The Africa Liberal Network (ALN) is a network of liberal democratic political parties across the continent. The project was conceived of in 2003 with a vision of creating a prosperous, integrated Africa with flourishing democracies that are at peace with one another, in which every person has the right and opportunity to fulfil their potential and be what they want to be.
The ALN’s mission is to empower liberal parties to grow their support, to increase their influence on politics, and to implement liberal policies when in government. The network and its activities are funded through a combination of self-financing and support from strategic partners, most notably the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).
This vacancy is for the Coordinator of the ALN Secretariat, responsible for managing the network on a day-to-day basis and overseeing its projects. The office is located in South Africa and funded primarily by the FNF.
The position is administratively and strategically line-managed by management of FNF in sub-Saharan Africa. The Secretariat receives political guidance from the network’s elected Executive Committee. The ALN enjoys close cooperation with Liberal International (LI), the global political family to which liberal parties and organisations belong.
Core purpose of the role:
1. Oversee the delivery of ALN projects and manage the network on a daily basis;
2. Promote the efforts of the network through a variety of media; and
3. Work with ALN members and partners to expand the impact and influence of the network.
We are excited to announcement the opening for application for the ALN’s Women’s Leadership Programme 2023.
After the resounding success of the 2022 programme, the ALN is once again partnering with with theWestminster Foundation for DemocracyandD66 to support the development of women leaders in Africa.
The programme which runs betweenJuly and December 2023, is an excellent opportunity for women leaders to build upon their personal and leadership skills and learn how to become effective agents for change. Experts and peers will help leaders to deepen their understanding of various aspects of leadership.
The Programme will including political and personal training session, such as:
Identifyingissuesand bringing about change
Using themediafor your advantage (and coping with it when at difficult time)
Conducteffective oversightin parliament and using the tools available to you
Public speaking and how to handle difficult questions
Building your visibility and brandingto prepare for re-election
Managing internal party structures and negotiations
APPLICATION CRITERIA
Women leaders currently in an elected public office at a national or regional level or who hold a senior position within their political party’s decision-making structure.
Member of a political party within the ALN. Letter of endorsement from the Party Chairperson, Leader, Secretary General is required.
Ability to commit to all three in-person retreats between July and December 2023.
Women leaders that have not previously taken part in the ALN’s Women Empowerment Programme.
All applicants must have a valid passport.
Successful applicants will have the cost of their transportation, accommodation, and meals covered during the programme. All other costs will be at the participant’s expense.
Find further details about our Leadership ProgrammeHEREin English andHEREin French.
Applications are open now until the 20thof April 2023 (00:00, South Africa Time Zone / GMT+2)
In partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and D66, we are excited to open applications for the 2022 Women’s Leadership Programme. The programme which runs between September 2022 and March 2023, is an excellent opportunity for women leaders to build upon their leadership skills and learn way to become effective agents for change. Participants will deepen their understanding of the essential aspects of leadership by exploring them with peers and experts.
The Programme will including political and personal training session, such as:
Identifying issues and bringing about change
Using the media for your advantage (and coping with it when at difficult time)
Conduct effective oversight in parliament and using the tools available to you
Public speaking and how to handle difficult questions
Building your visibility and branding to prepare for re-election
Managing internal party structures and negotiations
APPLICATION CRITERIA
Women leaders currently in an elected public office or hold a senior position within their political party’s decision-making structure.
Member of a political party within the ALN. Letter of endorsement from the Party Chairperson, Leader, Secretary General is required.
Ability to commit to all three in-person retreats between October 2022 and March 2023.
Women leaders that have not previously taken part in the ALN’s Women Empowerment Programme.
All applicants must have a valid passport.
Successful applicants will have the cost of their transportation, accommodation, and meals covered during the programme. All other costs will be at the participant’s expense.
Find further details about our Leadership Programme HERE in English and HERE in French.
Applications are open now until the 25th of August 2022 (00:00, South Africa Time Zone / GMT+2)
In partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, we are excited to open applications for the event A voice for Africa’s liberal youth: Creating resilient youth organisations built on global best practice.
Taking place at the upcoming International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) General Assembly in Dakar, Senegal (16-19 June 2022), this is an excellent opportunity for leaders in youth politics. Our selected young leaders will also have the chance to participate in the Congress of Africa Liberal Youth (ALY).
Our event will be represented by five young leaders from ALN Member Parties, one selected from each region of the continent and in reflection of the diversity of youth structures and activism.
