-------------------------------------------------------
++++TCSF English Newsletter No.19++++ March 30, 2009

Viva! Africa: People's Network across Continents
Published by TICAD Civil Society Forum (TCSF)
http://ticad-csf.net/eng/index.htm
-------------------------------------------------------

This is a last official newsletter from TCSF as the organisation
ressolves by the end of March 2009. We thank you for being good
subscribers.

------------[Index]--------------
1. To African friends
Minoru Obayashi, President of TCSF
Sayaka Sayaka Funada-Classen, Vice President of TCSF
2. TCSF Activity Report 2004-2009
3. New networking project
4. Contacts for the post TCSF/TNnet networks

-------------------------------------------
[1] To African friends
-------------------------------------------

*From Minoru Obayashi, President of TCSF

TICAD civil society (TCSF) forum is ending its activities on the 31st
March 2009 as was formally stipulated. The heritage of TCSF, the
solidarity strengthened between African and Japanese civil societies,
is planned to be developed further by following three activities:

Firstly, the advocacy activities are taken over by a TICAD NGO Network
(TNnet) that, as you know, played a major role in civic advocacy at
TICAD IV held in Yokohama last May and is now in transition to form a
new Japanese NGOs' coalition for stronger advocating capacity towards
Japanese policy for Africa.

Secondly, a project to promote specifically the Afro-Japanese
solidarity is now in preparation. It aims to consolidate the
partnerships developed among civic organizations, outspread in various
areas such as educational institutions, professional and cultural
organizations, media, law makers, in order to establish a strong and
sustainable friendship between Africa and Japan through enhancing
communications and establishing wider consensus in respective
societies.

Finally, there is an initiative to set up a think tank of which the
objective is to develop people centered approach in African
development. Its terms of references will cover research, training and
communication under the partnership with African civic and research
organizations. The think tank will succeed the publication of "TCSF
Civic White Paper", which has already counted three issues in the last
four years and forth report is in pipeline. The White Paper is one of
the outcomes of Afro-Japan civic solidarity including an independent
assessment of Japanese African policy and people's alternatives.

At the end of the activities, on behalf of the TCSF members, I would
like to express our sincere appreciation for your friendship and
contribution to strengthening the solidarity between us.

You brought out to Japanese public the fact, obvious but lost in
Japanese policy, that it is African people who concerns and fights
against poverty in Africa and any efforts of Japan in poverty
alleviation will fail if it is indifferent about your struggle.

You proposed the civic partnership as the best and only way to
valorize the good will of Japanese people and knowledge of our experts
for improving efficiency of Japanese ODA and mobilizing it for
supporting the struggle of the poor in Africa.

I believe that we have successfully demonstrated with you in TICAD IV
a model of inter-civic cooperation in which cross border civic
partnership can change the world. I am convinced also that this model
will serve all the future civic cooperation between Africa and Japan
including three initiatives intending to inherit TCSF activities.

------------------------------------------------------
*From Sayaka Sayaka Funada-Classen, Vice President of TCSF

I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to all of those
who had been working with us as partners. The past 5 years was one of
the most exiting period of my life because my dream of "narrowing
distance between Africa and Japan" and "reflecting voices of African
civil society to the policy" came true.

For the detailed report regarding the establishment of TCSF, its
activities, its trial & errors, and its achievements could be found in
my essay in the final report posted on our website.

http://www.ticad-csf.net/about-tcsf/press/annualreport2008_e.pdf

As Prof. Obayashi has mentioned, the partnership between African and
Japanese NGOs will continue through a new Japanese NGO network. They
have already began their TICAD IV follow-up activities, and I am
delighted to be able to pass this responsibility to newly mandated
people.

Thus, this will be the last message as a vice president of TCSF, but
my engagement with Africa will continue as I am still (!) teaching at
a Japanese university. Some of my students are now working in Africa,
and surely new generation is growing. That is really encouraging.

I hope that one day I could see you and work with you again somewhere
in this "small world".

------------------------------------------------------
[2] TCSF Activity Report 2004-2009
(Brief summary quoted from the TCSF Report)
------------------------------------------------------

TCSF Final Report 2004-2009 (full text)
http://www.ticad-csf.net/about-tcsf/press/annualreport2008_e.pdf

The establishment of TCSF (TICAD Civil Society Forum) was declared on
the final day of TICAD III (1st October, 2003), its mandate being to
review TICAD III and to prompt drastic reform within the TICAD process.
It was June 2004, TCSF was officially established.

Since then, TCSF has been carrying out a variety of activities
to realise African development which put the poor at the centre.

Activities by TCSF's working groups using its members expertise roused
public awareness on African development and contributed to make the
voice of African civil society heard at the TICAD IV held in May 2008.

----------------------------
Reports from Working Groups
----------------------------

*Advocacy Working Group

Advocacy Working Group, based on the network between African and
Japanese NGOs built through activities and the results of
investigation or study works, organises discussions, conferences and
symposiums with multi-stakeholders, and at the same time submitting
open requests, lobbying parliamentarians and related agencies, and
advocating for implementation of better policies for the people of
Africa.

