Let’s go for three days of giving and receiving between international experts and local elected officials from the largest urban municipality in Guinea. This workshop, the work of which was launched this Wednesday, March 15, 2023, is an initiative of the Think-Tank IPED (Initiative for Economic Foresight and Sustainable Development) and funded by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS).
Called “FACE the PEOPLE”, this pilot project aims to open a serious debate between local elected representatives of Matoto, civil society actors, elders, young people, women and men from the media, on important themes related to their respective missions and attributions. History of making Guinea benefit from this initiative developed by KAS in several West African countries.
In his welcome speech, the Director of’Initiative for Economic Prospective and Sustainable Development, recalled the importance of such a meeting for a country like Guinea. Mr. Mamadou Hafiziou BARRY maintains that this workshop will have the advantage of giving elected officials an opportunity to communicate on the projects of the municipality, to share their daily difficulties in the exercise of their missions. This will facilitate, according to the first person in charge of the IPED, the adhesion of the populations to their program of society.
« This workshop brings together participants from the Municipal Council of Matoto, civil society, elders, young people, women and the press. Through this workshop, our organization aims to contribute to building the capacities of Matoto’s elected officials on important topics related to the missions and attributions of the municipalities. It is part of our vision to make our country benefit from the “FACE au PEOPLE” initiative developed in several West African countries by KAS. This initiative aims to establish a fruitful debate between elected officials and their constituents represented by civil society; this will have the advantage of giving elected officials an opportunity to communicate on the projects of the municipality, to share their daily difficulties in the exercise of their missions; anything that will facilitate the adherence of populations to their social program », informed the Director of IPED.
Mamadou Hafiziou BARRY adds: « To date and thanks to the support of KAS, IPED has carried out several studies and published policy briefs on various subjects relating to the governance of dams, economic transformation, etc. IPED has also participated in the within the Solution Think Tank network, of which he is a member, has written several articles on electoral commissions in West Africa, the free movement of people and goods in the ECOWAS region, the fight against terrorism and the cross-border insecurity, the financing of local authorities and higher education in West Africa. Currently, we are members of the working groups on food security and on mines. The articles produced will be presented at the next summit scheduled for Abidjan in May 2023. This is the place and the moment to thank the KAS for the unwavering support it has given us for many years in the context of our activities,” he concluded..
For her part, the resident representative of the WHAT welcomed and encouraged this project led by l’IPED. Dr. Stéphanie BRINKEL also did not fail to highlight the reasons that motivate her institution to always support the activities of l’Initiative for Economic Prospects and Sustainable Development.
« The theme that brings us together today is important given the fact that the decentralization process aims to stimulate grassroots development, I believe. It is therefore necessary that the populations and even the municipal elected officials be educated on the concept of decentralization and its implications. This is why the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, a German political foundation close to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) whose values and ideology it defends, has decided to support this capacity building workshop for the various stakeholders in the management of a municipality that are local elected officials and civil society”.
Continue : « It is important that the populations take ownership of the law on decentralization and therefore manage to make the difference between the elected officials who are the mayors and the deputies in order to play their role of supporting the actions of the latter. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung would therefore like through this workshop to support the authorities of Guinea in their development actions for the benefit of the populations.
This is why I would like to thank all the experts who agreed to share their experiences with you”, greeted lady BRINKEL.
By officially launching the work of this workshop, the mayor of the commune of Matoto, Mamadouba Toss CAMARA was delighted with the choice of his jurisdiction for this pilot project.
« First of all, I would like to warmly thank the organizers of this training session for choosing our municipality to organize this capacity building workshop for the local elected officials of Matoto. It is for us, an immense pleasure and a duty to take part in this workshop whose themes which will be approached will allow us for sure to face certain concerns in the collective life.
I particularly welcome the presence of the Technical and Financial Partners who, through their invaluable collaboration, continue to provide support at all levels in the implementation of development projects. This capacity building workshop is intended to be a melting pot of exchanges with the actors present here. . In view of the quality and commitment of all, I remain convinced that relevant lessons will come out of these exchanges which will allow each of us to play our part, for inclusive growth, in the service of the socio-economic development of our Commune.
With that, I wish full success to the work of this workshop.».
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