Building alliances with civil society: a draft synthesis report

Strengthening the capacity of Southern non-governmental organisations (SNGOs) to build alliances, coalitions, networks, North South partnerships, and intersectoral partnerships was selected during the founding conference of the International Forum on Capacity Building (IFCB, Brussels 1998: 11) as one of five priority areas for new capacity-building initiatives. Subsequently, a process for identifying 'lessons learned' from best practices was coordinated, with a specific focus on civil society alliances, coalitions, and networks (CAN). From 1999 to 2001, nine examples were selected by SNGOs on the IFCB steering committee and then documented by national case writers. This report presents a synthesis of 'lessons learned' across the cases and suggests some of their implications for capacity-building.

The final section of the paper includes a 'partial list' of capacities desirable in a successful alliance:

• The capacity to initiate joint action on social issues that are meaningful within the national context.
  
• The capacity for 'collective leadership'.
  
• The capacity to organise a connected and flexible alliance.
  
• The capacity to mobilise external resources that complement and supplement alliance objectives and activities.
  
• The capacity to sustain social change visions, cooperative relationships, and experience-based knowledge of building alliances.

(From introduction)