REFLECTIONS ON CIVIL SOCIETY – GOVERNMENT RELATIONS IN UGANDA

Under Construction - Work in Progress

Remarks by Arthur LAROK at Panel Convened at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Sep 20th Pennsylvania, USAEm

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Preliminary RemarksSetting the Scene and Conceptual

Clarity • Glad to join you albeit from a

distance, thousands of miles away

• Thought of best way to capture the essence of the subject , zeroed on - under construction

• Despite challenges in construction, it is work in progress because we relish end product

• CSOs - Beyond NGOs: FBOs, Professional Assoc, Movements, CBOs, Academia, etc

Where we are coming fromHistorical and Enduring

Tensions Tensions because nature of state

formation and evolution of civil society

Pre-independence movements to proxies in the Cold War and especially birth of N G O ism

Recruitment ground for Political Parties, Liberation Movements - Students, Unions, Co-ops

Almost complete take over of services during periods of dictatorship and state failure/collapse

Now -still difficult but more complimentary as boundaries get fuzzier

Key Defining FeaturesPolicy, Institutional, Normative

Frameworks The Country Constitution informed

by history and aspirations for belonging in a democratic league

Unstable Constitutional Order and several rather regressive legislations - NGO Act, Terrorism, Public Order, Interception of Communication

Largely informed my a narrow state-centric notion about CSOs and what they ought to be doing

Key Defining FeaturesContd... On their part, civil society inspired

by international ‘consensus’ on rights and freedom for democratic league of nations

And also by their reading and interpretation of the situation on the ground and their location

At the end of the day, the tension between state and civil society is healthy for the country even it bruises the parties involved

State - Civil Society RelationsA Pendulum Theory of State

Behaviour

CooperationRepression

State Behaviour

Theory of State - CSO RelationsWhat determines Pendulum

Swings Relative comfort (esp. political) of

government with what CSOs are doing and wider political effect

Larger political pressures on government by both internal and external actors and processes

The level of courage and conviction by civil society, especially their leaders

International relations and image consciousness by government (rights respecting league of nations)

Where we are at presentMixed Picture - Back and Forth!! Carrot and stick with tendencies of

repression and cooperation co-existing

Cooperation: supplementing service delivery, mobilizing community resources or for them

Essentially doing what government is ordinarily supposed to do...and makes them claim credit

It therefore depends on what you do, say and how you behave

Where we are at presentMixed Picture -Contd’ Move towards Repression

when...CSOs are ‘politically incorrect’ and state uses the tactics of:

o De-legitimization (as supporters of homosexuality, agents of foreign interests, taking away jobs with expatriates, etc)

o Isolate leadership from organisation and thus threaten, foment internal fear and discord

o Non compliance with laws and regulations (the trap that the NGO Law and other regulatory requirements are)

o Direct interference in activities and diversion from our work to fighting other battles

So, again depending on the organisation, effects vary considerably

The CSOSI Process in UgandaBenefits so far... A diverse and mixed panel that

brings together rich knowledge, wider ownership and cooperation, even with government

Mix of scientific statistical methods and informed opinions leading to an acceptable consensus

Cross country product and thus puts Uganda in a regional and global context -eases debate

The only consistent piece of work that focuses on the evolution and trends in civil society - others come and go

The CSOSI Process in UgandaHow we have used it so far...

The CSOSI Process in UgandaHow we have used it so far...

Contd’ Evidenced based tool for

engagement in the NGO Policy formulation and legal reform processes and in the resurgent spirit of dialogue between CSOs and Government at national and district level

Acting as an impetus to identify areas for continued focus as we seek to improve

Contributes to regional efforts such as CSO partnership principles and agenda for East Africa CSO Forum

Government - CSO Relations Looking Ahead... Better domestication of CSOSI

process and have regional based panels as there are emerging serious regional disparities due to leadership behaviour

Improve Local dissemination and this requires a discussion on possible rebranding for political and ownership reasons

Take advantage of the resurgent spirit of cooperation and dialogue and use CSOSI outputs as basis for engagement

Closing WordsCitations and further

information Most of the points based on

intimate connection to the process in Uganda and reflections

The Pendulum Theory developed from a presentation to NGO Leaders by Dr. Frederick Golooba Mutebi

For more information, please contact our NGO Platform - the Uganda National NGO Forum on www.ngoforum.or.ug

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