Partners Senegal

Election Marks Strong Democracy in Senegal

partnersindo — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:35:50 +0000

: The election marks a significant milestone in the consolidation of the Senegalese democracy. As Abdoulaye Wade gracefully accepted defeat, fears were assuaged about the instability of one of Africa’s strongest democracies. Nonetheless, much work remains to ensure that our country’s democratic tradition continues to involve to include greater levels of inclusion and participation for the average citizen.

Additionally, while the Senegalese have reason to celebrate the peaceful transition of power from Wade to Sall, democratic stability remains scarce throughout the rest of the region. Partners Senegal looks forward to continuing to promote good governance in surrounding states. See the Programs page for more information about the Guinea Citizen Security Project, the first year of which was just completed in February. Please also check back often as additional projects continue to develop.

Partners Senegal Welcomes PDC President Julia Roig

partnersindo — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:45:00 +0000

Partners Senegal was proud to welcome Julia Roig, President of Partners for Democratic Change (PDC), for our bi-annual board meeting last week. Her visit and the meeting presented an ideal opportunity to evaluate the projects that have been completed over the past few months as well as those that are ongoing. Furthermore, Julia , Partners Senegal Director Birame Diop, the rest of the Partners Senegal Team, and the board were able to identify some key additional areas for work in the future and begin planning for the continued growth of the organization. Check back often for news on upcoming projects, as well as updates on our ongoing work. Visit PDC’s website by clicking here.

Final Phase of GCSP set to begin in Conakry

partnersindo — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:49:44 +0000

Conakry- Director Birame Diop has arrived in Conakry as the final phase of the Guinea Citizen Security Project (GCSP) is set to begin, supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and USAID. Colonel Diop, with help from Teresa Crawford and Conner Purcell, members of Partners for Democratic Change, and CECIDE, a local partner in Guinea, will be leading a national-level discussion between members of government and civil society and top officials from the Guinean security forces.

In the early faces of the GCSP Partners Senegal conducted a series of workshops throughout the country to support local civil-society leaders in acquiring the skills needed to better participate in the ongoing reform of the security sector in Guinea. Additionally, the workshops created a forum for these local leaders to identify and prioritize the human security challenges facing their constituents.

Having gained these skills and uncovered the needs of their communities, these civil society participants are now prepared to enter constructive dialogue with national leaders of the security forces in hopes of discovering ways in which the two groups can collaborate on meeting these challenges. As the threats facing human security throughout much of the country are many and severe, and neither civil society nor the security sector has the capacity to effectively address them independently, Partners Senegal believes that conversations and efforts such as this are crucial to improve the quality of life of the Guinean people.

For more information visit Programs.

Improving Citizen Security in Guinea

partnersindo — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:34:29 +0000

In September 2011, Director Birame Diop traveled to Guinea to implement the first phase of Partners Senegal’s project aimed at enhancing the capacity of the Guinean civil-society to engage in the reform of the countries security sector. Birame organized and facilitated a workshop in each of the cities of Conakry, Kissidougou and Kankan to educate participants on the necessary skills. An exciting result of this project has been the national government’s invitation of the participants to join in its own series of workshops on security sector reform early next year. For more information about the project and others visit our Programs page.

During the same trip to Guinea, Birame organized and moderated a conference on developing a “national security policy” for Guinea. With support from the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS) and the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces, the conference convened experts from Switzerland, US, Senegal, and other countries throughout the region as the first step in a year-long effort to develop Guinea’s national security policy. This will be a central component in developing a stable and professional security force in Guinea.

Partners Senegal is now on Facebook!

partnersindo — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:47:25 +0000

Partners Senegal has recently joined Facebook! “Like” our page to stay connected with us and to receive updateson our current and upcoming projects! Click here to go to the page!