Continental Day of Prayer, 22 May 2020 Religious communities around the world engage in activities to dedicate the COVID-19 response to the Almighty.

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Citizens & Diaspora Organizations Directorate (CIDO)

July-September 2020

It is my pleasure to welcome you to our very first

newsletter. The Citizens and Diaspora Organizations

Directorate (CIDO) has the mandate of linking citizens

and diaspora organizations to the African Union (AU)

and its organs. CIDO implements various initiatives to

facilitate the engagement of citizens and diaspora

organizations in the AU’s processes and programmes

and to make the AU a people-centred union.

As COVID-19 continues to disrupt our traditional

engagement platforms, CIDO is looking to digital

technologies to ensure that its constituents are

updated on the activities of CIDO and the AU. This

newsletter is a part of those efforts.

In this Issue, we give you a peek into some of these

initiatives starting with the Continental Day of Prayer

to counter COVID-19. We also shine a spotlight on five

unique interventions by non-state actors to counter

COVID-19 and, we share recommendations on how

lessons from the Ebola Crisis can help us to harness

the African Diaspora in response to COVID-19.

Thank you for making all these initiatives a success.

We are looking forward to further collaboration.

THE CONTINENTAL DAY OF PRAYER TO COUNTER COVID-19 SPREADS MESSAGES OF HOPE IN AFRICA AND BEYOND

The African Union Commission (AUC) through its Directorate of Citizens and Diaspora Organizations (CIDO) in collaboration with the African Union’s Interfaith Dialogue Forum (IFDF) were joined virtually by African citizens in the continent and in the diaspora, faith communities, and other key actors in dedicating the 22 of May 2020 as a Continental Day of Prayer to counter the COVID-19 pandemic and the socio-economic distress it is spreading as global Cont...P2

Ahmed El-Basheer, Director, CIDO

Silencing the Guns, 8 June 2020 Non-state actors discuss strategies to address conflicts and promote peace in Africa.

P3 Perspectives: Leveraging Diasporas in Public Health Emergencies Lessons from the Ebola Crisis response and how they can be applied to COVID-19.

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deaths and burden of disease increase.

The aim of the Continental Day of Prayer was to rally African citizens, governments and non-state actors to intensify collaborative action towards curtailing the spread of COVID-19 and to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the disease, including reducing human suffering. Additionally, the Continental Day of Prayer was intended to mobilize the population to continue observing sanitation guidelines to help curb the spread of the pandemic and to call for human solidarity in the fight against the pandemic.

From the African Union, the Continental Day of Prayer was led by His Excellency Thomas Kwesi Quartey and

Commissioner Amira El Fadil, representing different faiths in the Commission. Various religious communities from around the world engaged in virtual activities to observe the Continental Day of Prayer. Over 20 countries participated through interreligious councils, faith-based organizations and diaspora organizations, among others.

The African call for prayer was supported by the Higher Committee of the Human Fraternity which had organized the Pray for Humanity initiative on May 14th, bringing together the Sheikh of All Azhar and the Pope. These and other faith leader actively participated in the global day of prayer.

The Continental Day of Prayer demonstrated how in adversity, the different faiths in Africa, whether Christianity, Hinduism or Islam, have united to safeguard the sanctity of life against COVID19.

Note: The AU-IFDF is an AU platform formed in 2016 as a cooperative interaction between people of different religious and/or spiritual faiths or beliefs. The AU-IFDF seeks to tap into the power of religious communities to advance areas of justice, peace and security in Africa, on both an individual and institutional level. Under the forum, interreligious councils of member states hold biennial meetings and elect members of the steering committee. The current IFDF committee comprises of 11 members (four female and seven male); two members for each region, and one member representing youth.

Watch the official video of the call to prayer and action at https://au.int/en/videos/20200519/africa-continental-day-prayer-and-call-action-counter-covid-19-pandemic

Photo1: The interfaith tree is symbolic of the ability and need for different faiths to come together to protect the sanctity of life.

