UNOY Global Network Members

COPA Southern Africa is part of COPA continental which is an African network of peace builders whose purpose is to promote peace, justice, human rights and development through capacity building, advocacy, research and documentation. COPA was formed in 1995/96 when a group of concerned Africans met in Nairobi, Kenya to exchange their insights and experiences on a pressing issue facing Africans: Prevention of the escalation of violent conflict in Africa. They were convinced that they needed to offer continual practical support to people and organizations on the ground, that are faced with volatile and potentially violent conflict situations, recognizing conflict as a major contributor to Africa’s deplorable state of poverty and underdevelopment. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to carry out meaningful development under situations of violent conflict and social political instability.

Today COPA has a membership of 217 individuals and organizations of which a good number are youths, working for peace at various levels across Africa. The organizations range from international NGO’s to community based organizations operating at the grassroot level. COPA continental has a secretariat in Nairobi, Kenya headed by a continental coordinator and regional offices in Johannesburg-South Africa, Bujumbura-Burundi, Kismayo-Somalia and in Gulu-Uganda. COPA operates in four regions of Africa which consists of Southern, horn, central and eastern part of Africa. COPA’s vision is a continent anchored on a culture of peace, justice and equality.

Overall Programme Strategic Goals

Organisational development
Capacity building for peacebuilding practitioners
Fundraising and resource mobilization
Formation and participation in strategic partnerships with other peace building organizations at the global, continental, regional and national levels
Lobby and advocate for peace related policies
Research, documentation and information dissemination

Programme activities

Publish regular news brief and occasional papers, case studies and articles so that people can share what they learn in their work
Organizing conflict transformation courses and thematic workshops with continent-wide participation
Hosting national, regional and Africa wide consultations where people actively working with conflict in Africa can share experiences and at the same time raise the profile of conflict issues in Africa
Encouraging regional and international work on conflict by connecting individuals and organizations with similar interests
Connecting people with skills and experience in different aspects of conflict to those who want to expand their capacity to address conflict
Recommending experienced and skilled and skilled consultants based in Africa who are able to assist in the following areas of work: facilitation* training*Mediation*Negotiation*Development and Conflict*human rights*Peace education*Active Non-violence*rehabilitation*Trauma counseling* reconciliation* Building Coalitions* lobbying* Monitoring and Evaluation
Resource mobilization
Lobbying and advocating for peace issues

COPA Southern

The regional office is based in Johannesburg-South Africa. Member countries include Swaziland, Botswana, Angola, Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and South Africa.

Partnership and networking

Apart from being a member of UNOY Peace builders, COPA Southern is a member of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflicts (GPPAC) in Southern Africa. This is a network aimed at helping prevent and manage conflicts within the region and globally. From this initiative, COPA was among the various NGOs represented at the United Nations conference on the role of civil society in the prevention of armed conflicts in New York in 2005. The network has regular meetings at which strategies for conflict prevention are shared.

Since 2005, COPA Southern through a partnership with the Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa (NiZA) has been training NIZA's peace building cluster partners in Mozambique and Angola in conflict transformation. This has also involved coordination of NIZA partners' projects, translation of the Working with Conflict book into Portuguese, Lobbying and Advocacy and training of female and young Ex-combatants in Angola, Mozambique and Swaziland.

Capacity Building

COPA Southern has since 2001 been hosting and coordinating our Advanced Conflict Transformation course. In 2006, the course was held in Johannesburg-South Africa from 23 rd October to 24 th November and attracted 15 participants drawn from Sudan, Kenya , Mozambique , Angola , Ivory Coast , Ethiopia and South Africa . Another course was held in May / June, 2007 which attracted participants from Ethiopia, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique and Angola.

To ensure the above course is in line with our partners needs and in correspondence with global challenges for peace, in 2005, COPA Southern in partnership with selected course alumni, facilitators, training experts and selected partners undertook a content review workshop aimed at reviewing the entire course. The review identified a few gaps which needed immediate attention. Some of the gaps were addressed and included in the October-November 2006 course. Constant evaluations have been going on since then to keep up with participant’s needs.

COPA Southern strongly encourages the youth and women to take part in this course. During the latest Advanced Conflict transformation course COPA Southern awarded scholarships to three youths (two women and one man) to participate in the course. This course is now held at least twice a year.

The organization has done exceptionally well in training and enhancing skills for peace practitioners on the continent and beyond.

COPA Southern has also been holding workshops specifically for the youth with themes like ‘Youth, Peace and Security” the last workshop was held in Mozambique and attracted youths from Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana and Malawi.

COPA Southern has also been involved various youth activities in region through its members, these are activities ranging from Youth camps, youth exchange programmes, Community based peace education programmes, workshops and seminars.

Lobbying and Advocacy

COPA Southern is a member of Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum. This is a consortium of civil society organizations, unions, activists, the church and the student movement formed to put pressure on the Zimbabwean government to stop the torture of its citizens and allow for free participation in the political process in Zimbabwe. The forum is based in South Africa and conducts most of its activities from South Africa.

COPA Southern has been partnering with Gun Free South Africa and the Cease Fire Campaign in the million faces campaign. This is a campaign aimed at capturing on camera a million faces worldwide as a way of advocating for the ban on small arms and light weapons. The campaign culminated in a presentation to the United Nations in New York.

Future outlook

Southern Africa region still faces a serious threat to peace with countries like Zimbabwe and Swaziland not having clear windows of expression. With the region finding itself more in the post armed conflict situation, COPA Southern will focus on the reduction of illegal weapons being held by some ex-combatants in Southern Africa especially in Angola, Mozambique and Swaziland.

Other activities will include strengthening of democratic structures, capacity building for sustaining emerging peace structures, reconciliation and forgiveness. COPA will further focus on advocacy to create room for dialogue in Zimbabwe and Swaziland Though intergovernmental organizations and governments in the region have continued to play diplomatic tactics in the two countries, repression of democracy and human rights abuses still goes on.

COPA Southern is also working on a youth exchange programme between the youth of Southern Africa and Northern Ireland, this programme is aimed at enhancing inter cultural understanding, dealing with stereotypes and prejudice, and building role models, and will be inclusive of many other issues.

In addition, COPA Southern will strengthen its presence in all the member countries in order to be more effective in sustaining peace in the region.

COPA

Coalition for Peace in Africa