Constructing Citizenship in Mozambique (COCIM)

Implemented in Niassa, Cabo Delgado, and Maputo provinces, the project is based on the idea that citizens need not only a voice (understood as the capacity of citizens to express their ideas and ways of putting them into practice) but also real capability to participate in and influence the development of their communities. The COCIM programme comprises partnerships with a dozen organisations, including working with a network of change agents, based in the nine districts in Niassa province where COCIM is active. The change agents are members of the community chosen by the community for their lack of affiliation to any political party as well as their capacity to win over and mobilise the community to participate in the process of local governance.

The COCIM programme pursues activities in the following areas:

• Institutional development of civil society organisations through the Human Resources Study and Development Centre (CEDER) based in Lichinga – Niassa.
• Local governance and community participation through training of partners and change agents in matters relating to monitoring and advocacy in local government, support for human rights, with emphasis on rights to development, access to information, and the rights of children and women.
• Capacity building for four civil society organisations in Niassa to be able to carry out monitoring and advocacy, through a partnership with the Civil Society Support Mechanism (CSSM). From November 2010 to July 2012, a series of capacity-building actions, including exchange visits, were being carried out related to monitoring and evaluation of the government’s performance, planning and budgeting systems in Mozambique, local governance, advocacy strategy, and rights-based advocacy.
• Ensuring that gender issues are prominent on the agendas of the provincial and municipal assemblies in Niassa, Cabo Delgado, and Zambezia through a project entitled Women in Politics implemented jointly with Forum Mulher. Women elected to fill political posts, as well as those who are representatives of civil society, are provided with skills on gender issues and an understanding of the Constitution, the legislation, and their role and responsibilities. Through their training, the female representatives will be better-skilled to integrate gender equality into their political work, and in this way to influence women’s role in Mozambique.
• As part of Alliance 2015, IBIS operates at national level through monitoring and advocacy to ensure effective compliance with the decisions taken at the Accra High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness. This programme area has included support for research studies related to transparency. These research studies are designed to help civil society, the media, and Parliament to more effectively monitor the action of the government and partner.
• Through a partnership with the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), COCIM supports civil society in Mozambique in research and advocacy activities for transparent, efficient, and effective management of businesses and resources from the exploitation of the country’s natural and energy resources. This included research and public awareness-raising activities, for example the publication of books and documents, and seminars and round tables.

Governance

According to IBIS, the rights of Mozambican citizens provided for in the Constitution of the Republic are still far from being respected. The participation of citizens and of civil society in Mozambique is still in a developing stage.