Angola conducted a three-day workshop on Civic Education and Voter Information

UNDP in Angola, in collaboration with the National Electoral Commission (Comissao Nacional Eleitoral) and the Instituto Angolano de Sistemas Eleitorais e Democraticos (IASED), a local NGO working in electoral matters, conducted a three-day workshop on Civic Education and Voter Information to members of NGOs involved in Civic Education campaigns as well as CNE representatives from the 18 provinces of the country.

The workshop is part of a more comprehensive programme in line with what has been the BRIDGE presence in Angola, initiated with the PROPALOP project in 2012. During the three days, the participants deepened their understanding of Civic Education related concepts, learned about planning and implementation of a Voter Information programme, and finally “discovered” various elements of the Gender perspective in electoral processes. At the end, groups were formed according to geographical criteria to develop a Voter Education plan to their provinces that they committed to share with their peers for implementation.

The level of participation was high throughout the workshop with the participants showing particular interest in some aspects such as: The principles of Civic Education, the difference between Impartiality and Neutrality, among others. The final evaluation shows that the vast majority of the participants rated the workshop at level 4 and 5, with many expressing their appreciation for the learning opportunity.

The event was officially opened with the presence of the President of the National Electoral Commission, Dr. Andre da Silva Neto , The Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Angola, Dr. Pier Paolo Balladelli and the UNDP Country Director, Henrik Larson. They all praised the collaboration among the National Electoral Commission, the UNDP and the IASED in Civic Education and Electoral Information, and the importance of continuously develop capacities of Civil Society , particularly in the context of the upcoming elections, on 23 August 2017.

On the last day, one of the participants said that, although she didn’t know what to expect when she first came into the workshop, she was leaving the workshop with determination to share with her colleagues what she had learned.

The three organisations involved in the implementation of this workshop remain committed to conduct more BRIDGE relevant to the identified stakeholders according to the electoral calendar.