CATTF 2024: A Catalyst for Empowering Independent Voices in Central Africa

By Claire Fenangi*

The Nkafu Policy Institute, a think tank of the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation, will host the second edition of the Central Africa Think Tank Forum (CATTF) on August 21-22, 2024, in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This year’s event, themed “Empowering Independent Voices in the Central African Region” aims to address the challenges faced by think tanks and civil society organizations in Central Africa while fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.

In an interview with Anthony Antem, Head of the Conflict Prevention and Analysis Unit at the Peace and Security Division of the Nkafu Policy Institute and co-lead of the 2024 CATTF organization committee, shares his perspectives on the Forum’s vision, growth, and potential impact on policy-making in the region.

Thank you very much Mr. Antem for accepting our invitation to talk about the 2nd edition of the Central Africa Think Tank Forum. What inspired the creation of the Central Africa Think Tank Forum?

Anthony Antem: Thank you very much Claire for having me in this interview. It is quite a privilege for me to speak about the 2nd edition of the Central Africa Think Tank Forum. To start with, our vision for the Central Africa Think Tank Forum (CATTF) stems from a Pan-African desire to find African solutions to African problems. The team and I are committed to addressing challenges that are plaguing the Central African Region.

Through the CATTF, we are gathering perspectives from multiple stakeholders to see how we can effectively map out African solutions to these African problems. That is the first issue that prompts our vision for this event. Looking at the bigger picture, the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation from an organizational perspective has long been committed to catalyzing Africa's Socio-Economic Transformation, through research, policy analysis and advocacy that translate to concrete actions geared towards enhancing human security and corporate well-being.

This Forum lies as a bedrock that aligns with this vision. Again, if you look at it from a regional perspective, the CATTF is a meaningful step championed by civil society which equally aims to drive the African Agenda 2063 which further seeks to achieve the “Africa We Want”, in other words, the perspectives or the ways we need to see and live in Africa by 2063.

Finally, from a global perspective, you can equally look at the CATTF as a platform for advocacy on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) more specifically goal 17 which seeks to foster global collaboration and partnerships in achieving the SDGs.  These are the multiple layers that prompt our vision for the Central Africa Think Tank Forum.

How has it grown or changed since its inception last year?

Anthony Antem: Thank you very much, for this pertinent question. It allows me to speak about how we have grown from the 1st edition last year. There are many ways to measure the growth of CATTF.

Firstly, we can choose to look at it from a participant's perspective. Last year we brought to Yaounde close to a hundred people across 11 countries from the ECCAS Region and beyond, and this year it is certain to host much more than that because of the increasing interest we receive from people across different regions. Since this forum aims to target think tanks first, we had close to 15 think tanks across all countries in the ECAS region. This year, the Forum promises to host between 15 – 22 think tanks.

That is a visible indicator of how we are growing in terms of engagement. Equally, you can measure our growth in terms of the number of participants out of the region who manifest their interest towards this event. I want to be specific on this because the CATTF seeks to address challenges that are peculiar to the Central African Region but Africans across other regions have manifested interest to participate in this edition. This speaks to the fact that people out of the region see this forum as a valuable platform where we can have an exchange of knowledge and shared experiences. So, these are some indicators by which you can measure the growth of the CATTF.

What are the main goals for this year’s event?

Anthony Antem: The first goal is to identify and empower independent voices in the Central African Region. By independent voices, we are talking about individuals, thought-leaders, women and girls championing noble causes in their respective communities. We are also talking about civil society organizations and grassroots communities that are operating within the Central African Region yet, are not visible enough.

I stress the word empower because it is not just about bringing people to the table, but collectively building their capacities and exploiting ways in which we can accompany them throughout the process to ensure their impact is visible across the region and globally.

Secondly, we are in a continuous process to build a platform for continued exchange of knowledge, experiences and opportunities amongst key stakeholders.

Why was this theme chosen?

Anthony Antem: Firstly, it is important to understand the current context of the Central African Region to better understand why this edition specifically seeks to empower independent voices. You see, the Central African region is faced with a lot of challenges, some of which are related to the repression of civic rights and civil liberties, such as the repression of civilians; the torture, arrest and killing of whistleblowers and journalists; the repression of political parties or opposition leaders, if you would put it that way, and many others.

Meanwhile, these people and organizations who are being repressed have a role to play in shaping public policies, providing much-needed support to advance government action and collectively contributing to enhancing sustainable development. Increasingly, the contribution of CSOs is being recognized even at the regional level.

In February 2023 for example, the African Union recognized the contribution of think tanks in advancing sustainable development, mainly in the areas of research, knowledge management and advocacy. That is what prompted the creation of the African Union Network of Think Tanks for Peace amongst many other networks that currently exist and so, there is this increasing awareness and recognition of the work that civil society organizations and think tanks are doing.

