Organised West Africans

Brian of Nyerere's Ghost (a great blog) comments below that there don't seem to be many civil society groups in West Africa. Not sure what he's comparing the region with but here's a list of groups that immediately comes to mind: Country Womens'Association of Nigeria (Cowan), West African Refugees and Internally-Displaced Persons Network (Waripnet) in Dakar, African Security Dialogue and Research (Ghana), Girls' Power Initiative (Nigeria), African Women's Media Center (Senegal), Centre for Democracy and Development (Nigeria), Codesria (Senegal), Goree Institute (Senegal), Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (Gambia), Media Foundation of West Africa Ghana), Program for Coordination & Assistance on Security & Development (Mali), Promotion des Medecines Traditionnelles (Prometra) in Senegal, Civil Liberties Organisation (Nigeria), Constsitutional Rights Project (Nigeria), Third World Network (Ghana), Human Rights Law Service (Hurilaws) in Nigeria, not to mention Fosda and Waansa mentioned in the original post... They should all be listed, with contact details, in the Sites and Groups list on Peace Africa.

Comments

[Brian]

Perhaps, what I meant to say is that civil society organizations don't seem to have much influence in many countries. It's also worth noting that most of the organizations you cite are in Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria, the three countries of the region which have traditionally had strong civil society organizations. Civil society in Mali seems to be floushing in the last few years as well. It's not coincidental that all four of these countries have had peaceful transfers of power in the last five years. Senegal didn't fall apart when Abdou Diouf handed over to Abdoulaye Wade. Unlike say Guinea or Gambia where civil society is actively repressed and no one knows what's going to happen when Lansana Conte dies (which is going to happen in the next few years) or when Yaya Jammeh goes. I think the organizations you cite are great. And there should be more of them in more countries.

Thanks for the response and best wishes!

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