An insight to the Comoros
‘Members Stories’ is a new series of articles issued by the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS) in direct collaboration with its members, featuring the work of its members.
Curious to find out more about our colleagues in Comores? This week we talked with Ahmed Youssouf from the Maison des Organisations de la Société Civile (MOSC). He spoke to us about the current situation in the country, his personal motivation for working with civil society organisations, and their various projects within MOSC.
Maison des Organisations de la Société Civile - MOSC
La Maison des Organisations de la Société Civile brings together 65 organisations, with the aim of making civil society associations as effective as possible. These organisations deal with a wide range of issues. By bringing them together, we harmonise their legal documents, offer training on internal organisation so that they become more effective, competitive and better informed about their rights. Our aim is to give them a better understanding of their missions and the issues surrounding them, and to identify loopholes so that they can assert their rights.
Personal motivation
My involvement began in the field of the environment, with a focus on the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. As secretary of the MOSC fisheries theme and an activist for the protection of nature, it is crucial to raise people's awareness of the need to work properly to preserve the environment and conserve biodiversity and these ecosystems.
The current social situation
Around 5-10% of the population of the Comoros work in the private sector. The fight against poverty is a priority, but even students are struggling to find good jobs. There is a shortage of engineers and professionals in several essential trades. We are encouraging students to choose studies with a promising future, particularly in sectors such as fishing, production and IT, in collaboration with associations and university leaders. It is crucial that we cease to depend on foreign aid and educate our population about these essential professions.
The Current State of Civil Society
Civil society has changed, unfortunately not for the better. We are trying to relaunch advocacy for the voice of society despite these challenges. We are also working to ensure that civil society can play its part in the development of this country.
Activities and Challenges
We have been working on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, addressing themes such as transparency and equity. However, the change in the legal team is slowing down our work a little. We are waiting for the new government to define our new strategies. We are also working hard to defend human rights and combat sexual violence. Our influence is limited by a lack of capacity to work and exchange ideas. Some projects have not been able to come to fruition due to a lack of funding, despite financial support from World Wildlife - Madagascar, which has helped us with capacity building and the institutional and legal structuring of our CSOs. Given the current context, MOSC is looking to organise a major event to raise public awareness of the importance of civil society.
Other activities
We also coach many people in agricultural development. MOSC is a solution to alleviate the current crisis by refocusing the population towards more productive practices and making them understand that it is up to them to change their lives.
Main needs
We identify four main needs:
- Raise government awareness of the voice of civil society
- Reorganise post-baccalaureate study options.
- Organise community awareness-raising activities to find solutions to poverty.
- Strengthen capacities and exchanges.
“We are interested above all in improving the lives of every individual.”
Mr. AHMED Youssouf, MOSC Comores
