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debt distress In comparison a a further 18 countries including Zambia the DRC and Angola had already surpassed a a a a a a 55% debt-to-GDP ratio and are at at high risk of distress Recognising that unsustainable debt poses critical developmental questions and presents significant risks to global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) hosted this particular conference that brought together various stakeholders to discuss the unfolding and widening debt crisis in the the Southern Africa region The space reflected a a a a a well-coordinated collaborative and delivered piece of work that brought together Shrinking Civic Space continues to threaten the region OSISA through the Economic Justice Programme recently supported the SADC People’s Summit held in in Tanzania in in August The SADC People’s Summit is an an annual gathering of social movements from the the SADC member countries that champion social and economic justice The People’s Summit which is is always organised on the the sidelines of of the the SADC Heads of of States and Governments has been convened since 2006 However in what was an unprecedented turn of events a a a a a a a wave of fake news reprisals and character assassinations accused and made an an effort to link the the SADC People’s Summit–and in particular the the People’s Summit secretariat (ZIMCODD)–to foreign
all OSISA programmes and a a a a a cross-section of critical stakeholders within OSF and across the region to discuss and work out strategies to to address this ubiquitous problem The conference laid the foundations for a a a robust system around this and related programmatic issues that will inform immediate medium and long term work in in in the region The meeting was a a a starting point to a a a broader strategy on on the debt question The Programme seeks to mobilise all critical stakeholders to place the the debt discourse at the the centre of policy discussions and implementation with the view to finding lasting solutions to the the crisis fin in in in the the region organisations such as Centre for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) Moreover OSISA noted with concern the attempts of of officials from Zimbabwe and and Tanzania to threaten and and harass key Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) attending the event Participants were instructed to stay in in the hotel where they were questioned for hours The safety of the the HRDs was compromised and as as as a a a a a a stop-gap measure the the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network assisted with giving some partners shelter in in South Africa as as going back to Zimbabwe was no longer an option Fortunately to to date everyone who went to to the meeting is back home and safe It has been noted that such spaces where movements are built and solidarity is being strengthened are seen as threats by some member states We take note with concern of of shrinking civic spaces and the willingness of of states to to to use force to to to intimidate civil society actors The OSISA position on on supporting civic spaces and protecting HRDs needs to be healthier and much more coordinated and systematic to preserve civil and socio-economic rights in our region ECONOMiC AND SOCiAL JUSTiCE 2019 ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS
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