LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR:

Building Democracy in Years of Election

I recently came across a Tingatinga painting with the words “Our politicians always give us promises that they never keep” written underneath. This text could have been written by disappointed voters in many countries in the world. Wherever politicians are not being held firmly accountable by the citizenry tend to forget their promises.

According to a survey published by Research and Education for Democracy (REPOA) earlier this year, there are indications that the coming local elections in October and the national elections next year may alter the political landscape in Tanzania. An Afrobarometer survey conducted in November 2008 suggests that the voter support to the ruling party declined from 60 percent in 2006 to 32.6 percent in 2008, while the support to the opposition parties in total grew from 8 to 27 percent in the same period.

Surveys like these should be interpreted with caution. There is always a degree of statistical uncertainty involved, and besides that, much can still happen between November 2008 and October 2010 when the nation goes to the ballot boxes. It does however seem plausible to take the survey as an indication that the Tanzanians are adapting an increasingly critical approach to their political leaders.

Ordinary citizens want to see their country develop, they want to see progress and have a say in their own lives and in society, they want their leaders to be accountable and live up to promises, and they want to see tangible results of the combat against corruption.

The main responsibility for ensuring that necessary decisions and actions are taken to achieve such development lies with the Government and its institutions at both national and local level, and under the direction of the popularly elected Parliament.

However, one of the characterizing features of truly democratic and well functioning societies is that the individual right-holders organized collectively in civil society take up their joint responsibility for the country’s development in a dual bodyguard-watchdog relationship with duty-bearers in government institutions.

In a country like Tanzania where civil society is still relatively young and where there is more to be done before civil society has the capacity to effectively play its role it is important to appreciate and take consequence of this.

The point I am trying to make is that Tanzanian civil society has a great challenge in capacitating itself to a level that will enable it to fully play its important role of politically empowering the right-holders, the citizens, through civic education and organisation. Such a strengthened civil society will effectively be able to hold the duty-bearers in parliament and government institutions accountable to the very same people who gave these their mandates.In a nutshell, this is what MS Tanzania/ActionAid Denmark’s partnerships aim at. Our partner organisations contribute to the development of just and democratic governance through building local democracy, democratization of secure access to land, and strengthened influence for youth on decision-making processes.

Currently, this governance focus in our partnerships is being strengthened and revitalized by hardworking staff of both MS Tanzania and our partner organisations. In other words, MS Tanzania/ActionAid Denmark’s partners are positioned in civil society as potentially strong civil society movers as we approach the second phase of LGRP and the two upcoming elections. This is important because whichever party-political landscape comes out of the coming elections, there will be a need for a strong civil society holding government authorities accountable to the promises Tanzanians will be presented to over the next 16 months.

Kristian S. Petersen
Country Director

MS Tanzania/Action Aid Denmark has been present in Tanzania since 1963, and since 1993 we have partnered with local civil society organisations (CSOs).The main theme of MS Tanzania’s programme strategy is Building Local Democracy with two sub-themes on Land Rights and Youth for Development. MS Tanzania aims at defending and enhancing popular participation under the assumption that strengthening democracy at local level will help fight poverty.

Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke MS) - (Danish Association for International Cooperation) is now associated with Action Aid International (AAI) - hence the new name 'Action Aid MS Denmark' - and in Tanzania - 'MS Tanzania/Action Aid Denmark', and will in due course, be fully affiliated.

MS' association with AAI entails the start of merging MS and Action Aid in the seven countries in Africa, Central America and Asia where they are both present and operate programmes.

In Tanzania, this means in practical terms, that MS Tanzania and Action Aid Tanzania will be moving to the same premises and aligning their areas of intervention and strategies.

The merger process can be followed through www.aamsmerger.org (username: aams, password: change).

News from the merger process between AA Tanzania and MS Tanzania /Action Aid Denmark

A joint workshop for the staff of the two organisations combined with a regular CMC meeting was carried out on June 2-5. The workshop was successful and good work was done in the sub committees and between counterparts where similarities and differences were listed. Information was given on the respective organisations work areas etc. Ahead is still the process of selecting members for the new board and to draw up a constitution, which is aiming at completion in December 2009.

MS-TCDC
MS' Training Centre for Development Cooperation in Eastern and Southern Africa is situated close to Arusha in Northern Tanzania. Throughout the year different courses and workshops run concurrently in a lively international atmosphere promoting sharing of experience and cross cultural discussions.Excellent facilities together with a quiet and pleasant atmosphere make it an ideal place for reflection and learning. Check MS TCDCs Course Calendar here

1.7 million DKK for MS Denmark Action Aid’s work on land rights

On May 3 MS ActionAid Denmark raised 1.7 million DKK through a large network of volunteers from all over Denmark. The funds are to support MS’ work with women's access to land in Nepal, Zambia and Tanzania.

