Strengthening cybersecurity
With increased digitalisation (international) civil society organisations – (I)CSOs – have faced an increase in digital threats and cyberattacks carried out by malicious actors interested in financial gains...
Learn MoreGlobal Participe and the Congolese Coalition for the Civic Charter are concerned about arrests and detention since 16 and 17 February 2018 to the Directorate-General for territorial monitoring (Dgst) young student leaders and their collaborators, including: Anaclet Singou, President of the Free Union of Students of the Faculty of Law arrested on 16/02/2018 and Nelson Apanga President of Movement of Congolese Students and Teachers arrested on 17/02/2018, while other students were forced to hide in order to escape the savage repression and arbitrary arrests in the schools and faculties of Ngouabi University.
Two student unions had called all students at Marien Ngouabi University to a general meeting on 20 February 2018 to discuss issues related to their education and well-being.
Indeed, Ngouabi University suffers from several evils. After the teacher’s strike on the claims of their unpaid salaries, which lasted 8 months, since the academic year in October 2017, first year students have never started school, university restaurants are still closed and school scholarships for 10 months are unpaid.
Global Participe and the Congolese Coalition for the Civic Charter recalls that freedom of association is recognized by the constitution of 25 October 2015, whose preamble ” declares an integral part (…), the fundamental principles proclaimed and guaranteed by:
– the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948;
– the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights of 26 June 1981;
– the Charter of National Unity and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms of 29 May 1991;
Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “every person has the right to form and join trade unions in the defence of his or her interests” Article 20 of the same declaration also states that: “any person entitled to freedom of assembly and
peaceful association”
And Article 9 of the constitution of 25 October states that “the freedom of the human person is inviolable. No one shall be arbitrarily accused, arrested or detained. “As a result, Global Participe and the Congolese Coalition for the Civic Charter call for respect for the
rights and freedoms of student unions and demand the immediate release of arbitrarily arrested students.
For more information:
Contact Ms. Léonie Mabirou, Head of Communication of the Congolese Coalition for the Civic
Charter: + 242 06 464 99 14
Press Release Brazzaville, February 8th 2018. Global Participe and the Congolese Coalition for the Civic Charter informs the national and international community that the Judicial Affairs Commission of the national assembly of the Republic of the Congo is currently revising the law that maintains the advisory council of the civil society and nongovernmental organizations. The right of civil society to be consulted is enshrined in the constitution of the 25th of October 2015, article 238. This revision is being done without consulting with the diverse civil society components and limiting the scope to only two structures: The Congolese Federation of Human Rights Organizations and the National Union of Handicapped Persons. These two actors’ relations with authorities are beyond doubt because of their secular connections with organisations previously related to only one party, the Congolese Party of Work (PCT). The PCT gained the power they have today via the Coup of the 5th of June 1997 and their active participation in the organisation of barely credible and dubious elections which caused an outbreak of violence and arbitrary arrests of opponents and actors of the independent civil society of the Congo.
Global Participe and the Congolese Coalition for the Civic Charter fear that such a law will put in place a repressive organ that restricts the rights and freedoms of civil society organizations in Congo.
Global Participe and the Congolese Coalition for the Civic Charter call for transparency, and the implication of all components on civil society in Congo to be reviewed in the aforementioned law.
Global Participe and the Congolese Coalition for the Civic Charter urge parliamentarian to extend openness and comprehension in such procedures so as to protect the still fledgling democracy of the Republic of the Congo.
Calling upon the republican commitment of governments and parliamentarians of Congo, the Global Participe and the Congolese Coalition for the Civic Charter urge the international community to put pressure on the Congolese parliament in order to allow different actors of civil society to be included in the procedures of consultations underway. This would enable the advisory council of the civil society and of nongovernmental organisations of the Congo to have a judicial frame that allows it to render rights and liberties of the civil society in the Republic of the Congo essential and crucial.
For more information please contact Mrs Lèonie Maribou, communication responsible of the Congolese Coalition for the Civic Charter.
+242064649914
globalparticipe@gmail.com
The International Civil Society Centre announced today that Dr. Wolfgang Jamann has been appointed as its next Executive Director, effective 19 March 2018. Kevin Jenkins, Chair of the Board, expressed his satisfaction that one of the leading personalities of international civil society will take over the leadership of the Centre. Jenkins said: “With his extensive leadership experience in the sector, Wolfgang is perfectly equipped to guide the Centre’s work. We are very much looking forward to working together with Wolfgang for the benefit of civil society world-wide.”
Wolfgang Jamann has more than 20 years of experience in development assistance and humanitarian response, most recently as Secretary General and CEO of CARE International. He has lived and worked in Africa and Southeast Asia. Prior to his current role at CARE, Wolfgang was CEO and Chair of Welthungerhilfe, a leading humanitarian and development CSO in Germany. Earlier in his career, he worked in different roles and countries for Care, World Vision, the United Nations Development Programme, and the German Foundation for International Development.
Jamann stated: “People in many countries are facing poverty and hunger, oppression and exclusion, and citizens’ rights are increasingly violated. At the same time, digital communication, new forms of activism and a new generation of global citizens present unique opportunities to secure better lives for all people on our planet. I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead the Centre into its next decade, and excited about the space for collaboration and learning that the Centre brings to the sector to address these challenges together.”
The Centre’s co-founder and first Executive Director, Dr. Burkhard Gnärig shared his excitement about the appointment: “I couldn’t have wished for a more experienced and better equipped successor”.
The International Civil Society Centre helps the world’s leading international civil society organisations maximise their impact for a sustainable and more equitable world. The Centre develops strategies for navigating change, scans the horizon for exciting opportunities, enables learning and cooperation among civil society organisations, supports them with developing effective leadership and promotes robust accountability. Based in Berlin, Germany, the Centre is a not-for-profit organisation owned by 15 of the world’s leading international civil society organisations.
For enquiries or further information, please contact Helene Wolf, Deputy Executive Director at hwolf@icscentre.org or +49 30 20 62 46 97 – 16
Communications Manager
International Civil Society Centre
Thomas joined the Centre in June 2017 as the Communications Coordinator. He is responsible for developing and implementing the Centre’s global communication strategy, as well as the Disrupt & Innovate platform – a place for civil society professionals and activists to discuss current innovations and future trends in the civil society sector. Prior to the Centre, Thomas worked for 5 years in the European Parliament firstly as the Digital and Social Media Coordinator for the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, and then, after the 2014 European elections, for Jude Kirton-Darling and Paul Brannen as Head of Communications, where he worked on issues such as the EU-US trade deal, issues around Brexit and as a specialist on the Petitions Committee. Thomas graduated from Bristol University with BSci in Geographical Sciences and holds an MA in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford, where he completed research into the role of civil society in the post war peace settlement in northern Uganda.
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