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Location:
Nationwide. DCP works through community based forums and radio listening clubs at village level.
Period:
2008-2011
Corporate Thematic Area:
Democratic Governance - with particular focus on Human Rights.
2007 Budget:
US$ 500,000
Implementing Partners:
Office of the President & Cabinet (OPC), Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights & Democracy (IMCHRD)
Development Partners:
Royal Norwegian Embassy
Contact:
Elisabeth Lyfors
Programme Analyst
P.O. Box 30135
Lilongwe 3, Malawi
Office: +265 (0) 1 773 500, Ext. 236
elisabeth.lyfors@undp.org
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Since the successful first multi-party elections in May 1994, Malawi has made significant progress in institutionalizing democratic freedoms and promoting and protecting human rights. The Government of Malawi (GoM) has made significant strides to formalize democratic processes to ensure equitable service delivery to Malawians, particularly those who are most vulnerable to poverty. Government efforts have been equalled by a re-invigorated civil society which, since 1994 has enjoyed greater freedoms of expression and participation in debates on issues of national importance.
Civil society has been invigorated since 1993 by new freedoms of expression and participation. This development is fostered by the existence of multiple political parties, a more independent media, the increased number and influence of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the creation of government bodies such as the Human Rights Consultative Committee, NGO Civic Education network (NGOCE), the task force on Local Government elections and the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU).
For democracy to function, citizens must be aware of their democratic rights and understand how to exercise them. GoM is working with its national and international partners on the process of consolidating democracy to build an open society, governed by democratic rules and institutions, which encourages effective participation of individuals, groups and communities in the political, economic and social human development of the country.
UNDP is supporting this effort through the Democracy Consolidation Programme. UNDP mobilises resources, manages a basket of funds directed towards this programme, and provides technical backstopping, particularly in auditing and keeping financial records. Generous support is being provided by the Kingdom of Norway. A Programme Steering Committee formed by Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights & Democracy (IMCHRD) is the implementing partner in that it plans, manages and is responsible for monitoring and evaluation of the programme. The actual programme activities are executed by public bodies and 33 civil society organizations.
The Democracy Consolidation Programme has run since 1997 and is currently finishing phase II (July 2002 to Dec 2007). DCP II had three major components: The first was civic education on governance and human rights, which focused on providing information to people, especially to vulnerable groups. The second was legal reform and administration of justice, which aimed to provide channels for adequate redress to resolve disputes equitably and efficiently. The third was parliamentary and institutional strengthening, building the channels for people to demand good governance and their human rights.
DCP adopted a demand driven approach to its programming: as a result, civic education became the cornerstone of DCP’s activities and gave ordinary Malawians the forum to connect with government and demand improved service delivery in their communities. In turn, DCP provides government officials with the means to connect directly with their constituents and ensure development is informed by the actual needs of Malawians. One of the important projects with quite broad success was the ‘radio listening clubs’ run by the Development Broadcasting Unit (DBU) funded under the civic education component
Radio Listening Clubs
DBU creates radio listening clubs at the village level. DBU works with the District Commissioner to identify the most vulnerable villages in a district. Then it trains village committees on human rights and governance and gives the committee a wind-up radio (no power requirements) and a recording device. The committees then record a ‘village voice,’ perhaps in the form of a drama, detailing a problem in the village. As many villagers are illiterate, the voice recordings offer an inclusive media for communicating pressing issues.
This recording is taken to a relevant authority, such as the District Commissioner (DC), who is asked to listen to the tape and to commit to a date to come visit the village in person to dialogue with them.
On the agreed date, the DC visits the village for dialogue with the villagers. The session is recorded and sent to the DBU for editing and broadcasting on national radio. The DC might then facilitate the request or recommend a relevant NGO or institution that specialises in providing what the radio listening club is advocating for. This process has directly resulted in many boreholes, school buildings and bridges being built in villages that are in dire need. |
In Phalombe, a district in Southern Malawi, the community takes pride in the results of its dialogues with MASAF and the District Assembly as it now has a health clinic, with solar power and safe drinking water. This process goes beyond providing knowledge; it is a mechanism to access rights.
Under DCP II’s second component on legal reform and administration of justice, important projects included working with the Malawi Police and the Malawi Prison System. The biggest component here was capacity building to better enable these systems fulfil their mandate in a way that supports basic human rights.
For the third component, parliamentary and institutional strengthening, DCP II provided a standardized set of training to parliamentarians. Members of parliament come from diverse professional backgrounds—teachers, business people, etc.—and may not have all of the basic knowledge needed to fulfil their role. The training ensures that all MPs have a basic standard of professional competence for their work both inside and outside Parliament.
From 2008 the third phase, DCP III, will begin. Successes with civic education will be expanded with a focus on the Right to Development (Article 30 of the Malawi Constitution). DCP III aims to encourage villagers to demand implementation of village development plans that are responsive to the community’s needs. In addition, DCP will assist DCs to fulfil their duties and respond to the demands of their constituents. The advocacy component of DCP will be particularly strengthened through sustainable structures at community level in the form of local clubs, forums, and village development committees. The emphasis is shifting towards informing villagers of their political, social and economic rights, giving them the tools and civil society structures to demand these rights and work with public institutions to respond accordingly.
UNDP will maintain its role of mobilizing and managing resources and providing technical support.
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UNDP Malawi
