NGOs set to mind their business today

Joining the international commemoration of World NGO Day, February 27, non-governmental organisations across Trinidad and Tobago will be answering the call to “Mind Yuh Business.”

The day's major event will see participation from over 200 organisations in a virtual gathering that will focus on The Role of Civil Society in Accountable and Responsible Development. The presentations and interactive sessions run from 8.30 am to 3 pm, a media release said.

The commemorative online event is being hosted by the civil society digital platform CSO Go, with The Cropper Foundation (TCF) in collaboration with various non-profit actors.

This year’s direct appeal to NGOs to Mind Yuh Business harks back to the Mind Yuh Own Business (MYOB) guide for civil society on “how to keep track of T&T’s energy billions” produced some 15 years ago by TCF under the T&T Sustainable Develop Network Initiative, the release said.

CEO of The Cropper Foundation Omar Mohammed said, “World NGO Day has provided a much-needed, dedicated space for NGO capacity-building and networking at all levels. We believe it’s time to go further now to consider what accountability ought to mean within and outside the sector, and we’re actively exploring how we can play our role in creating a more accountable society.”

The day opens with a keynote address from president of the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights (IACHR), Roberta Clarke.

Simultaneous workshops covering media, legislative and policy engagement will be led by Caribbean media icon Julian Rogers; the director of Legal Services at the TT Parliament, Chantal La Roche; and technical director at the Fondes Amandes Community Reforestation Project Kemba Jaramogi, respectively. A panel discussion surveying the state of intersectional advocacy among civil society organisations in T&T will also run concurrently.

The 20-year-old NGO Veni Apwann is a key partner in this year’s event, leading community consultations on the question, What does a civil society accountability framework look like? Board secretary Colleen Davis says, “The sector’s ability to engage in meaningful partnerships with other CSOs along with public and private stakeholders is key to exponential, far-reaching success, which manifests in pivotal policy change and an enhanced quality of life for our citizens.”

The staple NGO Showcase, which allows organisations to share and promote their work, will round off the day's programme. The release said this is in keeping with the intention of World NGO Day's founders as “…an international day to recognise, celebrate and honour all non-governmental and non-profit organisations” and “to inspire people to become more actively involved within NGO sector and encourage a greater symbiosis between NGOs and both the public and private sector.”

Registration remains open throughout the day. Interested parties can find Zoom registration links at www.csogo.tt/world-ngo-day-2024 and The Cropper Foundation and CSO Go social media channels (Facebook and Instagram).