Democracy, a way of life!

Democracy as a way of life - also in Indonesia

An email came in yesterday from Enid, a former volunteer at the youth group in the Democracy Team. Enid is now placed in Indonesia and wants to promote Democracy as a way of life to the communities there. Enid wrote: "I'm so passionate about democracy and the skills that MS Uganda gave me and I would therefore like to utilise all the opportunities that I have to share with the different communities." When you recieve an email like that you get happy and think: "This is really working!" and it shows that democracy as a way of life is something which is needed and wanted all over the world - not only in Africa. Enid, thank you for the email and good luck with promoting democracy in your part of the world.

Democracy cards better than "Woman of My Life"

"I shared the MS Democracy cards with my six children and two adults after an evening cup of tea. Each one of us picked two cards at random and took turns to show up one and discuss it. We agreed from the beginning that each opinion was right which encouraged the shy ones to speak with ease. Then each person gave their reflection and opinion of the subject/question on the card. Initially they were unhappy because the cards game interrupted their favorite TV program “Woman of My Life” which most WBS TV fans enjoy twice a week. After discussing all selected cards they rushed for more – making us have dinner late. There was much generated excitement prompting one girl to comment “this is better than - “Woman of My Life”

Lessons learnt:
1.Children have feelings, opinions, facts, ideas, impressions, constructive suggestions, fears and plans just like adults. And adults may not always have the best options to children’s dilemmas.
2.It is good practice to encourage people especially children to think for themselves and not impose your own ideas.
3.Using cards is a nice way of getting families to discuss a wide rage of social aspects which are rarely talked about.

Thank you MS- Uganda for the innovation of using cards to discuss important life skills issues with children."

This is a testimony from one of the many people who have played with the democracy cards. Try them at home, at your work and with your friends. Many discussions will expand and only by talking about democracy and how democracy works in our daily life can we create an Ugandan society with democracy as a way of life. So Play Your Part!

Arua launching

In September last year we visited Arua together with dancers from Uganda Break Dancer Project, actors from IATM and MS Uganda country director Mads B. Joergensen. The day was packed with speches, discussions and not the least preformances by the break dancers and the actors.

The launching took place at the Police Ground in Arua and was attended by district officials and an audience of 4-500 people. Having the break dancers and actors made us able to reach out to a different audience - and especially the kids were enjoying themselves.

When the darkness surrounded Arua we have had a day with interesting discussions and feedback as "That was a really educative programme which makes each and every person to reflect on their actions" and "MS-Uganda has really taken on a unique project which is not at all a duplication of any programme by other NGO's” - and then it is all worth it!
So thank you, Arua - and see you again! For more pictures, go here

Teachers in life

April was the month of the training of our civic mwalimus. Mwalim is swahili and means "teacher in life" and we believe that civic mwalimus is the best name for our young people from Apac, Koboko, Bukedea and Nakapiripirit who are to educate and train their local communities, school leaders and media people in human rights and democracy. The civic mwalimus are among other things residents of the 4 mentioned districts, speaks either Ateso, Ngakarimajong, Lango or Kakwa and have experience in youth activitites. It was 21 very motivated young people who sat together for the first time an early Monday morning at a venue in Kampala. We had many discussions, many laughs, many good stories and we all went home with much new knowledge in our heart and brain.

We have great expectations to this group of young Ugandans who want a better life for themselves and their countrymen. So please, take good care of them when they visit your community!
For more pictures from the training, click here

We will update you on the work and progress of the civic mwalimus here, so please visit again.

Democracy from a drawing perspective

Mr. Ongua Benard, a 20 year old boy from Arua won the Global Democracy Day's art competition's 1st price with his drawing "Democracy starts at home"
The Jury's motivation for awarding Ongua Benard the 1st price: "Democracy on a national or local level is not immediately dependent on democratic family structures and gender equality. And then again: How can a repressed woman be able to be involved in society if she dare not speak her mind in her own home?
The illustration is precise and direct. It is also sad and thought-provoking – the more you look at the drawing, the more alarming it becomes. How do they feel in that family? The illustration makes a clear and comprehensive example to symbolise what democracy is about. The message is condensed in a concrete example that is easy to relate to rather than an intangible discussion of the concept of democracy."

Ongua Benard have lived in Arua his whole life. His father died in 1996 and the family was seperated because his mother had difficulties with providing food for the whole family. Benard was placed at his uncle's place and has struggled to go through primary and secondary school. But he succeeded, got his O-level exam and his drawing is a testimony of a life faced by many children in Uganda.

Congratulations once again!

Packing posters

Packing posters and other democracy materials is a demanding task - and takes time

“Let’s get more of this kind of workshops!”

In cooperation with Ministry of Local Government The Democracy Team has developed Module 27 of the Ministry's training modules.

The module "Democracy and Human Rights" contains a Participants handbook and Trainers handbook.

The final testing took place at sub county and district level at Nakasongola District, Bukedea District, Kirihura District and Gulu District.

