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16 February 2000

Introduction
I oftentimes hide behind the label of ‘an NGO practitioner’ and would like to use this as the precinct from which I reflect on my personal experiences, impressions and in many instances, frustrations regarding the subject of democracy and human rights. In choosing to go this way, I am admitting, without any hesitation that I am least qualified to give an academic treatise on any aspect of this subject. Rather, I would like to share some of the thoughts – most of them always end up in the form of questions – that have troubled me over the years regarding the extent to which our societies in their present form, can internalise and consciously incorporate basic democratic values and respect for human rights into our daily lives.

Reality of the poverty grip
While I do not have any empirical data to back this up, I would like to suggest that democracy is more actively discussed today than has ever been the case before, yet there is a more noticeable lacking in democratic practice today than ever before. Let me try to illustrate this, beginning at the micro level. Taking the household as the most basic unit of analysis for our purposes, I have often wondered about the ways in which the notion of democracy can have practical meaning and application. Take a household in some rural setting anywhere in sub-Sahara Africa. If we assume that in whatever village we may want to situate ourselves, as is often the case, poverty will be an ever-present challenge, the notion of democracy, where this might be interpreted to mean participation and the ability to exercise one’s free choice would appear far removed from reality. Take the village dweller that is largely dependent on subsistence agriculture for their livelihood. Besides selling off whatever limited surpluses they might get from time to time, they can only offer their labour occasionally, if they needed to raise cash to meet other needs that they might have, besides the food they grow. In instances where the weather is not favourable over a sustained period, they cannot even raise sufficient food for their subsistence. Their labour then, is all they have.

I am reminded of one such household in which I learned that a six year old child was known to have asked her eight year old sister if there was any way the sister could get her a job in the city, or indeed anywhere away from home. We will quickly think, but that would be promoting child labour. What we may not appreciate though, is that among the realities that were driving this desperate plea was the fact that in this particular household, stark manifestations of poverty and its apparent effects were evident. Meals are served only occasionally, and even then, most times, this amounts to a small cup of porridge. The desperation exhibited by every member of the household sets fertile ground for violence, which is itself, a common occurrence. No one in the household even thinks about their rights, let alone respect those of others within the household. Inevitably the rights that are trampled upon mostly in this setting are those of women. The question for me in these circumstances is; how do you impart an understanding of the concept of democracy and the need to respect human rights to members of this household. Lest we all dismiss this as an extreme example, let us remember that more people live below the poverty datum line in most countries on the continent than those living above this level. The glaring question here is whether human rights include economic or indeed basic rights for that matter. What is it that people who do not enjoy these can do?

Creating a culture through socialisation?
Let us imagine for a while, that by some stroke of luck, the children from this household find themselves in school. What they find, invariably, is treatment from their teachers that reinforces the environment that is prevalent at home. Sometimes even the violence that they are so familiar with in the home, is a part of the experience at school. But worse than this is the fact that teachers, who take responsibility for moulding these young minds are themselves not particularly sold to democracy and human rights as fundamental concepts. Apart from the electoral exercise that all adults become involved in occasionally, they see democracy and human rights as luxuries that do not apply in the local setting. While they might acknowledge them as being important, they certainly do not consider these to be priority considerations for the children that they get to teach. Is it not the case that important opportunities to inculcate important values and attitudes are lost here? It is my view that democracy and respect for rights begins from the institutions that every individual is exposed to during their formative years. Yet, these institutions have not so far been at the centre stage of most discussions that explore these concepts.

I would venture to suggest here that unless democracy and human rights can be treated with the urgency that HIV/AIDS is beginning to be treated now – or indeed with the emphasis that was accorded to population control in most countries during the decade of the eighties, there is little chance of creating a critical mass of people who truly subscribe to these ideals.

The other venue worthy of mention for the household that we are observing, is the local religious ‘shrine’ – whether this is a church, mosque, a temple or some similar setting. It is no secret that religion plays a significant role in the lives of most Africans. Here again, there are certain attitudes that remain dominant. The example I would like to pose here is that of the ‘training for transformation’ movement of the eighties, which faltered after the church leadership that had played a vital role in nurturing it, insisted on its disbanding. The main reason for this move was that parishioners were beginning to demand accountability from their leaders; to insist on their rights and generally to speak with greater confidence than had been the case previously. So, in a short time, what was taking the form of a citizens movement in which ordinary people were getting conscientized was nipped in the bud largely because it posed a threat to those in the leadership. The sense of equality and expectation of tolerance that people developed, as they became more aware of their rights became unacceptable to those in authority.

The irony of elections
Regarding the mounting of elections – which in most community settings is the ultimate display of democratic practice, I would like to draw my examples from experiences in the NGO sector. For most membership organisations, the mounting of elections is always a very dicey exercise. For a start, hardly any member has knowledge of others regarding for instance, what qualities they may have that would be useful at the leadership levels of the organisation. Making distinctions between opportunists and those who bring genuine leadership and commitment to the organisation is a difficult task. Often, NGOs do not see it as their role to conduct a voter education exercise prior to the election. Yet, they expect the membership to elect the best leaders into office. Is this not a case of expecting the impossible? The experience is not much different at the broader levels of local or national government in any country. Opportunistic politicians make their appearances when they want to be elected. They take advantage of the poverty that grips the electorate. They put their best face forward (and sugar coat this with a small bribe) and convince voters that they offer outstanding possibilities for impacting positively on the development of the community. In all this, hardly anyone gets to question what values these people are guided by. There are numerous examples in our midst of political leaders who in some settings are heroes while in their homes where their real characters are well known, they might be tyrants. The question is, can doctors heal themselves? At what point do we apply the general definitions that are given for democracy and human rights to ourselves? Lately, for instance, there has been a proliferation of Human rights organisations in our midst. While there are a variety of internal as well as external reasons for this, many of them fall far short of the standards expected of them when it comes to observing the basic tenets of democracy and human rights. So, have we really internalised these values?

Signs of hope
Despite all these despondent examples, I would hasten to add that I do see signs of hope – hesitant in many cases, yet positive. The struggles that are well know in several countries, by citizens seeking to assert their choices are clear signs of changing times. It is hopefully becoming increasingly clear to those leaders that appreciate the need for a different style in leadership, that disagreement is not a basis for enmity. Civil societies are increasingly insisting on their right to participate and in some instances, the continued refusal of this right has led to the downfall of governments. NGOs too, have played a useful role both in conducting civic education but also by seeking to engage policy makers on these issues. The question though is, will this create the critical mass that is needed? Indeed, is it possible to teach enough old dogs new tricks?

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