The workshop, “From Cape to Cairo: The Role of Youth in Democratic Transition”, brought together passionate activists from far flung countries such as Venezuela, Belarus, Egypt and Zimbabwe, among others, to share their stories, explore ideas with peers and meet with experts on transitional justice mechanisms and tools. The focus of the workshop and the date had been very carefully selected, bringing this group together on a very significant date that serves as a reminder of the struggles of the past, and ones that are still going on today.

February 11 marks a significant date for African people and their aspirations for freedom as the date Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990. More recently, it marks the date last year that long standing President Hosni Mubarak resigned, following the powerful protests of the Egyptian people.  Using this anniversary as an occasion to explore and build on the expertise of youth leaders in democratic transition processes, the African Democracy Forum (ADF) and the World Youth Movement for Democracy (WYMD) bough together a selected number of youth representatives to build political leadership, enhance networking and explore what this group, with their varied country contexts, expected from the process of ‘democratic opening’.

During the workshop, the group held a special session at CIVICUS house to explore how they could work with the global CIVICUS alliance and the various projects and work areas we offer.

We were lucky enough to be joined by Gino Govender and Noel Kututwa, from Amnesty International- South Africa, both experts in transitional justice issues, within the South African context and from other countries around Africa. They helped to frame discussion around the issues of activism within repressive states, transitional justice problems and mechanisms to use to ensure that justice occurs and is available for all.

The sharing of experiences was fascinating, because no matter how different the countries or specific contexts are, common issues, problems and the possible ways to create change emerge. What came through as important in the discussions, and is something that we should constantly keep in mind, is that in all activism and advocacy work, and all fights against the repressive, we have to create a vision for the future and clearly articulate what we want to build as an alternative. Once achieved, freedom must be for all, not the few, as has been evident in so many post-conflict countries. It was a harsh reminder that one cannot simply fight against something, but must be ready for the long road of rebuilding a society and ensure fundamental rights for all, as many of the countries of the Arab Spring are now experiencing.

What was astounding is that each of these people around the table had experienced hardships and struggles in their fight for democracy, and yet how passionate they still are for change.  We all need to maintain that passion, need to ensure that change happens, and that it benefits all of society. Despite only being with them for a few hours, it felt like everyone in the room was united in our ambitions for the future; and that our futures are possible to achieve.

Megan Macgarry

Every Human Has Rights Project Coordinator

A period before the ICC ruling, I toured various parts of the country where the alleged perpetrators drew their support. During the day of the ruling, I was in an area on the outskirts of Nairobi, with a good mix of ethnicity present, in order to gauge the feelings of people as the learned judges of the ICC made the ruling. I can confirm that Kenya is in a difficult space, going by sentiments gathered over the period and at the date of the ruling.  Few care about the merits or demerits of the cases other than who is being charged and which ethnic group he comes from. Quite unfortunate, but not unexpected of Kenya.

But the issue at hand is whether justice will be served by the ICC and what is evidently wrong in Kenya. Initially, the government and later Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara, attempted to create a local tribunal, but this proved to be unsuccessful. In our usual Kenyan lackadaisical approach to serious issues and ethnic polarization, this was thrown to the dustbin.

A segment of Kenyan society, of victims of the violence, felt that leaving it to the Kenyan justice system would amount to nothing. Many arguments have been advanced that the Kenyan justice system has  proven that it is only capable of punishing the weak and poor in society, leaving the powerful and mighty to abuse the system and trample on people’s rights. Arguments over reforms being undertaken in the Judiciary is that these need to go much further and deeper into the entire justice system, even extending to reformation of the Police. That the Kenyan police is highly distrusted is not in doubt, which is why there is much fanfare generated about possible reforms that are needed.

