Loading ...Refugee groups organize to form camp-wide coalition
Twenty-five Liberian refugee-run groups on Buduburam Refugee Settlement have joined together to form “One Society,” a coalition of community-based organizations and non-governmental organizations.
One Society came together in the face of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continuous severance of aid to Liberian refugees. By pooling together resources and minds, community leaders believed, they could combat widening gaps in camp services, caused by UNHCR’s gradual withdrawal.
The organization emerged from three years of discussion among Children’s Better Way (CBW), SHIFSD and the Movement for the Promotion of Gender Equality in Liberia (MOPGEL). The idea came to fruition in late 2006 when a Canadian university announced its intention to construct a resource center for organizations on camp.
With the encouragement of the Camp Manager, a Ghanaian government representative, the project was launched, with CBW Executive Director Semeh Roberts serving as the head, and SHIFSD Director Jeremiah Burgess working as his deputy. The seven-member secretariat meets on a weekly basis, and the entire body monthly.
One Society members will work together to enhance capacity-building ventures, leadership training workshops, volunteer placement and fundraising. By centralizing these efforts, the broader Buduburam community will benefit from each organization’s achievements, “in fulfillment of the quest for sustainable development, social justice and organizational support,” reads the coalition’s Memorandum of Understanding.
With organizations clamoring to join the new effort, membership criteria will need to be streamlined, to maximize the credibility of the coalition. According to a preliminary draft of the coalition’s aims, “One Society’s aim primarily is to serve as a channel to strengthen the capacity of member organizations as well as to monitor activities, uphold accountability, honesty and transparency within the network for the benefit of target beneficiaries.” constitution is currently being drafted to set guidelines for membership.
