ANEEJ HOSTS SOUTHERN REGIONAL ‘DO NO HARM’ IN BENIN

The Do No Harm (DNH) regional meeting held at ANEEJ secretariat, on Tuesday 22 November, 2016 in Benin City, Edo State. Bayo Olaniyan and Aliu Grace Oluyinka represented FADU while Oral-Ogbuigwe Michael and Owulo Patience from ACCORD attended the workshop. Programme Officer for the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Ogbebor Eghosa coordinated the meeting.

The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, was led by its deputy executive director, Leo Atakpu, and who held the forte for The Rev David Ugolor. Others from ANEEJ present were  Innocent Edemhanria, Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku, Charles Iyare, Kelly Umukoro  and Ken Okocha. Oboho Afiong, programme manager represented the Edo Women’s Development Initiative, EDWI.

The meeting was convened as a regional seminar/workshop to develop the thematic framework/template that is expected to help the DNH-tool extend to other CSOs around the country. Part of the expectations from the participants included getting a better insight into the DNH tool, the development of a framework to start the regional DNH network up and running, building a formidable network that will extend the DNH concept to other organizations and finding opportunities to make contributions that will strengthen DNH Network

Participants brainstormed to come up with a mission, vision and statement of objectives for the meeting:

and at the end came up with a crisp template for the regional meet to involve the following:

Vision

• A Nigeria where all Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) work to promote DNH with development aid

Mission Statement

• Enhancing peace, reducing tension

Objectives

• To raise DNH awareness among CSOs in Nigeria
• Strengthening capacities of CSOs on DNH tools
• Setting up a DNH network
• To set up secretariat, raise fund for activities of DNH

Expansion

• Multi-stakeholder workshop (CSOs) to sensitize people on DNH
• Advocacy visits to other CSOs
• Inauguration of new members into the network
• Capacity building of new members
• Social media platform (twitter, whatsapp, face book)
• Media advocacy (electronic, print)
• Sustainability of the network
• Provide a running secretariat
• Setup an online platform for easy communication and experience sharing
• Identify fund raising opportunities at organizational level
• Fund raising by the network
• Exchange visits

The meeting ended with a call on all participants to work hard to incorporate the DNH approach in institutional projects.