It is my pleasure to compile this edition of the ACCA newsletter for the ACCA’s member organisations and friends. This edition of the ACCA newsletter features a story of the work done by New Media Advocacy Project (N-Map) and the Centre du Commerce International pour le Development (CECIDE) in using video to help mining-affected communities protect their rights in Guinea, as well as an introduction to the newest member of the ACCA Steering Committee (SC), and some reflections on the ACCA’s participation in this year’s Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI) in Cape Town.
This year marks the 5th year of ACCA's existence since its inception meeting in Accra, Ghana, in 2013. In as much as the Coalition has grown since the inception meeting, the ACCA continues to strive to be of service to its member organisations, partners organisations and the broader business and human rights community.
This year’s ACCA General Assembly (GA) is scheduled to take place in Nairobi during the week of 8-12 October 2018. The ACCA GA is already considered one of the most prominent annual events on business and human rights in Africa, and the ACCA is committed to continue improving the quality of the event. As such, it was decided at the most recent SC meeting that the ACCA will try innovative ways to make the ACCA GA more exciting, participatory, and interactive. The ACCA GA will also be guided by community narratives, allow spaces and opportunities for the ACCA membership to network and interact, and also showcase the work they do day-to-day. During the SC members meeting in Cape Town, the SC members decided that theme for this year’s GA will be Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). We will continue to update members on developments regarding the planning of this year’s GA.
During last year’s ACCA GA, it was decided that a call for applications to hire a new project’s Coordinator would be released to recruit an additional member to the ACCA secretariat who would help take forward the ACCA’s substantial work and advocacy efforts. We are pleased to announce that the new Project’s Coordinator will be joining us from 1 May 2018, and we look forward to officially introducing our newest addition to the team. My current role will be more centred on communications and development, whereas the new Project Coordintaor will focus on substantive work - but more on that to follow. This appointment bears testimony to the growth that the ACCA has achieved and the potential for further growth.
We hope that you enjoy this edition of the ACCA newsletter and look forward to future engagement with the ACCA community at large.
Damian Oakes