At these consultations, the networking is not only among individuals, but also between organisations, and between sectors of organisations. It is by now a mantra of non-governmental/civil society development theory that strategic co-operation between organisations in the non-profit sector can lead to better and more sustainable results. Effective collaboration leads to more effective use of scarce resources such as time, money and people. It also results in stronger and more discernible impact on target communities.
It was therefore gratifying to witness the enthusiastic exploration of such co-operation at NiZA’s partner consultation in Namibia. The consultation was held during September 2002 with NiZA’s partner organisations in the Media Programme. About two-thirds of the Programme’s 40 partner organisations in the southern African region were present.
True needs
The fact that the consultation was officially held as part of a mid-term ‘donor’ review of the Media Programme did not interest them very much, except for some revealing statistical data about which partners and countries were receiving most of the ‘bounty’. They instead pounced on the moment to explore linkages with each other, to strengthen bonds in and between sectors, to settle some scores with each other and to build new alliances.
Accordingly, they recommended a series of proposals to NiZA covering policy, process and structure to help them achieve these self-designed goals. Whether this was convenient to NiZA or not - was not their concern. After all, NiZA always says that its Media Programme must be driven by the true needs of its partners!
One could hardly wish for a better result. Strengthening co-operation between partners was not a formal objective of this consultation. NiZA has long been encouraging the concept of ‘Exchange and Linking’ between its partners. The results until now have not been very good. It is as if partner organisations have been unable to conceptualise how co-operation could benefit them.
An antenuptial agreement
At this meeting, however, aided by an empowering pre-consultation workshop on capacity assessment and enhancement (unfortunately not attended by all partners), organisations of their own accord began discovering how much more effective they could be if they worked together.
A community-publishing project began to see how it could aid advocacy for freedom of expression. Media advocacy groups decided to meet jointly in the near future so that they could fully appraise each other of their programmes and projects in order to lay a foundation for practical co-operation.
Other surprises also took place. Partners in the print and broadcasting community media sectors, previously grouped and organised on separate lines by NiZA, decided by majority vote to form one group. On presenting the report of their working group to the plenary, their rapporteur said: “This was not a marriage made in heaven. It was more like negotiating an antenuptial agreement”. We are all looking forward to the next partner consultation to see whether this alliance will hold.
Jeanette Minnie is an advisor to NiZA on the issue of freedom of expression. She has been a director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI), South Africa.
jcmin@iafrica.com
