The Africa Canada Accountability Coalition (ACAC) is an advocacy group based out of the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia (UBC), founded in November 2008. ACAC seeks to translate rigorous research about human security in the Great Lakes region – DR Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi – into concrete policy recommendations for which ACAC and its supporters can intelligently advocate.

ACAC aspires for Canadians to critically reflect on Canada’s current relationship with this region troubled by armed conflict. To this end, ACAC aims to engage relevant stakeholders – academia, government, politics, UN, non-profit, media and others – in a discussion about how Canada can build a mutually-beneficial relationship with Africa that all Africans and Canadians can be proud of.

In September 2009, as part of its advocacy campaign focusing on sexual violence in the DR Congo, “No More Rape”, ACAC released a policy position and discussion report titled ‘The Worst Place in the World to be a Woman or Girl’ – Rape in the DR Congo: Canada, Where Are You? This report outlined Canada’s history in the Congo, its current connections to the conflict, and recommended policies that Canada could adopt in order to alleviate human suffering in the DRC.

Additionally, ACAC produced an interactive user-friendly map which gives readers a comprehensive understanding of the conflict in the Eastern Congo, and of Canadians’ connections to this conflict in a unique and accessible way.

In accordance with ACAC’s commitment to ethical advocacy, ACAC developed a workshop titled ‘So You Want To “Save” Africa?’ (SYWTSA). This workshop, designed for people engaged with advocacy and fundraising related to Africa, challenges participants to reassess their perceptions about Africa and encourages them to look at their actions through a critical lens.

Under the auspices of the End Impunity Canada campaign, ACAC published another report in April 2010 detailing how the Forces Démocratiques de la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) rebels are connected to Canada and what Canada could do to eliminate all opportunities for its citizens to support this Rwando-Congolese armed group.

In fall 2010 ACAC engaged in a 3 phase policy research and advocacy project. Founded on its previous research and in partnership with The Mark News., ACAC drafted a two page policy brief, followed up with rigorous consultation with experts which culminated in a Mark Feature Series. The final phase of the project was a nation-wide citizen consultation utilizing an online discussion with experts, an interactive art exhibit at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, and online interactive web applications.

Currently, ACAC is working on a research paper focused on the goals and methods of student organizations that conduct fund-raising and advocacy for causes in Africa and examining the ethical dilemmas that such groups may face.