JENA África: Changing the Way We Work Through Networking

The need for global change has never been greater and there is tangible momentum for change. However, in order the Justice and Ecology Network of Africa (JENA), to play the most effective role possible in the global movement for change we have been making attempts to change the way we work through strengthening networking and coordination. Since 2012, we have been building on our experience and then evolving rapidly. Inspired and guided by our strategic plan, 2019 – 2023, we have begun a process of institutional reconfiguration and strengthening.

A key focus here has been to strengthen internal and external communication capacities of JENA in order to increase policy makers’ attention to Africa and to JENA’s political message. Central to networking is effective communication. Therefore, since 2018 JENA has developed an updated communication strategy. This has helped improving internal communication between the network members and the secretariat as well as external communication between JENA and external actors.

In terms of internal communication, JENA has put in place several tools to allow JENA members and the JENA secretariat to communicate more efficiently, such as: a mailing list of each of the established Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) together with dedicated Google Groups; weekly newsflash and periodical newsletter about JENA and its work, members’ work and activities, etc. JENA members’ work is widely distributed through a network of contacts including civil society organisations and IGO policy-makers and influencers like the AU and EU and others.

The second strategy in JENA institutional building for stronger networking has been the strengthening of coordination among JENA members’ (International) advocacy work. For example, with the support of the Spanish Province, since 2018 JENA has developed a common strategy after a process of joint context analysis involving all network members. The process adopted an open and inclusive process. To better manage the strategy implementation process, JENA has created working groups comprising JENA member representatives around six topic areas all related to JENA’s areas of impact:

1. Youth empowerment and leadership development
2. Right to Quality Education
3. Refugees and Migrants
4. Responsible Business and Corporate Accountability
5. Domestic Resource Mobilization and Tax Justice
6. Climate Justice