The goal of the Civil Society Strengthening work area is to support civil society in the region to become more innovative, effective and accountable in advancing citizens centered struggles, and build stronger networks for greater collective impact.
It is delivered through three priority intervention areas, namely Capacity Development, Strengthening Citizens Infrastructure for Social Justice, and, Membership & Constituency Servicing.
Capacity Development
Our aim is to increase capacity development support to civil society organisations and movement leaders to enable them to improve the quality of practice and effectiveness in advancing citizens’ struggles.
Our approach is to address the capacity-building challenges encountered by our members (Civil Society Organisations) and partners in four ways, namely CSO Internal Governance, leadership development, supporting leadership transition, and launching campaigns. We support civil society organisations in the region to become more effective, innovative, and inclusive agents of change.
We create opportunities for civil society organisations to maximize their capacity in networked and sustainable ways, creating opportunities for shared learning in ways that transcend issues and organisational models. We support, test and share innovative ideas, strategies and technologies that help position civil society at the cutting edge of social change.
Strengthening Infrastructure for Social Justice
Our aim is to invest in building a replicable citizen organising infrastructure, in aspects that aim at challenging injustice, regressive policies that hurt ordinary citizens and combating corruption that has eroded the country’s democratic values and progress.
Our approach is to work with people’s organisations and movements to advance citizens causes, which call for strengthening the infrastructure to deliver these critical interventions. We encourage and foster collaboration between members and other CSOs in the region. We promote and advocate for the institutional architecture that supports and sustains civil society, including thematic groups, platforms, coalitions, networks, and invest in finding ways to make the architecture more agile, responsive, coordinated, and effective.
Building on our experiences and proven methodologies in movement building and citizen organising, our work helps us to connect with and advance citizens social justice struggles across the region. We deploy the human rights based approaches and ensure that the work of civil society builds on and catalyses the daily struggles of ordinary citizens and communities across the region.
Membership & Constituency Servicing
Our aim is to promote cooperation, linkages and build bridges amongst our members and with other organisations, movements and institutions working in areas such as governance, human rights, social justice, development, education and environment and climate change within the region.
WACSOF is a membership organisation and we recognize the fact that its relevancy and legitimacy depend on how they are satisfied with the work of the network. Our approach is to provide a range of services and products that enhance CSO cohesion, better networking across organisations, and improve the image and legitimacy of the sector. We bring together leaders of different organisations, social movements, sectors, and issues at district and regional level, to build and advance a long-term social change agenda for greater collective impact.
WACSOF leverages its convening power to help coordinate civil society across sectors and thematic issues. We work in participatory and inclusive ways, we look to and learn from those who have been able to create impact, and to learn to incubate and to experiment new ideas.