Asociacion Cultural Baizara endorse this initiative:
Creative civil society in Africa says that they have been repeatedly shut out of the process of influencing and shaping the agenda for EU-African relations. The result, we argue, is a top-down process between political leaders that is disconnected from the needs of local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the constituencies they serve. With the Cultural Deal for Europe Campaign (spearheaded by Culture Action Europe, European Cultural Foundation and Europa Nostra) this needs to change. The new Cultural Deal for Europe envisioned by our EU CSO counterparts must usher “a fair partnership” of equals. African CSOs want to be part of drawing up a new EU ODA (Official Development Assistance) for Culture framework, in a bid to overhaul a process which many African CSOs believe is deeply dysfunctional.
This advocacy brief calls for:
- Policy change on EU ODA for Culture
- A seat at the table for African CSOs – access to EU ODA for culture policy dialogue and engagement
- More inclusive existing consultation mechanisms; and
- Access to sustainable funding.
We urge the African Union and European Union to anchor these four spheres – designed to protect and expand civic space and guarantee the right to funding – in the framework of the current Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES) as a reminder of their joint mandate and commitment.