Source: Embassy of France in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |

Civil Society Innovation Fund- Project launching preparation Meeting

The projects are expected to start in February and March and develop activities in many regions and cities

The lead CSOs presented their respective projects and the preparation of the Launching of the program was discussed

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, December 21, 2021/APO Group/ --

The AFD Board approved the funding of the Civil Society Innovation Fund (CSIF) On December 15, 2021. The program aims at strengthening the diversification and innovation of Ethiopian civil society, ensuring a pluralistic and democratic organizational sphere, novel and creative civic activism and the defence of civic and associational rights of Ethiopian citizens.

The three selected consortia that will be supported by the CSIF are led by the Center for Advancement of Right and Democracy (CARD), which has six partners CSOs, Civil Society Research Center (CSRC) which has 4 partner CSOs and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) which has 2 partner CSOs.

Following the approval of the funding by the Board, a meeting was organized on December 16, 2021, by AFD with the representatives of all the consortia member CSOs at Alliance Ethio-Française.

The meeting was attended by 15 consortia member CSOs including the consortia lead namely, CARD, Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia, Ethiopian Human Right Defenders Center, Ethiopian Initiative for Human Rights, East African Initiative for Change, Initiative for Peace and Development, Setawit, CSRC, Ethiopian Lawyers Association, Ethiopian Labour Rights Watch, Inclusive vision for Democracy in Ethiopia, and Digital Rouge Society Experiment Group, LHR, Advocate Ethiopia, and Mizan young lawyers Center.

The lead CSOs presented their respective projects and the preparation of the Launching of the program was discussed. The projects are expected to start in February and March and develop activities in many regions and cities that are AA, Dire Dawa, Oromia, Amhara, Sidama, Afar, Somalia, Benshangule and Gambela.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of France in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.