Kampala Initiative as a community

…and the related community tools

The Kampala Initiative is set up and defined as “a democratic civil society space and structure (alliance, community) of independent, critical-thinking activists and organizations across Southern and Northern boundaries. Within this space, the critique of aid shall lead to formulating, promoting, disseminating and seeking political traction for a new, broadly shared civil society narrative on cooperation and solidarity within and beyond aid.” (see main page).

The community tools of the Kampala Initiative shall help to keep this civil society space and community at the same time vivid, democratic, and relevant. They include:

• “Beyond aid” mailing list as community forum
• Moderated online discussions
• Webinars
• Protected spaces for informal or formal subteams

Terms of Reference for these community tools have been drafted by the steering group of the Kampala Initiative and are available as PDF file: KI basics – ToR for community tools For the “Beyond aid” mailing list, moderated discussions and webinars, basic guidance is also available in the form of PDF leaflets (see below).

Other basic documents of the Kampala Initiative, in particular a work plan for the next months and a document with some “governance basics” are currently (April 2020) in the making and have already been shared with the Kampala Initiative members for review.

For any related comments, enquiries or proposals, please refer to the steering group of the Kampala Initiative, via secretariat.

“Beyond aid” mailing list

Within the Kampala Initiative, the “Beyond aid” mailing list is the core instrument for a series of interrelated communication tasks:

• Community forum for direct, “horizontal” interaction among all members
• Communication channel for updates, announcements and calls by the KI steering group, secretariat and working groups
• Platform for moderated discussions (see next section

All  members of the Kampala Initiative and all subscribers to “Beyond Aid” are similarly welcome to use the mailing list to raise issues, engage in discussions, make announcements and share information. All contributions shall be related to the overall topic of the Kampala Initiative of challenging and transforming ‘aid’. The mailing list is set up as a closed and moderated Google group.

• “Beyond aid” Google group: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!aboutgroup/beyond-aid
• Guidelines for the “Beyond aid” mailing list (leaflet, PDF): KI beyond aid mailing list

Moderated thematic discussions on “Beyond aid”

In addition to using the “Beyond aid” mailing list informally as a community space, all formal members (institutions or individuals having signed the Kampala Declaration) and thematic working groups of the Kampala Initiative are welcome to initiate and host a formal thematic discussion through the mailing list. Such discussions are structured, moderated and limited in time.

Just replying to a particular contribution on the “Beyond aid” mailing list (or continuing the conversation by replying to a reply) is not considered being a formal “moderated discussion” as outlined in this section. Such informal interaction on “Beyond aid” is always possible and most welcome.

Moderated thematic discussions can allow initiating a thematic conversation in a semi-formal and semi-protected space, in view of testing a position or analysis, benefiting of the knowledge and experience of the community and may-be preparing the ground for a more structured and more engaging activity within or outside the space provided by the KI. The initiation of a thematic discussion may also be inspired by a webinar (see section 4) or planned by the webinar organizers from the beginning to provide a structured space to continue and deepen the conversation

• Guidance on how to propose and run a moderated thematic discussion (leaflet, PDF): KI guideline – moderated thematic discussion

Series of webinars “Challenging realities of ‘aid'”

In October and November 2019, the “Kampala Initiative” was launched with a series of four pubic webinars, each focused on a case that illustrates challenges in aid, with a focus on possible solutions to advance solidarity and cooperation.

In 2020, the series of webinars will be continued. All formal members (institutions or individuals having signed the Kampala Declaration) and sub-groups of the Kampala Initiative are welcome to propose topics and then initiate, organize and implement a webinar.

Within the field of “Challenging realities of ‘aid’”, Kampala Initiative webinars are expected to be the main instrument for introducing a new topic and for attracting the attention of a broad audience (within and beyond the KI membership) to a particular case or process that needs civil society attention and maybe action. For the initiators and organizer of a webinar, there are no further expectations and commitments beyond the one outlined below.

• Overview, announcements and documentation of Kampala Initiative Webinars: Webinars page
• Guidance on how to propose and run a moderated thematic discussion (leaflet, PDF): KI guideline – webinar

Protected spaces for informal or formal subteams

To set up protected ad hoc spaces for specifically sensitive conversations within an informal group (e.g. in the follow-up of a webinar) or more formal work spaces for formal working groups or task teams of the Kampala Initiative, the secretariat can provide some limited support, upon request. As a general rule, members are expected to have the technical instruments, skills and capacity available to set up such protected spaces or informal subteams independently.