simple questions can also be applied to the larger context of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Canada, and the unique roles that they play as international development actors.

Today, CSOs are facing a rapidly changing environment as a result of the Canadian government’s shift in focus and priorities on the world stage. These changes are deeply threatening the present and future sustainability of our rights-based approach to development, and the potential for populations in the Global South to strengthen local processes for human development in harmony with their local environments.

Building an enabling environment must begin with CSOs reasserting their individual and collective identities to both the

By Trina Moyles (Int’l Projects & EPE Assistant), Change for Children Association

ACGC Connect Podcast

ACGC is launching an 8-episode podcast series exploring the Istanbul CSO Development Effectiveness Principles. Each podcast will examine one of the eight principles, speaking to global experts as well as profiling the work of ACGC Member organizations. The podcasts will be released monthly from September 2012 to April 2013. Tune in at www.acgc.libsyn. com or on iTunes.

Effectiveness Principles

If you have suggestions for future topics of the ACGC Connect Podcast or want to share feedback on what you’ve heard, please write diana@acgc.ca

The Istanbul CSO Development

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Canadian public and political institutions, while sharing casestudies that demonstrate how our unique approach is successful in impacting positive social, economic, and political change.

Change for Children (CFCA) is proud of the continued success that we have seen as a result of our rights-based approach and our engagement of local partner organizations and communities in Latin America and Africa. In June 2012, Candida Escalante – a mother, school teacher, and local water justice advocate from the rural community of Santa Teresa, Nicaragua – stepped on stage at the United Nation’s Equator Prize award ceremony in Rio de Janeiro to accept an award for the grassroots success of CFCA and Centro Humboldt’s holistic Water Project in the ecologically fragile region of Chinandega. Over the last eight years, this project has provided over 75,000 people with access to clean drinking water.

Candida, who had never participated in development decisionmaking processes prior to the implementation of this project, represented thousands of women and men from Chinandega who have formed local Water & Sanitation Committees – groups responsible for managing and controlling their water resources, and for raising their collective voices within processes of forming national water laws, including Law 260, which recognizes water as a public resource.

The future environment for Canadian international development CSOs seems uncertain. But what remains clear is that, individually and collectively, our achievements at the grassroots level are immense. In order to reshape the current environment for CSOs in Canada, together, we must we must share our successes with the Canadian public and political institutions, and convey the stories of who we are, what we do, and why we do it. The collective sum of our success stories as Canadian CSOs is a tool, in itself, for recreating an environment that nurtures our capacity for affecting positive change and sustainable human development.

Engagement, Creativity, and Diversification in the New Funding Environment

Formerly reliable funding sources are shrinking and competition for funds is becoming keener. Simultaneously, the contemporary orthodoxy that demands debt reductions from social sectors, combined with lower foundation allocations and diminished investment in “risky” industries and regions, means that the people we work with face cuts from all sides. Conventional resources are thinning, which exacerbates the need for them. In this climate, development NGOs must find alternative revenue sources to finance their work.

While governments and other traditional leaders have reduced their contributions, average Canadians have continued to donate time and money on par with pre-recession levels. Individual donors and their businesses have become more important for NGOs, and CAUSE Canada has increasingly oriented itself towards microdonations – small donations from many individuals, rather than large donations from a few.

In some ways CAUSE Canada has been ahead of the curve – child sponsorship and creative fundraising events are resilient (though not impervious) to economic shocks. Yet, the organization has been too complacent with CIDA funding; this has distracted us from advancing new financing strategies. However, new initiatives and renewed focus on successful strategies of the past are helping CAUSE Canada adjust to the changing funding environment. Along the way, we’ve learned some valuable lessons.

First, engaging donors in their giving makes for regular, faithful supporters. Where child sponsorship is interactive between sponsor and child, carbon offsetting – CAUSE Canada’s new environmental

initiative – is interactive between donors and their consumption. In either case, interactive connection keeps supporters interested and giving. Direct engagement and communication through social media, too, strengthen relationships with donors and expand outreach.

Second, connecting with your home community brings attention from many angles, maintains your cause in the public eye, and promotes positive identification.

The Canmore Rocky Mountain Half Marathon appeals to a different demographic than many other CAUSE Canada efforts, and its commitment to organizing the greenest race possible echoes its programming principles. Supporting community gardening, minor soccer, and a concert series demonstrate and convey CAUSE Canada’s community development ideals to new audiences.

