Democracy, a way of life!

MS Uganda Partner Organisations and CSOs

Selected CSOs are supported by MS Uganda with democracy materials to create awareness about democratic governance and the exercise of effective leadership at community levels – this is aimed at hard to reach women groups, out of school youth groups and groups of persons with disabilities and other influential persons within the communities.

MS Uganda organised District and sub-county material testing community meetings/dialogues on issues arising from MS Uganda materials, but focusing on political and social issues of local relevance – addressing community-based groups and the local public at the local level.

MS Uganda supports and facilitates a number of performing arts groups following the themes and methods of Forum Theatre as introduced by IATM

National Civic Education

No one disputes the need for civic education in Uganda – the need for a Programme taking up the key themes of nationhood, Poverty eradication, democracy, governance and human rights.

The experience of MS Uganda in during the implementation of National Civic Education Programme 1 also proved how difficult it is to reach people at the ‘grassroots’. This remains the main challenge with civic education.

With low literacy levels and with few means to inform themselves about civic matters, the majority rural population is in need of broad-based civic education – touching on such themes as nation-building, democracy, governance and human rights

MS Uganda has been involved in civic education and has the ability to easily mobilize and network with grass root communities across the country as well as use participatory approaches that lend themselves to effective civic empowerment.

MS Uganda’s involvement in the Civic Education had the benefit of reducing costs, particularly in the area of training – since MS Uganda already had some knowledge of the key themes and core civic participation skills.   From a strategic viewpoint, MS Uganda’s involvement provided opportunities for:

• Broadening the scope of civic education beyond voter education;
• Achieving a systematic integration of civic education into on-going interventions;
• Providing a flexible and continuous civic education programme tailored to specific situations within a given setting – as opposed to a more rigid and ‘strait jacket’ approach.

Potentials: Fortunately, their engagement in NCEP provided CSOs with useful insights on the delivery of civic education programmes and, by extension, the required competencies and capacities.

Achievement: In the last NCEP 1 MS Uganda succeeded in the following areas:

• Promoting advocacy related to the various thematic areas covered in the civic education curriculum;
• Monitoring the conduct of awareness programmes on NCEP 1 in West Nile by CEFORD and ACDI our co-implementing agencies;
• Training a mass of civic education facilitators called Civic education facilitators in West Nile;
• Developing the facilitator’s manual prepared for NCEP-I;
• Based on lessons learnt from NCEP-I, five CSOs under the umbrella of MS Uganda formed a consortium and prepared and presented a programme proposal aimed at the delivery of continuous rights-based civic education. Apart from indicating the CSOs’ keen interest in civic education, the proposal presents interesting opportunities, for example, a private–public partnership between the CSOs and the Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA). This in some ways indicates the CSOs’ increased appreciation of synergistic linkages as a catalyst for a broad civic education programme.

There is the challenge of institutionalizing civic education; of developing a standard curriculum and operational arrangements that will ensure sustainable delivery.

National School Curriculum

The school is a place where citizens learn to act as democratic citizens. Schools and education systems therefore have to assume the responsibility of preparing youngsters to behave as such by developing civic skills and values. This goes beyond providing insights into the working of political institutions. It is about young people learning to assume responsibility in society, to adopt a citizenship attitude and to act democratically.

It is in the same spirit that in 2004, MS Uganda was asked by the Ministry of Education and Sports through the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) to participate in the review of the primary and secondary curricula. MS Uganda successfully advocated and lobbied for the inclusion of democracy values, principles and life skills competencies in the New Thematic Curriculum for Primary One. This will be an on-going exercise to benefit all the classes through to Secondary level. NCDC is currently reviewing the curriculum of primary education; it will soon embark on the review of secondary and teacher training college education.

MS Uganda in collaboration with NCDC propose to print the P.1, P.2 and P.3 support materials – "Democratic life skills and values" which are developed by MS Uganda.

Secondly, MS Uganda and NCDC will organize substantial and rigorous training for the Master Team - P.2 and P.3 Pilot teachers in order to introduce the teacher support materials, the application of the democratic values and life skills in the curriculum materials – and about the participatory, issue-raising methods that will be employed

The NCDC and MS Uganda plan to Print more debate cards and develop ‘multi-media’ packages – DVDs as support materials showing how to apply the participatory, issue-raising methods that will be employed by primary and local government teachers and facilitators in facilitating the discussion groups. These will be used as reference materials in Teacher Training Colleges and Local Government TOT sessions.

