Programm 2010

Community Empowerment and Youth Outreach in Central Africa – Programme 2011 and Outlook 2012

Applying Kids-for-Forests, SolGen, YSC components and Psychosociocultural Methodology against climate change, for zero deforestation and poverty reduction

Authors / Christian Gyr (GPCH)
Inputs / Hawe Bouba (President AIWO-CAN), Crispin Assimbo, Charles Otchudi, Jean-Thomas Ikunya (GPAf, DRC), Manuel Stark (GPCH)
Requested Input / Kuno Roth (GPCH), Raoul Monsembula (GPAf, DRC), Fiona Musana (GPAf, SA), Michelle Ntab (Executive Director, GPAf), Samuel Nguiffo (General Secretary, CED)
Draftversion / 30.08.2010 (version 1)

1.Project description

The long-term youth outreach and empowerment programme, started in 2003 by Greenpeace Switzerland in cooperation with local NGOs in Central Africa, will continue in 2011 and 2012, expanding into „community empowerment“. Solution oriented activities which aim poverty reduction, climate protection, forest conservation and the promotion of solar energy with young people and rural communities as well as a Campaign training programme build the backbone of activities and cooperations. The activities will expand from Cameroon to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as it has been prepared in 2010.

In Cameroon, the two Climate Solution Caravans spreading the message „poverty reduction is forest- and climate protection“, both in the far North of Cameroon around Maroua as well as in the forested South close to Yaoundé, in cooperation with local partners – the African Indigenous Women Organization, Central African Network AIWO-CAN and the Centre for Environment and Development CED, under supervision and orientation of the Centro Afro-Brasileiro de Estudos e Pesquisas Culturais CABEPEC, a Brazilian research center for community development, have been carried out as planned. In the far North, the Climate Solution Caravan will enter a next implementation phase, concentrating on water supply, scaling up the reach of efficient use of wood funded through the integration of the project into a programme for payment of environnmental services (myclimate.org)[1]. In the South, the Climate Solution Caravan, is entering in the implementation phase for solar energy and efficient technology in 13 villages. At the end of the this implementation phase, a public celebration and a media conference is planned, as a fundraising, media and campaign opportunity.

Parallely to the community focus, a solar enterprise will be brought to legal and effective functioning, using the pool of solar technicians that has been formed since 2009 in Cameroon, creating further jobs and revenue opportunities. If working well, some money will be reinvested for building up a school and university programme and finance some hardships we encounter in the community project. To make this all possible we are planning 4 weeks of training according to the needs of the programme, most probably some of these topics: entrepreneurial skills, water technology, agroforestry, basic campaign skills or mediawork & videographing. 50 % of that work will be financed by Greenpeace CH, the other 50 % will be financed by fundraising together with our actual partners.

In DRC, we start a new Climate Solutions Caravan, in Bandundu province, using the psychosociocultural methodology of community development. This Bandundu Climate Solution Caravan will contribute to find sustainable solutions for a better livelihood in more than 20 forest communities in Oshwe, along Lukeni River, that resist to the pressure of big logging companies and government to let their forest resources being carved up. Therefore it will be the positive project accompanying the strategy of GPAf and the Congo Forest Campaign to kick out the industrial logging companies of the Oshwe region. In February, the project will start parallely with the formation of 30 persons in the „Psychosociocultural Methodology“ during 3 months. As soon as financing is assured, the implementation phase will start, still in the same year, shortening considerably the time frame that was necessary in Cameroon. The Solar Training will be executed after methodology training. To assure the „Solar knowhow“ during the preparation phase of the Climate Solutions Caravan, we propose the assistance of 4 Cameroonian solar technicians for 3 months in DRC.

2.Project partners

Greenpeace Switzerland GPCH

Greenpeace Switzerland since 2003 is working together with local NGO partners in Cameroon and since November 2008 with Greenpeace Africa in Kinshasa, developing youth outreach work and promoting sustainable forest solutions and solar energy. GPCH shares its experience and knowhow on Youth, Outreach and Education with African partners to develop outreach programmes and open campaigns in this very „young“ (age-wise) continent. GPCH pays the programme coordinator in 2010 and 2011 and most of the operational costs for the programme in 2010.

