In 2001 Hivos funded the Baseline Survey on the Potential to Establish Community-based Discussion Forums in Namibia. The survey was conducted in the four pilot areas of Oshakati, Keetmanshoop, Rundu and Windhoek. Based on the survey recommendations, FFF worked out a strategy to establish community forums under the project Promoting Civic Participation in Namibia. These forums enabled FFF to reach out to the people in the communities in different parts of the country.In June 2002 Hivos funded a gender mainstreaming workshop for the participants representing several civil society organisations. The workshop recommendations resulted in Hivos funding the FFF Gender, HIV-AIDS and Advocacy Programme for the period 2006-2008.
Operation of the Community Forums
At the beginning of each year, representatives of the 20 forums come together in the National Consultative and Educational Meeting. Participants share information on the burning issues in their communities to be addressed in the course of the year ahead. They also discuss topical national issues. Towards the end of each year, these representatives come together in the Annual Sharing and Educational Meeting. Participants share information on the successes they have achieved and the challenges they have encountered in their respective communities in the course of the current year.