Last week, our #Ethiopia project supported the organisation by the Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations for Elections (CECOE) in collaboraiton with the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute of a Webinar on "The prospects and challenges of conducting Ethiopia's 6th general elections amid COVID-19".
The online event, which attracted 100 people, focused specifically on the role of Civil Society Organisations in the organisation and conduction of these elections.
The discussion covered numerous topics, including innovative new possibilities of civic and voter education, election observation, as well as the various elements within an electoral cycle and what they could look like now given the pandemic.
The event was part of a series of webinars organised jointly with the CECOE to strengthen coordination among Implementing Partners assisting and supporting the CECOE to prepare for the upcoming elections. Each implementing partner (ECES, NDI and IRI) will take the leadership in the joint organisation for specific topics.
Other webinar topics will include:
- Institutionalising and Strengthening Citizens Election Observation Coalitions: Lessons from Africa
- Engendering Gender Aware and Inclusive Citizens Election Observation Activities
- Coordinating and Mounting Effective Voter Education Campaigns
- Implementing Effective and Inclusive Pre-Election Observation Activities
- Citizens Election Observation Coalition and Preventing Electoral Violence
- Election Situation Rooms: Lessons from Other Citizens Election Observation Networks