The Charter Project Africa (2021-2024)
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The three-year Charter Project Africa is a pan-African initiative supporting civil society to promote the continental commitments contained in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) – the central African Union policy document to advance democratic governance in African Union member states. The project is led by six organisations, including ECDPM.
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ECDPM work for the project
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About the project
Civil society and (digital) activism have important roles to play when it comes to promoting better governance in African countries, from demanding accountability to the integrity of elections, the prevention of constitutional manipulations and the inclusiveness of decision-making processes. Other sources of pressures and nudges are at the continental level (for instance ‘peer-to peer’) and the international level, where countries agree on rules and norms to follow, such as the non-tolerance of unconstitutional changes of power – coups.
The Charter Project Africa is a pan-African initiative supporting civil society to promote the continental commitments contained in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) – the central African Union policy document to advance democratic governance in African Union member states. The project is led by six organisations and lasts for three years, starting in the course of 2021. It has a dedicated secretariat based in Addis Ababa which creates linkages between pan-African civil society and African Union policymakers.
As a whole, the project promotes the usage of civic technology to amplify citizens’ voices. This is achieved by providing grants, technical resources, and knowledge production, to civic initiatives pursuing democracy, particularly those led by underrepresented groups. This support is delivered in eleven African Union member states – Benin, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia – as well as at regional and continental level. Some of the activities of the project are pan African, hence relevant to all countries on the continent.
The project also opens spaces of collaboration between citizens, civic initiatives and African Union policymakers, at national, regional and continental levels – with an emphasis on digital formats. A particular focus is given to the role and the mandate of the African Governance Architecture (AGA). Further, the role of the ACDEG in achieving positive change in African Union member states is monitored, analysed and promoted.
ECDPM contributes primarily on methodological support around policy brokerage and political economy analysis. It conducts research assessing existing policy frameworks (starting with the ACDEG itself) and the role of structures such as the African Governance Architecture; the political dynamics that surround progress and obstacles in implementing this agenda; the contributions by civil society and in particular the impact and promise of digital technologies.
About our partners
AfricTivistes is a pan-African union of bloggers and web-activists across the continent. It promotes democratic values, human rights and good governance through digital media. In the project, it assumes a major role in civic technology and digital engagement activities.
Code for Africa (CfA) is the continent’s largest federation of data journalism and civic technology laboratories with a presence across Africa. In the project, it leverages its expertise in digital democracy projects as well as its existing digital toolkits and will support the grantees in implementing their initiatives.
The Democracy Works Foundation (DWF) is a regional democracy support organisation, with multiple offices across Southern Africa. In the project, it coordinates dialogue and advocacy activities at regional level and supports grantees in the region.
The Gorée Institute is a pan-African organisation located on Gorée Island in Dakar, Senegal, supporting peace and democracy in Africa since 1992. In the project, it coordinates dialogue and advocacy activities at regional level and supports grantees in the region.
The European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) is a pan-continental network of European democracy support organisations, based in Brussels, Belgium. It supports democratic initiatives across the world. In the project, it is primarily responsible for the engagement vis-à-vis the AGA and acts as the consortium lead.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
Get in touch
For questions related to ECDPM's involvement in the project, please contact Martin Ronceray. For communications and media enquiries, please get in touch with Isabell Wutz.
