By Abayomi Elias
Panelists at the Launch of Policy Document on Polarisation
Considering the fact that Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s) have different ideology as a result of their different thematic areas of interventions, Thoughts & Mace Advisory lunched a policy document in addressing Polarisation among them.
Newsconnect reports that Thoughts & Mace (T&M) is a policy and third sector support firm established to ensure that governance in Africa and beyond reflects the best interest of citizens and ordinary people.
They also support civil society organisations and public institutions to serve their beneficiaries better. They address policy and legislative framework that undermine civic space, innovation, and democratic practices.
At the launching of Policy document in Lagos in addressing polarisation among CSO’s the program manager of T&M Joy Ekanem in an interview with Newsconnect at the event in Lagos said;
“The purpose of this conversation is to address polarisation within civil society organisations. We understand the very important role that civil society organisation play, the advocacy work that we do in governance, elections, inclusivity you can go on through the thematics.
“We have realized that because of how important these roles are, there is a clear division which is not a problem like we have highlighted in this course of this conversation.
“It is okay for us to have different idealoogy, however, we must put the interest of our beneficiaries first, the interest of the nations first amplified with a shared goal in mind rather than the interest of one organisation.
“The older generation are getting older and the younger generation are coming. How do we ensure that the baton is passed down with a relatively huge knowledge and without a knowledge gap, that is the whole essence of this conversation.
“What do we want to do around that ? We want organisations to know that it is not their own set goal that really matter but collective goal. What should education look like in the next 20 years, in the next 50 years for Nigeria.
“It could be about technology, it could be about gender inclusion, it could be about elections and anything really. How do we ensure that organisation working in this thematic areas work together for better good in that thematic ?
Josephine Nzerem, The director of talent Ashoka Africa who doubles as the regional director Anglophone Africa shared her high points in an interview with this medium.
“The high point of my message is how can we set-up systems where there is heightened collaboration. Where we do away with our differences and come together. Because, the silos we are working is not effective but when we move away from those silos, how can we look at the problem we are facing and design solutions for the good of all.
“Knowing that the purpose is for all to have a better Nigeria and that is what all of us want. How can we ensure that we are building towards that ?” she rhetorically asked.
Another panelist at the event Joseph from budgit foundation in a separate interview said the critical thing here on polarisation in Nigeria is for us as CSO’s to look for our major drivers of Polarisation within our rights and we deal with it.
In his words, he said;
“One of the key things we push today is for us to build more collaboration amongst ourselves and for us to have clarity on our mission and our vision and importantly to deal with the challenges around mistrust and distrust we have within the sector.
“We think that some of these things would help us build better cohesion as CSOs in Nigeria and again deal with the challenges Polarisation has caused for us”.
Joseph said the greatest thing participant can take home as individual CSOs is the element of Polarisation in their different organisation and to begin working around in dealing with it.
“I expect them to push this into whatever networks or coalition they belong to and to also deal with these challenges of Polarisation”. He said.
Some of the organisations at the event include CERWHIN, Elixir Trust Foundation, Wole Soyinka Foundation, Budgit among others.