In this edition, therefore, our objective is to identify some of these independent voices, and key opinion leaders and provide them with a platform where their voices could be heard and their impact felt. This further responds to the need to open up the shrinking civic space which the central African region in particular has been deprived of for a long time.

So, what are some of the highlights of the Forum? Who are the key speakers or sessions to look out for?

Anthony Antem: Well, if you agree with me that the value of each event lies in the quality of speakers convened, the relevance and articulation of the theme being discussed, the facility with which information is made available to all participants, the inclusiveness and accessibility with which participants navigate all segments of the event, you will then understand why the Forum is generating much interest and promises to have great highlights. As much as I wouldn’t like to let the cat out of the bag, this edition will host the presence of the Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies, Dr. Fonteh Akum, who will be one of our keynote speakers.

Equally, we will be having in this edition Prof. Sarah Anyang, Former AU Commissioner for STEM. Our very own globally reputed champion for women's participation in peace processes, Esther Omam from Reach Out Cameroon, will be sharing her experiences gathered from the field, while Dr Jacob Kotcho, Director of the Common Market, ECCAS will be honouring us with his presence, without forgetting our own very Dr. Denis Foretia, the visionary behind the Central Africa Think Tank Forum, who will be sharing with us his reflections across multiple areas at this event. These are a few of the key persons who’ll be animating conversations and I am sure that you will be excited to meet them at the Forum.

How does the forum facilitate partnerships?

Anthony Antem: The forum creates a platform where think tanks across the Central African region can meet, discuss and collaborate. There are many ways collaboration is going to take place, vertically and horizontally. Vertically, there is going to be a collaboration between think tanks, donor agencies and policymakers. Horizontally, you will have collaborations amongst other think tanks who work in the same space or diverse spaces, overboard civil society organizations that are operating within the Central African region.

Partnerships are going to be evident in terms of the platform created through breakout sessions, working groups, networking breakfast sessions and more. We have particularly ensured that the forum has a lot of agile sessions for people to be able to have one-on-one conversations.

What is the potential impact of CATTF on policy-making in Central Africa?

Anthony Antem: Well, the impact we are looking for in terms of policymaking can be examined at two levels. One in terms of policy formulation and the other in terms of policy implementation. You see, in Africa, we have a fundamental problem in terms of how our policies are formulated. In many contexts, it’s a top-bottom approach to policy formulation or an approach that meets the interests of the elite minority.

This means that policies are not sufficiently tailored to meet the needs of people in the communities. We expect that through this Forum, policy makers will be able to remind themselves of these approaches and proceed to make well-informed and evidence-based policies which will later on be translated into actionable programs and projects.

In terms of implementation, we hope and expect policymakers to integrate multiple actors in the phase of policy implementation. Policies are generally made by state authorities, but in the implementation phase, we expect all actors in the community to feel a sense of ownership so that the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation a collective processes.

There is a saying that nothing good comes easy. So, tell us, what are some of the challenges in organizing such an event?

Anthony Antem: Organizing such an event could be quite a task as you may know but our motivation exceeds our perception of the challenges that we face. Before talking about the challenges, let me recognize here that we have had the necessary support from administrative authorities which is indispensable to pull such a gathering.

We have the administrative clearance to organize this event and this is sufficient proof that the forum is being endorsed by administrative authorities so, we are not faced with a lot of challenges at that level. We would have loved to have more seasoned experts and more influential persons across the Central African Region and even across the African region at large speaking at this event, but due to operational requirements, we will be unable to bring some of these key stakeholders.

What are some of the long-term goals for this forum?

Anthony Antem: First I will talk about sustainability. We desire that the CATTF is sustainable. Most often while implementing such initiatives, people often focus on the moment forgetting to plan for the future. So, in the long term, we expect to see the CATTF sustained across the future and this will require a collaborative approach. Equally, we are looking at this forum as the go-to platform where policymakers can convene annually to inform themselves and share perspectives as to how partnerships can be sustained.

I want to stress the fact that the Central Africa think tank forum brings together a wide community of researchers and civil society organizations who work by extension at the grassroots level. It is therefore an opportunity for policymakers who attend to be able to inform themselves of happenings at grassroots levels. Across the next years, we wish to see evident growth and multiplication of think tanks, a multiplication of civil society actors, and in-depth collaboration across organizations and countries in the ECCAS region.

What do you have to tell potential participants and those willing to attend the Forum?

Anthony Antem: Well, I would like to tell potential participants to come with an open and expectant mind. Beyond the conversations, The CATTF will be an opportunity to meet and connect with a network of resourceful intellectuals and influential policymakers. Though we restrict ourselves to focus primarily on the Central African region, I want to assure you that we will be exploring broader horizons of the African continent, and so we will be sourcing for new perspectives.

We have put in place the necessary operational and logistic requirements that are going to enhance the effectiveness of this forum at all levels and so we are ready to receive participants and hope that they are going to contribute to the continued success of this forum.

*Claire Fenangi is a Communications Associate at the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation.