Forum Syd Civil Society Strengthening

Introduction ForumCiv and the Embassy of Sweden in Monrovia signed a 51 Million SEK grant agreement for the implementation a programme title “Sustainable Owners Programme” for rural counties in Liberia. The Sustainable Owners Programme is designed to strengthen and develop the fledging civil society in Liberia, with focus on promoting human Rights, Gender equality, and Environment and climate change, and Land Rights. The planned intervention will reach a total of 26 local CSOs in rural Liberia in two categories - 14 local CSOs as sub-grants and 12 grassroots organizations will receive seed grants. The project is focused on civil society strengthening in governance and accountability, gender equality and environment and climate change resilience and sustainable use of natural resources. The overall goal of the project is to respond to the limited rights and opportunities in rural communities, and the limited presence of participatory and locally based development initiatives.  Additionally, the intervention has been supporting existing CSOs in the rural areas, with the registration of non-registered right-holders organizations, training and capacity building.  This is important and relevant for small scale local initiatives that face disadvantage due to high registration cost and lengthy bureaucratic processes that deny them formal registration. Where formal registration is used as criteria to receive donor assistance, rural based organizations representing people living in poverty are often left out.   ForumCiv’s intervention to achieve its goal to strengthen the capacity of CSOs in rural Liberia through four key methods: a) Build capacities of local CSOs to develop their own sustainability plans and project ideas, as well as to deepen their discussions on their mission and vision, and engage in long-term strategic planning; implement and monitor participatory and inclusive local sustainable development initiatives; be better equipped to raise awareness and mobilize rights-holders through a human rights-based approach and support rights-holders to organize themselves and engage in collective action.b) Strengthen a rights-based and gender aware development of local CSO, supporting increased internal accountability, transparency and member-based decision-making processes;c) Build capacity of local authorities/duty bearers, service providers, community structures and traditional authorities, in their understanding of their duties and obligations, the role of civil society, and how to engage in transparent, accountable, participatory, inclusive, gender sensitive and environmentally sustainable processes with rights-holders and communitiesd) Promote dialogue and inclusive democratic decision-making processes involving rights-holders, local CSOs and government institutions at the county and national level. Like many other countries, the effect of the covid19 pandemic did not spare Liberia and it as such, the program experienced delayed and challenges as the situations led to the imposition of measures by the government including ban on public gathering, restrictions of movements between counties and the compulsory use of masks. By June 2020, some of these measures were relax as the cases were relatively low, things seem to return to normalcy. It is interesting that Liberia in December 2020 held it first major elections since the UN mission ended full operation in March 2018. The results showed 2 of the 18 women that contested won in Grand Bassa county and a grassroots market woman in Garpolu county.   The program conducted an internal Mid-Term reflection which showed the impact of the program on rural communities and the activities covered by forumCiv. The program received a No_Cost_Extension until December 31, 2021 from the original date of May 31, 2021.

The main objective of ForumCiv's intervention in strengthening Civil society organizations in rural counties in Liberia is to achieve these three main outcomes: Outcome 1. Partner organizations and communities have developed their capacities to participate in decision-making processes. Outcome 2. Partner organizations have developed their advocacy and monitoring skills of government institutions, public service providers and/or private sector actors' performance in relations to the three thematic areas of the programme; Outcome 3. Partner organizations and existing CSO networks have the capacity and resources to develop, fund-raise and implement projects of their own choice that are clearly linked to the needs and priorities identified by involved rights-holder groups and communities.