At one of the many functions/parties they have here in language school, Franatee happened to meet a lawyer dabbling in human rights from the town of Same'. He was quite excited to meet up and talk shop. I was at pains to tell him my 'shop' was quite limited in stock thus far. We had a coffee that was all too short, talking about the challenges to human rights in Tanzania.
Aside from the obvious ones ie rampant corruption, poverty, lack of any apparent framework to monitor/implement Constitutionally protected human rights etc, we discussed at length the mind set of people here. A lot of people are not free in their minds here, if that makes sense at all. They are passive and afraid. Which is understandable given the over-arching structural issues, not least of which is crushing poverty of course...but if people don't have an inkling of self worth or any sense of entitlement, then it is hard for service providers to involve them as active partners in other measures to improve their wellbeing.
'Ideas are power' my new friend solemnly entoned. We agreed to keep in regular touch, I think he can help any work I do here to be relevant.
Its not really an accurate or appropriate comparison, but I keep thinking of the 'Black Conciousness' movement in 1970's South Africa and how powerful a mobilising force it can be to remind people that 'you are worth it'.
Hmmm.
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