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CHL and UNDP Collaborate to Build NGO Coalition
around MDGs
 Early in February, CHL and the UNDP
concluded a series of workshops for members of the Millennium
Development Goal Coalition in El Minya. The coalition will
employ the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a
planning and monitoring instrument in activities to increase
civic ownership and empower communities to participate more
effectively in local development efforts.
The training was one of the first
activities of the strategic collaboration agreement finalized at
the end of 2004 between CHL and the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP). Egypt has entered into a mutual pledge with
donor countries to work together towards meeting the MDGs, more
than half of which tie directly into CHL health objectives. CHL
seeks to build alliances between community service organizations
as a way of facilitating greater participation by all sectors of
communities in their own health and well-being, demonstrating
that health can be an entry point to civic participation.
Alliances that function independently of the donor project
towards achieving shared goals are key to achieving sustainable
positive health outcomes.
Thirteen NGOs sent two representatives each
to the training. Participants worked on mapping their activities
in El Minya towards developing a joint action plan to improve
their community and monitor progress. Several committees grew
out of the training and are meeting frequently to work on
coalition by-laws, data collection and strategic planning,
partnerships with the private sector and academic institutions
as well as recruitment of other CSOs, and planning for capacity
building. May 2005 is the target date for signing the coalition
charter.
Once the coalition is established as a
formal organization, committees will develop several proposals
to attract support for coalition projects. In addition to task
forces for poverty, health, education, environment, and gender,
there will be an advocacy group to recruit other CSOs into the
coalition as well as a core group to provide trainings for CDAs
at the district level. CHL and the UNDP will assist the
coalition in providing these “step down” trainings.
The core members of the El Minya MDG
Coalition are:
· CARITAS
· The Coptic Evangelical
Organization for Social Services (CEOSS)
· Jesuit and Frere
· Misr Youth
· Saint Mark
· Better Life
· Save the Children
· Eve of the Future
· Muslim Youth
· Nahdet Misr
· Women of Misr
· New Vision for Development
· Upper Egypt for Education and Development |