The selected young leaders will share the spotlight in co-facilitating a workshop focussing on key challenges and opportunities African liberal youth face. And by engaging with global participants at IFLRY and ALY, we will together craft solutions to key questions, such as:
What are the main roles and responsibilities of a youth organisation?
How do we select ideal leadership structures to ingrain resilience?
What channels and activities should we consider to build committed, dedicated members?
APPLICATION CRITERIA
Young leaders (18-35) actively engaged in political life. Demonstrable proof of leadership in youth politics is required.
Fluent in English.
A visible commitment to positively impact their communities, countries, and the continent
Member of, or affiliated to, a political party within the ALN. Letter of endorsement from Party Chairperson, Leader, Secretary-General, or other equivalent authority is required.
Ability to commit to:
Pre-departure briefings and completion of part-time tasks from 1 June.
In-person participation in Senegal from 15-19 June.
Consolidation of best practice notes gathered at the event until end of June.
Applicants with some facilitation experience are preferred.
Preference may also be applied to applicants either affiliated to IFLRY or with a pending application to join the organisation.
Successful applicants will be provided with return transportation to Senegal, accommodation, meals, and registration fees for the IFLRY conference. All other costs will be at the participant’s expense.
Applications are now open until 5 May 2022 (00:00, South Africa Time Zone / GMT+2). Please use the link below to apply.
The Africa Liberal Network is delighted to announce the Network’s new Coordinator, Ms Robyn Thomson.
Robyn, a 27-year-old from Cape Town, joins the network’s Secretariat after serving as a Researcher and Acting Head of Media for the Democratic Alliance at South Africa’s Western Cape Provincial Parliament. In those roles, she supported liberal politicians through her strong research skills and extensive communication experience in portfolios such as economic development, housing, and constitutional affairs.
Parties in government, it is well-placed to provide a platform for uniquely African liberal solutions to the challenges and opportunities our continent faces.”
Robyn’s postgraduate studies at Stellenbosch University focused on the role that informal networks play in the representation of women in political life.
“Having studied and worked with female politicians, I am acutely aware of some of the difficulties they face in being represented in politics and government. I’m proud to be joining a Network that has a track record of supporting the entry of women into the political sphere, and I look forward to more that we can do to ensure their success in positions of real power.”
Moving forward, Robyn will be focusing on plans for the ALN’s 2022 General Assembly, collaborating with our longstanding Strategic Partners, and supporting the smooth functioning of our Executive Committee.
“We are moving into a post-pandemic period, and so it is a fantastic opportunity to hold an in-person General Assembly this year. I look forward to this flagship event and meeting the delegates of our Member Parties and Partner Organisations there,” Robyn adds.
The ALN Coordinator is available for all matters from our Member Parties. Robyn can be contacted on email (robyn@africaliberalnetwork.org) or mobile (+27 72 591 7982).
Robyn, âgée de 27 ans et originaire de Cap Town, rejoint le secrétariat du réseau après avoir servi comme chercheuse et responsable par intérim des médias pour l’Alliance Démocratique au Parlement provincial du Cap occidental, en Afrique du Sud. Grâce à ses solides compétences et à sa vaste expérience dans le domaine de la communication, Robyn a soutenu et accompagné les acteurs politiques libéraux dans des portefeuilles tels que le développement économique, le logement et les affaires constitutionnelles.
« Je me réjouis d’occuper cette nouvelle fonction au sein du RLA. Étant donné que le Réseau compte désormais en son sein plusieurs partis membres au pouvoir, il convient de fournir une plate-forme de politiques et de solutions libérales africaines uniques qui répondent aux défis et aux opportunités auxquels notre continent est confronté. »
Les études de troisième cycle de Robyn à l’Université de Stellenbosch portaient principalement sur le rôle que jouent les réseaux informels dans la représentation des femmes dans la vie politique.
« Ayant étudié et travaillé avec des femmes politiques, je suis parfaitement consciente de certaines des difficultés auxquelles elles sont confrontées pour être représentées en politique et même participer à l’exercice du pouvoir. Je suis fière de rejoindre un réseau qui a fait ses preuves en matière d’appui et de renforcement des femmes pour leur faciliter l’accès à la sphère politique, et je me réjouis de pouvoir faire plus afin d’assurer leur succès dans des postes de décisions. »
Très prochainement, Robyn se concentrera sur la planification et l’organisation de l’Assemblée Générale 2022 du RLA, en collaboration avec nos partenaires stratégiques de longue date. En autres missions, Robyn soutiendra aussi le bon fonctionnement de notre Comité Exécutif.