Local Government

In the year 2006 the Ministry of Local Government (MOLG) through the Uganda Local Government Authorities (ULGA) asked MS Uganda to develop Trainer’s Guide and participants Handbooks to be included as a standard module for Local Government training on Democracy and Human Rights.

Two materials have so far been developed by MS Uganda to support this partnership. The "Democracy and Human Rights – Participants Handbook for Local Governments in Uganda" and "Democracy and Human Rights – Trainers Handbook for Local Governments in Uganda " have been developed. The two materials are intended to enable users develop participatory training programs about democracy as a lifestyle. Other useful suggestions in these materials include learner-centered approach, illustrations and exercises with reference to two booklets about democracy.

"Democracy and Human Rights – Participants Handbook for Local Governments in Uganda " and "Democracy and Human Rights – Trainers Handbook for Local Governments in Uganda " are being printed presently. The Local government is constrained by certain factors that could be taken up in a comprehensive Civic Education Programme:

1. In the course of implementing the decentralization policy we have observed that democracy and human rights are ideals which are desirable. But the understanding and practicing them is more challenging. This exercise comes in to enrich the participants understanding of democracy, human rights. The focus is on promoting democratic practice by developing specific skills and attitudes.

2. Local government structures have not yet been adapted fully to the multi-party scenario;

3. They are not formally responsive to civil society structures – there is, for example, no mention of NGOs in the Local Government Act;

4. CSOs do not have strong networks at the district levels;

5. There is no institutional framework to support partnerships between local government and CSOs – so when contact occurs it is on an informal basis and usually dependent on the goodwill of the CAO/other district officials, or at the insistence of the CSOs.

6. To start teaching the new Democracy module to the newly elected local government leaders who have just been elected the orientation and training of Local Governments’ pool of facilitators is considered relevant but they will need further orientation on the new Local Government Module content and on the specific facilitation techniques described in the new manual.

Democracy and Education

Education is a vital component of any society, but especially of a democracy. In contrast to authoritarian societies that seek to inculcate an attitude of passive acceptance, the object of democratic education is to produce citizens who are independent, questioning, and analytical in their outlook, yet deeply familiar with the precepts and practices of democracy.

Our democracy project is for purposes of transmitting democratic values and life skills. Within it learners are taught the principles of democracy in a spirit of open inquiry that is itself an important democratic value. At the same time, learners are encouraged to challenge conventional thinking with reasoned arguments and careful research. There may be vigorous debate, but our democracy materials do not simply ignore events or facts that are unpleasant or controversial.

We believe that in a democracy the government is the servant of the people, people whose capacity to create, sustain, and improve that government depends in large measure on the quality and effectiveness of the educational arrangements through which they pass. In a democracy, it can fairly be said, education enables freedom itself to flourish over time.

About the MS Uganda Democracy Materials

MS Uganda Democracy Materials use an empowering approach to learning for social change. It was conceived and developed through an innovative process by MS Uganda Democracy Team. It is based on the following core principles:

Power and Voice

The materials aim at strengthening people’s capacity to communicate using relevant or appropriate means. New communication skills are learnt and these are used in a meaningful way.

Participation of poor and marginalized in political process

Our materials seek to encourage people in the struggle to assert their rights, challenge injustice and change their position in society. As such, they encourage alliances with the poorest and most marginalized.

Central to our belief is that poor and marginalized people should have a voice and choice in their life and development.

Equality in democratic space

The materials encourage the creation of democratic space – one in which everyone’s voice is given equal weight. This needs to be actively constructed, because it is never easy and can be counter – cultural as it challenges local culture and the power relations and stratifications that have created inequality.

With this democratic space where everyone’s voice is given equal weight, and members can participate equally and have their voices heard; working together provides a rehearsal space where they can learn new ways of interacting, and it can be used to influence the functioning of other local organisations, (for example school management committees, village development committees or local government), thus spreading models of good governance.

