debate

This project seeks to enhance the fight against corruption in Liberia, by fostering accountability and fiscal transparency in the public sector. It will also foster increased public advocacy in favour of anti-corruption actions and expenditure transparency. Public understanding and input in transparency and anti-corruption efforts will be buttressed by increased media coverage of these issues. Trained journalists in transparency and anti-corruption reporting, will investigate on development projects, and a team of anticorruption champions based in community radio stations, will be activated to advocate for redress, monitor and increased public awareness in the fight against corruption.

This project seeks to enhance the fight against corruption in Liberia, by fostering accountability and fiscal transparency in the public sector. It will also foster increased public advocacy in favour of anti-corruption actions and expenditure transparency. Public understanding and input in transparency and anti-corruption efforts will be buttressed by increased media coverage of these issues. Trained journalists in transparency and anti-corruption reporting, will investigate on development projects, and a team of anticorruption champions based in community radio stations, will be activated to advocate for redress, monitor and increased public awareness in the fight against corruption.

The objective of the project was to involve grassroots communities with democratization processes across the Ituri District in the Province Orientale of the Democratic Republic of Congo. To achieve this, the grantee planned to strengthen the capacity of radio listeners’ clubs through training and practical support; to organize community debates using the radio listeners’ clubs; to produce radio broadcasts based on the community debates and on roundtable meetings between communities and officials; and to produce a range of news and educational broadcasts. The project provided local communities with knowledge they could use to convey their concerns to the authorities. It encouraged dialogue by inviting local political leaders to debate with communities and members of radio listeners’ clubs. The various elements of the project formed a well thought-out and organic whole, which was able to foster positive changes at community level. The focus on women’s participation in democratic debates was also relevant, and connected to the emphasis on access to broadcast news.

The project sought to strengthen the collective voice and action of civil society in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Hidalgo and Guerrero. The focus was on increasing the ability of local CSOs and women, indigenous groups and youth to demand equitable and quality public education and healthcare services through strengthening the ability of CSOs to train, inform, and raise awareness of these rights, and giving opportunities for them to advocate for these services as a basic human right. The use of local level CSOs was an effective approach to implement community-based activities, but the lack of an integrated programme between the states and national level limited its usefulness and potential impact. The use of a diagnostic to develop training and an agenda for action was a good technique, but required more focus on issues of voice and civic participation which were the main objectives of the project. The project strengthened advocacy efforts for more equitable health and education services in its targeted areas in Chiapas, Hidalgo and Guerrero. In particular, it increased individual knowledge, capacity and leadership among participating CSOs and community members. However, the extent of results is unknown due to the lack of outcome data. Changes are likely to be sustainable at the level of personal empowerment and relationships built with some public officials and the agenda provides CSOs with some of the key health and education issues to raise with officials in the future.