Finally, when individual funding sources become unreliable, diversification is security. That’s why CAUSE Canada encourages its overseas partners to diversify their financing by pursuing funding from international governments, foundations, and embassies.

CAUSE Canada supports applications and works to enhance local capacity to identify, approach, and apply for grants beyond CAUSE Canada’s reach.

The bigs are shrinking; we must connect more broadly.

by Adam Linnard, CAUSE Canada

CAUSE Canada’s carbon offset program offers supporters ongoing engagement that keeps them interested and giving.

Photo by Dave Fafard

WEIF: A Few Hands Making a Big Difference Women’s Empowerment International Foundation (WEIF) is an Edmonton-based charity managed by a small group of dedicated board members and volunteers. Though WEIF operates without an office and employs only a handful of university students, the organization’s contributions to international development since 2006 are substantial: in Central and South Asia, WEIF has been instrumental in the development of 11 schools, a health clinic serving 19 villages, and supporting over 400 entrepreneurial women in their pursuit of economic independence.

As federal and provincial funding for international development continues to fade, the inadequate resources made available to NGOs are often reserved for large international groups with a strong media presence: nearly all of WEIF’s funds are used directly in project costs. Small organizations lack the resources to budget for advertising campaigns, and are scarcely invited to engage in policy dialogue with government officials, and subsequently struggle to sustain projects and shield their clients from the effects of damaging cuts in government spending. In order to maintain a presence in the poorest districts of the world, it has become imperative that charities like WEIF develop a public presence at home— proactively seeking non-government funding, employing innovative marketing strategies, and collaborating with other NGOs around the world.

In 2011, WEIF designed a project tailored to CIDA’s numerous specifications and successfully obtained a grant to finance a multifaceted education, health, and village-improvement initiative in Dahanu Taluka, India. Flexibility has become a vital tool to NGOs: rather than only searching for funding agencies whose

priorities align with their projects, WEIF has engaged in large, multisectoral projects and sought partial funding from multiple foundations in the areas of education, female empowerment, health, HIV/AIDS, and environmental conservation.

WEIF is also adopting a targeted, business-style marketing strategy in 2012 by seeking out local magazines, media, and businesses for support in raising awareness for their cause.

Canadian youth also have much to offer to the non-profit sector: WEIF has increased its Facebook presence by over 200% since May, with nearly all engaged users between the ages of 18 and 25. In June, WEIF sent a University of Alberta student to the Nareshwadi Learning Centre in rural India for a two-month internship, where she volunteered her time with women and children, posted her experiences on Facebook, developed a presentation to engage fellow students in international development, and wrote a magazine article on WEIF’s work to be published in the fall.

WEIF works diligently to bring the energy and heart of their volunteers and board members to the poorest districts of the world— it is time to share their story with Canada.

It has become imperative that charities like WEIF develop a public presence at home

Creating Space for Innovation George Roter, CEO of Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB), recently stated: “EWB has always taken the view that how we use foreign aid resources is just as important as the amount of money our country gives. That being said, funding matters.”

Unfortunately, changing government priorities usually means fewer dollars for foreign aid. In days of increasing domestic budget demands, the effectiveness of campaigning for consistent (or increased) foreign aid spending is decreasing.

As such, EWB has a network across Canada committed to improving aid effectiveness. The strength of this network was evidenced in 2011, when EWB was a key driver behind Canada signing onto the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI).

EWB engaged over 25,000 Canadians on this topic through learning sessions, social media campaigns and traditional media engagement.

EWB also met with over 100 MPs and presented a case for IATI before the Parliamentary Finance Committee.

If we are striving for government accountability and transparency in foreign aid and development activities, NGOs operating in international development need to hold ourselves to the same standards. EWB launched Admitting Failure in 2011, as a way to shift the dialogue within the development sector. There are thousands of organizations, both government-affiliated and independent, that are who are working towards the same goal, but are not working together. In order to create an effective

environment for development, an effective learning environment needs to be created.

Creating a safe space to talk about failure creates a space for innovation to thrive and for ideas to be refined and challenged.

We believe that governments can also champion innovative approaches to development, and we are committed to helping them recognize this. On June 19, EWB kicked off our current campaign, asking CIDA to pilot a Cash on Delivery (CoD) model – in which recipient countries are given control of aid, but are required meet prescribed indicators within finite timelines.

It is imperative that we experiment with different approaches to demonstrate that tax-payer dollars still create results. EWB met 50 MPs, across 3 parties, and extended this conversation to the public through a CBC radio interview and other media coverage.

