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We are proud to share with you our contribution to the “HIV at 40: A Worlds Aids Day Premiere” programme.

“HIV at 40” was produced in order to raise awareness for HIV, explore current testing and treatment, and looking at what the future of HIV may look like. Produced in partnership with ITN Productions Industry News and hosted by Belle Donati, this special production marks the 40th anniversary of the first AIDS related death in the UK.

Launched on World Aids Day, this news-style programme showcases the innovative work done by Wits Business School, Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment, Reckitt, Gilead Sciences, UNAIDS and the groups (Girl Lead, Imbokodo, Aganang and Gratitude) as they try to solve challenges related to HIV/AIDS infections, early teen pregnancies and STIs. Filmed in Tsakane, South Africa, the groups are making a huge difference in the lives of young girls and boys.

The programme also spotlights the work of the British HIV Association, Elton John Aids Foundation and Terrance Higgins Trust and how they are exploring thoughts on HIV, how treatment has developed in the last 40 years, and how they are helping to end the epidemic. As well as interviews and case studies featuring leading organisations, The G20 Partnership, Gilead Science, IFPMA, MAC Viva Glam, Theratechnologies and ViiV Healthcare, showcasing how they were making a difference in the charge to a world free from AIDS.

Watch Now:

ISTR is pleased to announce the 2022 Emerging Scholar Dissertation Award. This award is presented biennially for a PhD dissertation completed or defended in the two calendar years (July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021) preceding the award. Self-nominations are accepted.

Dissertations that contribute to the field of comparative study of civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), philanthropy, voluntarism and related issues are eligible. We encourage submissions of PhD dissertations from all parts of the world. Dissertations focused exclusively on the United States are not eligible.

The winner will be announced and the award will be given at the ISTR 15th International Conference in July 2022. The award is US $1,000.

Dissertations may be submitted in English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Applications must include:

• Letter of acceptance for the degree
• A summary of the dissertation that clearly states: the dissertation’s subject matter, research question(s) addressed, the approach taken, key finding(s), and the dissertation’s specific contribution(s) to the field. This needs to be in English and not exceed 1,000 words in total (i.e. including any references, etc.). Submissions that do not comply with this word limit will not be considered.
• One full copy of the dissertation

Deadline to submit a nomination: January 15, 2022.

Entries will be judged by a committee based on the following:

The dissertation’s contribution to the study of, knowledge on, and understanding of the Third Sector and/or related fields
The dissertation potential to influence new thinking on the Third Sector and/or related fields
For inquiries or questions, contact:  Margery Daniels, Executive Director (mdaniels@istr.org)

Submit your nomination: https://www.istr.org/page/DissertationISTR

The Association for Research on Civil Society in Africa (AROCSA) in partnership with the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) is pleased to announce this call for applications to the Innocent Chukwuma African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (ICLTFP), formerly known as the African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (LTFP). The Fellowship is funded by the Ford Foundation.

The decision to rename the program after Innocent Chukwuma, who until his death in April this year, was the regional director of the Ford Foundation West Africa office, arose from the combination of the significant role he played in setting up AROCSA and establishing the LTFP; AROCSA’s consideration of the best way to honour his legacy; and from suggestions from some of the members of the last cohort of the LTFP which took place for the first time on African soil in Ghana from 1st March to 30th May, 2021.

At AROCSA’s last quarterly board meeting which took place in September 2021, a unanimous decision was made to rename the program after Innocent Chukwuma. The decision was subsequently communicated to his family through his wife; Mrs. Josephine Chukwuma, who was deeply appreciative of the consideration, and happy to give her blessings to AROCSA’s request. Her personal statement on the role Innocent Chukwuma played in the birthing of AROCSA and the establishment of its key programs is appended to this Call. We pray that his soul continues to rest in perfect peace and that the Almighty continues to give his family the strength to bear his loss.

As part of efforts to further ground the program in the realities of the African experience, AROCSA is partnering with the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) at the Wits Business School in Johannesburg, South Africa to deliver the next couple of iterations of the program.

About the program

The Africa Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (LFTP) began in 2018 under the moniker of the Nonprofit Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (NLTF Program), with support from the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) and the Ford Foundation. It was started in recognition of the urgent need for an NGO leadership transition program to aid sector leaders – civil society and NGO leaders – who are considering transitioning out of their positions by creating a supportive infrastructure.

The program’s chief purpose is to help sector leaders prepare and position their NGOs to be sustainable, vibrant, and continue to thrive after their exit from the organization. The program enables both the leaders and organizations to successfully make the shift, and in so doing create spaces for a new generation of leaders in the social sector to not only emerge but also have platforms to apply their creative and youthful energies. Transitioning leaders would develop succession plans within their own organizations, contemplate their personal transition plans, and document their knowledge and experience.

Objectives of the program

The objectives of the ICLTFP are to:

1. Contribute to the process of establishing a supportive infrastructure for leadership transition within the NGO/CSO movement in Africa.

2. Promote the creation of leadership spaces for the next generation of leaders in African civil society to grow and strive.

3. Increase the documentation of leadership experiences/reflections and renewal processes within civil society in Africa.

