Promoting Democracy and Increasing Political Participation: The Role of Civil Society in Chad
In October 2010, Counterpart International conducted a Civil Society Assessment (570KB PDF) to better understand the current situation of civil society in Chad, including the strengths, weaknesses and future potential of the sector as a key element in Chad’s emerging democratic environment. The assessment paid particular attention to civil society’s role in the areas of elections, advocacy, government accountability and conflict prevention and resolution, as it was intended to guide and inform planning and implementation of Counterpart’s work in Chad, while more generally expanding the body of knowledge on Chad’s civil society sector.
Counterpart recently launched the Promoting Elections, Accountability and Civic Engagement (PEACE) Program, a two-year program funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) aimed at expanding citizen participation in democratic processes through peaceful, free and fair elections in Chad. In addition to support for the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), the Program will assist civil society organizations (CSOs) in their efforts to inform citizens and increase their involvement in the electoral process, facilitate constructive engagement of government and civil society actors to enhance election administration and dispute resolution, and support CSOs in acting as government watchdogs and advocating for positive change in Chad.
There is good reason for optimism about the prospects for an increasingly active and influential civil society in Chad - provided that donor support is sustained and provided that the government continues to tolerate a fairly vocal CSO sector, as they have in recent years. Sustainability without donor resources is highly questionable, and continued international encouragement for constructive engagement between government and civil society will be vital, especially during the sensitive elections period. In this regard, 2011 and especially the first six months of the year are destined to be an important juncture for civil society in Chad.