Photo 2: Bibi Firous and Nuwagaba Muhsin Kaduyu, members of the IFDF steering committee rallied their constituents to participate in the activities of the Continental Day of Prayer

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CIDO AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PEACE AND SECURITY HOLD VIRTUAL CONFERENCE ON THE ROLE OF NON-STATE ACTORS IN SILENCING THE GUNS IN AFRICA

On June 8, CIDO together with the African Union’s department of peace and security held a virtual conference to discuss the role of non-state actors in addressing conflicts and promoting peace in Africa. “Silencing the Guns in Africa” is the African Union’s theme of the year 2020 aimed at ending wars and conflicts to realise a peaceful Africa.

The virtual conference held on 8 of June is part of broader efforts to popularize the theme of the year and to address key developments and challenges in the implementation of the theme, particularly in light of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference brought together more than 400 participants including actors from civil society organisations, academic institutions, and the private sector. These deliberated about innovative

strategies on how the theme of the year can be used to move the continent forward, towards a more integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa. In his keynote speech, the Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui noted with concern that the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts on the continent continue to negatively impact humanitarian access, making it hard to reach the most vulnerable which much needed basic necessities. Civil society representatives called on civil society actors to come on board and fully contribute to the African Union’s programmes and to work collaboratively to mobilize resources. They also reiterated the need for all partners to

implement initiatives geared toward Silencing the Guns by 2020 and the promotion of human rights. There was consensus that whereas it is important to redirect efforts and resources to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, silencing the guns is critical, now more than ever, as it directly links to promotion of member state capacities in containing the spread of COVID-19 and mitigating its impact.

Photo 3: African Union Peace Keeping Forces on a poster popularising the theme of the year “Silencing the Guns By 2020”

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PERSPECTIVES: LEVERAGING DIAPORAS IN PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES

By Eiman Kheir Head of Diaspora Division

here are an estimated 19 million Diaspora Africans globally. This is more than

the populations of Libya and Liberia combined. The African Union defines its diaspora as people of African Origin who live outside the continent, and who, irrespective of their current nationality or citizenship are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the African Union. This definition encompasses all African migration; historic, current, forced, voluntary, economic or humanitarian.

Over the past decade, the involvement of the African diaspora in the development of their respective countries has significantly increased. As a result, state and non-state actors are increasingly recognizing the

potential role of the diaspora in development and most recently in humanitarian crises. This interest is perhaps most reflected through the diaspora offices and ministries that countries have established.

The African Diaspora and the Ebola Crisis

The role of the diaspora in development is viewed separately from their role in humanitarian assistance which is usually classified as philanthropy and too often taken

for granted. During the recent Ebola Crisis, the African Diaspora played a crucial role in enabling much needed humanitarian assistance. This assistance was in the form of: a) Advocacy and fundraising, b) Remittances and c) Innovative initiatives.

Although not on the physical front-line of the crisis, the diaspora leveraged their varied knowledge and connections to raise awareness about the Ebola situation and the need for action, provided timely guidance on how help could be provided in a coordinated and effective way and fundraised for much needed necessities.

In the UK, The UK Sierra Leone Diaspora Ebola Task Force was instrumental in fundraising for frontline organizations such as AdvocAid, the Sierra Leone Ebola Emergency Response Fund, and King’s College London’s Sierra Leone Partnership. Other famed campaigns included the #AfricaAgainstEbola that enlisted the NBA Africa and Idris Elba and the #WeHaveGotYourBack run by diaspora footballers, i.e. Yaya Toure and Carlton Cole.

Another diaspora contribution was in the form of increased remittances to the affected countries. Remittances are the most immediate source of support to families during humanitarian crises. The World Bank estimates that the total remittances of Ebola stricken

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Photo 4: An expert from the Africa CDC helps field teams prepare for deployment as part of efforts to support the Ebola Response.

Photo 4: Football star Yaya Touré on a poster of the #WeHaveGotYourBack campaign

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countries increased by 36% (more than USD 854 million) during the crisis in 2015. These figures do not capture remittances sent through informal channels which are estimated to account for 35-75% of all remittances.

From lunchboxes for the sick, raincoats for cyclists, to implementing experimental research and shipping medical provisions, the African Diaspora deployed innovative strategies that helped to strengthen the Ebola Response even during lockdown.