The CoD model is not appropriate for all scenarios, but it can be used to strengthen the capacity and accountability of the recipient country’s government, while allowing the donor country to focus on creating long-term impact. By encouraging the conversation about CoD, EWB hopes that the seeds for many more conversations on effectiveness and aid organization will be planted.

EWB engaged over 25,000 Canadians on the topic of the International Aid Transparency Initiative

By Elizabeth Logan

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Global Partnership continued from page 1 Here in Canada CSOs have witnessed restrictions on rights to assembly in Quebec and changes in government policies for funding CSO activities that undermine international Canadian CSOs abilities to put development principles into practice.

After intense advocacy and lobbying by civil society, the Busan outcome document, in paragraph 22(a), made reference to agreed international rights as the basis for defining an enabling environment for civil society. CSOs applauded this move, but remained unconvinced about the likelihood of impact on the ground. Among the issues raised by civil society were a lack of specific minimum standards, a perceived overemphasis on governments’ understanding of development results, and failure to call for compliance ‘in law and in practice’ in the paragraph on enabling conditions.

CSOs, as development actors in their own right, are demonstrating their commitment to improving their effectiveness in development through their constructive engagement, not only in Busan and the global post-Busan followup process, but also in their organizations at country level.

There remains much uncertainty as to how the multi-stakeholder joint governance and monitoring – including of enabling environment - will be unfolding in the coming months.

But one thing remains clear - without guarantees and progress for an enabling environment that respects the fundamental rights and freedoms of people to participate in civil society, including enabling conditions in donor countries, CSOs are unable to play their full role as development actors.

2012 Change Your World Tour Peru, August 1, 2012 The Change Your World Tour is now underway! July 27th marked the beginning of the trip of a lifetime for the five of us, starting with orientation. The full crew consists of Ross, Kianna, Sarah, Julie and Chance, with Joelle Badman from ACGC and Sarah Cashmore from Sombrilla. After two days of orientation, we are now equipped with the knowledge and tools to help make the most of the next two weeks. We discussed health and safety, learned how to podcast and film, talked about culture shock and the potential difficulties of international travel, and how to respond to these two issues. Christoph from Light Up the World (LUTW) came and spoke to us about LUTW’s work in Peru, where they help communities gain access to reliable, sustainable and affordable forms of lighting, such as electricity, as a replacement for the hazardous and costly options used previously. Unfortunately, the logistics of our trip will not allow us time to visit any LUTW projects. However, we are grateful for the knowledge and insight provided by Christoph, and will bear it in mind as we continue our tour.

With the essential information that was gained from orientation,

2012 ACGC AGM

An ACGC Evening Affair featuring The Yes Men

ACGC’s Annual General Meeting will convene Albertan international development practitioners to discuss current challenges facing the sector and ways to adjust how we engage Albertans on our role in international development.

Entitled “Embracing Change: Effective Development in a New Reality”, ACGC’s 2012 AGM will be held at the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy on the University of Alberta Campus on Saturday, September 22nd from 9:30am – 4:00pm.

Don’t miss the opportunity to network with other Albertabased international development workers and exchange expertise on development effectiveness while participating in capacity-building workshops. Guest speakers will include The Honourable Romeo Saganash, Official Opposition Critic for International Development, Pearl Eliadis from the Voices-Voix coalition, and Miskito indigenous leaders from the BOSAWAS Biosphere of Nicaragua, with other guest speakers to be confirmed.

Register and learn more at acgc.ca!

ACGC Connect is published by the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation with the financial assistance of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The views expressed by the publication are not necessarily those of ACGC or its member groups.

ACGC is a coalition of NGOs working in Alberta and committed to advocating harmonious relations among nations and to promoting equitable community development within nations which is people-centred, democratic, just, sustainable, inclusive and respectful of indigenous cultures.

ACGC can be contacted at: Suite 205, 10816A - 82 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6E 2B3 Tel: 780.988.0200 | Fax: 780.988.0211 Email: admin@acgc.ca | Twitter: @ACGCNow Visit our website at: www.acgc.ca E-NEWSLETTER If you would prefer to receive an electronic copy of the newsletter in the future instead of a printed copy, please contact admin@acgc.ca or 780.988.0200. Thank you.

Canadian International Development Agency

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Agence canadienne de développement international

we embarked on the night of July 28th to begin our journey to Peru.

