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The Movement Building Forum was convened by Fahamu Africa aimed at creating consciousness amongst Zinduka participants to strengthen and nurture social movements in East Africa region. Fahamu is a pan-African organization whose vision is a world where people emancipate themselves from all forms of oppression. Fahamu exists to strengthen and nurture the movement for social justice in Africa through learning for change.
Molded on Tafakari (Reflections) setting, the Zinduka Festival movement building forum deliberated on movements in East Africa with focus on the struggles, shifts, frustrations and victories .The space brought together 30 participants (12 females: 18 males) including social justice activists, artistes, members of the business community, students, youth and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) representatives. Documentary screenings availed provided opportunities for internalizing tactics used by various social movements in Africa and Middle East notably environmental justice struggles, the Arab Spring, the Kenyan Members of Parliament pay hike protest (M-pigs) and World Social Forums.
The forum analyzed definitions of movement from various perspectives including seasoned activists, neuveau activists, youth and Civil Society groupings. Sharing on Movements included the experiences of Bunge la Mwananchi during the Unga Revolution Campaigns (2010/2011), Tea Plantation workers rights and Bunge la Wamama Mashinani on reproductive justice for women in informal settlements. Reflections from other parts of the East Africa region were also voiced from Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi with the main challenges being cited as lack of alternative sources of livelihood for activists within movements, lack of financial resources to run activities within movements, dominance of elites in some movements especially intellectuals with set mindsets on struggles, absence of voices especially the youth despite being the future of East Africa and spontaneity of issues in some movements which when issue being agitated for is realized the movements fizzle out. The movements were further broadly defined as long term or short term depending on the issues being advanced.
The Tafakari forums were held to discuss the historical processes of movement building in Africa with discussions on tactics used by movements, challenges and gains made by movements. The greatest challenge shared was lack of resources and sense of apathy amongst many members of movements. This resulted into the call for economic empowerment in movement such that activists within movements are able to take care of their basic necessities in addition to being members of movements. The contribution of professionals such as lecturers, researchers and other intellectuals in movements was also acknowledged, with regard to their contribution on ideas and their time to be part of various noble causes. A latent group of movement members was also mentioned that is those who are ready to be part of and support movements but from a distance and do not want to be associated with movements directly.
Site visits to Arusha Declaration Museum paved way for further learning into the historical background of Socialism in Tanzania and selfless dedication of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere as a leader including the historiography of Tanzanian from the pre-colonial to colonial to post colonial period providing a tapestry into the lives of Tanzanians socially, economically, culturally and politically. Leadership ideals of Nyerere were shared as enshrined in the Arusha Declaration, dialogues were held to deepen understanding of the reasons for failure of Ujamaa and what the future held for Tanzania people in terms of socialist thinking and integration.
Deliberations on Movement Building in Action gave way to discussions on visioning of East African region which included a borderless East African region with free flow of people, goods and services, a region where there is peace and stability, a region where there is access to basic services and communities live in dignity. In movement building discussions were held on distinction between organizations and movements and key elements in movements, deliberations on voice came out that within movements, there are two levels of voices, i.e. the dominant voices which include the elites and the suppressed voices mostly of the masses.
Movement building from below (Uundaji wa Vugugu Mashinani)
The forum interrogated regional integration with the dominant conversation being the need to strengthen people led processes, resulting to the question “How do we build a broad based movement from below? “Critical elements in the process were: tracing his and her stories of social movements which acknowledged the existence of Social Movements in Africa in diverse spheres including struggle for independence and fight for democratic freedoms and against oppressive systems. Within East Africa region, social movements brought forth in the dialogue included Mau Mau and Mwakenya- a subversive movement in Kenya in the 1980s and 90s, the Maji Maji movement and Women Rights Movement in Uganda and other countries.
While thinking movement building the story of Julius Kabarage Nyerere cannot be ignored. He was part of the pan Africanism movement that pushed for African liberation during colonial occupation. Nyerere today emerges today as:
· Nyerere the teacher / educator
· Nyerere the worker
· Nyerere the dreamer – socialist
· Nyerere – the crazy young man
· Nyerere – the ‘class suicider’
The dialogue drew Inspiration from this great intellectual by noting that:
– Communities can live together, supporting and caring for each other;
– Pre colonial community has creative way of living
– Nyerere believed in what he thought and designed in liberating his people;
– Leaders need to led from the front and be ready to sacrifice a lot. Nyerere demonstrated this by literally walking through the communities speaking about the Ujamaa policy;
– The smallest political unit such as the 1954 Teachers welfare association that Nyerere formed with other creates a platform where people can share what they have in common. This is critical in bringing struggles together in movement building;
– We need to bring all the struggles together in a unity that goes beyond issues, borders and other differences;
– In movement building we have to dedicate to teach and educating other comrades and communities about our struggle;
– The movement must have a belief and trust and get organized towards what they have been dream
– Movements must be guided by visualized visions and clear action points and steps;
– A movement must have an ideological grounding that underpins their struggle;
– Organizers have to ingrain discipline in movement building
– When daring to initiate a revolution one needs to have crazy ideas and be committed to them;
– Symbolism is critical in social movements either as a sacrifice or something to inspire members;
– We need to be also ever -critical about ourselves as a movement,
– Social movements should go beyond individuals into building critical masses supporting different causes;
Resolutions (Maazimio)
We as East Africans represented resolved that the time was ripe for the formation of a Pan African Peoples Movement in East Africa
Why do we need such a movement?
– We need to move from only dealing with problems to dealing with systems that oppress us and see the intersectionality of our struggles
– We need to move towards channeling all our showers, rain drops, streams towards a common river (we being that common river)
– We need a movement that enables us realize the Pan- African dream
– We need a movement that seeks to transformative change not reformist change
– We need to establish a Solidarity Fund across the region to facilitate activities of the movements including developing and nurturing of new social movements
How shall we actualize our goals?
1. We formed country chapter and units which will be the foundations of the Pan African peoples movement;
2. We will draw aspiration from the ideals of the Pan African Movement;
3. We shall connect all the struggles together in forming this river current;
4. We shall have a working committee from each country to spearhead the process of mobilization and base building;
5. We will connect through online through social media and mailing list
6. The Fahamu’s Pambazuka platform and Kenya Community Media Network (KCOMNET) will be platforms for communication and publicity;
7. We shall develop a magazine in soft copy with autobiographies of heroes such as Julius Nyerere, Walter Rodney and Patrice Lumumba etc.
8. We shall participate annually in forums such as the 8th Pan African Congress, Julius Nyerere Intellectual Festival and Zinduka Festival including other community based forums to mobilize support for our cause
9. Our local chapters will spearhead organizing towards our pan Africa goals.
What is our unifying struggle – A struggle against all forms of oppression that indignity and dehumanizes the African people
What is Our rallying Call: Africa Moja! Africa Huru!
Theme: Movement Building
Event: Zinduka Festival 2014
Location: Sheikh Abeid Karume Memorial Stadium
Date: 7th November 2014
Arusha, Tanzania
Main discussant: Njuki Githethwa
Supported by: Gacheke Gachihi
Moderator: George Mwai
Rapporteurs: Gacheke Gachihi and Leonida Odongo
Photos from the Zinduka Festival