MS Uganda Newsletterer October 2006

MS Uganda very lucky to continue.

NGOs ought to advocate for a state regulated framework within which they can undertake civic education. Robert Kabushenga, Director of the Media Centre argues that the furor about MS Uganda’s posters before the last election is a showcase of how easy misunderstandings can arise between an NGO and the authorities if such framework does not exist.

01. October 2006

He is a busy man and it is a task in itself to get an appointment with him. Director of the Media Centre, Robert Kabushenga changes the agreed date and time more than once, and when he finally has an empty slot in his packed calendar it is after 5pm.

Over the phone we have agreed that the interview will be about democracy and civic education, and since Robert Kabushenga has his next meeting in 45 minutes we go straight to the point.

How do you define democracy?

- ‘Democracy is a situation where people in a particular country or area have an opportunity to independently and freely determine their own political affairs in a manner that is appropriate for the circumstances. What might seem democratic in one situation and by one people might not necessarily be looked upon as democratic by another community. I think the nature of democracy is that it is a process, and building a democracy as we do at the moment in Uganda, is best described as work in progress. It is like opening an envelope. One has to move step by step, carefully, to avoid ripping its contents.

- ‘I think the most fundamental in a democracy is to establish a format for decision making on a continuous basis, so that people actually have the power to determine their own affairs. In a Ugandan context that means regular elections, but it also means to empower people to understand and participate in the democratic process.

Democracy in the North

What is the biggest challenge of the democratic process in Uganda?

- ‘In my opinion the issue of the so called North South divide is one of the biggest challenges we have in the democratic process. There is some reality to the ethnic and historical divide, but ultimately it is a political problem.

‘In spite of everything the government may have tried to do, the people of the North have - as a political choice – insisted that they do not appreciate the present government, and do not want to vote for it. They openly say that they feel the North is marginalized by the government and they say so in a democratic behaviour. The irony is that the people of the North do not demand accountability by their local and district administrators, who in some cases obviously are ripping their own people off. I think a democratic process is the only way to solve this problem. But it needs people to be empowered and have a sense of civic awareness and an ability to pressurize the authorities to deliver.

Does this mean that you believe in civic education?

- ‘Civic education is absolutely necessary; my view which I stressed very often is that civic education should not come about simply because we happen to have an election that year. Civic education ought to start in primary school.

Who shall be in charge of civic education?

- ‘The government.

On the front page

Six months ago, just before the first multi party election in Uganda for more than 20 years. MS Uganda’s democracy posters meant for civic education were held back by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) on their way to Kampala from the printing house in Tanzania. The posters, which have been used as part of MS Uganda’s civic education in democracy since 2002, had been refreshed and reprinted due to increasing demand. Quite against the intention of MS Uganda, the authorities felt that the posters were an unwelcome partisan involvement in the election by MS Uganda and as such they became part of an impromptu press meeting before the election. The following day on February 14th four MS posters were on the front page of the New Vision and the Director of the Media Centre Robert Kabushenga was quoted as saying:

- ‘The posters are depicting the government in a negative way and trying to determine the outcome of the election.

MS Uganda immediately released a press statement which regretted that the posters mistakenly had become an election issue. Furthermore MS promptly stopped the distribution. The intention was never to be a political player in the election, only to undertake civic education. Now six month later the next question to the Robert Kabushenga is evident:

What do you think about NGOs undertaking civic education?

- ‘I do not agree with that. Except if you have a general framework regulated by the state and within which the NGOs can operate. It is a task for the government to set up that kind of framework. At the moment there is nowhere where MS and other NGOs can go and ask where to conduct civic education and according to which framework it can be conducted. There is no place where somebody can tell you, in this area please be sensitive and do not send young women below forty to educate old men in civic education. There is no regulator and no body in charge of the development of a curriculum of civic education. This means that NGOs are constantly under the risk of being misunderstood. If there is no framework, the questions always remains; what happens when the NGOs cross the line and become partisan, because eventually they do, some of the comments and stuff one read is obviously partisan.

Are you saying that MS ought to suspend civic education activities until the government has set up a body coordinating all civic education activities in the country?
- ‘I think MS Uganda should undertake civic education, but civic education is not like you are doing voluntary work. Civic education is contentious and somebody has to determine what you should provide as civic education, whether you are MS Uganda or any other organization set up for that purpose. My feeling is that NGOs involved in civic education ought to pressurize the right organs within your sector to set up the necessary framework. If not you will keep on being extremely vulnerable as we saw it before the election.

Lucky to continue

Back in February, before the election, why did you feel that some of MS Uganda’s posters were depicting the government? Were they too close for comfort?
- ‘Let me answer by asking you, why do you think it is necessary in a Ugandan context to use for example a corrupt army man as an example of undemocratic behavior? Why are you depicting soldiers, tanks and somebody holding a gun towards a frightened man as an example? You would not have used that kind of images in a Danish setting. You were implying that the army was something to be scared about, and that the army had no business in politics. But first of all it is a legislative and constitutional provision that the army shall participate in politics through established premises. Secondly they are entitled to vote like anybody else.

- One of your images was actually interpreted as being an illustration of the head of state. People were very upset. Now temperaments have cooled, but at that time, I am telling you, you were very lucky that you were allowed to continue.

Vibeke Quaade is Information Officer at MS Uganda and Co-editor of the Newsletter

Email: info.msuga@ms.co.ug