Greenpeace Africa GPAf

Greenpeace Africa has launched his office in DRC in November 2008, mainly focussing on forest campaigning in 2009. In 2010, a Congolese team has been trained in Cameroon during the Climate Caravans, on Solar Energy, Efficient technology and community approach, in order to start a GPAf-run Climate Caravan in DRC in 2011. 2011 is also the year to start developing the outreach programme in DRC. GPAf can count on active support by GPCH and YSC.

Youth Support Center YSC

The Youth Support Center has been founded in 2007 by the Executive Director’s Meeting (EDM) in Amsterdam to develop youth programmes and activities around the world sharing the experiences and knowhow available in the Greenpeace world since 1998. YSC is passing through an evaluation phase and its future is only defined end of October 2010 (at EDM). If YSC is permanently adopted, it will be contributing to trainings, trainers’ salary and training materials.

Solafrica.ch

Solafrica.ch is a non-profit organization that works for the dissemination of Solar and Efficient technologies in Africa, by creating income and job opportunities as well as solar trainings with African partners, and organizing marketing of certain solar products in the European fairtrade market. Solafrica.ch has been founded by Greenpeace Switzerland, Megasol and Swiss Scouts and is run by Joshiah Ramogi, a Kenyan engineer that worked for Greenpeace Solargeneration in Switzerland.

Centro Afro-Brasileiro de Estudos e Pesquisas Culturais CABEPEC

CABEPEC, is

African Indigenous Women’s Organisation, Central African Network AIWO-CAN

AIWO-CAN is since 10 years active with indigenous community development in arid areas as well as forested zones. Greenpeace has joined the AIWO project „Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation for Indigenous Women in Northern Cameroon“ in the North and will continue to assist methodologically and campaign-related media work.

Centre for Environnment and Development CED

The CED has been founded in 1994 as a mixed political campaign and community-based project organisation. CED is advocating sustainable development and rights for local and indigenous communities. CED and Greenpeace have worked together since 1998 on Forest Monitoring, since 2003 in developing the Kids-for-Forests programme, since 2009 for the introduction of Solar and Efficiency technologies. CED is to host the Campaign Trainings and provide media work and political lobbying related to the Climate Caravans.

3.Programme Goals

The present programme goals are a conglomerate designed by all stakeholders. It is everyones duty to achieve these goals.

General Goal is to enhance climate- and forest protection and reduce poverty.

Particular Programme Goal is to develop a youth and outreach oriented approach to support solar energy, stop deforestation and reduce poverty.

Organisational Intentions are

  • to enable Greenpeace Africa to develop its outreach and empowerment program in Central Africa upon the lessons learnt and experiences made in Cameroon and in DRC. There should be enough qualified persons in DRC to further develop and run community solution projects by end of 2011.
  • to enable our local partners in Cameroon to run their own high quality, community solution programmes with very limited technical support by GPCH
  • to enable similar local initiatives in DRC.

Specific Programme Goalsfor 2010 are

  • Mutual development of sustainable solutions for 25 local and indigenous communities considering social, economical, ecological and cultural needs and human, social, cultural, economical and political rights.
  • Establishing good working conditions and trustful relations between communities and the participating NGOs for possible future, directly GP-campaign-related projects and activities.
  • Facilitating solar energy and efficient use of wood in 25 local and indigenous communities
  • Support of local start-ups and small grants to up to three social and ecological enterprises of members of the African Network for the Promotion of Renewable Energy (French abbreviation: RAFDER)
  • Develop a Campaign Training Program for 2010, as a contribution for a planned Sustainability University in Central Africa, beginning in 2011.
  • Support of fundraising activities of CED, RAFDER and AIWO-CAN (The herein allocated budget assures just a minimal functioning of the program of our African partners)

Further intentions:

