22 June 2007
USAID Helps Madagascar Form Civil Society Organization Coalition
Partnership for a Better Life
"We see our words and ideas in the charter, our ideas in the discussions. We chose the leaders and they are people that have the interests of civil society at heart, not a political agenda," said Maria Zafitsara, a civil society representative from Madagascar's Toamasina province.
"Civil society organizations are in the best position to really know the realities and aspirations of the Malagasy people in all sectors at all levels," added Lalao Randriamampionona, president of a national association of women’s organizations.
Several attempts since the early 1990s to put in place a national coalition of civil society organizations in Madagascar failed because many were politically motivated. Then, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) decided to help steer the country’s efforts at developing a strong, independent and nonpolitical civil society.
The first step was to organize a national conference to establish a coalition of civil society groups. USAID funded efforts to organize the conference, which brought together representatives from all regions of the country and from interested associations, regardless of their size or area of interest.
The program also steered organizers away from potentially divisive, politically motivated issues and focused on creating the coalition. Independent consultants ensured officer elections were fair and transparent.
Participants then voted on a charter to establish a national coalition for civil society organizations. The charter was approved and officials were elected in a transparent manner.
"The momentum generated by the conference’s success will carry the coalition a long way," said Zafitsara, the participant from Toamasina.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
