Civicus consortium programme 2019-2023 Civicus consortium programme 2019-2023 I mars 2019 beviljades Civicus medel för en planeringsfas (contribution ID 13211) med syfte att samla medlemmar och andra organisationer för konsultation och planering för ett program. Baserat på detta genomförde Civicus tillsammans med Fojo Media Institute och Civil Rights Defenders en fyra månaders (mars - juni 2019) konsultation och deltagande designprocess med representanter från media och civilsamhället. Syftet var att utforska vilken potential som fanns för ett konsortium med flera aktörer. Detta resulterade i att Civicus nu har lagt fram ett treårigt (2019–2021) programförslag till ambassaden med en total budget på 74 100 000 SEK. Beredningen inför beslut om insats baserar sig på hela det treåriga programmet (oktober 2019- december 2022). Ambassaden tar i nuläget beslut och tecknar avtal enbart för 2019 och 202 (34 MSEK) givet begränsad  bemyndiganderam för kommande år. Tilläggsbeslut planeras därmed för den återstående programperioden. 

Det föreslagna programmet avser hantera det minskande medborgerliga utrymme i Afrika söder om Sahara. Det minskande demokratiska utrymmet påverkar grundläggande friheter och undergräver demokratin, respekten för de mänskliga rättigheterna och bromsar framsteg i utveckling och kampen för social rättvisa. Programmet fokuserar främst på att stärka kapacitet och motståndskraft hos medieaktörer, rättighetsbaserade civilsamhällsorganisationer och mänskliga rättighetsförsvarare, eftersom dessa är de som först och främst blir lidande av dessa begränsningar. Denna kapacitetsuppbyggande insats förväntas bidra till förbättrad motståndskraft och kapacitet hos afrikanska regionala och nationella aktörerna för att utöka och stärka effektiviteten i deras arbete.

Programmets struktur bygger på ett integrerat arbetssätt inom ett konsortium bestående av  panafrikanska och internationella civilsamhällesorganisationer, mediaaktörer och människorättsförsvararorganisationer under ledning och samordning av Civicus; Civil Rights Defenders, Fojo Media Institute, Hub Afrique, DefendDefenders och Wits Journalism. Fyra tematiskt integrerade mål har formulerats: 1) Förstärkt påverkansarbete för ökat utrymme och respekt för  mänskliga rättigheter och medie- och yttrandefrihet, 2) Kontra-narrativ (counter-narratives) och förbättrat offentligt stöd för ett fritt och levande civilsamhälle och media, 3) Koalitionsbyggande som uppmuntrar koordinering och gemensamma insatser, samt som skapar solidaritet i händelse av attacker eller hot, och 4) Förbättrad tillgång till resurser som stärker det civila samhällets och medias förmåga att uthärda restriktioner i det demokratiska utrymmet och för att uppnå sina mål.

Programmet riktar in sig på 19 länder i Afrika söder om Sahara där civila fri- och rättigheter begränsas, men där det fortfarande finns möjlighet att organisera, agera och uttala sig och där motstånd kan stödjas genom olika nationella, sub-regionala och regionala aktörer och initiativ till förmån för  demokrati och mänskliga rättigheter. Civicus was granted funds for a planning phase in March 2019 to convene members and other organizations for consultations and planning for a program (contr ID 13211). Based on this, Civicus, together with Fojo Media Institute and Civil Rights Defenders, undertook a four-month (March – June 2019) consultation and participatory design process with representatives from the media and civil society to explore the potential of a multi-stakeholder consortium. As a result, Civicus has now presented a three-year (2019-2021) program outline to the Embassy with a total budget of 74 100 000 SEK. The appraisal to this contribution has scrutinized the entire three years Program (October 2019 to December 2022), however, the Embassy is set to take a decision and sign an agreement only for 2019 and 2020 (34 MSEK) due to a limited framework for future outstanding commitments. Thus, there will be a cost extension for the remaining period of the project.

The proposed programme intends to address the problem of increasing civic space restrictions in Sub-Saharan Africa that is severely affecting fundamental freedoms and which undermines the health of democracy, respect for human rights, progress of development and struggle for social justice. The programme mainly focuses on building the capacity and resilience of media actors, rights-based civil society organizations and human rights defenders as they are the ones that first and foremost face the brunt of these restrictions. This capacity-building effort is expected to contribute to  improved resilience and capabilities at the level of the African regional and national stakeholders to scale up and increase effectiveness of their work.

The program builds on an integrated way of working by a consortium of six civil society, media and human rights defenders specialist Pan-African and international organizations led by Civicus; namely, Civil Rights Defenders, Fojo Media Institute, Hub Afrique, DefendDefenders and Wits Journalism. Four thematically integrated objectives are set: 1) Strengthened advocacy actions that support an enabling environment that promotes human rights, civic and media freedoms 2) Counter-narratives and improved public support for a free and vibrant civil society and media 3) Coalition-building that encourages coordination and joint action, and provides solidarity in the face of attacks and threats 4) Enhanced access to resources that strengthen the ability of civil society and the media to withstand civic space restrictions and achieve their objectives.

The programme targets 19 sub-Sahara Africa countries where civic freedoms are obstructed, but where there is still space to speak out, organize and take action, and where pockets of resistance can be supported through various national, sub-regional and regional actors and initiatives to strengthen human rights and democratic freedoms. The overall objective of the program is to strengthen the effectiveness and building the resilience (ability to adapt and transform in order to continue their work) of journalists and other media practitioners and social media producers, human rights defenders and civil society activists and their organisations in relevant countries, which, in a longer-term perspective, will lead towards more democratic and free societies. 
The overall objective is elaborated through four specific objectives that are designed in a well-integrated manner in terms of thematic area synchronization and stakeholder participation and coordination:
1. Strengthened advocacy actions that support an enabling environment that promotes human rights and civic and media freedoms2. Counter-narratives and improved public support for a free and vibrant civil society and media3. Coalition-building that encourages coordination and joint action, and provides solidarity in the face of attacks and threats4. Enhanced access to resources that strengthen the ability of civil society and the media to withstand civic space restrictions and achieve their objectives
Civicus suggests sequencing of results in three phases; short-term, medium and long-term. This program is expected to generalte short-term outcomes (2019-2022) - target stakeholders (i.e. journalists, human rights defenders and civil society activists and organisations in target countries) will have:
1. Improved understanding of their rights and are more enabled to demand/exercise their rights than before;2. Increased direct engagement with decision-makers and institutions at all levels with a view to protecting human rights and democratic and media freedoms; 3. Increased engagement amongst themselves and with other relevant actors (constituencies) that is evidenced through learning, exchange and collective/solidarity actions; and4. Increased access to support and resources that help them to improve the quality and sustainability of their work.
Subsequently, Civicus envisages medium (4-5 years) and long-term (beyond 5 years) outcomes as necessary prerequisites to achieve the overall objective of the program;
Accordingly, results on medium term include: 1. Improved recognition and protection of human rights and civic and media freedoms in target countries, 2. Increased number of instances of people acting collectively to drive social transformation at all levels; 3. Improved capacity of target stakeholders to sustain their work and deliver on their mandates
Long term results include:1. Reduced restrictions on civic space, CSOs and media; 2. Enhanced trust in media/civil society as critical sources of information and champions of accountability; 3. Improved resilience of journalists, human rights defenders and civil society activists (i.e. better equipped to withstand restrictions and challenge actions that undermine human rights and democratic values) in the target countries.