West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)

A bird cannot fly on borrowed wings. A saying rooted in Ghanaian tradition that speaks to the heart of Day 3 of #APNAssembly2026: #AMPLIFY. African philanthropy must own its stories, shape its narratives and define its future. #AfricanPhilanthropy #ShiftThePower

📢 The Feminist Landscape: Women, Movements and Change in Africa. #WACSI has launched a new report with @OpenSociety on the strategies and impact of women’s movements across 10 African countries. 📖 tinyurl.com/bdf9kspc #TheFeministLandscape #GenderEquality

Meet the researchers and speaker joining the conversation on women’s movements, policy and change across Africa. Thursday, 5 November 2026 🕙 10:00–12:00 GMT 💻 Zoom, with English–French interpretation Register here: lnkd.in/eJar9awC

#APNAssembly2026 #AfricanPhilanthropy #DAYTWO | #ADVANCE Day 1 explored Africa’s homegrown philanthropic traditions, from indigenous giving to grassroots resource mobilisation. Today, the conversation advances: scaling what works. @InfoAPN @STARGhana @norsaac

From community giving and indigenous traditions of generosity to trust, accountability and the redistribution of power, conversations on the future of African philanthropy are taking centre stage in Accra, Ghana at the 2026 #APNAssembly. @InfoAPN

WACSI Alumni Network Welcomes New Executive Committee for 2026–2028! The WACSI Alumni Network has announced its new Executive Committee for 2026–2028, led by Dr Aicha Araba Etrew the newly appointed Chairwoman. Read more here: tinyurl.com/3fu8u2uh

Communities must have the power to shape their own narratives. This week [28 - 30 October], the #ShiftingThePower Communications & Advocacy sub-group is in #Kenya, for the 2026 #Afrotellers Convening. @comicrelief @STARGhana #ShiftingThePower #WACSI

The Third Quarter 2026 edition of WACSI’s e-newsletter highlights key milestones, strategic partnerships and major events, including the landmark Africa at the Centre: Leading Change, Shifting Power convening. Get your copy here: wacsi.org/third-quarter-2026…

LastWeekInWACSI | 19-23 October 2026

Applications are OPEN for WACSI’s 2027 Next Generation Internship Programme (NGIP), Cohort 1! Eligible: Benin, Mali, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana & Nigeria Deadline: 8 Nov 2026 Apply: tinyurl.com/msf84435 🇳🇬 Nigerian applicants must be based in Abuja. Accommodation is not provided.

CSOs in Northern Ghana are turning capacity strengthening into community impact. A joint WACSI and @STARGhana visit to 10 partner organisations in Tamale, Ghana, highlighted progress in leadership, financial management and resource mobilisation. Read more: tinyurl.com/sxc5ys79

Day 1 of West Africa Civil Society Week 2026 closed with reflections on @csrhubWA, highlighting CSOs’ wins, challenges and opportunities. Alhaja Sherifah Taleat-Arafat stressed collaboration and collective action in strengthening civil society. @FordFoundation @Spaces4Change.

Liberia’s internet connectivity has grown from 21.9% to 23.5%. Are digital rights keeping pace? As more citizens go online, protections are needed to ensure safer, rights-respecting digital spaces. tinyurl.com/7jksemws Join us virtually, 17–18 Nov: tinyurl.com/rightsrespecting…

“Protecting civic space means safeguarding every citizen’s right to speak, participate and hold power accountable.” – John P. Frinjuah, WACSI. At #WestAfricaCivilSocietyWeek in Enugu, @Spaces4Change and #WACSI convene 100+ actors to explore judicial protection of civic space.

📢 WE ARE LIVE! Join Session 3 of our Building AI-Ready Organisations series to explore the skills, systems and data CSOs need to adopt AI responsibly. 💻 Join via Zoom: us06web.zoom.us/j/8414809404… HiveMind platform is undergoing maintenance. Please use the link above to join!

WACSI Executive Director Dr @NAfadzinu will speak at the 4th African Women in Philanthropy Conference on 26 October at the University of Ghana, exploring women’s leadership in local philanthropy and social investment. 🕗 8:00 a.m. Ghana time 🔗Register: tinyurl.com/awip26

WACSI Executive Director, Dr @NAfadzinu, paid a courtesy visit to Ghana’s NPO Secretariat Head, Felix Logah, building on a renewed partnership to strengthen the non-profit sector and foster constructive state-civil society collaboration. Read more: tinyurl.com/ycj27kz2

This week, WACSI’s Charles Vandyck, Farouk Alhassan and Melissa Simo are at the #ShiftingThePower Partners Convening, exchanging lessons on locally led development, ethical storytelling and collective action. #LocallyLedDevelopment #ShiftingThePower