‘It is quite amazing to experience the great support from volunteers who again this year has driven MS Tanzania/Action Aid Denmark’s national fund-raising to a good result. Many thanks to them and to the thousands of people around Denmark who spent their Sunday supporting MS Tanzania/ActionAid Denmark’s work to ensure poor women access to land’ says Vibeke Vinther, Director of Communications.

From MS Tanzania/ActionAid Denmark we send a special thank to Morogoro Paralegal Centre and CORDS which did a great job supporting the information activities during the campaign.

Videos on Land Rights


Various information materials were produced during the campaign for the national fund-raising in Denmark. Amongst others two short videos on CORDS’ work with land in Kiteto District. These are now translated into English and put online:

Video: Papiya - Maasai and single mother:
Papiya had no support when her husband left her. Traditionally, women are not allowed to own land in that area in Tanzania. But Papiya went to the village council and was assigned a plot. Watch it here.

Video: The Baobab People in Tanzania:
Emmanuel Kisota is Akiye by tribe. The Akiyes traditionally used to live in baobab trees, and from what the nature could provide them with. Now, their livelihood is threatened by land grabbers. Watch it here.

CORDS - first partner to sign new partnership agreement
The first partner in MS Tanzania/ActionAid Denmark’s new partner portfolio, which was in the process of being revised, is CORDS. On Friday May 15 the Director of CORDS, Lillian Looloitai, signed the partnership agreement between CORDS and MS Tanzania/ActionAid Denmark. Read more here.

Next Round of Thematic Team Meetings
The next round of thematic team meetings will take place June 30 to July 2 at the country office. More information about the meetings and their agendas are to be received from the Programme Managers.

Article: Walking the fine line of democracy
A Danish student of Educational Anthropology reports back on her experience with MS Tanzania/ActionAid Denmark's implementation of local democracy in rural Tanzania. From January to April 2009 Janne Jørgensen visited Tanzania to research for her finals in Educational Anthropology. The frame was 'Conceptions of Democracy within the organisational structure of MS Tanzania' and as an appendix she went to visit Njombe Agricultural Development Organisation (NADO) - one of MS Tanzania/ActionAid Denmark's partners. Read more here.

Article: We have to do it, because no one else does
Morogoro Paralegal Centre (MPLC) uses a network of volunteers and paralegal district offices to empower women and children living in rural areas of Morogoro region (photo right). The centre provides the information and support needed by poor women and children to realise their rights in the areas of property inheritance, domestic violence and sexual abuse. Read more here.

Article: 5 Quick Questions to Humphrey Pole Pole
Humphrey Pole Pole is a grassroots activist (photo left). He is 26 years and director of the Tanzania Youth Coalition (TYC), the largest youth movement in Tanzania. Humphrey Pole Pole visited Denmark in April 2009 and MS Action Aid Denmark’s action magazine met him at the entrance stairs to the Danish parliament as the Africa Commission presented its recommendations for elimination of poverty in Africa. Read more here.

Global Contact
The Global Contact programme in MS Tanzania/Action Aid Denmark is also undergoing a few changes. A new coordinator, Stella Lyimo, started in May, and changes in set-up and placement are already being implemented.

50 volunteers from Denmark are planned to arrive in 2009, and the majority will stay for about three months in Tanzania, where they are expected to contribute to the development of local communities and host organisations by bringing new inputs and intercultural exchange.

As a new thing MS Tanzania/ActionAid Denmark is trying to have more of its partner organisations hosting these volunteers, in order to attain more connection between the Global Contact programme and the MS Denmark/ActionAid Tanzania country programme. So far, TAYODEA in Tanga and NADO in Njombe have hosted volunteers and new set-ups are underway.

PEOPLE:
Devotha L. Kiwale joined MS Tanzania/Action Aid Denmark on 9 April as an Account Trainee. She is studying Bcom Accounting at the University of Dar es Salaam, and will be working with MS Tanzania for four months.
Stella John Lyimo joined MS Tanzania/Action Aid Denmark on 1 May 2009 as a Global Contact Programme Coordinator. She holds an Advance Diploma in Community Development.
Hagay Maleko will be leaving MS Tanzania/Action Aid Denmark at the end of June, as he will be starting a new position on July 1 2009 as Senior Accountant with PASS. Deodatus Ngasa who joined MS TZ/AA Denmark on 12 March 2009 as an Accounts Assistant will take over Maleko's position, and a new accounts assistant will be recruited.
Kristian S. Petersen is on leave from June 22 to 26.

CONTRIBUTIONS:
For contributions or comments to the newsletter or further information, please contact Pernille Baerendtsen: info@mstan.or.tz. You can subscribe to the newsletter at www.ms.dk/tanzania. If you receive this newsletter by mistake or if you no longer want to receive it, you unsubscribe at www.ms.dk/tanzania, too.