UNDP tips NGOs on ‘business unusual’ approach
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative Mia Seppo says the country’s civil society should strive for new dimensions of doing things, a move that can enable the public appreciate their advocacy role.
She said this on Wednesday when she officially opened this year’s non-governmental organisation (NGO) Week at Masintha Ground in Lilongwe, urging those exhibiting at the event to establish whether the week serves the purpose of bringing them together.
“On a personal note, I was taken aback when I saw the programme this morning as it looked so familiar. It did not look familiar from my own NGO days. It looked familiar from events organised for senior government officials,” said Seppo. 
“I would call on you, as civil society leaders, to allow for conversations that are not constrained by titles and organisational silos. Ask yourself: what motivated me to join this sector?”
She reiterated the need for the civil society to offer an alternative to what the public is accustomed to, stressing one aspect contributing to the perceptions of mistrust in NGOs is failure to account for resources.
The NGO Week provides a platform for NGOs to take stock of what they have achieved during the year, reflect on lessons learnt, identify new strategies for future operations and plan for the coming year.
Council for Non-Governmental Organisation (Congoma) board chairperson McBain Mkandawire concurred with Seppo, saying the civil society is an important development partner and that it is in its interest to manage perceptions.
“The bottom line is that corruption must be stopped if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be achieved. Corruption is an enormous obstacle to the realisation of all human rights,” he said.
