The programme

Objectives and results

Knowing Emerging Powers will support civil society actors to engage with emerging powers. Our objectives are:

Strategy development and positioning

The programme will help civil society organisations to understand the Chinese, Indian and Brazilian ‘side of the development story’. They represent a new discourse on development and aid that is markedly different form the OECD framework. How will it influence the European discourse on development and aid? Will there be a process of convergence between the traditional and emerging donors? What will be the implications for civil society? A deep understanding of the models of development and aid approaches of the emerging powers is crucial in order to understand, anticipate or influence these changes, and develop a new strategy. Knowing Emerging Powers will do research on these and other issues, as mentioned in this document.

We will stimulate and initiate the coming together, sharing information and discussing of these results with civil society organisations and academics. Through these discussions, the civil society organisations will build the necessary knowledge base, and learn to speak the language of the new discourse, which will enable them to define their own strategy.

Besides, the programme will organise a sharing of experiences with engagement strategies and learning from each other’s practices. What have been successful strategies? What strategies have not worked and why? This will include engagement with multinational companies from emerging powers. The compliance with (inter)national standards and laws and the promotion of corporate social responsibility of the multinational companies will be part of the programme.

Building new relations, networks and activities

The programme will open a space for debate within existing relationships and networks between Africa and Europe. Emerging powers is a new issue in these Africa – Europe relationships. The same applies for the relationships between civil societies in Europe and emerging powers and between Africa and emerging powers.

The programme provides a stimulating platform for the exchange of information, discussion and networking. We will use interactive websites and social media, publications, debates, workshops and trainings.

The programme will also identify possibilities of trilateral cooperation. The EU, World Bank, UNDP, WHO, DFID and American Foundations like the Gates Foundation are all active in promoting trilateral cooperation.

An example is the 2nd International Roundtable on China-Africa Health Collaboration (February 11-12 2012) in Beijing, to explore public-private partnerships and multilateral cooperation in health. 

New Lobby and campaigning strategy 

Civil society actors need to develop a new lobby and campaigning strategy to achieve a just and sustainable management of international public goods. This new lobby and campaigning strategy needs to address the role of emerging powers in the management of international public goods, and the role of their . civil society organisations. The programme will assist in developing these strategies.