Non-Government Organisations Uniting for a Good Cause

Cheetah Conservation Botswana by virtue of being a member of Botswana Council of Non Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), walked hand in hand with other civil society organisations by participating in the BOCONGO NGO week on the 23rd – 27th October 2017 and the Annual Stakeholder Forum from the 13th – 15th November in Gaborone. Partners in development, ranging from government officials, the private and parastatal sectors, embassy representatives, civil society organisations and the media, attended these events. Both events presented opportunities for civil society representatives to come together and voice their everyday challenges, meet with potential donors as well as network with other similar groups. Many speakers noted that collaborations are very powerful to deliver results and as such, it is very important for all role players to meet, identify and build capacity, learn from others’ experiences and act together to catalyse change. These events allow NGOs to engage on issues ranging from unemployment and poverty, sustainable resource mobilization, human wildlife conflict and the sustainability of civil society organisations while creating a platform for all participants to network further while identifying areas of collaborations to drive the civil society forward. These forums are very important since civil society forms a huge chunk in developing their countries and having NGOs recognised as active players and partners in development alongside government goes a long way in helping inspire us to attain our goals and move the country forward.