In February 2021, the European Network for Central Africa (EurAc) welcomed its new ship's captain: Clara Debeve, Executive Director. In this article, she gives details about her experience, her expertise, and her vision.

Strategic orientation and creation of synergies

EurAc advocates for a strong, coherent, and sustainable commitment of the European Union and its Member States to the respect of human rights, peace and development in Central Africa. The network consists of 34 European NGOs working in and on the Great Lakes region and supporting civil society in Burundi, the DR Congo and Rwanda.

As Director, Clara Debeve's tasks will include representing the network, leading advocacy work on natural resources, ensuring the strategic direction and strengthening of EurAc, as well as coordinating the work of the members and the Secretariat...

 “I want to be the interlocutor of the different stakeholders around the network and our work in Central Africa and play a facilitating role between them,” she says.

Collective advocacy: a lever for change

The people of the Great Lakes region are still experiencing too many violations of their rights and dignity. The fight for more justice, equality and peace must continue.

“The situation there is very complex. The political, economic, social and security realities of the region are intertwined with past and present problems.”

More than that, many changes are taking place at the political, economic and security levels. This regional reconfiguration of the established order must be taken into account. “EurAc must be able to inform decision-makers about these dynamics and work in a concerted manner with its members and local civil society to adapt its advocacy messages to this changing reality.”

Collective advocacy is a powerful lever for change. “We need to use our voice as a network and as European civil society organisations to relay the concerns of local civil society and contribute to the pacification of the region.”

A close link with EurAc

With a background in international relations and public international law, Clara started her career with an internship at EurAc. She says: “It was how I got to know the Great Lakes region. I also had the opportunity to go to Kinshasa for the first time, around the preparation of the Congolese presidential elections. That was in 2015...” An experience that gave her a foothold in the field.

Indeed, after a brief experience in the European Parliament in the EU/ACP relations secretariat, Clara was responsible for Central Africa in Commission Justice & Paix, one of EurAc’s Belgian member organisations. There she was able to work on electoral processes and participatory governance, conflict prevention and the exploitation of natural resources. “This experience allowed me to get involved in EurAc's advocacy work and to develop a close relationship with the network and some of its members and partners.”

Together, we are stronger!

Clara concludes: “EurAc is a strong network, recognised for its expertise and which has a lot to offer its members. It is a space for exchange that allows for the sharing of expertise and strong positions shared by its members. Together, we are stronger!”

Contact

Clara can be reached by e-mail via clara.debeve@eurac-network.org or by phone/WhatsApp on +32 490 43 76 70.