"Watch This Space"

I wanted to write a post on the democratic phenomenon happening on Twitter and the segue into a musing on social media and politics. There is a group of tech-savvy politicians on Twitter who regularly engage in very candid conversation with civilian tweeps on a variety of topics... but then Rakesh got there first, and says it better :) Especially the part about technology serving people and not the other way around. This an obvious point, and I am always amazed by how it can get lost in the noise of techlove around social media.

I would probably raise one or two other issues, such as the fact that the political dialogue in question is an actual dialogue: ie. not too much PR/managed prepackaged messaging going on here. This fosters an environment of fragile trust in which any question can be asked and any topic raised within the limits of propriety. It makes for a special relationship with leaders and provides an excellent platform for extremely vigorous discussion. I would seriously encourage other TZ politicians to explore that method of connecting with their peeps.

Between us: it is the worst time- politically speaking- to say anything nice about Jay Kay. I just watched a fellow blogger get slaughtered on Jamii Forums and Michuzi for doing exactly that. And Lord knows I give the man grief on a regular basis. But I do it only because Jay Kay has encouraged, through his personal style of presidency, an unprecedented level of free expression. Is it a perfect situation? Not by a long shot. Will it survive his presidency? Who knows? Whatever failures of leadership he might suffer from, Jay Kay isn't a fake populist. The man genuinely appears to have some love for all 45+ million of his unpredictable, occasionally bad-tempered people. It is inexplicable, but admirable. As admirable as his taste in ankle boots.

Anywho, there might be an article lurking in there somewhere. ePolitics. Watch This Space ;)

Education, education, education.

Swahili Street posted some very interesting news today:

"Uwezo - an initiative of Twaweza - decided to measure [education] and launched their findings just this morning (in the luxury of the Kilimanjaro Kempinski – always a questionable choice for NGO affairs, I feel). Their survey of over 22,000 households and their 42,000 children confirms suspicions. 80 percent of primary school leavers (that is, they have completed all seven years) can read to a level they should have reached in their second year, and maybe higher. And 70 percent of primary school leavers can deal with second year mathematics."

Tafakari. Ting! Ting!

TEDxDAR: Rakesh Rajani

Rakesh Rajani is best known to most of us for his helmsmanship of HakiElimu, the most notoriously successful watchdog NGO in Tanzania in the past five years. Using public education as a platform HakiElimu took the fight to the big boys, roasting the government in the fat of its own statistics at a time when it was political suicide to poke holes in the Primary Education Development Program in front of donors. At present, Rakesh is doing what he does extremely effectively: founding, fostering and promoting a new activist organization in Twaweza.

His talk was titled: "Development is Failing Miserably-lessons from 9 villages in Tanzania." Supported by a slide show of pictures taken by Pernilla Baernst taken in 2008, Oct 2009, Rakesh took us through documented experiences of 'failures' in various sectors. This is about getting to the core of development challenges- holding government to power, demanding accountability, rejecting the false stories and false consciousness of the development industry.

But- and this is where things get interesting- the talk was also full of stories of success. Of course 'poor' people in poor countries are not sitting around woefully acting out their poverty. Rakesh took us along as he met canny entrepreneurs and innovators who are powering along the Tanzanian economy by making the best use of what's available. If necessity is the mother of invention, it goes to stand that the powerhouses of innovation will be found where the need is greatest. Doesn't that just invert the power triangle?

I guess that ultimately, Rakesh's point is that we (Tanzania) do not lack money or people or donors or any other classic ingredient for development. What we need is imagination that knows where to look and how to create and invest where it will really make a difference.

"Imagination will make Tanzania Fly."

Now isn't it nice to get a positive development vision for once?