Timeframe

This iteration of the program will run for three months between March and June, 2022.

Application Process

Applicants are required to apply for the Fellowship through the electronic application portal on the AROCSA website. Applications must include the following:

1. I. Completed electronic application forms
2. II. Copy of valid international passport (must be valid for six months from March 2022)
3. III. Curriculum Vitae
4. IV. Two letters of recommendation (including one from the NGO Board Chair indicating that the board is aware and approves of the applicant’s participation in the fellowship)
5. V. 3-5 page (double space, 12pt font with one-inch margins) personal statement that includes, but not limited to, the reason for participating in the fellowship and anticipated fellowship objectives that the applicant seeks to achieve

*If selected, you will be required to complete and document a comprehensive assessment of your health status. To view the medical form and familiarize yourself with required medical examinations, please click here.

For any questions or enquiries, please email programs@arocsa.org with the subject ‘ICLTFP 2022’  

To apply click: here

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Workshop Dates: 3 – 9 October 2021

Venue: Wits Rural Facility, Acornhoek Mpumalanga

What is covered: Transport, Meals, Accommodation, Wifi and Venue

What you will achieve: Writing skills training, developing research questions, developing research methodology, writing time and supervision

Suitable candidates: All registered PhD students regardless of the research stage. Proof of registrations is required

Closing date for applications: 27 August 2021 before 14h00 SAST

The Africa Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investment at Wits Business School will host a PhD Writing Retreat for approximately 30 PhD students across Africa. The writing retreat will also include workshops and presentations of paper/proposals by successful applicants.

All registered PhD students at the Wits Business School and across African universities are cordially invited to apply to participate in a Writing and Methodology Workshop. The workshop has the following objectives:

• Improving writing skills
• Planning and developing each chapter
• Developing research questions and conceptual frameworks
• Writing the problem statement
• Planning the literature review
• Developing the research methodology – quantitative and qualitative
• Individual coaching on your own research study
• Ethical considerations and preparing for ethical clearance
• Writing for academic journals
• Project management for the thesis

To apply, you are required to submit the following documents:

1. A motivation letter indicating how this workshop will be beneficial to you
2. Proof of registration from your University
3. Letter of support from your supervisor
4. Your current research proposal/ draft thesis

These documents must be submitted to mmabatho.leeuw@wits.ac.za by 27 August 2021 at 14h00 SAST.

Successful applicants should prepare to be away in Mpumalanga for the whole week beginning 03 October. They must be available and able to participate throughout the workshop. All expenses are covered for this workshop.

Enquiries: mmabatho.leeuw@wits.ac.za and thandi.makhubele@wits.ac.za

Notes and T&C:

• You will need to arrange your own transport to the Wits Business School in Johannesburg to access transportation that will take you to the Wits Rural Facility in Mpumalanga.
• Registered PhD students in the following disciplines will be considered: Humanities (history, languages, literature, and philosophy), Social Sciences (Anthropology, education, geography, law, political science, psychology, sociology, development and international relations), and Business (Accounting, economics, finance, management, and marketing).
• A hybrid approach where those based outside South Africa can join online will be considered.

Wycliffe Nduga Ouma is a Ph.D. candidate and a Research Associate at CAPSI at the Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg. Mr. Nduga has a passion for research and Consultancy in the areas of Social Impact Investing, Impact philanthropy, corporate philanthropy, Financial Markets, Financial Risk Modelling, and International Trade.

Currently involved in many research projects at the centre including comprehensive documentation of philanthropy during the COVID-19 pandemic, a book chapter investigating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Civil Society

Organizations in Africa, a research paper on Ubuntu and Philanthropy in Africa and Developing an African Philanthropy Index. Mr. Nduga is also researching exchange rates movements, stock price risk and risk pricing in developing equity markets. Outside the work on philanthropy, Mr. Nduga is a dedicated and loving father who prefers to spend spare time with family.

Q: Your field of study and what inspired you to take this path?

My field of study is in Financial Markets and Capital Markets, essentially Financial Economics.

My PhD is to develop an asset pricing framework for developing equity markets. However, I am a firm believer in knowledge flexibility which puts me at the core of the Centre for African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) works.

For about three years now, I have developed keen interest in Philanthropy and Social Investment. I am currently undertaking works (outside the centre) to develop social investment and Impact investing platforms for some personal clients.

Q: What have you learnt or seen that have been vital for your career or that has stood out most for you? 

Coming to the centre has opened new frontiers for me. I find myself having conversations and involvement in research activities target at improving humanity. This was never even a dream I had, but it is slowly becoming my livelihood.

Q: How do you think your research will make an impact in the social investment space?

One, philanthropy in the continent is omnipresent yet invincible. It takes people like us who are investing time to record, document and display what philanthropy is doing on the continent. I believe our work is not only for academics but goes a long way in informing social change needed in Africa.

For instance, by developing an index for philanthropy in the continent, we will have a barometer, a gauge to see where we are and where we should be going as a third sector. Make no mistake, philanthropy is at the core of every developmental agenda, especially in Africa. A clear example is the work philanthropy has done during this pandemic.

Look at the vaccine’s development and distribution, philanthropy is leading the pack.