IATM uses theatre to fight corruption

MS Uganda is our partner in development. They have assisted IATM to retain this rapid growth.

By John Kasozi

14. September 2001

Corruption is both a local and international problem, which has received a worldwide public outcry. Considerable attention has therefore been given to it locally and globally to eliminate it by all means.

Several anti-corruption conferences have been held while anti-graft institutions have been put at home and abroad to fight corruption on various fronts.

In Uganda, a Pan-African movement called International Anti-Corruption Theatre Movement (IATM) a civil society organisation of performing artists, groups and individuals joined together to curb escalating corruption. They pass on messages through music, dance and drama creating public awareness on the impact of corruption and the possibilities of combating it.

"Founded in 1997 by Samamu Group of Uganda and MS Ngoma Troupe of Arusha, IATM has now grown to evolve more organisations (chapters) in Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, South Africa, Burundi and Uganda" says Musisi Munagomba Fred, Secretary General.

He says IATM is a regional organisation formed after a conference on corruption in Tanzania.

"Our mission is to reduce corruption by building a morally strong, vibrant corruption resistant society, aware of and ready to defend the human rights," he says.

He explains that this has been strategically reached by introducing theatrical civic education, mounting campaigns and mobilising the civil society into actions against injustices and corruption, as well as networking and creating links with other related organisations.

The member groups have each developed and performed plays with dance and music on corruption at all levels. The annual anti –corruption festival awareness activities are organised in each country for one week. This is when a hosting country of the annual Pan African anti-corruption festival organises an inter regional anti-corruption workshop.

So far, Uganda Mozambique and Zambia have hosted this important event. This year, Tanzania will be the host and countries like Chad and Cameroon are expected to participate. It is an annual festival that rotates around the region and is proceeded by a workshop to review the past workshops. Musisi says IATM organised a Pan-African festival in Uganda in 1998 in which groups from Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Lesotho participated.

He explains that the objective of these festivals is partly to enable the groups exchange ideas and experiences with plays as a means of disseminating information. It is also partly to take part in a mammoth national campaign in Uganda, which also involves the press and a number of other organisations. A similar festival took place in Mozambique in 1999.

IATM networks are involved in the worldwide activities of the international Sports and Culture Associations (ISCA), Culture of Peace Network (CPN) and Transparency International (TI). IATM supports and actively participates in Anti Corruption Coalition of Uganda (ACCU). IATM also supports the formation of national and international corruption chapters.

Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke (MS) Uganda gave financial support to IATM to organise the 1995 conference. It also gave support to the MUWENG –TCDC workshop in Tanzania in 1996. MS further funded the campaign of the Uganda group Samamu in1996-97 and the establishment of their small secretariat in Kampala.

MS has also helped in setting up the Training Centre for Development Co-operation (TCDC).

MWENGO is a regional organisation for NGOs in East, Central Africa and Southern Africa. In 1996, they organised a workshop focusing on corruption and its effects on development. One of the participants from Uganda was Sulaiman Madada who represented an NGO called Kiguglu Development group from Iganga.

"Being an artist and play write, he thought of an idea of using theatre to fight corruption. After hatching the idea, in March 1996 with the assistance of MS Uganda and Transparency International, they launched an anti-corruption play called the "The Impossible is possible". In Luganda it was known as Omuzungu mu Kanzu, which literally meant people are not what they are supposed to be" Musisi explains.

He says the same play was staged in Arusha where this idea had originated with the assistance of MS Uganda and MS-TCDC who hosted the group in Tanzania.

"A workshop was also hosted focusing on sharing the experiences we agreed that there was a lot in common which we needed to learn from each other," he says.

These annual festivities are used to enhance the activities locally in those countries, which spread to the grassroots. IATM also participates in the Uganda Corruption week, which is an annual event in Uganda where anti-corruption, human right organisations and activists come together to denounce corruption and advocate for a change of policies.

" MS Uganda is our partner in development. They have assisted us to attain this rapid growth of IATM. We have also been able to travel and exchange idea s with other countries with the help of MS Uganda," Musisi says.

" MS comes in as a partner to advise and share the experiences. We have had open discussions with them and they have been friendly to us."