Ethio-Japan Partnership Seminar Proceeding - CRDA Ethiopia

esources directly to grassroots level, achieving commitment of Japanesegovernment to the ODA. He also mentioned that it is necessary that civil societyshould be an equal partner of TICAD so that it could be a forum where people ofAfrica and Japan discuss what the future has uphold for both.TICAD also serves as voices of African and Japanese civil society, whosedeliberation in October 2007, in its meeting held in Japan, Tokyo, voicedcommon genuine concern of African, Japanese, and other Asian civil society, andpresented concrete suggestions and actionable recommendations to the TokyoInternational Conference on African development (TICAD). These are thefollowing: People centered; ownership and bottom-up approaches Community empowerment for sustainable impact Capacity enhancement for government and CSOs Involvement of CSOs throughout TICAD as equal partners.He further mentioned the three major voices of the civil society in which TICADserves as mouthpieces, and these are on Investment and economicdevelopment, human security and environment and climate change issues.Acknowledging the positive economic growth Africa is experiencing, in which fewcountries recorded 5% economic growth and others like Ethiopia did 10%economic growth, that now makes the continent a viable investment destination,and is an indicator that development efforts are bearing fruit on the continent,he said.He further briefed the recommendations that TICAD has identified three majorvoices outlined to achieve human dignity and satisfy basic human rights in thecontinent, which will be dispatched to Gabon Ministerial Conference on TICAD inMarch 2008, publish white paper in March 2008, and civil society symposium inMay 2008. Basic documents that outline and explain the activities andpreambles of TICAD was distributed to the participants for their further studyand comments they may have and be forwarded to the TICAD representative,12