NMG holds first NGO executives convention
Accessed on Thursday 29th November, 2018 from: https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/NMG-holds-first-NGO-executives-convention--/688334-4873138-35jqd2z/index.html
Thursday November 29 2018
Kampala. The Nation Media Group (NMG) has held its first ever NGO Executive Directors convention in Kampala.
Mr Tony Glencross, the Managing Director of NMG Uganda, the parent company of Daily Monitor, The East African, NTV Uganda, Kfm and Dembe Fm, said the convention was to help NGO executives to engage, strategise and reflect on their work.
“With dwindling resources and changing global dynamics, there is need for increased diversification, engagement and partnership among all sectors,” Mr Glencross said at the convention on Tuesday.
He said NGOs need to communicate to the beneficiaries and share experiences, adding that NMG has all the necessary platforms to facilitate this cause.
“NMG sees this opportunity to work with the NGO sector as an integral part of the community, sharing knowledge and ideas, driving agendas to the powers that be and creating awareness of the concerns and goals of the NGO community,” Mr Gencross said.
The convention ran under the theme ‘Opening New Frontiers for Partnerships and Resources’.
Dwindling aid
Ms Elizabeth Ongom, an official from the European Union, said aid has globally shrunk and civil society organisations should at all times guard their reputation if they are to continue getting the limited resources.
“Development partners speak to each other and in detail,” Ms Ongom cautioned.
“International NGOs are facing the same challenge as local NGOs. So, seeking and beginning this conversation [opening new frontiers for partnerships and resources] is really pertinent at this time,” she added.
Dr Wolff-Michael Mors, the head of civil society and governance programme at GIZ, a Germany development agency, said the civil society needs a conducive environment “to unfold its positive impact to the development of a country”. “The freedom of association is a freedom right, hence regulation needs to limit itself to the absolute necessary in a democratic society,” Dr Mors said.
He, however, asked civil society organisations to develop competences to analyse their area of interests, government policies and cultivate strong networks to bundle competencies.
Credibility call
“Ability to participate in policy processes needs credibility. Standards for state actors or the private sector need to apply strictly to their performance; accountability, transparency and human rights-based approach,” Dr Mors added.
Mr Jackson Bitarabeho, the executive director of Child Aids Fund, applauded the initiative to bring NGOs together, and prayed for permanent partnership with NMG.
“Whenever we meet [NGOs], we are busy looking for resources and never get time to discuss pertinent issues as we are discussing today,” Mr Bitarabeho said.
Uganda has at least 15,000 registered NGOs. Mr Joseph Mugisha, the social protection and advocacy officer at the Uganda National NGO Forum, appealed to NGOs to provide services that motivate people to seek more.
“Community members are generally the beneficiaries of your service, so if members shun your service, then you are irrelevant. You need to develop the capacity of members to demand a service,” Mr Mugisha said.
Accessed on Thursday 29th November, 2018 from: https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/NMG-holds-first-NGO-executives-convention--/688334-4873138-35jqd2z/index.html
Mr Tony Glencross, the Managing Director of NMG Uganda, the parent company of Daily Monitor, The East African, NTV Uganda, Kfm and Dembe Fm, said the convention was to help NGO executives to engage, strategise and reflect on their work.
“With dwindling resources and changing global dynamics, there is need for increased diversification, engagement and partnership among all sectors,” Mr Glencross said at the convention on Tuesday.
He said NGOs need to communicate to the beneficiaries and share experiences, adding that NMG has all the necessary platforms to facilitate this cause.
“NMG sees this opportunity to work with the NGO sector as an integral part of the community, sharing knowledge and ideas, driving agendas to the powers that be and creating awareness of the concerns and goals of the NGO community,” Mr Gencross said.
The convention ran under the theme ‘Opening New Frontiers for Partnerships and Resources’.
Dwindling aid
Ms Elizabeth Ongom, an official from the European Union, said aid has globally shrunk and civil society organisations should at all times guard their reputation if they are to continue getting the limited resources.
“Development partners speak to each other and in detail,” Ms Ongom cautioned.
“International NGOs are facing the same challenge as local NGOs. So, seeking and beginning this conversation [opening new frontiers for partnerships and resources] is really pertinent at this time,” she added.
Dr Wolff-Michael Mors, the head of civil society and governance programme at GIZ, a Germany development agency, said the civil society needs a conducive environment “to unfold its positive impact to the development of a country”. “The freedom of association is a freedom right, hence regulation needs to limit itself to the absolute necessary in a democratic society,” Dr Mors said.
He, however, asked civil society organisations to develop competences to analyse their area of interests, government policies and cultivate strong networks to bundle competencies.
Credibility call
“Ability to participate in policy processes needs credibility. Standards for state actors or the private sector need to apply strictly to their performance; accountability, transparency and human rights-based approach,” Dr Mors added.
Mr Jackson Bitarabeho, the executive director of Child Aids Fund, applauded the initiative to bring NGOs together, and prayed for permanent partnership with NMG.
“Whenever we meet [NGOs], we are busy looking for resources and never get time to discuss pertinent issues as we are discussing today,” Mr Bitarabeho said.
Uganda has at least 15,000 registered NGOs. Mr Joseph Mugisha, the social protection and advocacy officer at the Uganda National NGO Forum, appealed to NGOs to provide services that motivate people to seek more.
“Community members are generally the beneficiaries of your service, so if members shun your service, then you are irrelevant. You need to develop the capacity of members to demand a service,” Mr Mugisha said.
Accessed on Thursday 29th November, 2018 from: https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/NMG-holds-first-NGO-executives-convention--/688334-4873138-35jqd2z/index.html