So where are we today? The ICC has confirmed some of the charges, and with those left unconfirmed, there is room for the Prosecutor return and take over.  It’s certainly bad for the families of the affected, in as much as I feel strongly for the victims and families whose lives were destroyed or adversely affected by the violence. The suspects remain innocent till the judicial processes have been completed.  Innocent Kenyans were killed, their families destroyed and others lost property over political issues which they had no control over.  This is something that needs redress and the ICC process is hardly enough. The state failed the victims by not protecting them. Moreover, there has been  repeated periods in recent history, especially in  late 1991, 1992/3, and again in 1997, when innocent people were either killed, maimed, properties destroyed, all for crimes not of their making. In 1997, for instance, a police station was attacked in Likoni, killing innocent police doing their work. Similarly, these patterns are evident elsewhere throughout the Rift valley and speak volumes about our troubled political past. There is something fundamentally wrong with Kenyan society and its high time the government started serious programmes to address these long neglected issues and troubles.

A deeper look at history reveals much. The way state resources have been distributed since independence has been anything but fair. Those who held powerful positions in government and quasi-government agencies, tasked with managing resources, simply aggrandized themselves and distribution of resources were done to exclude others on ethnic grounds and perpetuate divisions. The seeds of hate were magnificently sown, and grown, over time, such that Kenyan society started to believe that for one to access anything to improve ones life, you would have to be linked or connected to the state.  Much evidence confirms this, especially related to state jobs and resource distribution such as infrastructure development, land and other related projects meant to improve livelihoods since independence. Forget about the terrors of the colonial era, it is too rotten to think of this current way as a system other than being an evil exploitation of humanity.

Kenya’s inability to grow the economy substantially and equitably since independence, has forced many into dire poverty. Today we have large armies of able-bodied people either unemployed or with little economic future. Large numbers of well-educated people are included in this growing percentage of poor. This is incredibly dangerous, and worrying, for any nation.

The way forward on the issue of the ICC is to hope for a fair trial and that the current government does serious soul searching and plans actions to redress these atrocities. Kenya has a long way to go on addressing past failures, ethnicity divisions and inequitable distribution of resources, in order to guarantee a better future.  The victims of the post election violence must be given restitution and offered a new lease on life; there is no way to erase or correct the past, but one can fight to improve the future.

We must not forget that there are many more who have suffered violence and atrocities prior to the events of 2007. Critically, we must resolve to address the fundamental inequalities and problems, particularly surrounding land distribution, ethic abuses and strife and the dire reality of increased poverty. Left unchecked and unaddressed, these have the potential to create havoc and ruin for the country in the future. We have to work to prevent this, at all costs.

Harrison  Mwirigi  Ikunda: Nairobi, Kenya.

The writer is a Consultant and Researcher working for a Not for Profit Organisation with an office in Kenya covering the African region.

Kenyans are ushering a new year (2012) at a period when the conditions in the economic sphere are making the majority to adjust their lifestyles. The high cost of living will necessarily push many to lower economic status, lower consumptions of most good and services and overall they are in for a strain. Worrisome is the political spectrum. The implementation of the new constitution has so far been bumpy and  2012 will largely be a presidential succession posturing, grand schemes, counter schemes and new political direction scheming.

It has been argued in different fora that whenever there is a political transition period there is emergence of high level graft and that’s when great economic saboteurs masterminds come to the fore to make selfish quick gains. Cases often cited is Russia in the era of Boris Yeltsin, South Africa during the transition to the era of black majority rule, Eastern Europe in late 1980’s when communism was a dying relic, many of the economic transformations periods  in Latin America especially in the 1980’s and 1990’s ,so much in Asia and particularly in India, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and so on.

When it comes to third world politics periods of transition provides so much uncertainty and also create vacuums that are exploited by those close to power or in power to make illicit gains. So 2012 will also be a year to keep a lot of vigilance on the economy and various economic operations. Sugar, oil, energy projects, maize, privatization, currency, strategic infrastructure tenders, important government tenders, emergence of new financial institutions and so on are areas to keep a keen watch. I’m not sure Kenyans are aware during election years emergence of dubious financial scams and institutions like pyramid schemes come into to the fore. There are people who not necessarily in the government but with influence and connections who exploit the loopholes or create them to make some quick  buck or fundraise for political schemes.

