Fighting corruption

Drawing by Samuel 'Sammi' Mwamkinga - originally done for a cartoon version of an MS-Uganda democracy handbook. The drawings are immensely popular.

UGANDA is often depicted as a healthy and stable society since relatively few are HIV/AIDS infected and economic growth is impressive. Yet, for the some 80 percent of the population that lives on less than 1 US dollar a day, reality looks somewhat different. The same is true of the 1,6 million people who live in camps because of the 18-year-old conflict between the government and insurgents.

Our partners are putting their own house in order

MS, the Danish Association for International Co-operation in Uganda (MS Uganda), fights poverty and promotes good governance in the partner organizations and among Ugandan authorities.

The partners of MS Uganda are trained to keep accounts in order to optimize their budgets, and in order to enable them to – having put their own house in order – demand from the authorities that public funds are used in a fair and non-corrupt manner.

The organizations are also given support to analyze local and national development plans and policies. In this way our partners can help steer the plans and policies in a direction that promotes poverty eradication.

MS Uganda collaborates with organizations from a number of sectors, and puts the main focus on agriculture and crafts. Youth exchange programs play an increasingly larger role in the program, and ‘gender and equal opportunity’ is a prevalent theme in all of the activities of the program.

Forum theater is effecient communication in a country with many poor readers. Photo: Adam Amsinck.

Theater against corruption

MS partner International Anti-Corruption Theatrical Movement has previously received support to perform Forum Theater. These efforts are now bearing fruit. The Movement performed across the country in 2004 when local anti-corruption associations held meetings and debates.

Forum theater is interactive, the audience can change the story and get on stage, and this type of theater has proven to be effective amongst a population of poor readers, who often view the message of anti-corruption as complicated or politically daring.

MS Uganda is also carrying out a study of how the population can influence local development in the best way possible. The study is to be used to strengthen collaboration between authorities and independent organizations in the local communities.

Democracy as a way of life

Comprehensive teaching material on democracy made for school children, adults, and local authorities is under development. The material promotes democracy as a way of life and shows how, for example, corruption can be fought in everyday life.

The government institution in charge of curricula has reacted positively to an MS proposal to make the use of this material compulsory among children and young people.

In 2004, 2 initiatives supported by MS gained considerable ground with regards to involving locals in the fight against corruption. As examples, local meetings are held, in which local leaders are confronted with misuse of public funds, and people can dial up popular shows at local radio stations.

This type of pressure has proven effective in bringing down corrupt persons responsible for public tenders.