  • By means of 4 stagiaires and a common 5 to 7 months work period, assure a knowledge transfer to Greenpeace Africa, DRC Office
  • Coaching and organisational development of CED in terms of elaboration of programs, management of volunteers, school programs
  • Contribution to educative cartoons in schools if additional funds can get allocated for it.
  • Integrate existing trainings (on sustainable forestry and on other solution-oriented skills and technologies) into the Sustainability University
  • Backstopping and support of youth organisation in their own projects

Synergies with possible activities in Switzerland/Europe:

(with separate budget, taking advantage of the programme results, campaign and media opportunities)

  • Kids-Appearance at the Festival „Afropfingsten“, in May 2010 in Winterthur ZH
  • National Youth day, in front of the Governmental Palace in Bern, 25th of September 2010, prepared by Greenteams Switzerland. Pictures, messages, even people from Africa (or from Swiss Youths that stayed in Africa...) could be integrated (f. i. „African and Swiss Youth for a Fair Future & Climate Justice“)
  • Small school partnership: a Swiss (or German or...) school or class buys a box of 144 pencils for the double price, sponsoring a second box for a school-class in Cameroon or DR Congo.

4.Expected Results for 2010

Upon the project goals the following results are aspired:

  • 25 local communities are subsidized in an sustainable manner according their needs and their benefit is proven and documented in a concluding report
  • 10 community schools have received an upgrade, among it, photovoltaic light
  • at least one of the Social and Ecological enterprising initiatives of RAFDER reaches economic self-sustainability until 2011
  • 10 community project developers are trained and able to carry out other Climate Caravans
  • Cooperation with our partners is constructive, reliant and satisfying for both sides based on common written agreements.
  • Report of fundraising activities showing results and conclusions.
  • 3 to 5 learning places and worksessions are occupied by GP-DRC staff.
  • Work evaluation report 2010 & Outlook on Outreach Work in DRC 2011: Done by the Congolese trainees with the intention to integrate the experiences within the project into further decisionmaking concerning youth, outreach and empowerment projects of GPAf.

5.Justification

Greenpeace moved to southern countries, Asia, Latinamerica and Africa, where the realities are dramatically different than in the „Western societies“. Our organisation has grown and become strong in a typical socioeconomic, cultural and political context of industrialized countries, the „winners“ of economic globalization and former colonialism, and the main polluters of our planet. The way we are accustomed (and which is still predominant in our organization) to argue, to take action, to mobilise and treat supporters, volunteers and youth is still not adapted to the social reality of the „global south“ countries. Some of the most dramatic differences, possibly relevant for new ways to campaign:

-50 % of population is under 20 years old

-very high percentage of people live in the countryside or in community structures, with relatively strong cultural traditions

-many countries are not (yet) democracies (how ever it may be defined), with dictatorial, violent, corrupt and monopolistic governments, with little legal citizen’s rights.

-The run and fight among transnational companies and Western countries for access to natural ressources in the south remains decisive for democratical, social, economical and human development in the south.

-Poverty of the majority of the population, food insecurity, unemployment, analphabetism or poor education reach sometimes extreme levels

-Southern countries suffer most of climate change impacts while having less ressources to adapt and react.

-The mass of people is not educated or informed about global issues that Greenpeace is contributing to solve, and have more urgent problems to solve and needs to satisfy.

Information about global environmental issues will mostly only be received if it also helps to solve or at least understand (with hints how to solve) their practical daily problems. In the countryside, in local or Indigenous communities, very often, influence of the government is smaller, sense of abandon stronger, cultural traditions and social cohesion very lively. In this context, touching people with messages, get them active and engaged, needs to consider psychological, social and cultural context, economic situation and their practical needs, in order to create WIN-WIN-situations.

Why should Greenpeace engage in Practical Solutions? Practical solutions are „heart and brain openers“ (like the Non-violent direct actions NVDA are in Western societies) for people with existential needs to satisfy. Such Non-violent Practical Action NVPA can be a starting point for awareness and involvment in Greenpeace campaigns. Without awareness, people will never be able to participate in our campaigns. Without massive participation of people, Greenpeace will not be able to bring campaigns to success. NVPA is a way to inspire people with solutions.