On the other hand key  areas or events to watch include the implementation of the new constitution, political alliances, constitutional amendments, political parties , strategic state or state bodies/agencies appointments , the depth of devolution laws and resources and so on. Obviously the war in Somalia (Operation Lindanchi) and its consequences is critical in regional stability and the opportunities availed by a stable Somalia are an important occupation of the state psyche. The ICC confirmation or none of it of the charges on the Ocampo Six is an important aspect of the nation’s political life.

In a nutshell 2012  provide a fragile state of affairs in both the political and economic realms. Importantly the new constitution if well implemented could thrust the country to a better future. However the actors  include those who used the old constitution to sabotage positive  political developments in the past and the challenges of embracing change still loom large. The economic maladies, growing poverty, high unemployment levels, insecurity, threats of terror, chaotic urbanization, chaotic devolution and high cost of borrowing are some of the hardships to welcome Kenyans in 2012. Moreover there is hope at least that high inflation levels can be curtailed. There is no reason why the nation cannot be sufficient in food in 2012. There is nothing to impede progress in new infrastructure like modern railway, expansion of the airports, new port of Lamu, decongestion of port of Mombasa, Construction  of Voi to Taveta roads, better roads to Masaai Mara game reserve, Dongo Kundu bypass construction, several roads across the country, prevention of aflotoxin in our maize meal, growth in tourism, opening of new tourist circuits across the country,  new capital inflows etc.

Sort out politics and the economic kingdom shall follow. Have a better and prosperous  2012 dear Kenyans. You deserve it.

Harrison  Mwirigi  Ikunda: Nairobi, Kenya.

The writer is a Consultant and Researcher working for a Not for Profit Organisation with an office in Kenya covering the African region.

“We used to have a goat, but I had to sell it to feed my children and have any money to buy seeds for next year. If they get tired, then they cannot do any work. Food is life. There is nothing left; I am lost, without solution.”

Rural woman farmer, Mali

“A country exists because rural people exist – until there are none left. Then what? Is there a law that says a government should abandon its citizens?”

Kenyan villager

“If there are no crops anymore, there is nothing to do but migrate; people who stay have nothing.”

Kenyan rural village chief

“If they say that this is the people’s COP, then where are the people? What is it we are going to do?”

But where is the united voice? With no consolidated front from civil society, or any proposal about an alternatives.

Even better, over lunch, trying to throw my plastic bottle (the only type available!) away in a recycling bin was a monumental battle of unprecedented level. I had been driving (the irony!) around all morning trying to sort out an Internet connection issue and had finally found parking and space to enter the ‘official’ COP space around the International Conference Centre. Finding ones way was marginally difficult and the fact that air conditioning in fancy, plastic prefab tents is everywhere with very few people visiting them to make the need to create cool air worth the effort, was marginally disturbing.

Entering the exhibition space, a space I in which several people I had met at COP had invited me to, was completely blocked. It was ‘Us versus over 100 security guards blocked.’ Along with xray scanners, long queuing lines, and batons separated.

After explaining to many people that I had organizational observer status and so on and such, I was rather blankly told “no, there is no one way.”

Exclusion, being removed and completely out of the loop. It was a bizarre feeling, wanting to be a part of something, wanting to participate, trying oh so hard to do so and yet, denial and exclusion. So, closed from access to the official space, I moved to the free space, the external environment of the elite negotiation space. In this we gowned more plastic, more power plugs and fake walls than ever before. Buying food with paper tokens, eating with plastic forks, while sitting under plastic!? Completely removed from climate change realities and utterly removed from the grassroots people and organizations who face the realities of climate change each and every day.