Yet, these efforts were not immune from shortfalls. Key challenges faced by the diaspora included poor coordination due to lack of a unified network and logistical challenges especially with shipping (cargo was reserved for international organizations). Inside the affected countries, it was hard to obtain government passes that they needed to travel and work. Another key challenge was the anti-laundering regulations which resulted in many banks closing their operations which made it very expensive to send remittances through formal means.

How Lessons from the Diaspora Ebola Response Can Strengthen the Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the COVID-19 outbreak threatening to wipe out continental progress in all aspects of human life, there is a need to leverage the African Diaspora in order to front a strong response to the pandemic. There are several valuable lessons that were learnt from the Diaspora Ebola Response that can help inform

the response to COVID-19. These include:

1. Diaspora as actors in humanitarian assistance: There is need to broaden the humanitarian instruments beyond conventional stakeholders of

humanitarian responses, namely: governments, individual donors, and the private sector. This will enable non-state actors including diaspora networks, and civil society actors to be utilized in improving the sufficiency and efficiency of humanitarian financing (Swithern, 2015).

2. Establish a global Humanitarian Performance Review Mechanism (HPRM) to measure performance and track the utilization of resources in humanitarian responses. Currently, most humanitarian organizations go through a self-monitoring process. The HPRM can build on both SPHERE, UNICEF’s Humanitarian Performance Monitoring (HPM), UNOACHA’s Financial Tracking Service and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The HPRM would be crucial in (a) Harmonizing the processes of performance reporting; (b) enhancing accountability to both the donors and the beneficiaries; (c) identifying good practices and lessons learned.

3. Ease the flow of remittances with a focus on reducing the cost of sending money. Remittances are perhaps the most immediate source of support for families and

friends during humanitarian crises. A significant percentage of remittances remains undocumented and thus its impact is underrecognized. The COVID-19 pandemic is projected to result into a reduction in remittance flows due to reduced economic activities and reduction in wages. It is pertinent that measures are put in place to (a) exclude Money Transfer Operators (MTOs) from operating during lockdown; (b) reduce the cost of sending money and to make it convenient and safe to do. In particular, digital solutions that make it possible to send and receive money within the comfort of one’s home should be promoted.

4. Power of networks: The African Diaspora networks need to be better coordinated for better impact. Understanding the value of partnerships will result in increasing their reach in terms of resource mobilization, engagement with governments, facilitate cross learning and avoid duplication of initiatives. As part of efforts to support the building and strengthening of diaspora networks, the African Union through its Citizens and Diaspora Organizations Directorate (CIDO) is working with several diaspora networks to facilitate dialogue, strengthen diaspora collaboration, and to co-create initiatives.

5. AU engagement with the diaspora during COVID19: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CIDO is working on (a) Documenting the valuable work of Diasporas in humanitarian assistance, i.e. emergencies, pandemics, etc., in Africa and the Diaspora (b) Understanding the extent of collaboration and partnership between Diasporas with national government. (c) Organizing dialogues between conventional humanitarian actors and the diaspora to develop a criterion that qualifies diasporas and/or diaspora organization to take part in humanitarian assistance.

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RENEWING HOPE

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I Watch Organization: Tunisia

Technological approach: The organization put in place an emergency plan that consists a series of initiatives to help contain the spread of the pandemic and to mitigate its impacts. Initiatives include an e-learning platform that can be used by government train staff and volunteers online, a crowd-map to report those failing to comply with quarantine, an app that tracks those in quarantine, a website that tracks all initiatives on COVID-19 to prevent duplication and awareness and raising campaigns. Visit IWatch Organization to learn more

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Amani-Institute ASBL: Democratic Republic of Congo

Targeting Ungoverned Space: The institute is implementing an initiative called Tupone Wote which means Heal Together. The initiative utilizes radio campaigns to raise awareness on COVID-19 control measures. This initiative strategically uses radio to reach communities in a region where structures are heavily weakened by armed conflict. Focus is put on ensuring that the most vulnerable in communities are not left behind. Visit Amani-Institute to learn more

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Alharisat Organization: Sudan

Gendered Approach: The organization’s focus is meaningful participation of women in political and socio-economic spheres. It runs several initiatives that are working to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic including on the incomes of women, especially the most vulnerable in communities. Activities being implemented include supporting income generating activities, addressing the unique needs of female frontline workers who cannot stay at the hospitals all the time like their male counterparts, and raising awareness on violence against women.

