show solidarity with them, their constituents and the people of Zimbabwe and to so boost their morale and sense of worth in their activities. Here it may be that for ordinary Zimbabweans the disengagement by the Commonwealth stands as an anomaly that needs to be addressed. This engagement would also serve to introduce the Commonwealth to the wider civil society community in Zimbabwe, including humanitarian and development NGOs, establish working relationships with them and so provide a springboard for enhanced Commonwealth and civil society cooperation in a ‘new’ Zimbabwe. With regard to pursuing dialogue and capacity building for Zimbabwean civil society, it is suggested the Commonwealth should consider launching the following specific initiatives: • With the cooperation of the Commonwealth Foundation and the Commonwealth Youth Programme as appropriate, promote and support the participation of Zimbabwe civil society organisations in the range of Commonwealth activities held in Commonwealth member states and geared to NGO capacity - building, notably, training courses, workshops, conferences etc.; • With the cooperation of the of the Commonwealth Foundation and Commonwealth Youth Programme as appropriate, and in the spirit of the ‘People’s Commonwealth’ network, promote and support networking activities and visits by Zimbabwe civil society organisations to counterparts in Commonwealth countries, particularly significant developing countries such as South Africa, Nigeria and India, for purposes of educating and informing civil societies in these countries of the situation in Zimbabwe, securing their support for actions on Zimbabwe including lobbying of their governments, and creating a platform for ongoing civil society South-South solidarity, information exchange and capacity building; • Make scholarships available to Zimbabweans wishing to pursue further education outside Zimbabwe which would be of benefit for reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation in Zimbabwe, where this could include the establishment of a special fund for this purpose and the encouragement of donor organisations, including bilateral and multilateral bodies, to provide such scholarships; • Encourage donor organisations, including bilateral and multilateral bodies, through support for a discreet donor conference and/or other formal means, to provide grants for civil society organisations in Zimbabwe which are struggling to address the multiplicity of humanitarian needs and human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, including those associated with the so-called Operation Murambatsvina which resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people; • Initiate dialogue with key civil society and church groups in South Africa which are concerned and active on Zimbabwe, particularly the Institute for a Democratic Alternative in South Africa (IDASA), the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), the 24