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Are you from the African Diaspora? Have you always wanted to give back to Africa?

If the answers to all these questions are yes. Then listen up because this programme is for you.

This year Africa Foundation Stone is giving you a fantastic opportunity to give back to Africa. We are sending 22 volunteers to go and work in Cameroon towards the Millennium goal 1 to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger amongst women and children in Douala and Yaoundé.

We are funded by UKaid and have sent over 100 volunteers since our programme began in 2005. If you will like to make a change why not contact us and we will send you more information about our programme.

At the moment we have only 5 spaces left so apply now!!!

For full details of the skills we require from volunteers and further details, please download here.

Nine UK civil society organisations who work in the migration and development nexus - both North and South - met on June 18th in London with the President of European Network on Migration and Development (EUNOMAD), Mr.Spyros Amorinitis and the EUNOMAD-Ader project manager to exchange experiences and to create a UK-EUNOMAD platform.

The group heard presentations from each organisation about their work here and overseas and also an introduction to the EUNOMAD vision from the President.

At the end of the discussion all participants were in agreement that such a platform was essential to elevate the work and profile of the migration/development nexus and that more resources should be sought to ensure the sustainability of the platforms activities.

You can download the Programme for the event here, which will indicate the UK Platform members and proceedings of the day.

The EUNOMAD-Ader project manager will contact the group in the near future to meet and form a committee to coordinate future meetings of the platform members, which will form a part of the EUNOMAD network.

CfD is one of the founding members of EUNOMAD and coordinator of this first meeting of the platform. CFD currently holds the position of treasurer in the administrative council job share of EUNOMAD. We remain committed to the vision of EUNOMAD.

More details about EUNOMAD, its vision and objectives can be found by downloading the EUNOMAD brochure here.

Continue to watch this space for more updates and please visit the EUNOMAD website for more information about the UK and other European country Platforms and other information and resources http://www.eunomad.org/en.html

EUNOMAD Seeks an Expert in the Field of Migration and Economic Development to make a Presentation at Madrid Workshop

The European Network on Migration and Development (EUNOMAD) is holding a 2 day workshop in Madrid on the 20th and 21st of May 2010. This will bring together six members of the European Network to discuss issues concerning Migration and Economic Development. When we talk about migrants and economic development, one word prevails above all others: remittance. These seem to have only one direction, from the country of residence to the country of origin. This is why EUNOMAD have organised this workshop to highlight the variety of economic capacities of migrants, as well as the impact they have on the territories both here and there.

EUNOMAD is looking for an expert within the field of migration and economic development to make a 30 minute presentation on this subject. Click here to download the Presentation Note and here for the workshop programme. If you are interested please email one or two of your publications on the subject to Paul at murraypaulw@aol.com.

This event that took place at The Wilson Room – Portcullis House – Westminster 25th March 2010 pm. It attracted over twenty participants representing organisation from around the country, and sparked considerable debate. The full report of the event can be downloaded as a pdf file by clicking here.

Diaspora Event at the House of Commons, Westminster, London, 25th March 2010, 3 hours Afternoon

Impact of the Economic Downturn on Diaspora Community Organisations and their Work in the UK and the Home Community.

Connections for Development, in partnership with the League of British Muslims invite you to register interest in attending a workshop event at the House of Commons

 

Connections for Development is a UK, Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) led, membership based organisation committed to ensuring that UK BME communities, and the organisations they are involved in here, are supported in the process of shaping and delivering policy and projects that affect their countries of origin or interest - collectively "our world".

 

The League of British Muslims is a national voluntary organisation that supports Muslim-led voluntary and community organisations throughout the UK. It supports to small to medium Muslim voluntary and community groups nationwide through research, training, policy development, fundraising advice and networking opportunities.

 

The event is being hosted by Lee Scott - MP for Ilford North

 

Places at the event are limited and priority will be given to early respondents.

If you wish to register interest in attending - you must complete the online registration at

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KFJMPFG

 

Aims of the event

The event will provide a platform for organisations working with a wide range of Diaspora communities to come together to share experiences and collectively identify the key issues. It is hoped that we will be able to identify opportunities for increased collaborative working.