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Sahel Foundation for Human Rights: Mauritania

Countering Fake News: In Mauritania, fake news around COVID-19 is a major threat to efforts to effectively respond to the pandemic. The initiative raises awareness on the dangers of fake news and mobilizes individuals and communities through social networks to collectively work towards fighting fake news by sharing accurate information on the pandemic.

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Child Resource Institute: Liberia

Informal Settlements: The campaign is an initiative intended to raise awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic in slums and disadvantaged communities. It is centred on strengthening and empowering dwellers with accurate information on the pandemic. For example, activities include sensitizing citizens to adhere to safety measures and to disregard myths. Other activities include raising awareness on domestic violence and how it can be reported.

In April 2020, CIDO launched an online drive to identify and document initiatives of non-state actors that are countering the COVID-19 pandemic, and their role and challenges

during this emergency crisis. Below, we are shining the spotlight on five of these impactful initiatives.

Picture Credit: IWATCH Tunisia

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ONLINE INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

In a bid to facilitate professional growth and to avail opportunities to contribute to continental development processes, CIDO will, in a phased manner, create online volunteer and internship roles to be filled by Africans both on the continent and in the diaspora. This development is in recognition of the need to support Africans interested in the development programming track to acquire the skills and exposure needed for a rewarding career trajectory without the need to leave the comfort of their homes. Going digital with internships has its pros and cons. One con is limited networking opportunities

with different offices. There is no likelihood of bumping into colleagues in corridors or striking up a conversation in the kitchen. However, even with this shortcoming, online internships are proving useful, especially with the COVID19 pandemic has emphasizing the urgency of providing digital options for our citizens.

One of the main challenges that the continent is facing is digital

literacy; a skill that is required to fill millions of jobs but lacks for many. Online internships can be instrumental in filling this gap and providing the interns with exposure and professional experience. Other skills that can be transferred through online internships include (a) professional communication including the best tools used for different situations, (b) time management; working from home requires discipline to ensure timely execution of tasks.

The first cohort of online interns will provide useful feedback that will enable CIDO to improve the

internship programme. In particular, the feedback will instrumental in adapting to the new reality of post-COVID-19.

As part of these efforts, in June, CIDO welcomed its first online intern, Ms. Firdaus Khalil, who is supporting the diaspora webinar programmes. Ms. Khalil is the first of many young professionals that will be availed an opportunity to strengthen their skills in international programming whilst contributing to the realization of the African Union’s flagship projects that are being implemented by CIDO.

Ms. Firdaus, a Kenyan national, holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in international relations and a certificate of distinction from the African Model United Nations of the United Nations Office in Nairobi. She has diverse experiences in writing, directing photography, producing and radio narration.

ABOUT CIDO

CIDO is the African Union’s directorate responsible for implementing the AU's vision of a people-oriented and -driven organization based on partnership between governments, civil society and diasporas. The directorate consists of the civil society and diaspora divisions. The civil society division is responsible for mainstreaming civil society engagement into the AU’s processes, departments and organs. Within the migration and development nexus, CIDO, through the diaspora division is building a global African family by ensuring the participation of the African diaspora in the integration and development agenda of the continent.

11th Floor African Union Commission Headquarters, P.O. Box 3243,

Roosevelt Street W21K19, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: +251 (0)11 551 77 00 Fax: +251 (0) 11 551 78 44

Website: www.au.int/en/cido Email: cido@africa-union.org

Facebook and Twitter: @AUC_CIDO

Citizens and Diaspora Organizations Directorate

11th Floor African Union Commission Headquarters, P.O. Box 3243,

Roosevelt Street W21K19, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: +251 (0)11 551 77 00 Fax: +251 (0) 11 551 78 44

Website: www.au.int/en/cido Email: cido@africa-union.org

Facebook and Twitter: @AUC_CIDO Podcast: AU on the go

Citizens and Diaspora Organizations Directorate

Photo credit The Conversation.com