Call for Nominations for Trustees of a New Southern African Trust

Southern Africa Trust Background Information & Nomination Packet
A new regional funding and policy organization is being established in Southern Africa by the Southern African Grantmakers Association (SAGA -- one of Synergos' partners), the Department for International Development in Southern Africa of the United Kingdom and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

The Trust will aim to support development innovation by strengthening the voice of poor people in public policy processes to reduce poverty and inequality in Southern Africa in ways that promote regional linkages and a regional agenda. It will be governed by Southern Africans, drawn from the civil society sector, including business, labor, faith-based organizations, and academic institutions. They will direct its policies, program choices and funding decisions.

Synergos' Regional Director for Southern Africa, Barry Smith, is advisor to the Joint Steering Committee for the initiative, which is aiming to attract high quality nominations for Trustees of the organization from across the region.

If you or anyone in Southern Africa might be interested in serving as a Trustee of this important new institution, please review the attached information/nomination packet. We hope that you will pass this information on to other interested people.

Thedeadline for nominations has been extended to June 1, 2004; the Trust is expected to be constituted in July.

The Trustees will:

  • Be people of integrity and good standing, with passion and commitment on issues of development and social justice;
  • Have an institutional track record of promoting economic and/or social development within SADC
  • Be able to apply a regional development perspective, and promote an agenda that crosses boundaries, and goes beyond specific national or sectoral interests
  • Have insight into the role of public policy processes in the reduction of poverty and inequality
  • Embrace innovation, diversity, and democratic processes of contestation.
Additional information is also available on line at www.donors.org.za. Any further queries should be emailed to dfidsa-nominations@dfid.gov.uk.

May 11, 2004