At this point, empowerment becomes important: in a context where people are hardly aware about the causes of their difficult situation nor why their family, their community, their country, the world is in difficulties, empowerment contributes to acknowledge locally existing solutions and to develop existing human potentials. Empowerment widens the range of possibilities for healing action on all, psychological, social, economical, political levels. Empowerment can be achieved through a wide range of tools, including:

-special learning opportunities like lessons, workshops, trainings

-learning and teaching by doing: practice, coaching, junior partner, mentoring

-learning by reflecting one’s own action

-learning about proved practice and knowhow

Without Empowerment as goal, attitude and concrete measure in campaigns, Greenpeace will not be able to promote massive movements and changes in the South, but rather remain an elitist organisation of „White Heros“.

6.Potentials, Challenges and Risks

Potentials

A) NVPA training and test: The programme is a pilot to test „Non Violent Practical Action“ (NVPA) in Africa. Due to the more stable political situation and an already established cooperation with CED since 2003, Cameroon was favoured to DRC. By using learning places and other training opportunities, knowledge can get transferred by means of first hand experience to Greenpeace in DRC and South Africa. Supervised first by the GPCH programme coordinator Christian Gyr, the responsibility of the programme will gradually be shared with a GPAf coordinator and then be taken over.

B) Open Campaigning: In Africa, there are different potentials and synergies to be explored when Greenpeace works together with an African partner NGO:

  1. Greenpeace can appear as a source funder for all kind of projects of partner NGOs promoting practical solutions, empowerment and research. For partner NGOs, fundraising appears to be much easier, when they can place Greenpeace as one of their partners.
  2. The same kind of „celebrity bonus“ or good reputation works for media. A partner NGO may get more attention when working together with Greenpeace.
  3. Greenpeace can easily make available to local partners existing knowhow and skills on political campaigning and therefore inspire people for effective actions.
  4. The partner organisation also is able to place their political demands more prominently and more directly with less risk of repression.

C) Empowerment Strategy: The Climate Caravans, together with the „Sustainability University“, can be seen as the kickoff opportunity for an empowerment strategy for the civil society aiming sustainable and humanistic (political) changes in Africa, needed to achieve the Greenpeace LGTD[2] goals „Zero Deforestation“ and „Stable Global Climate beyond Temperature Rise of 2°C“ in a national and regional context. Previously loose educational components will be harnessed into a permanent empowerment program for students and young professionals adressing political campaining, ecological solutions for poverty reduction and communcation skills.

D) Solution-oriented Campaigning, reducing Poverty, using Mass Networking strategies: The programme uses several Greenpeace components from SolarGeneration, Kids-for-Forests and Youth Support Center and combines them to contribute to the LTGDs Climate and Forests, but especially to Poverty Reduction. The programme offers a well-fundamented strategy for Mass Networking and contributes to develop a „Solutions-oriented Campaigning“ (see embedment).

E) Fundraising and Media potentials: This program offers a range of attractive project opportunities concerning solar, youth, education, forest, climate, which are interesting for fundraising (practical solutions and good pictures for high-, major and multilateral donors) and for media work (good pictures and easily comprehensible message) in Western or Northern NRO[3]s. Some special interest medias (youth, Africa, international cooperation) could be used to spread the message.

Challenges and Risks

E) Many partners, complex planning, but with agreed methodology: All activities heavily depend on partner performance, who will implement the integrative programme. To make the project planning possible, the schedule is based on a common and agreed methodology and defines fixed dates with foreseen flexibility (see schematic overview).

F) Narrow funding needs budget planning flexibility: Funding is very narrow for a proper planning of the NVPAs in a professional way. Certain parts, like the trainings, are still not covered as YSC’s future is yet not assured[4]. Further fundraising activities are running both in Africa and in Europe, but success is not certain. As a reaction to this uncertainty, the project is planned on a minimum level, but medium and optimal levels are also foreseen, as a necessary flexibility to guarantee that we seize the financial and media opportunities.