CIVICUS has appointed Ingrid Srinath as Secretary General in succession to current incumbent Kumi Naidoo. Ingrid’s appointment became effective on 1 May 2008. Kumi Naidoo, who has served as Secretary General for a period of close to ten years, will step down at the end of July 2008 following a three-month handover period, after which time he will remain closely involved in the work of CIVICUS as the new Honorary President. He will make a formal announcement of Ingrid’s appointment to CIVICUS members, partners, colleagues and friends during the 8th CIVICUS World Assembly in Glasgow, Scotland to be held 18-21 June this year.

Kumi has led CIVICUS through a period of intense global change and advanced a movement of CIVICUS partners and supporters globally. In the last ten years the work of CIVICUS has expanded, and the organization now has members in over 107 countries and numerous programmes dealing with issues affecting global civil society.

Under Kumi’s leadership, CIVICUS has played a significant role in both the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) and the International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGO) Accountability Charter, which emerged out of the International Advocacy Non-Governmental Organizations (IANGO) Workshop. CIVICUS acts as a host organization for both initiatives. During the year in which he will serve as Honorary President, Kumi is to write a book that will reflect on the lessons learned during his ten-year period at the helm of CIVICUS.

Ingrid comes to CIVICUS following nine years at Child Rights and You (CRY) India, including four years as its Chief Executive. At CRY, Ingrid successfully re-engineered resource mobilization to ensure robust and sustainable revenue growth, and led the organization’s transformation from a grantmaking foundation to a rights-based advocacy player. As Secretary General, she will continue to work with members and partners around the world to promote CIVICUS’s mission to work with citizens for a more just world.

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
Secretary General: Ingrid Srinath
T +27 11 833 5959 x137
Email: Ingrid.srinath@civicus.org
http://www.civicus.org