*Compatriot Kalinge-Nyago, Don't you think that we as Africans should think deeper, rather than parroting the Democracy mantra like it is a fetish.
We have, un-critically, swallowed the lie about so-called Western Democracy. Right now Canada is busy exterminating the so-called Red Indian. It breaks the heart of any decent human being. Canada is a settler-colonial entity. The South African Boers always defended themselves that they borrowed apartheid from Canada. And they are, of course, telling the truth !! The US is a fascist state. A state that murders its presidents (JFK). A state that steals and rigs elections and then kills the rigging agents to hide the evidence (On Dec 28th 2008, Michael McConnell, the computer guru who had helped rig GW Bush back into power in the 2004 election, was bumped off). The rot can be found all over: Britain, Australia etc........ Mean-while while the economies of so-called democracies wither, China's is the envy of the world. Chinese Universities are turning out millions of well read Mathematicians and Scientists. Some of the University of California Universities are truncating their four-degrees to three, saying that they are bankrupt. Harvard has stopped serving bacon for breakfast. They now offer oranges instead. They lost $36 billion of their endowment and pension, in the Larry Summers, Robert Rubin Ponzi heist of Wall Street. I say Brother Kalinge-Nyago, let us focus ourselves to actual policies. We have spent too long focused on process ( i.e. democracy). Mitayo Potosi ================== * *POLITICS* | Omar Kalinge Nnyago ... Civil society can play a vital role in democratisation Last week we made a comment on the role of youth in civil society, in the context of democratisation. A reader appreciated the article but lamented that there was actually no real civil society in Uganda to write home about. Another reader asked us to throw some light on the role of civil society in general. We do that here. Another wanted to know whether a comprehensive directory of civil society organizations existed for Uganda. Another ‘shocked’ me that the most effective civil society in Uganda was non-formal, and therefore what is captured as CSO statistics from the Registrar of companies, district headquarters or even the NGO board is far short of the actual spread of the civil society movement in the country. To recap, we used the commonly used definition in academic writings suggests that civil society is; “An intermediate associational realm between the state and family populated by organisations which are separated from the State, enjoy autonomy in relation to the State and are formed voluntarily by members of the society to protect and extend their interests or values”. Civil society is assumed to be “both the force that can hold governments accountable and the base upon which a truly democratic culture can be built.” Some argue though that a vibrant civil society can neither emerge, nor be sustained, in a weak state context like Uganda’s. We identify the following roles of civil society. The first is that of promotion of a more effective and accountable state for pro-poor development. The development of a more effective and accountable state is fundamental for poverty reduction and respect for human rights. Effective and accountable states need effective and accountable civil society. Civil society can engage in constructive dialogue with the government and local authorities and demand accountability, participation and delivery of agreed policies. It can identify and bring forward issues on the political agenda that would otherwise not be included, and push for social, economic and political change. It can act as a watch-dog towards the state’s fulfillment of its commitments and obligations and be involved in advocacy to ensure that the rights of the poor and marginalised groups are respected. The second role of civil society is that of a “democracy/leadership school”. Successful development depends on citizens having the right to organise themselves and influence the conditions under which they live. Civil society can empower people to participate actively in democratic processes through civic education, reaching beyond the focus of voters’ education. It can channel political interests, offer participation beyond political parties in social movements, networks and organisations and provide a training ground for democratic leadership and the promotion of democratic values. Thirdly, civil society can deliver social and economic services to deprived people. When a government falter in its obligation to deliver services, civil society can fulfil the role. This may also happen during emergencies when civil society is crucial for delivering humanitarian assistance. CSOs have the ability to reach marginalised groups either independently or by delegating. This way, they can provide basic needs such as health, education, water, micro-finance etc., on behalf of the state. During the 1980s and 1990s, many governments were considered increasingly ineffective in delivering services to the population. As a general trend, development partners gradually bypassed the state, and supported development NGOs that had identified the most critical needs of the poor. Fourthly, civil society can promote co-existence and peaceful conflict resolutions in societies affected by war and unrest omarkali...@gmail.com *Related articles*
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