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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

 

Connections for Development (CfD) is pleased to bring you consultation questions on UK's development plan for Nepal.  We invite and encourage you as our member organisations, individuals and all those with interests in the development issues of Nepal to actively participate in the exercise.

 The Department of International Development would like to consult with as a wide range of interested groups to ensure that the impact of its proposals on different sectors of society is taken into account.   

The UK is currently developing a new strategy for its programme in Nepal as the current one comes to an end in March 2009.  The key aim is to consider how they can improve the development programme to better address the challenges that Nepal faces in terms of poverty reduction, building an inclusive and effective state, and increasing inclusive economic growth.  

To help with the country planning process, they are inviting you to answer a set of questions about issues facing Nepal. 

In order to improve the way DFID works, they are undertaking this consultations jointly with the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.  They will use the feedback to help them develop the issues and choices that will be presented to the Secretary of State for International Development.

Please find attached the consultation questions and background information and links to Government of Nepal Ministry of Finance, Asian Development Bank Nepal and World  Bank Nepal.

Consultation questions

Background Information
(61 kb)

Government of Nepal Ministry of Finance:
http://www.mof.gov.np/

ADB Nepal:
http://www.adb.org/Nepal/default.asp

WB Nepal: www.worldbank.org/np

Please send your comments by 8th December 2008 to
nepal-enquiries@dfid.gov.uk

 

For further information please contact Paul Lam-Kilama at Connections for Development on  0207 537 2724 or email paul@cfdnetwork.co.uk

 

 

 

International Grant Programmes

Financial assistance is available to registered charities
across Northern Ireland
wishing to conduct overseas projects.

Funding body: Lloyds TSB Foundation

Application deadline:

31 November 2008

Maximum value: £10,000.00

 

Development Awareness
Fund – Mini Grant Schemes

Financial assistance is available to organisations and
networks in the UK
for projects that will raise awareness of International Development issues.

Funding body: Department for International Development

Application deadline:

31 October 2008

Maximum value:
£10,000.00

 

Development Awareness
Fund: Large Grant

Financial assistance is available for projects with a
commitment to meet the international agreed target to halve the proportion of
people living in poverty by 2015

Funding body;
Department for International Development

Application deadline:

30 November 2008

Maximum value:
£100,000.00

 

 

 

Mr Kevin Brennan, MP for Cardiff West has been appointed the
new Minister for the Third Sector.

 

 

Mr Ivan Lewis and Michael Foster have been appointed new
ministers at the Department of International Development (DFID) in last week’s
cabinet reshuffle. They replace Mr
Shahid Malik and Gillian Merron who have been moved to the Ministry of Justice
and Foreign and Commonwealth Office respectively.

 

Douglas Alexander remains the Secretary of State for
International Development as is Gareth Thomson who is promoted to the Minister
of State in the same department.

 

Acevo is coming north

 

Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary
Organisations (Acevo) is expanding its support services and events for third
sector leaders in the North West, North East
and Yorkshire and Humberside.

To celebrate this new initiative there will
be a series of receptions in Leeds, Newcastle
and Manchester

These free events are a fantastic opportunity
for you to network with third sector chief executives and meet public
and private sector stakeholders in your regions

Newcastle
- 17 October

Leeds
- 24 October

Manchester
- 31 October

 

Organisations are being invited to apply to deliver the £70m
Communitybuilders programme on behalf of the Government.

The Communities and Local
Government department announced the Communitybuilders fund in its white
paper Communities in Control in July.

The fund will provide a combination of grants and loans to voluntary
organisations for projects that stimulate involvement in democracy and local decision-making.

Examples of this could include improving governance, strengthening financial
systems, fostering partnerships and coaching and mentoring.

"The purpose of this programme is to support the department's commitment
to building more cohesive, empowered and active communities," said a
Communities and Local Government spokeswoman.

The Communities and Local Government department and the Office of the Third
Sector yesterday opened a competitive procurement process and are seeking
expressions of interest to become the national delivery partner. Interested
parties have until 30 October to apply.

A spokeswoman for CLG said the fund would probably be open for applications by
spring. She said it was still not known how the £70m would be divided between
grants and contracts.

Dear Sir/Madam

UBPA LAUNCH EVENT: SAT. 11 OCT. 08, 5 P.M. TO MIDNIGHT: VENUE & TICKETS

I 22 September 2008

refer to previous correspondence
about the Uganda Business and Professionals Association (UBPA)’s launch and
Independence Day Celebrations.

We are now in a position to advise that the launch event is to be held on Saturday 11 October 2008, 5:30 p.m. to midnight at Impression Event Venue, Milner Road, West Ham, London E15 3AD. (http://www.impressionev.com/home.asp).

Admission to the event will cost £30 per head to cover the cost of the food and refreshments. Tickets are available by calling Edward 07966297149, Stephen 07717702508, or Mr. Willy Mutenza 07790647089.

Tickets are on sale in advance.
Please send a cheque to the Honorary Secretary, Uganda Business and
Professionals Association (UBPA), Suite
217, Bon Marche
Centre, 241 - 251 Ferndale Road,
London SW9 8BJ.

Please make the cheque payable to: Uganda Business and Professionals Association.

A number of Ugandans who have excelled in their profession or enterprises have been invited and have confirmed their attendance. Accordingly there are limited spaces so please book your ticket in advance to avoid disappointment.

UBPA is a non-religious, non-political independent organisation whose aim is to bring together members, develop their potential and mobilise them to engage effectively in businesses and/or professions in the United Kingdom and/or Uganda. Please feel free to look at our website (which is still under construction) for details concerning the organisation. The website address is: www.ubpa.org.uk

With kind regards

Yours faithfully

Uganda Business and Professionals Association (UBPA)

 

Water Aid has been chosen as the beneficiary of the
Financial Times 2008 seasonal appeal.
The newspaper will feature articles on Water Aids projects in Africa and
Asia from November until January. The
publication hopes to beat last year’s campaign which raised more than £1.6m for
international poverty charity Camfed.