 

The event proposes to focus on specific themes:

• The impact on Diaspora communities in the UK and the organisations supporting them.- sharing experiences across communities - Workshop A

• The impact on Diaspora communities and organisations in their role in development of home communities. Workshop B

• What capacity-building support Diaspora Communities can provide to home communities - sharing experiences across communities. Workshop C

• Exploring the relationship of Diaspora communities and organisations with International Development Organisations and agencies and how the Diaspora communities can assist, advise and contribute to International Development; both in sustainable development and emergency relief. Workshop D

Outline Programme:

• Registration
  and welcome

• Keynote address by Andrew Mitchell MP - Shadow Secretary of State for International Development

• Break into workshops

• Feedback - Key issues emerging and any proposed actions

• Tea/coffee/networking time

• Emerging issues and ways forward - Open Forum discussion

• Closing summary

The United Nations is convening a four-day summit of Economists, Educationists, Administrators, Manufacturers, Researchers, Non-Governmental Organizations, Religious Leaders, Community Organizations and the Private Sector from 16 - 19 March 2010 in London (UK) to assess the worst global economic down turn since the Great Depression. The aim is to identify emergency and long-term responses to mitigate the impact of the crisis, especially on vulnerable populations, and initiate a needed dialogue on the transformation of the international financial architecture, taking into account the needs and concerns of all countries of the world. The United Nations summit coming up in March was mandated at the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development, held in December 2008 in Doha, Qatar. Member States requested the General Assembly to organize the meeting “at the highest level”. Registration to this Summit is "free". The United Nations General Assembly have made sponsorship available to support free travel costs and all-round return air flight ticket for all participant. Invited participants will take responsibility for hotel accommodation expenses at the Hyde Park Hotels London UK, the designated hotel that will accommodate all participants for the Global Financial and Economic Crisis Summit. For more registration information, to participate in the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development, contact the co-ordinators via e-mail: info@un-event.org

Register Now!

Copyright © 2000-2010 United Nations. All rights reserved.

Funding Seminar: 
DFID Civil Society Challenge Fund

 

The Civil Society
Challenge Fund will be holding a one-day funding seminar specifically for
Diaspora and BME Groups.  The seminar
will provide an overview of the Civil Society Challenge Fund criteria with advice
on how to submit bids.

 

Date and Venue:  5th February 2009 @ 1 Palace Street, London,
SW1E 5HE

 

What is Civil Society
Challenge Fund? The Civil Society Challenge Fund is  Department of International (DFID’s) main
channel of funding for small and medium sized UK civil society organisations.  It supports the work of UK based civil
society organisations in their efforts to build the capacity of their partners
in the south to engage in decision making process.  It will also consider projects which are
predominantly service delivery in nature so long as they are innovative or
working in difficult environments and includes elements of empowerment and
advocacy. 

 

If your organisation is interested in attending the seminar,
please send an email by 16th January 2009 to cscf@dfid.gov.uk with the
following details:

 

• Your
  organisation’s name
• A
  paragraph describing your organisation and its interest in the CSCF
  (Please refer to the CSCF Guidelines (Civilsocietycfinfo.asp)
• The
  name, position and contact details of the proposed participant.
• Any
  special requirements (accessibility, dietary, etc)

 

For further
information contact:

 

Lone Sorensen

Team Leader-
Stakeholder Management

Civil Society
Department

Tel: 01355 3400 (int:
3400)

 

or

 

Go to CSCF
Guidelines:  http://www.dfid.gov.uk/funding/civilsocietycf.asp

 

 

 

 

 

We Have Moved

 

This
is to inform all our members and the general public that Connections for
Development has moved their offices to:

 

Ilford
Community Centre

Eton Road

Ilford

Essex

IG1
2UE

 

 

Our
new contact details are:

 

Tel:    020 8911
8515

Fax:   020 8911 8513

 

 

For further
information please contact Farah Khan, Office Manager:

farah@cfdnetwork.co.uk

 

or

 

Paul
Lam-Kilama,  Information & Engagement
Officer: paul@cfdnetwork.co.uk

 

 

 

Opportunity to provide Consultancy

Connections for Development (CfD) is a young but dynamic
national organisation, which was established in 2003 to provide a forum,
network and platform to facilitate the effective engagement of the UK's Black
and Minority Ethnic (BME) civil society with international development issues.

