Dacdf Coalition Broadens Mandate

DACDF Coalition Broadens Mandate

After over 70 years of diamond mining in Sierra Leone, the Diamond Area Community Development Fund (DACDF) was introduced in 2001 to foster development in mining communities and to provide them (mining communities) incentives to assist the Mines Ministry curb the ever-elusive issues of illicit mining and smuggling. Government introduced the scheme following tremendous pressure from civil society organisations working on the Just Mining Campaign in Sierra Leone initiated and spearheaded by the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) and supported by local and international partners.

By Morlai Kamara

What came to be known as the DACDF Coalition comprises civil society/NGOs and government line ministries. Its membership includes Action Aid-Sierra Leone, Anti-Corruption Commission, Catholic Relief Services, Network Movement for Justice and Development, World Vision, Sierra Leone Indigenous Miners Movement, the Ministries of Mineral Resources and Local Government and Community Development. The Coalition was formed for the expressed purpose of ensuring that communities use DACDF to promote community development initiatives, and also to promote transparent and democratic values in the management of community resources.

Since the establishment of the Fund in 2001, the Coalition had been working with beneficiary chiefdoms of he Fund and has used three thematic approaches sensitization, empowerment of community structures through training and policy analysis. Funding for the activities of the Coalition was provided by USAID through Management Systems International (MSI).

August 21-22 witnessed the Coalition’s first strategic planning meeting that took place at the National Pastoral and Social Development Centre in Kenema. For two days Coalition members, in the presence of funders, MSI and UNDP, reviewed its past activities and assessed the lessons learned from them. More important was the fact that Coalitions members used the forum to strategically think about the way forward in terms of scope, visionary direction, and partnerships, funding possibilities and also to further examine the Coalition’s role in the newly created Peace Diamond Alliance in Kono.

At the end of the session, the Coalition changed its name to the National Advocacy Coalition on Extractives and correspondingly broadened its mandate to cover other minerals like Rutile, bauxite and even oil. This new approach is borne out of the need to maximize justice and increase national benefit from the country’s mineral wealth.

A working committee was also established to develop bye-laws for the National Advocacy Coalition on Extractives. The bye-laws are expected to be clear on membership, the role of coordinating agencies and shall propose new government departments to be involved in the Coalition.