Africa Platform

Founded in 2010 by Africa Civil Society Organizations from 14 countries as part of a core engagement on the Enabling Environment in Africa the Africa Platform (then known as the Africa CSO Platform on Principled Partnership -ACP) works to strengthen active citizen participation in development by creating and supporting an enabling environment for Civil Society in three areas 1. Creating and strengthening formal spaces and Platforms for dialogue between Civil Society and Governments 2. Supporting enactment of positive laws and policies that ensure freedom for Civil Society. Actively building Partnerships between development actors based on Principles of respect and recognition of all actors as key actors in Development. The Africa Platform has since focused its attention on the core area of state-society relations with a primary role of engagement in rebuilding the social contract between state and society. The Africa Platform (ACP) is works to support Civil Society across Africa in strengthening and establishing the building blocks for sustained engagement and where needed collaboration between society and governments, with a. We work primarily in conflict affected countries across Africa. As catalysts for change our primary role is three-fold. We act as a bridge at the national level by creating spaces for engagement; we act as a catalyst at regional level by building capacity for engagement; we act as advocates at the Global level by challenging relations or policy positions that are not rooted in society demands We seek to ensure Civil Society hold both Donors and Governments to account, and that the legitimacy of both Donors and Governments is rooted in their engagement with citizens. We do not work in any thematic area. Instead we work on the broad areas of state legitimacy and collective visioning of the nation, ensuring that a nation’s leadership and development is owned and rooted in the needs and demands of that society