“Nous entrons dans une période post-pandémique, et c’est donc une opportunité fantastique de tenir une Assemblée Générale en présentiel cette année. J’ai hâte de participer à cet évènement phare de la vie du RLA et d’y rencontrer les délégués de nos partis membres et organisations partenaires », ajoute Robyn.
La Coordonnatrice du RLA reste à votre disposition pour toute question concernant nos partis membres. Robyn est joignable par e-mail (robyn@africaliberalnetwork.org) ou mobile (+27 72 591 7982).
The Africa Liberal Network is proud to announce the graduation of the alumni, who participated in the 2020 Women’s Leadership Programme. This is a total of 15 women, representing member parties of the Africa Liberal Network in Senegal, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, Sierre Leone, Burkina Faso, Somalia, Tanzania and Zambia.
The graduates of 2020 join the 2019 graduates and together, they make up a collective of 30 politically active women who have been developed by the network and our strategic partners, to campaign, contest and win elections internally in political parties and in public office.
On Tuesday 18 May, the #ALNwomen 2020 graduation culminated in all alumni, presenting their year-long individual development projects. A panel of 5 members individually scored each alumni’s presentation according to the content and the impact of the project.
The three (3) highest scoring graduates were Stenah Shampile from Zambia, Nereah Amondi Oketch from Kenya and Nadifa Osman from Somalia.
In his opening remarks of the graduation ceremony, Gilbert Noël Ouédraogo – in his capacity as President of the Africa Liberal Network said:
“As you all are aware, we are still battling with overcoming the health risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. And it is for that reason, that we have not been able to convene this graduation ceremony in person.
Indeed, I am absolutely thrilled to be amongst all of you, on this very important occasion, as our 2020 Women’s Leadership Programme alumni present their individual leadership projects and thereafter graduate from the programme.
May I start by congratulating each and every one, for your continued commitment in the programme. I am aware that when the pandemic broke out in March 2020, the programme was amended and pursued online and all of you committed to 15 online workshops during weekends and continued to also connect in private one on one sessions with trainers and support experts. Thank you for committing to the cause.
I wish to also express gratitude to the Liberal Democrats and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, for making your online participation possible, by supporting each participant with a laptop and allowance for your access to data and the internet.
In my capacity as the President of the Africa Liberal Network, I look forward to our continued collaborations, to advance the inclusion of women in key decision-making roles and certainly in leading our communities and countries to development.
Recognising, the Africa Liberal Network and our member parties have an important responsibility to continue to support you on your political journeys and recognising the contributions you will each make to your communities, your political parties and the network at large
The Africa Liberal Network will continue to engage with each of you in programmes of diversity and inclusion, similar to the one we convened recently on 13 & 14 March, which was facilitated by Lidia Rauch of Bloom Enterprise. We look forward to bringing together, the #ALNwomen alumni of 2019 & 2020, to be the mentors and pillars of support to the 2021 Women Empowerment Programme participants, whom we will be meeting this week on Thursday 20 May & Friday 21 May 2021With you all, the network may access insights and guidance regarding the advancement of the sustainable development goal number 5, which seeks to achieve the human right of gender equality and empower all women and girls
Together, we may consult the member parties of the Africa Liberal Network, to negotiate minimum standards for including and supporing more women through candidate selection processes and electoral colleges
Lastly, I wish to express gratitude to all the trainers, facilitators and experts, who have supported the programme with imparting skills to our 2020 graduates.
Le Réseau Libéral Africain a appris que M. Cellou Dalein Diallo, Président de l’UFDG et Vice-Président exécutif de l’Internationale Libérale, a été empêché de sortir du territoire national alors qu’il se rendait à Abidjan pour présenter les condoléances de l’Internationale Libérale et prendre part aux funérailles de feu Hamed Bakayoko, Premier Ministre de Côte d’Ivoire.
Il convient de noter qu’aucune décision, administrative ou judiciaire, ne justifiait cette interdiction de facto de sortie du territoire et que M. Diallo avait été confronté à la même situation lorsqu’il se rendait, le 30 décembre dernier à Bamako, pour prendre part aux obsèques de feu Soumaila Cissé, Président de l’URD.
Le Réseau Libéral Africain exprime sa profonde préoccupation face aux violations récurrentes des droits et libertés de l’UFDG, de notre parti membre et de ses cadres.
