From each of these four areas, there are two overarching themes. One is that the sharing of information is critical. Knowing who does what, and where, makes it easier for donors to search for appropriate partners and recipients, as well as easier for CSOs themselves to search for possible partner organizations. Activities in each of these areas are linked to advancement in the other fields. Civil society organizations should not feel limited by the issues selected by the governments in the Common Agenda process.
Debt relief is a tremendous opportunity and challenge.
What happens on the ground is critical, and practical ways to deal with debt relief are needed in order to use these new resources effectively. CSOs also need to concentrate on projects that meet appropriate needs once debt is forgiven. There are some very important, successful models. Debt for development, particularly debt for health, is an opportunity. Based on these models, one possible mechanism is the creation of endowed grant-making foundations to support US and Japanese NGOs.