The conversations about climate change have been the same every day, and the same we have heard for the last 3-10 years! Come on people! Shake it up! It’s no longer about the 1.5 or 2 degree changes, it’s no longer about the percent of emissions reduction, it’s also no longer just about the Kyoto protocol and whether we have another period or not. I think its about time we get angry about what this bloated negotiation is all about – nothing essentially, so lets move on.

What is “a balanced package”?! What will this green economy or new negotiations look like?!

It’s a ridiculous fallacy to continue as we are and stop the questioning, pushing or fighting for a serious alternative. Thats the way forward – complete change of the norm. Otherwise, its just business as usual. So me and the anorexic polar bears will be swimming together in the Indian ocean within about two years, as we watch things disappear.

Best regards,
Megan

I picked a statement from one of the presidential hopefuls lamenting that our Kenyan youths are leaving in droves to live and work in developed countries such as America and Australia. Similarly this group and others such as successful athletes have been changing nationalities creating the feeling that this is denying the country critical human resources. If you examine the platforms of all the presidential hopefuls there is mention of creating opportunities for the young people to develop the country. When NARC under Kibaki leadership came to power in 2002, they promised to create an average of 500,000 jobs per annum. Was this dream ever realized? But I do also take cognizance of some recent efforts such a stimulus packages driven by the government through the ministry of finance as well as the Kazi Kwa Vijana initiatives which though well meant to keep some of the youth busy ended in some financial impropriety. Again though it was well meant it had its own strategic weaknesses.

So where does this leave the young people? May I mention my experience during the year moving around Kenya which I have covered in length and breadth mixing with diverse communities and people. In any market place in Kenya you will necessarily meet young people who are largely idle. Many of these have graduated from secondary schools, others have had tertiary education training but with little to do. Many of them are seriously into illicit alcohol if not drugs. Indeed even with alcohol regulation they have simply gone hide-stream for harder alcohol and/or illicit substance. It’s simply pathetic. Ask many of them what the issue is, they will simply mention they have no job.

Going through my records on consequences of the most of the habits these young people are pursuing, it simply gives an indication that in a few years this country will be having serious health problems ranging from what is well known such as Psychological Depression, Cancer, Diabetes, Kidney failure, Heart failure, HIV(inevitably), hypertension and so on. Then consider the family and society breakdown, crime, destruction, and a directionless society. This is not a health state to be in.

There are some quick wins that can be pursued to stem this mess.

Consider that the next jobs and investments will be driven by information and new technologies. Look at the telecommunication sector. In a period of about ten years there have been a lot of changes in telephony sector such that mobile phones, mobile phones abilities and internet have in a big way created numerous business opportunities and employment. Just consider the number of people who are gainfully employed or have invested in Mobile phone cash transfers such as MPESA. Consider the speed of business driven by these new modes of money transactions. Consider the barriers broken. So in effect the new economy driven by information and technologies is the way to go. These and sectors like tourism, services of various kind and manufacturing look to be promising.  Well thought out agriculture is also king. What are required are more and aggressive investments in infrastructure and security. By the way this country needs to invest heavily on security infrastructure such as CCTV. Forget the nonsense about intrusion into privacy; we need preventive measures more than responsive. This is what will stem crime and the mess in our roads which is largely created by sheer recklessness. Can you imagine the opportunities to emerge if we could create a 24 hour economy? The challenge simply remains in preventive policing.

We shouldn’t be surprised by the rise in fraud cases, the sophistication of crime, new crime patterns and sheer recklessness of our youth. They are simply trying anything. Recently there has been emergence of reports of young people joining AL Shabaab. Is anybody surprised by this devil would care attitude? They simply are trying anything to survive, yet our economy and obviously many economies in Africa are not providing enough opportunities for everybody. But there is some hope. We need some well thought out quick wins measures and long term planning especially for the fast growing population. By the way any presidential hopeful hoping to run this country must know that this country has changed tremendously, challenges are many and it will take more than campaign posturing to solve them. The dilemma posed by the youthful poorly engaged population is quite huge. Based on some research findings it shows that a society can never be peaceful when you have lots of poverty stricken population. It only enjoys a short lull in peace. Similarly you can never grow in wealth and peace if your neighbor is poor. It creates a problem for your wealth and children. This is the situation in Kenya today.

