Activists want civil society to influence national policies

Civil society organiations have been urged to get more involved in governments policy-making. The call was made Monday by leading civil society activists and government officials during discussions held at Serena Hotel on Monday, that attracted over forty participants from local and international Non-Governmental organisations (NGOs), the government and other development partners. They said the country’s civil society needs to build its capacities and conduct relevant research to ensure that government decisions remain within the interests of ordinary people. “The government is as good as the public wishes it to be and it is as bad as the public wishes it to be,” Rakesh Rajani, head of Twaweza, a regional initiative based in Dar-es-Salaam, told the forum which was organised by Rwanda’s Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR). Rajani was among key panelists invited by the institute to discuss the role of civil society in the country’s development under the theme “Critic, Friend or Critical Friend: What future for civil society in Rwandan governance?” He urged independent players in the country to stop worrying about their ‘perceived’ low capacities but review if citizens get efficient services. “Ordinary citizens don’t care so much about national policy. They care about the quality of education their children are receiving and the health centre from where they would be treated. It is the role of civil society to help citizens access these critical facilities,” Rajani said. Government officials told the forum that Rwanda’s leadership has opened space for non-governmental players to contribute to the country’s development plans, especially by helping civil society organisations set up their institutions. “Civil society is indeed needed in Rwanda, government and the private sector will need its support and involvement in different areas,” said Fred Mufuruke, the Director of Good Governance and Territorial Administration in the Ministry of Local Governance (MINALOC). He challenged the civil society to tell government ‘where things are not going well’ and conduct relevant research that can be helpful to government policy-makers. While most key speakers at the forum lauded government for having a clear vision and development plans for its people, they criticised civil society organisations in the country for being motivated by self-interests where some of their founders are only ‘chasing donor funds’. The forum was organised in line with IPAR’s mandate to provide a platform for public policy debate and dialogue. It was supported by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID). Ends

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Activists want civil society to influence national policies