Reflection and Action (Activism)

The materials involve intensive and extensive group processes with continuous cycle of reflection and action. It is reflection for the purpose of analyzing the status quo and proposing change and action linked to reflection, as pure activism for its own sake rapidly loses direction. Below is a typical process through which participants are guided by facilitator:

• What is the concept or issue under discussion?
• How does it manifest itself – status quo?
• Is it fine to leave the situation as it is? Do we feel good or bad?
• How can we improve on the status quo?
• Who should be involved? How can we be involved?

Grounded in existing knowledge

At the outset, the materials encourage the reflection on existing knowledge. Respect and value for peoples existing knowledge and experience is important. However, this does not mean that people’s existing opinions or prejudices should be accepted without challenge. Further more users are encouraged and enabled to access new information and new ideas from new sources. But participants have control over this process – we build confidence in users own starting points, so that they can be critical and selective.

Use of participatory tools

A wide range of participatory tools is used to create an environment in which everyone is able to contribute. These tools help to provide structure for the process and include visuals (cartoons and posters) and other methods and processes, such as community theatre, role plays, scenario setting, group work, brainstorms sessions and others.

Power awareness

All participatory methods can be distorted, manipulated or used in exploitative ways if they are not linked to an awareness of power relationships.
In our materials, the multiple dimensions of power and stratification are always considered, and inequitable power relationships challenged. This includes a structural gender analysis to ensure that issues are not dealt with at a superficial level.

Self organisation

The focus of our materials is for democracy to be treated as a way of life. The need to apply democratic principles in our personal lives at the family, community, organisational and governance is emphasized. The focus of the process is towards self organisation: groups/classes are self managed and facilitators/teachers only guide the learning process. Facilitator/teachers exemplariness as a role model for democracy is emphasized.

Building a Civic Culture

At MS Uganda we believe that Democracy is more than the sum of its institutions. A healthy democracy depends in large part on the development of a democratic civic culture and that is what our materials are made for. Culture in this sense, refers to "the behaviours, practices, and norms that define the ability of a people to govern themselves.
Our present political set up perpetrates encourages a culture of passivity and apathy. And it seeks to mould an obedient and docile citizenry.

By contrast, the civic culture of a democratic society is shaped by the freely chosen activities of individuals and groups. We seek to develop citizens in a free society who pursue their interests, exercise their rights, and take responsibility for their own lives. They should be able to make their own decisions about where they will work what kind of work they will do, where they will live, whether to join a political party, what to read, and so on. These are decisions that need personal choices.

The primary contribution of our democracy materials is to encourage a society with the freedom to create, to experiment, to explore the world of the human mind and spirit.

Introduction by Alex Jurua, coordinator

The story about the MS Uganda’s Democracy Project began in 1999 at the MS Uganda annual meeting. At the meeting all the partner organisations agreed to emphasize democracy and good governance in their organisations, and to embark on this project now hereinafter referred to as "Democracy as a Way of Life". MS Uganda partner organisations were responding to the problem of lack of internal democracy within their own organisations that was hindering development and effectiveness of work.

In the year 2000 MS Uganda responded by publishing the first text handbook, which describes both democratic and undemocratic practices in all spheres of life from the family level to the level of local government. Shortly after, a cartoon version and posters were developed to visualize the same issues.

MS Uganda in 2004 initiated and has been running a series of advocacy projects/activities with the aim to contribute to the creation of a culture of democracy, and participation in the development of Uganda at all levels. This includes a project of developing Democracy Training Materials and teaching aids to enable teachers and facilitators to develop participatory training programs about Democracy as a lifestyle using the initial text and cartoon handbooks.

It is important to note that although this project started as purely materials development, it has now expanded to include a series of advocacy projects/activities as indicated below with the aim to contribute to the creation of a culture of democracy, and participation in the development of Uganda at all levels. From democracy materials development and dissemination, MS Uganda Democracy team is now involved in training users and reaching out to those who had requested the use of the materials and finding out how useful the materials have been in explaining the tenets of democracy and how similar materials could be utilized by them.

The target now includes Primary schools, Tutors and Teachers at Teachers’ Training Colleges, Local Governments, youth groups including secondary schools, The executives, staff and the beneficiaries of MS Uganda partner organizations, the Civil Society Organisations and National Civic Education Programme.