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Abstract:
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The 1995 Constitution requires the government to undertake legal, social and political changes necessary to transform Malawi into a democracy with respect for human rights, the rule of law and popular participation in public decision-making. At the same time, ‘good governance’ has been identified as one of the four pillars of the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (MPRSP), acknowledging that a sustainable democracy can only be developed through civic education.
However, promoting and consolidating democracy cannot be undertaken by government alone, but it requires the participation of a variety of role players and stakeholders, including both government and civil society.
While some civic education has taken place in Malawi, most has focused on election-related issues, with the majority of activities taking place around the time of elections. Recognising this, the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Human Rights and Democracy produced a report in 2003 outlining a road map to be followed in establishing a national framework for civic education. The idea behind the road map is that for civic education to be effective, it needs to be provided by both government and civil society, working to a common objective, using demonstrated effective methods and in a holistic manner that addresses at least the following themes:
- rights-based service delivery
- institutions of democracy
- qualities of leadership
- constitutionalism
- election-related issues
- nation-building and democratic culture
- corruption.
One of the main recommendations of the road map is that, before effective messages can be developed, a comprehensive baseline survey is required to inform the design and assess the impact of future civic education activities. The survey would be useful in planning, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of civic education programmes in Malawi by both government and civil society. |