GULU

Read here what happened in Gulu.

NAKASONGOLA

In Nakasongola the participants at district level started by defining and describing democracy in their own words.
Let’s give a few examples:

“Democracy is the rights of everybody to participate in everything that affects them”
“In democracy there are no beggars” (RDC)
“Where there is democracy there is development”
“In democracy there is no perfect government”

The workshop at district level was very lively from the very beginning to the very end. It was even sometimes difficult for the facilitators to calm the group, - everybody wanted to express their opinion and everybody wanted to discuss more on the different issues!
Only few women participated in the general discussions, but were much more active during group work.

Some of the discussions gave food for thought:

“Central will tell you that tomorrow we don’t give you this anymore. The Local Governments just keep quiet and that is a problem”

“We have been independent since 62, but are we really when we are still depending on grants?”

The testing workshop was closed by the RDC with the following words:
“This has been one of the most interesting workshops we have ever had since I started. In future let’s go to the villages and share with them”

Bukedea

We went to Kidongole Sub County where people without any doubt could have continued discussing if the sun had been up all night.

“This democracy is a tool. It creates a forum to discuss important issues which would only be discussed on the street”.

The information shared seemed to be of greatest importance. LC5 Sam Ebukalin expressed with surprise: "This brings out issues which you will never even find through inspections".

And again – food for thought:

“I saw this animal called democracy. I don’t seem to understand it much. How does human rights and democracy relate?”

“The people are living holistic, but the educated have been in a small faculty and only know this small faculty. Those are the ones we need to capacity build on how to deal with real life”

“We have left our communities to be beggars. How do we change them to be customers?”

“We realized that the sub counties didn’t have data. How can they then plan for the different areas?”

“Do we have leaders, rulers or managers in our community?”

“Does decentralization function when there are a high and a low class? The low class live in the poor houses, drink the bad water etc. Does it work when some people from above come and tell us what to do. They tell us that we don’t have the capacity, so they will do it for us. They use a lot of money for payment which could have been done much cheaper.
We HAVE capacities; we can run our own families, we can build houses.
We have had capacity building many times, but we are still looked upon as we have no capacity”

“There is no democracy at household level. Women and children work, while the men are doing nothing. The little we earn the men will take. There is lack of information, the men sell crops and land without consulting.”

“If a girl misbehaves the mother is the guilty one. The father gives her away and if the mother objects, they will tell her that she is guilty of the mess”

“Formally PTA has a role, but on the ground they have no function”

“These human rights have brought us problems. Now the children demand for their rights and end up misbehaving. And how about our women; - how can we now control them!”

“Is it abuse of rights to put 80 or more in one class? Do they get their right to quality education fulfilled? Can you expect one teacher to make quality education for so many – even with not enough equipment?”

And comments about the module:

“The beauty of these documents is that it brings together democracy and human rights into local governments. You can use it in church, family etc.”

You can tell the ministry that we welcome this module” (CAO, Bukedea District)

Uganda Break Dancer Project

From 2008 MS worldwide will target youth and women in their democracy focus. How do we target youth so we really get their attention and don’t just end up being moral adults with a lifted finger?

Through her children’s school our information officer, Vibeke, had seen Ugandan Break dancer Project. Could they be useful? We went to have a closer look. We brought Fred from IATM (International Anti Corruption Theatre Movement). Of all people he should be the one to see the possibilities.

After 2 hours watching we were all convinced. About 40 young people aged 7 to 25 were all working hard to learn and to teach each other.

In one corner a bigger boy was teaching a group of the youngest.

The older ones were teaching each other, showing their skills, improving, giving each other advice, suggesting new things.

The founder of the project, Abramz, walked quietly around talking to the members, showing improvements etc.

The music was one, but not louder than it didn’t disturb the other groups in the hall which were busy with table tennis and badminton.

The whole set up was so organised, but without whistles, canes and hard words, just because the people involved had self discipline. 

Looking at all this with democracy eyes, this was the practice of the democratic principles; everybody participated, the dancers were from every level of society but showed tolerance and respect to each other, everybody was welcome and to make it available for everybody the training was for free.

You pay with what you can – your skills.

And the winner is: - Ongua Benard

CONGRATULATION to Ongua Benard from Arua Resource Centre!!!

Up to now Ongua has only been known in Arua, - now he is known in many places in the world as the one who won the arts competition in connection to the Global Democracy Day.

Do you want to read more about the competition and the Global Democracy Day, please press here

We will be back with pictures and more stories about Ongua

Welcome to our office!

When we first started working as a democracy team in 2004, we got a small office in Arua Catolic Centre. A old desk and a plastic chair for each was enough to start with. There was no power by that time, so Mie used the evenings to type the findings at her home in Koboko as long as the solar power allowed.

When more and more of the meetings and activities were moved to Kampala, we worked on verandas and wherever we could find the space. 

Two months ago we finally got our own well equipped office in a container at the MS Uganda compound.

Do I need to tell how much we enjoy it?!!