I have been in South Africa for barely a week and already it feels like home. So I ask myself: perhaps it is time to leave Old Europe and move to Africa?
Hilary and I landed on Friday. She was busy with meetings so I used my time to explore Jo’burg (Johannesburg for my dear readers who never travel).
The purpose of my exploration was to visit the city but I quickly realised that you can’t go anywhere with my colour of skin. You could be quite easily assaulted, threatened with a weapon or murdered for your mobile phone. The main topic at dinner is ‘who has been robbed, raped or killed in the last week?’.
You must also use the car to travel everywhere. No joke. You travel from one gated place to another. If you like jogging you must either go to the gym or run in your garden like a hamster running in its wheel.
Despite the transport difficulties, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to meet Ingrid, the new CEO if CIVICUS (for my readers who don’t ‘do’ international, CIVICUS is one of the top membership organisation representing civil society, especially in the so-called ‘south’).
CIVICUS are doing an amazing job raising the profile of civil society across the world. I encourage everyone to check their website and sign up to their Civil Society Watch monthly bulletin.
Two points to make from the meeting. Firstly, Ingrid made me think. Secondly, she candidly admitted that CIVICUS has never had any contact with the European Commission and that it has never been a priority.
Considering that the EU is the largest civil society donor in the world, I found this revelation pretty suprising. At the same time, I recognise that there is a need to prioritise when you are running a global organisation with just 35 staff. Although I am equally suprised that the EC has never been in touch. What do the guys (and girls) in DG Development do? I specfically remember there being an Africa-EU strategy launched in Lisbon 2007. A steering committee was set up and yet nothing.
At the very least the EC delegationin South Africa could get in touch with CIVICUS to implement the strategy!
On another note, for your information in 2005 I was in Moscow for the Civil G8 – the civil society equivalent of the G8 organised by the Russian government (please do not comment on this, the involvement of the Russian government is not the point!). Our beloved Putin (no comments!) organised a dinner for leaders from the world’s top NGOs. Kumi Naidoo, the CEO of CIVICUS at the time, was there alongside peers from Oxfam UK, Transparency International and Medecins Sans Frontiers. I guess this is a big hint to those at DG Development.
OK I will give you a clue. I have agreed with Ingrid to organise a dinner with the leaders of the top civil society networks based in Brussels to discuss better cooperation between European and Global civil society. A place for the new European Commissioner for Development will be reserved. There is always something to learn!
By the way, I have been thinking that the definition of ‘north’ and ‘south’ doesn’t make much sense in a globalizing society. We should come up with something better.
But for now, I am going back to my African trip of watching thieves and rapists. Can you really say that you have had the true South Africa experience without the company of these gentlemen?
