Date – 4– 6 July 2022.

Venue- Addis Ababa

About Amani Africa Media and Research Services  

Amani Africa Media and Research Services is an independent pan-African international policy research, training and consulting think tank that operates out of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as an institution with a specialization and primary focus on Africa’s multilateral policy processes in general and those based on the African Union (AU) in particular. Amani Africa supports the pan-African vision of a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Africa through evidenced based research, training, strategic communications, technical support and convening and facilitation.

Amani Africa produces in-depth research and analysis to inform continental policies, convenes forums to foster policy dialogue and conducts trainings to deepen practical knowledge on and bridge technical capacity gaps in working on and for engaging the AU.

As part of institutionalizing its work on training, in 2019, Amani Africa launched its Training Institute with support from Australia and held the inaugural training on the AU from 5-7 September 2019 in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Initiated as a vehicle for providing practical knowledge and in-depth  understanding to participants on how the AU works, the training enables participants to be well positioned to engage the AU strategically and plan their interactions more effectively. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Training Institute has during the past two years organized and delivered tailor-made trainings to diplomatic missions and UN agencies. In 2022, it plans to organize the regular training on the AU focusing on CSOs as the main target group of this year’s regular training program.

For 2022, Amani Africa with support from Open Society for East Africa plans to convene its general training on the AU to CSOs on 4-6 July.

Description of the Training

Despite the increasing role that the AU has come to play on matters of regional and international governance, there exists no readily accessible and authoritative source of reference to know about the AU policy-making structures and processes. Given the dynamics of the policy space, there is also constant need to be arrest of new policy developments and AU’s approaches to economic, political governance and peace and security diplomacy as well as the evolving challenges of implementation of AU’s norms, policies and frameworks.

With increasing expectations from various stakeholders on effective delivery by the AU of its mandate, it has also become important for both African policy makers and the wider African public to understand the AU, its institutions, the reform efforts and the policy-making dynamics and processes vis-à-vis regional integration, peace and security and good governance, democracy and human rights. This is particularly important for purposes of the active engagement in and participation of non-state centers of public power such as civil society organizations in AU processes both as key stakeholders and as avenue for popularising AU’s norms, policies and activities.

Aim of the Training  

The training has the objectives of:

1. Equipping participants with the knowledge and understanding of how the AU functions and about the decision-making processes and dynamics of AU;
2. Identifying the factors and forces that shape the current trends and dynamics in policy development, institutional changes/reforms and AU’s role in various areas of its mandate;
3. Facilitating reflection on available avenues for CSOs to effectively engage with the AU policy and decision-making processes to deepen the partnership.

Duration of the Course and methodology

The course is scheduled to run for a period of three days. The course will provide participants with the latest sources of analysis and information on the AU and avails practical insights from policy practitioners and analysts on the themes covered in the course through lectures, panel discussions, case studies and exchange.

Course facilitation

The training will be facilitated by various senior experts that possess a wealth of knowledge and experience engaging the AU.

The overall facilitation will be conducted by the course director Professor Tim Murithi, Head of Programme at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation and Extraordinary Professor at the University of the Free State in South Africa. Professor Murithi has worked with the AU and on the AU for nearly two decades and has rich practical and research expertise on the AU and its institutions.

Qualifications of applicants

This course is open to representatives of Africa based civil society organizations working on issues related to the African Union.

Cost of the Training

Amani Africa will cover partial cost of the training workshop (accommodation and meals) for a limited number of participants. While the application is open to CSOs indicated in the section on profile of applicants, particular attention will be given to youth and women led organizations working on African Union related issues and policy processes.