Africa
PROJECTS
This page presents our projects in:
Democratic Republic of Congo
Mozambique
Namibia
South Africa
Zimbabwe
Regionally Africa
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
International partner: UDPS – Union pour la Démocratie et le Progrès – www.udps.net
Swedish organisation: Social Democrats in Stockholm County
Congo is a young and unstable democracy with many shortcomings. The use of force is widespread and political activism is full of risk. Outside support is needed to consolidate the party system. The Swedish social democrats are currently building up their support for the UDPS, which is one of DR Congo’s true democratic forces. The UDPS has expressed a desire to promote female and youth influence in politics, and the objective of our party support project is to ensure the realisation of this desire, in both the organisation and its politics.
MOZAMBIQUE
International partner: Frelimo – www.frelimo.org.mz
Swedish organisation: Olof Palme International Center
Throughout Mozambique’s struggle for liberation, Sweden and the Swedish labour movement were strong supporters. This relation has resulted in many forms of cooperation over the years. For various reasons, however, no party-oriented democracy support projects have been conducted in recent times. In 2007/2008, the possibility of resuming an exchange of knowledge and experience will be examined.
NAMIBIA
International partner: CoD – Congress of Democrats – www.cod.org.na
Swedish organisations: Olof Palme International Center, Social Democrats in Jönköping County
Ever since Namibia gained its independence in 1990, the old liberation movement, SWAPO, has completely dominated the political arena. Other political parties are, however, represented in parliament. One of these other parties is the Congress of Democrats, CoD, a party that is based on social democratic premises. Th is Swedish party support project aims to continue strengthening the internal democracy and organisation of the CoD and to create a dialogue between the opposition and SWAPO. Namibian society would benefit from a reduced concentration of power and increased pluralism.
SOUTH AFRICA
International partner: ANC – African National Congress – www.anc.org.za
Swedish organisations: Olof Palme International Center, Social Democratic Parliamentary Group, Social Democrats in Kalmar County, Social Democrats in Skåne, Social Democrats in Söderköping, Social Democratic Women in Söderköping and Valdemarsvik, Social Democratic Youth in Norrköping
The Swedish labour movement has a long history of actively supporting the fight against apartheid. For many of us, the day when all South Africans, irrespective of ethnic background, had the right to vote in democratic elections is an unforgettable memory. The year was 1994 and the ANC was victorious. Since then, the party has won every general election and completely dominates South African politics. Th e opposition is weak.
At present, there is some uncertainty as to which direction the ANC will take in the future. After more than ten years of power, the party must face the fact that despite numerous reforms and steady economic growth, South Africa is still struggling against poverty, housing shortages and, more than anything else, a serious hiv and aids epidemic.
One fundamental challenge, and a result of the size and dominant position of the ANC, is maintaining good contact between the party’s central organisation and its regional and local sections. Male dominance is a serious problem too, and one which South Africa shares with many of its neighbours.
The party-oriented democracy support from the Palme Center and the Swedish social democrats is mostly centred on education and increased contact between the different levels of the ANC. We are also working to improve the ANC’s ability to manage the multitude of opinions held by its members in a democratic and constructive manner.
With its experience of the transformation from a liberation movement to a political party in a working democracy, the ANC is also an important resource for different types of three-party cooperation run by the Palme Center. One example of this is the 2007 conference in South Africa at which the ANC shared its knowledge and offered advice to fellow party members of Palestinian Al Fatah.
ZIMBABWE
International partner: MDC Youth – Movement for Democratic Change - www.mdc.co.zw
Swedish organisation: Social Democratic Youth of Sweden
President Robert Mugabe’s actions in recent years have had increasingly catastrophic consequences for Zimbabwe, humanitarian as well as political. The MDC, our partner in this project, is the largest opposition party in the country. Unfortunately, in the autumn of 2005 the party split into two factions, with the youth league following suit. The objective of this project is to effect constructive discussions between central representatives from both factions of the youth league in order to resolve the conflict and pave the way for renewed cooperation. The struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe demands a united opposition.
REGIONALLY AFRICA
International partners: Progressive parties
Swedish organisation: Olof Palme International Center
“I believe that promoting the establishment of a network for female politicians is one of the best things we can do to support the development of our sister parties in this part of the world.” So says Anna-Carin Magnusson, member of the Social Democratic Party National Board in Sweden and one of the participants in the 2007 conference for female politicians from Southern Africa.
Focus on the SADC region
Three intensive days in a wintery Cape Town saw the laying of the foundation for a new project run by the Palme Center and the Swedish Social Democratic Party, a project that focuses on SADC, the Southern African Development Community, which currently encompasses Africa’s 14 southernmost states. Much due to the devotion of Thoko Matshe, the Palme Center’s local coordinator based in Johannesburg, this event attracted participants from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Almost all participants were members of
parliament, two of them also being ministers.
Women are the key
Th e basic idea of the project is to analyse how the Swedish labour movement can contribute to the establishment of a network for female politicians from social democratic and other progressive parties, as well as increase knowledge of conditions in SADC countries prior to future activities.
“Male dominance often is devastating and our task must be to support the women, who often are the key to democratisation processes,” says Olle Burell, who, together with his Palme Center colleague Johan Moström, attended the conference.
“If like us you’ve had the good fortune to live in a country where we’ve at least come a fair way in terms of equality, you can’t imagine how politics would work without the interplay between men and women, young and old.”
Open-hearted dialogue
All the participants could testify to how old traditions and hardy structures obstruct positive development. Sometimes, however, the problem is even a lack of solidarity among female politicians. “Solidarity among women is often too weak, and it even happens that a woman standing for office is opposed by other women, playing right into the hands of the men,” explains Lesego Motsumi, Minister of Transport and Communications in Botswana.
The open-hearted and confiding dialogue in Cape Town spanned similarities and differences, setbacks and causes for rejoicing. There were many laughs of recognition. “But even though we have much in common as female politicians, it’s impossible to compare my situation in Sweden with the conditions faced by a member of the opposition living in Zimbabwe. At worst, there you can be imprisoned and abused,” comments Anna-Carin Magnusson.
Next event in 2008
When the conference ended with a traditional closing prayer spoken by Nora Schimming-Chase, vice chair of the SADC Parliamentarian Forum, the atmosphere was filled with expectations for the coming work. The next event will be held in 2008, most likely in the form of an advanced educational programme in Sweden, with study visits to important social institutions, meetings with leading female politicians and continued exchange of experience between participants. The goal for the next meeting is to involve participants also from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Zambia.