The decade leading up to the second millennium saw increasing
efforts to give new meaning and substance to the concept
of an African renaissance. There have been endeavours
to address the vast challenges facing the continent,
be they coordination of humanitarian aid, development,
socio-economic, peace and security or governance. To
date, civil society has played a critical role in this
movement, opening up spaces for new actors and voices.
However, it is now imperative that African civil society
is further empowered in its work, if it is to achieve
its mission in furthering this African renaissance.
The humanitarian sector
is undergoing a paradigm shift: in order to create a
healthier global framework, African institutions must
acquire greater ownership. This requires a commitment
to developing African unity and solidarity and a strengthening
of pan-African collaboration on the continent in order
to enable indigenous organisations to play a greater
role in addressing African challenges. African civil
society must coordinate itself to address issues of
concern and pool resources to allow more effective,
appropriate and timely humanitarian aid. Enhanced pan-African
coordination will facilitate an essential transformation
of North-South relationships. Ultimately, by engaging,
giving ownership to and renewing the commitment of indigenous
organisations in humanitarian work, African civil society
can deliver more efficient and cost effective responses.
This will support African efforts to achieve sustainable
solutions to the current challenges facing the continent.
ACHA’s
Establishment
ACHA’s establishment was initiated at an international
symposium entitled “Building the Capacity of African
NGOs” co-organised with the African Union, which
was held in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia in December 2004.
The symposium
was a crucial step in addressing issues of resource
identification for and the capacity building of African
organisations active in enhancing human welfare on the
continent. As a result, in alliance with African Civil Society Organisation (CSO)
leaders as well as interested parties in attendance
at the symposium, Africa Humanitarian Action (AHA),
a pan-African humanitarian CSO,
was tasked with supporting ACHA’s foundation.
AHA
has been pivotal in ACHA’s establishment. Not
only is AHA the inspiration for ACHA’s creation,
but it has also provided the support necessary to bring
ACHA into existence. AHA was founded in 1994 in response
to the Rwandan genocide. More than a decade later AHA
continues to provide life saving humanitarian assistance
to refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and
local communities across Africa. AHA has supported more
than 9 million people in 16 African countries, to regain
their health, dignity and wellbeing. It is this experience
that inspired the establishment of ACHA, building on
the knowledge that there are sustainable African solutions
to African challenges.
ACHA’s steering committee was formed as a result of the international symposium. The steering committee was comprised of
representatives of African CSOs, international NGOs,
intergovernmental agencies, foreign governments, universities,
and the African private sector. This wide scale representation
supports the interest that lies in enhancing and supporting
African CSOs in the adoption of greater ownership over
humanitarian action on the continent. See a list of
organisations represented by members of ACHA’s
steering committee by clicking here
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