Editorial

2005 : A year of implementing MS-Zambia Partnership Programme

L.N. Kanene, Country Director, MS-Zambia

MS-Zambia Annual Meeting 2005 took place against a background of comprehensive mid-term review workshops, which led to revision of partnership agreements so that all partnership supported programmes contribute to empowerment for poverty reduction.

Linked to this, MS-Zambia Policy Advisory Board chose “Communication for Empowerment” as a theme for the Annual Meeting, 2005. Although a number of partner organizations remained the same after the review, all partners within the component of Agriculture Management at Community Level ( District Farmer Associations) are new.

Furthermore, partnership levels and areas of support have changed to address the real causes of poverty and to work more strategically so that partnerships can participate and influence decision-making bodies that affect their constituencies or members.

In addressing the structural and institutional causes of poverty, lobby and advocacy at district, provincial, national and international level becomes necessary. Therefore, MS-Zambia and its partners have identified potential strategic partners who would undertake effective lobby and advocacy work founded on what partners at district and sub-district level face in terms of challenges and opportunities.

Partners within the component of democracy and governance at local level have to lobby and advocate for genuine implementation of the adopted decentralization policy; partners within CBNRM have to ensure that a comprehensive CBNRM policy and legal framework is put in place for implementing CBRM programmes at district and sub-district level, while partners in agriculture management at community level have also to lobby for equal opportunities in accessing markets for their produce, relevant capital to improve their productivity and security of land tenure, especially for women small-scale farmers.

In January, 2005, MS-Zambia provided the partners in all the three components with support and training workshops. The output of this are simplified manuals dealing with issues of relevant government policies within the themes and how they affect MS-Zambia Partners, including land policies and practices, how to enhance democractic governance and management practices amongst partners organizations, resource mobilization, campaign, lobby and advocacy work and action planning.

Following this support, MS-Zambia expects partners to start implementing agreed partnership activities in harmonized ways in 2005. Progress in implementing supported activities will be monitored through simplified Quarterly Monitoring Charts.

All partners, DWs and PAB who participated in the workshop on communication for empowerment agree that it is a useful development tool and approach. However, a lot needs to be done to start mainstreaming this tool in the partnership activities.

A general feeling from the CO and from MS-Denmark is that such new concepts which require comprehensive understanding before implementation should be undertaken as support and training workshop outside the Annual Meeting.

During the Annual Meeting, it would be much better to share experiences on a theme or topic where most partners have something to share.

The CO would also like to thank the Kamoto Theatre for the very useful sketch on communication for empowerment during the Annual Meeting. It left many participants with food for thought.