Harrison  Mwirigi  Ikunda

Nairobi

Kenya.

The writer is a Consultant and Researcher working for a Not for Profit Organisation with an office in Kenya covering the African region.

Stay tuned to our facebook and twitter feeds so that you are following all the activities- it will be like you are really there!

Let us know your thoughts on COP 17, the negotiation process, how climate change has impacted your human rights and your reality, and what your hopes and fears for 2012 will be. Email us at [email hidden from spam bots] with your thoughts and stories.

Come the mid 20th century. After undergoing a lot of societal transformation which included the horrors of slave trade, scramble and partition into various states and eventually colonialism, most of the African states started gaining their independence. This turned another chapter in African society. To start with most of the African countries squandered their new found independence to create very authoritarian states led by political demagogues. Despite the vast minerals and other natural resources most of the opportunities in Africa were largely squandered. Other countries with heavy endowment in minerals and natural resources like the two nations named Congo (viz. Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo formerly Zaire) sank into immediate governance monstrosity, chaos or civil war. The battle of Western versus the Eastern powers chaotically showed up in Congo which led to assassination of the Communist leaning Patrice Lumumba.

Subsequently a smart but sly Mobutu came to power to restore order with the help of Western powers.  Obviously the main focus was the vast resources in Congo, Mobutu turned then renamed Zaire into personal property. The mess which Mobutu created in Congo DRC is well documented. The Congolese up to now are struggling to create order.

The other Congo did not fare better. Though less prone to chaos it has been and is still led under a very kleptocratic directionless regime.

Many other African countries were us unlucky or worse than the Congo’s.

This context of unstable and poorly run countries strode the African continent, making it an eyesore in the globe. But with the cold war between West and East coming to an end in late 1980’s the African dictators started getting adversely exposed. With rapid changes in Eastern Europe, Africa was not to be left behind. Several African countries started adopting political pluralism. The wind of democratic reforms started blowing in late 1980’s as communism collapsed in Eastern Europe and demise of the USSR. Kenya was among the African states to experience the political turn around events of the era. Some of the African countries starting with Zambia did at the same time show their leaders the door. In Kenya this did not happen thanks to the tribal divisiveness in Kenya and its largely tribal politics.

But Kenya has however remained different over the political eons since independence. It has seen so many changes in her politics. The first president had his own style of leadership, Moi came and led differently and with multiparty coming to the fore in the middle of Moi’s leadership so many changes occurred leading to an overhaul of the old order in 2002 with the coming of Kibaki and NARC to power.

During Kibaki era so much has changed. His government faced a defeat in a referendum, to change the constitution in 2005 and there have been so many changes in political governance and freedom during his reign.  The 2007 general election and the subsequent disputed presidential poll leading to violence shook Kenya to the core. This gave birth to so many other reforms subsequently that today Kenya has one of the most progressive constitution after the successful review, referendum and promulgation conducted in 2010.

Kenya despite having not discovered oil in its territory so far has one of the progressive economies in Africa. It is one of the promising non oil economies in Africa together with South Africa. Partly South Africa has precious commodities like minerals leaving Kenya to be purely non oil, non precious minerals progressive economy in Africa.

Her economy is facing a lot of challenges including unstable currency and inflation but you can bet soon this will give birth to one of the most innovative economies in the world. With governance structures improved the nation is on path to economic glory. The challenge in Africa has been governance and this is what has denied their nations great opportunities. Kenya has done well to address this at this stage. It promises to woo the world of investments in a big way. The only matter that should boggle minds now is who take the mantle after Kibaki. He or she need to be the man who will be too economic and reform minded. The nation cannot afford a populist or a joker in leadership. The nation is in a critical economic transitionary period.