*Network Working Group

Network Working Group takes charge to establish and strengthen the
linkages among African civil societies as well as between African and
Japanese civil societies in order to share information among them, and
carry out collaborative activities towards improvement of the TICAD
process and Africa policy. It has been recognised from its inception
of TCSF that the linkage with African civil society should be the
foundation for TCSF to advocate effectively for Japan's Africa policy
and the TICAD process.

*Partnership Seminar Working Group

The purpose of the Partnership Seminar Working Group was to create an
Asia-Africa civil society network, ultimately reforming the Japanese
policy to a people-based one.

The partnership seminars took place in Mozambique, Senegal, Ethiopia
(twice) and Malawi, that is five times in total.

*Civic White Paper Working Group

Civic White Paper Working Group has published "TCSF White Paper" annually
since 2005.

In the TCSF White Paper, the Working Group tried to evaluate Japan’s
ODA projects from the viewpoints of the Japanese and African citizens
and to produce the lessons learnt from this evaluation, which are
basic and useful information to improve Japan’s policy to Africa.

*Alert Working Group

Alert Working Group had issued 11 "Africa Alert" in total, aiming to
let people know what the African people are worried about and to give
an alarm in collaboration with African NGOs/CSOs.

All Africa Alerts were put on the TCSF website and the abridged
translation was released by e-mail magazines.

*Research Centre

Research Centre played a role in strengthening the functions of TCSF
as a Think-Tank NGO on Policy related issues to Africa. The centre has
organised 25 study sessions as a place for conducting a research and
dialogue among internal and external actors engaged in policy-making,
implementation and research activities. The centre also carried out
quality control of the outputs of internal research activities and
policy proposals.

Since the study sessions received a favorable review, it is decided
that study sessions will still be held by volunteers even after the
resolution of TCSF.

*Africa 2008 Campaign

Africa 2008 Campaign (March 2007 - July 2008) had functioned for a
better understanding of African people. TCSF run the campaign as the
secretariat, and organised various events during the campaign under
the slogan "Listen to the Africans".

*Public Relations Team

Public Relations Team has backed up TCSF by means of reporting its
activities and the present condition of Africa via its website and
e-mail magazines to the people and the media worldwide, aimed for
promoting TCSF activities and gaining a comprehensive support for
Africa.

Until the next TICAD V is held in five years, the website of TCSF
(http://www.ticad-csf.net/eng/index.htm) would be kept as it is.

-----------------------
Full text of the TCSF Final Report 2004-2009 is available at;
http://www.ticad-csf.net/about-tcsf/press/annualreport2008_e.pdf

---------------------------------------------------------------
[3] New networking project: Start-up volunteer wanted!
---------------------------------------------------------------
A new networking project among African and Japanese people is being
planned by some of TCSF members. Please read the article below to know
more. They wish to continue to share information with you, but if you
prefer to stop receiving mail after the dissolution of TCSF, please
e-mail Ms Yoshida at <miki.nakagawa.yoshida(at mark)gmail.com>.

-----------------------
- Let us produce places where people in Africa and Japan meet and work
together -

With volunteers of this new project, living in Africa and Japan, let
us plan the activities, coordinate places where people in Africa and
Japan meet/ work together and aim mutual understanding!

For the moment, the founder has 1) the network with you, African
colleagues, taken over from TCSF, 2) the occasion to listen the
opinions of some of you saying "places to work together are very
important" or "please found a new project with us", and 3) the
intention to conduct a project responding to these opinions (ex.
coordination of places to work together by involving students/
universities/ CSOs/ private companies/ local governments/ professional
groups of both side. But the concrete activities will be decided with
future volunteers.

If you would like to become a volunteer and participate in the
foundation of this project (we will discuss by using mail and skype)
or if you are just interested in, please contact Ms Miki YOSHIDA at
<miki.nakagawa.yoshida(at mark)gmail.com>. She is looking forward to
your participation and advice!

------------------------------------------------------
[4] Contact to the post TCSF/TNnet networks
------------------------------------------------------

TCSF members will remain networked at voluntary based and they can be
contacted through following address.
<ex.tcsf.office(at mark)gmail.com>

TICAD IV Network (TNnet) ended its activity in September 2008. A
transitional group is now preparing to form a new Japanese NGO
coalition which is planned to be launched in April 2009.

For further information of the new network, please contact;
Africa-Japan Forum <info(at mark)ajf.gr.jp>

--------------------------------------------------------------
*This newsletter was edited by the TCSF network working group.

*This mail is from a non-reply e-mail address.
For any inquiry, please contact <ex.tcsf.office(at mark)gmail.com>
--------------------------------------------------------------
TICAD Civil Society Forum (TCSF)
http://ticad-csf.net/eng/index.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------