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LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND CSO NATIONAL DIALOGUE

NARRATIVE REPORT & CALL FOR ACTION TO LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND

Theme: “CSOs working together to ensure No One Is Left Behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”

A total of 30 Civil Society Organisation representatives came together at the Victoria Palms Hotel Conference room on 14th and 15th November, 2016 to deliberate on who are the vulnerable groups who are at the risk of being left behind in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Groups.

The group identified the following groups identified and held discussions on the following groups: Young People, Women and Girls, Indigenous People, Older Persons, LGBTQI, Ethnic and Religious Minorities, People with Disabilities, Trade Unions and Rural Population.

This document highlights proposed innovative solutions and call for action to all key stakeholders in Government, United Nations (UN) Organizations, Regional Organizations, Corporate Organizations, and Civil Society Organisation.

The Leave No One Behind Consultation Forum was organized by Fiji Council of Social Services and was funded by CIVICUS.

Objectives:

The main objective of the conference was to identify innovative ways of addressing issues to enable involvement of all groups in the progress and achievement of SDGs

Methodology

• Discussions on issues and root causes for the 9 groups identified along with the CSO sector at large

• Discussions on innovative solutions and resources needed to implement innovative solutions

• Call for action to stakeholders

Leave No One Behind National Dialogue

14th-15thNovember 2016 Venue: Victoria Palms Hotel

Call for Action:

We, as CSO representatives acknowledge the cross cutting nature of our issues and recognize that; building partnership truly holds the key to sharing the quest to bring about progressive changes into the society, and where CSO’s contributions matters significantly.

We are calling for:

• An Integrated approach from government ministries, development partners and CSOs to address development issues, both internally and externally.

• A wider inclusive consultation by the National Development Partners in the localised planning, implementation and reporting of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) No One is left behind ( based on age, disability, gender, sexual orientation etc)

• Strong emphasis being placed on monitoring and evaluation of national legislations and policies set up for inclusion purposes

• Multi-sectoral approach in addressing issues of the people and reviewing outcomes • A move from tokenism to true engagement and ownership of and by vulnerable

groups • Recognition and use of the influence of Faith Based Organisations and Education

Institutions to create high impact changes in Fijian Communities • Decentralisation of services and resources to all parts of Fiji and that the services to

be disability inclusive and accessible for all • Integrated approach to programming by all development players • Use of local expertise(e.g.older persons and people with understanding the local

context ,to build capacity) • Recognition of and response to Social and mental health issues as an emerging issue

for Fijians ,which needs to be addressed by development partners through qualified personnel in efforts under the SDG Framework

• Working on National building codes with the Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation and its member Disable Peoples Organisations-relevant Ministries on the review of the Act

• Disability Parking lots for persons with disabilities in various public places, Super Markets etc.

• National Data Census collection – advocate for Disability desegregated data collection by gender, type of disability etc to relevant authority

Recommendations for Innovative Solutions and Group Specific Call for Action to Leave No-one Behind

Issue Innovative Solutions Call for Action Rural Population • Urban Drift – Decentralisation

of Services • Training and Empowerment

with more coordination amongst stakeholders working in this area on Integrated Rural Resource Management

• Financial Literacy • Education for Rural Populations

Systems and processes to access the services or to provide feedback to government and otherwise

Resources National and Local Government Mechanisms Turaga Ni Koro and Advisory Councils District Officers and Provincial Administrator

Call for action • Implementation of policies

and legislations • Supporting in marketing

rural products • Establishment of local

governance structures for representatives

• Provincial Council to look at holistic development coordination and consultation on development coordination and empowerment

Older Persons • To promote social advancement and social cohesion

• Strengthening family values within homes- continuing and strengthening programs with FBOS

• Secured pre- retirement plans – Middle Aged Persons (NCOP and FNPF)

• Empowering people to live healthy lifestyle

• Involving Young People in programs for elderly (Intergenerational Programs)

• Negligence Laws – Family Law Act

• Next Year Review – A EOI from FCOSS to coordinate consultation on new policy

Resources

• Older Persons Network • Old Peoples Home • MoHMS • FNPF • Family Services • Traditional System and Media

• Call on Families to take responsibility of the elderly in the family

• Just and Fair Pension Scheme

• National Health Policy for Older Persons

• National Policy on Ageing to allow their full participation on the community through national projects and program

People with Disabilities

• Education Curriculum – incorporate disability awareness into the curriculum from

• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities[UNCRPD] -

kindergarten • Community Awareness – Media

coverage- document success stories and as productive members of society

• Possibility of a disability bill which could include Enforcement of Policies – A complaints mechanisms/platform/helpline

• Working on building codes with the Fiji Disabled Persons Organisations- Parking

• Data collection – Who are disabled

• Income generating – Massages, Radio, sculpting

• Translator for programs

Resources • Increase Membership • Mobility Aid and special

equipment needed • Sign language incorporated in

curriculum • Use media to raise awareness

and celebrate UN date

Advocacy to government on ratification of the UNCRPD which is before parliament for debate

• Rights of persons with disability bill 12 – Advocate on the passing of this bill which is before parliament for debate

• Review of the National disaster Act-Advocate for disability inclusion and representation in decision making also on the draft National Humantarian policy

• National Data Census collection –advocate for Disability desegregated data collection by gender, type of disability etc to relevant authority

Women and Girls • Community Outreach – Integrated approach. Qualified Trainers on issues (Faith Based Organisations, Youth groups, Women’s Groups, District Members etc)

• Students need to be consulted for curriculum development

• Focal Points based within community

• Documentation and sharing of success stories of women addressing inequality

• Women and Girls Empowerment

• Working with Media and Champions(Famous Fijians)

• Implementation of Laws – e.g. percentage of women in parliament and district councils. Begin with women’s participation issues from the community level up.

• Monitoring and Evaluations of Laws – Multi-sectoral groups established to work with government to monitor implementation and apply lessons learnt

• Budget monitoring for allocations to women and girls

• Family curriculum to be run from a younger age

Trade Unions - Labour law education for

workers undertaken by CSOs working in the Livelihood sector

- Addressing the rise of cost of living through Better Benefits and Entitlement

- Collective Submissions to rights and justice committee

LGBTIQ - Lobby for political support

- Educate the populace on sexual orientation

- Desegregate society to accept and include the LGBTIQ Community

Resources Needed:

- Mass Media - Special Medical facilities for

sexual health

- Government to recognise the rights of the LGBTQI community and couple

- Stakeholders to advocate for change and acceptance in public forums

- Call on the LGBTIQ community to take the role in public to fight for their rights

- Call on policy makers to hold consultation with relevant stakeholders

Young People Consultative Dialogue

Self-Employment Opportunities Quality Education – Vocational Resources

- Qualified and skilled leaders - Youth Power and Heroes - Infrastructure -

- Review education curriculum and policies and legislations

- Donors to look at in kind responses as well

- Establishment of youth cooperatives

- Call on youth to recognise on their potential

- Call on CSOs to mainstream youth development into their work

- Use local resources e.g. retirees to help build capacity

- Ministry of Youth and Sports to partner with Ministry of Education.

Indigenous People

• Promoting Sustainable farming education

• Promoting Education a powerful tool

• Education on Financial Planning • Promoting use of their land • Enhancing cultural Innovation

Resources • Ministry providing seedlings,

farming tractors • Use of Village elders in farming

Ministry of Agriculture I-Taukei Affairs Rural Development All

Call for action • Financial literacy training • Sustainable farming

investments • A more cohesive approach

by government departments to address indigenous issues in Fiji