The full day of travel, with stops in Toronto and Bogota, left us fatigued but ecstatic to arrive at our destination. After spending one night in Lima, a bus was taken on the 30th to the Lazy Dog Inn in Huaraz where we will be spending time at the Sombrilla and Andean Alliance project in Yurac Yacu. During our time in Huaraz we will also be meeting our Peruvian partners, who we will be spending time with throughout our stay there. At Huaraz, we will also be going on an overnight hike in Quebrada, which will allow us to familiarize ourselves with some of Peru’s mountainous geography before continuing on to Vicos, where we will be staying with host families. We will then travel to Chincha Baja to visit the Rainbow of Hope for Children projects before heading back to Lima to conclude our journey by visiting Cuso International projects.

We’d like to thank everyone who made this trip possible, including Joelle, Heather, Diana and Richie at ACGC, Sarah at Sombrilla, and Scott, our documentary technician.

The video podcast of the experience will be available for download on iTunes in mid-late August, and the documentary will be available by September 22.

To find out more about us, the Peruvian youth, and to follow us on our journey, check out our blog at www.changeyourworldtour. blogspot.com.

Keynote Address and NGO Fair - September 22nd at Garneau Theatre in Edmonton

The perpetrators of the latest #shellFAIL spoof ad campaign come to Edmonton with a bold proposition as the keynote speakers for the annual ACGC Evening Affair. The Yes Men are led by two culture-jamming political pranksters, Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonnano, who will be delivering a talk entitled: “We All Must Be Revolting: Finding Your Place in the Global Revolution” at the Garneau Theatre in Edmonton (8712 109 St.) at 6:00PM on Saturday, September 22nd.

Having impersonated top industry and government leaders in a valiant effort to “publically humiliate” their unscrupulous targets, The Yes Men will be addressing their various exploits and new, innovative ways to reclaim public discourse. For more about their stunts, visit their website at www.theyesmen.org!

The evening will also showcase our NGO Fair with beverages and refreshments, providing a chance to see what ACGC members are doing around the world, and to learn how you can get involved.

Get ready for The Yes Men live with ACGC’s screening of their latest film, “The Yes Men Fix the World”, on Friday, September 21st in Lecture Theatre 2-190 at the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (11405 87 Ave) on the University of Alberta campus from 7:00-9:00pm.

Learn more at www.acgc.ca and buy your tickets today at www.theyesmen.eventbrite.ca!

ACGC Current Membership AUGUST 2012 Action International Ministries • Alberta Public Interest Research Group • Altamas for Peace and Development Association • Bridges of Hope International Network of Dev Agencies Inc. • Calgary Board of Education Global Learning Program • Canada World Youth • Canadian Association for Participatory Development • Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace • Canadian Department of Peace Initiative • Canadian Humanitarian • Canadian Moravian Mission Society • Canadian Peacemakers International • Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan • Caro-Canadians Reaching Out to the World’s Children Foundation • CAUSE Canada • CEIBA Association • Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology • Centre for Global Citizenship Education and Research • Change for Children Association • CHF • Covenant International Ministry • CUSO International • Engineers Without Borders- Canada • Four Worlds Centre for Development Learning • Ghost River Rediscovery • Global Education Program, University of Alberta International • Global Environmental and Outdoor Education Council • Helping Youth Through Educational Scholarships • HIV Edmonton • Human Development Foundation • Innovative Canadians for Change • Keiskamma Canada Foundation • Kleos Microfinance Group • Leprosy Mission Canada (The) • Lifeline Malawi Association • Light Up the World • Maharashtra Seva Samiti Organization • Marda Loop Justice Film Festival • Mennonite Central Committee Alberta • Micah Centre (Kings University College) • Nile Valley Foundation Learning Centre • One Child’s Village • One! International Poverty Relief • Operation Eyesight Universal • Optometry Giving Sight • Oxfam Canada • Rainbow for the Future • Rainbow of Hope for Children • RESULTS • Sahakarini Inter-World Education & Development Association • Samaritan’s Purse Canada • Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute • SomaliCanadian Education & Rural Development Organization • Sombrilla International Development Society • Tools for Schools Africa Foundation • Trickster Theatre • True Vision Ghana • UEnd Foundation • Unisphere Global Research Centre • United Nations Association in Canada - Edmonton Branch • Women’s Empowerment International Foundation • World Fit For Children- Alberta Chapter • World University Service of Canada