The demographics are already showing that Kenya need to be growing economically very fast if at all it has to manage to keep the ballooning population well catered for, otherwise societal upheavals will follow. But this East African nation has all the promises of an economic giant in the making.

Harrison  Mwirigi  Ikunda

Nairobi

Kenya.

The writer is a Consultant and Researcher working for a Not for Profit Organisation with an office in Kenya covering the African region.

This “SNAPSHOTS” project aims to incorporate this fundamental principle into an upcoming project we are running, by getting YOU the global citizen to tell us what has been your most important activist moment this year.

We want to know what you have been doing or involved in this year:

-          Where you in Tahir Square in January?

-          Were you part of the riots and protests in Greece?

-          What were you doing on the global day of outrage?

-          Are you currently in Zuccotti Park in Occupy Wall Street?

TELL US YOUR STORIES! We want to create a comprehensive collection of personal stories from around the world to showcase how incredible this year has been in terms of people fighting to be heard and demanding global and local change.

Email us your “snapshots” and stories to: e...@civicus.org

Please keep this to less than 100 words, as we wish to include as many stories as possible.

More detail: “Snapshots from civil society” will be a series of anecdotes of 50-100 words from a wide cross-section of civil society activists from across the globe accompanied by a headshot of that individual. From jailed human rights defenders in Belarus to elderly anti-corruption campaigners in India to disaster relief workers in Japan to angry protesters in Tahrir Square, the tales of the individuals that participated in the events that defined 2011 will be captured and interspersed throughout the thematic chapters of the Global Civil Society Report. Short commentaries on the trends and the impact of key events will be sought from persons that span spectrum of civil society ranging from the leaders of social movements to the trustees of grant-making foundations. These snapshots should also seek to reflect the composition of our diverse planet.

Wangari Mathaai has had a global impact on environmental conservation and her fights for civil rights. In times when little positive could be heard from Kenya she was in limelight with her conservation efforts and fighting for democratic space against the then increasingly political dictatorial regime in the 1980’s. Famous among her main fights was that in 1988 when she campaigned vigorously against KANU regime determination to erect a skyscraper in Uhuru Park in Nairobi.

There was a showdown with then Head of state but eventually the KANU regime backtracked.

Subsequently, Maathai had a great mark in changing our world view on environment and changing our perception on leadership. Her Nobel peace award in 2004 was a culmination of a journey well walked in a very treacherous world. She will be dearly missed. However the baton on environmental management passes on. The war on making the globe better and to halt self destruction is far from being won. To zero in, small measures and big efforts are imperatively needed to be deployed.

Like any other human being Wangari was not infallible. However her huge contribution to humanity overshadows many leaders in Kenya and in the world at large. As a humble lady she made an impact to many people’s lives something that will be endowed to humanity for many years to come. Well as human we have limitation on how long to live on earth and her rest leaves Kenya’s political system and environment with her indelible marks. Moreover the baton has passed on to other political and environment change agents.

Conserving the environment cannot be achieved by a single human soul.

The same cannot be achieved by a single human soul to the political realm alone. Moreover somebody somewhere has to stand up to provide the vision and leadership. This is such kind of sacrifice that great heroes like Maathai have done. Others before her like Martin Luther King, Thomas Jefferson, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela among others altered the destiny of humanity in a very positive way. This is the kind of endowment that humanity should nourish. Impacting positively to fellow human and environment. Rest in peace Professor Wangari Maathai, you gave a gift to the world and your efforts will never be in vain.

Harrison  Mwirigi  Ikunda

Nairobi, Kenya.

The writer is a Consultant and Researcher working for a Not for Profit Organisation with an office in Kenya covering the African region.