USAID/OTI Angola Field Report
August 2003
Program Description
The OTI program in Angola was initiated in February 2003 to support the renewed opportunity for a lasting peace and increased democracy following the end of 40 years of violent conflict. OTI is providing support in three areas: strengthened civil society advocacy capacity; strengthening media; and increasing local-level engagement between citizens and authorities in order to address community problems. OTI's implementing partner is Creative Associates and the FY 2003 budget is approximately $2.8 million.
Country Situation
Little progress was made this month on key policy reforms such as the land law. Instead, the Angolan parliament spent much time debating the design for a new flag and the words of a national anthem. While the design for a new flag was approved, it drew mixed reviews from the public. Still, it is hoped that the completion of this process will allow the parliament to focus on the more substantive aspects of Constitutional reform.
Political opposition and civil society groups continue to call upon the Angolan government to set a date for national elections. Although a date has not been set, a few men have already declared their candidacies for the Angolan presidency, most prominently Reverend Feliciano Carvalho Loa and Dr. Vicente Pinto de Andrade.
During an August meeting of SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) heads of state in Tanzania, President Jose dos Santos requested that SADC support Angola's longstanding request for a donor conference. Although the Angolan government is actively seeking donor support to rebuild the country and is eager for a donor conference to take place, major donors have continued to insist that this will not happen until the Angolan government participates more actively in addressing Angola's poverty and social problems. This has included insistence that the Angolan government develop a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy, which includes participation from the Angolan government itself.
UNITA party officials continued to complain about harassment and attacks on party members and offices. Press reported that gangs of youth wearing t-shirts with MPLA party logos attacked two of UNITA's regional offices in Huambo province, which was a UNITA stronghold during the war. UNITA officials have called for investigations of the incidents, while MPLA officials continue to deny any systematic plans to implement attacks on UNITA. Prime Minister Fernando dos Santos ("Nandó"), for example, was quoted in State media as saying that MPLA and UNITA must reconcile their differences to serve as an example for the Angolan people.
Disarmament of civilians continues to preoccupy many Angolans including members of civil society organizations. Angolan state media reported an encouraging development in Cunene province, in southern Angola, where over the past six months, 4,000 weapons have been voluntarily turned in to police authorities. The Provincial Director of Public Order indicated that this had been achieved as the result of a social communication campaign and hoped that the National Assembly would enact legislation to further address the issue of disarmament. Refugees continued to return to their homes, both spontaneously and with the assistance of the UN and other agencies. UNHCR reported that since June over 15,000 refugees have returned home from three neighboring countries through a UN-sponsored repatriation program and approximately 17,000 have returned on their own. Although agencies sometimes provide varying figures, there is little doubt that high numbers of people continue to be on the move, either returning to their homes or resettling in new areas, and that ongoing population movements continue to strain all the existing structures available to support them.
OTI Highlights
A. Narrative Summary
During the month of August, OTI continued to develop new grants and implement existing activities. Staff traveled to Benguela, Huila and Huambo provinces to meet with grantees, develop new grants and monitor existing activities. Highlights of OTI grant activities in August include:
- Twenty community debates and four meetings involving community leaders were held in areas where ex-combatants and their families are experiencing conflicts with community members and local authorities during the reintegration and resettlement process. The meetings were implemented by OKUTIUKA in several communities in Benguela province. Approximately 2,000 citizens participated in the events.
- Forty-eight civil society leaders and government officials from four provinces in southern Angola participated in a regional poverty alleviation forum organized by the NGO ALSSA. A government representative presented a proposal for poverty reduction and all participants exchanged information about their roles in improving living conditions for Angolans. As a product of the workshop, a regional poverty reduction committee was formed to continue the discussion with the National Counseling Center, a Luanda-based NGO, agreeing to serve as the group's liaison in the capital.
- ·As part of a series of activities in several provinces to promote citizen participation and human rights awareness, the National Counseling Center sponsored a theater workshop in Luanda, a community meeting with parliamentarians in Huambo, and a radio debate in Benguela in which a member of parliament participated.
- Delivery of printers and computer equipment to the provincial offices of the Angolan Journalist Syndicate was completed to all but one province.
- · A second human rights bulletin was prepared by the Journalists Group and will be distributed in schools and municipal administration centers in Huila province. The first bulletin met with a positive reception and the grantee has requested support to print additional copies.
New OTI grants approved in August included:
- Sindacato dos Journalistas Angolanos (Syndicate of Angolan Journalists/SJA): to help cover legal costs associated with journalist protection.
- OKUTIUKA (a Benguela-based NGO): two grants to this organization: one for land rights information campaigns and public debates in three municipalities in Benguela province; and one to support advocacy efforts centered on budget transparency within the Angolan education system. OTI's support will complement other USAID support through the NGO World Learning.
- Associação Mãos Livres (Free Hands Association): to the Benguela office of this national human rights legal defense association to help implement a program that will establish new human rights protection mechanisms in four provincial municipalities. The program will involve local authorities, traditional community leaders, civil society groups, and citizens in debating and discussing citizen rights and local rights protection.
- Acção Cristã para a Infância (Christian Children's Action): to conduct community debates in the Cazenga municipality in the Luanda metropolitan area. The debates will be centered on community issues and constructive solutions.
- AMMAR (Angolan Action to Improve and Support Rural Life): for a participatory community revitalization project in the Caimbambo municipality of Benguela province. This project will restore the education infrastructure in a community that has been heavily affected by the civil war and subsequent movement of people.
- OFDP (Organization for Strengthening and Development of People): to this member of the recently-established Catumbela Forum, an NGO consortium in Benguela province. The Catumbela Forum is a relatively unique local initiative, assisting and facilitating its member organizations in developing and presenting proposals to donor organizations and others. OTI has received several proposals through the Catumbela Forum, and OFDP's will be the first to receive OTI support. This project will provide much-needed seeds and tools to 600 families in the north Hanha area of Benguela province. OFDP will coordinate its activities with the international humanitarian assistance groups operating in the region and the project will incorporate a community participation component.
- Nucleo de Jovens Adventistas (Nucleus of Adventist Youth): to this Huambo-based NGO to implement a series of community debates, workshops, and radio programs dedicated to fostering reconciliation and civic participation in communities that are still recovering from the effects of war. Huambo province is one of Angola's most important agricultural areas and was one of the most heavily affected during the war. Huambo is also the site of a high volume of refugee, IDP, and ex-combatant movements and its communities, which were devastated during the war, continue to feel the strain of these population movements.
Other: A grant to Radio Ecclesia supporting a popular local program, "Veritas" was cancelled. OTI will be working with Radio Ecclesia to support an alternative weekly political debate program.
B. Grants Activity Summary
| Media Strengthening |
$ 18,598 |
1 |
| Civil Society Advocacy Capacity |
$154,002 |
3 |
| Citizen Engagement with Local Authorities |
$114,410 |
4 |
| TOTAL (August 2003) |
$287,010 |
8 |
| TOTAL (FY 2003) |
$743,330 |
19 |
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
OTI will continue to travel to the field to monitor and develop new grants during September. OTI staff will also continue to focus on exploring possibilities to link OTI activities to other USAID-funded humanitarian and developmental relief activities, particularly in Bie, Huila, Huambo, and Benguela provinces.
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