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LESSON

Lesson Learned: Human rights and democracy campaign

Democracy and human rights monitoring centres were not established, because they were considered highly political by local officials. It was probably overambitious on the part of the project to seek the establishment of formal structures to monitor governance. A more detailed analysis, carried out by researchers or organizations with specialist expertise in local governance issues, would probably have led to a better understanding of the power politics at stake. The grantee reacted ad hoc, and took an alternative approach requesting trained community leaders present in the field to act as focal points in the monitoring of governance.
Project Partner
Association pour la Recherche et l'Education pour le Développement en
Project Description
Aiming to contribute to the emergence of responsible and aware citizens in four of Senegal’s regions, the project provided information on human rights and democracy in the country’s most common languages - Wolof and Pulaar. The project also aimed to ensure citizens access to legal and administrative texts through local document libraries; and trained local resource persons to be involved in the establishment of democracy and human rights monitoring centres. The project responded to clearly existing information gaps and its relevance was enhanced by the fact that it sought to build the capacity of local officials and leaders to implement decentralization policies and other decision-making processes. It is a matter of concern, however, that the project did not include any lobbying component targeting the government itself, to address the language issue at policy level, which was the principal root cause for lack of relevant legal and administrative documentation.
Evaluation Date
October 2011
Theme
Country