It was founded through a collaborative effort involving
BME civil society representatives and the government, through the Department
for International Development (DFID), out of the long standing need for
sustainable BME-led organisation to mobilise, network, inform, champion, and
provide an umbrella framework to facilitate their effective involvement and
participation in international development issues.

The vision is to create an inclusive and stakeholder
driven forum for mutual learning, sharing experiences and collaborative working
by BME civil society so as to promote their productive involvement and
participation in shaping development policy and delivering processes throughout
the developing world.

With the support of a rapidly expanding membership base
country-wide, and a growling collection of collaborating partners, CfD has met
a number of significant strategic targets.

We now are seeking a consultant to submit proposals
to facilitate and provide support and guidance to CfD in achieving their
current change management programme. The Tender specification is attached for
your information.

You will need to show and demonstrate knowledge and
experience of working with Diaspora communities and their civil organisations.

 

 

Please provide a CV along
with your completed proposal to Farah Chaudhry marked TS 311008 at the address below. The envelopes should be marked ‘Private
and Confidential’:

Farah Chaudhry

Office Manager

Connections for Development

Cotswold House

Meridian Gate

219 Marsh Wall

London

E14 9FJ

Closing Date for applications to be received by 5pm
Friday 31st October 2008.

 

For further details please click on the link below:

or email farah@cfdnetwork.co.uk

 

 

 

Attachment	Size
Invitation for Consultancy.doc	31.5 KB
Orgnisation Development and Support..doc	45.5 KB

Does Gender Equality
Mean 'Identicality'?

Under the patronage
of Ms. Harriet Harman, MP, QC, Minister for Women.

Moderator: Ms Angie LeMar

Date: Wednesday 12th
November 2008

Venue: Portcullis House, Victoria Embankment, Westminster, SW1A 0AA

Time: 9am -12noon

At
the beginning of the 21st century, the UN drafted the Eight Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), with 18 targets to be met by 2015. MDG 3 seeks to:

‘Promote
gender equality and empower women’

The
rise of feminism as a key phenomenon of the 20th century, led to relatively
greater freedom for women in the western world and even in the developing
world. The gender war has not been
totally won, but significant strides have been made. There has also been the expectation that
younger generations would build on these foundations and take the quest for
gender equality further.

However,
there is growing evidence, and alarm, that we are regressing. In some parts of the world, some women and
girls are interpreting gender equality as being identical to men. They express this ‘identicality’ as the ability
to outdo men in drinking, drug-taking, over-working, bullying and joining gangs,
among other excesses. Elsewhere, migration
and allied socio-economic pressures of globalisation, food insecurity and
entrenchment of fundamentalist religions and social values are erasing decades
of hard-won rights for women and girls.

In
organising this conference, CfD and TAFF will bring together key women leaders
and activist to:

·
Conduct
an Audit of achievements in gender equality in the UK, and in Black and Minority
communities in particular, and the possibilities of meeting the UN’s MDG3

·
Assess
the current overall situation for women and girls in the UK, irrespective
of their communities, as well as the gender equality implications for being
ethnicity and or interest

·
Develop
strategies to raise more awareness about gender and development, and stem the current
tide, which has the potential to undo all the gains made by and for women and
girls, globally.

About
Connections for Development (CfD)

Connections
for Development (CfD) is a young but dynamic national organisation, which was
established in 2003 to provide a forum, network and platform to facilitate the
effective engagement of the UK's Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) civil society
with international development issues.

It was
founded through a collaborative effort involving BME civil society
representatives and the government, through the Department for International
Development (DFID),
out of the long standing need for sustainable BME-led organisation to mobilise,
network, inform, champion, and provide an umbrella framework to facilitate
their effective involvement and participation in international development
issues.

The vision
is to create an inclusive and stakeholder driven forum for mutual learning,
sharing experiences and collaborative working by BME civil society so as to
promote their productive involvement and participation in shaping development
policy and delivering processes throughout the developing world.

About
The African Families Foundation (TAFF)

The
African Families Foundation (TAFF) is a UK-based charity, which operates as a
network of self-help community-based organisations in the UK and Africa. TAFF is a founding member of CfD.

 

 

For further
information or to book a place please email:

afrifam@ymail.com