KASA Partnerkonsultation
13. bis 15. Oktober 2010
iKhaya Lodge Kapstadt, Südafrika
Wir danken Misereor für die finanzielle Unterstützung!
Die Bedeutung der Partnerkonsultation für die Arbeit der KASA in 2011
Zwei Auflagen eines komplexen Austausch-, Diskussions- und Beratungsprozesses sind nicht genug für ein fundiertes Urteil, aber sie ermöglichen, einige Erkenntnisse zu gewinnen und die Gestaltung dieses Prozesses in der Zukunft. Was bei der ersten Partnerkonsultation schon zu sehen war und sich bei der diesjährigen Partnerkonsultation bestätigt hat, lässt sich auf ein paar zentrale Punkte zusammenfassen.
1. Sichtbarkeit der Arbeit der KASA
Die diesjährige Partnerkonsultation begann mit einer Vorstellung der vertretenen Organisati- onen und deren Arbeitsschwerpunkte. Bereits hier machten die verschiedenen Organisationen ihre Kooperation mit der KASA deutlich. Der Rückblick auf die Kampagnen zur Fußball WM 2010 machte noch sichtbarer, mit welchen Partnern und in welchen Zusammenhängen KASA auf diesem Themenfeld zu tun hatte. Auch für Organisationen, die zur Fußball WM keine Kampagnen oder Aktivitäten hatten, brachte die Diskussion über „lessons learned“ im Zu- sammenhang mit den WM-Kampagnen einen Mehrwert, weil die thematisierten Erfahrungen für andere laufende oder zukünftige Kampagnen und Aktivitäten von Relevanz sind. Insofern hat dieser Teil der Partnerkonsultation die Funktion eines gemeinsamen Lernprozesses erfüllt.
2. Netzwerkbildung im Südlichen Afrika
Die Partnerkonsultation hat auch in diesem Jahr Organisationen an einen Tisch gebracht, die zu gleichen Themen arbeiten, voneinander wissen ohne miteinander zu arbeiten. Durch die im Rahmen der Partnerkonsultation angestoßenen Diskussionen wurden die Gemeinsamkeiten sowie die Unterschiede in der Wahrnehmung und in der Ausarbeitung der Probleme deutlich und die Notwendigkeit einer Zusammenarbeit, die Eigenbrötelei überwindet, um Synergien zu entfalten, dringender denn je empfunden. Es war eine Genugtuung für die KASA Lob dafür zu bekommen, diesen entscheidenden ersten Schritt zu einer hoffentlich intensiveren Zusam- menarbeit ermöglicht zu haben.
Auch zwischen Organisationen, die bis dahin nicht zu gleichen oder ähnlichen Themen arbei- ten, besaß die Partnerkonsultation ein vernetzendes Moment: Verbindende Elemente wurden sowohl auf nationaler als auch auf regionaler Ebene durch die thematische Ausrichtung der Partnerkonsultation sichtbar.
3. Diskussionsprozesse über wichtige Themen
Die Partnerkonsultation hat sich auch als ein Forum herausgestellt, bei den wichtigen Zu- kunftsfragen der gesellschaftlichen Transformation und der Zusammenarbeit zivilgesellschaft- licher Organisationen im Südlichen Afrika diskutiert wird. Die drei Tagesordnungspunkte - Lektionen aus der WM 2010 und Umgang mit zukünftigen großen Events, soziale Grundsi- cherungssysteme und Alternativen angesichts neoliberaler Globalisierung - sind hoch aktuell.
Die Diskussionen und die Verabredungen haben gezeigt, dass die Themen jenseits ihrer Ak- tualität und ihrer Brisanz ermöglicht:
• über die Grenzen der einzelnen Organisationen hinaus zu gucken
• über die Grenzen der vertretenen Länder hinaus zu gucken, um regionale und gelegentlich globale Perspektiven wahrzunehmen.
Unsere ursprüngliche Idee, die politische Bedeutung des Namibischen BIG-Projektes zu re- flektieren, konnte kein besseres Ergebnis erzielen, als ein Engagement von allen die himmel- schreiende Kluft zwischen Arm und Reich im Südlichen Afrika stärker in Angriff zu nehmen.
4. Verabredungen
Die Partnerkonsultation war auch ein Forum, das jeder Organisation die Gelegenheit bot, die geplanten Aktivitäten und die Strategien zu deren Verwirklichung zu präsentieren. Dies er- möglichte, gemeinsame Aktivitäten zu identifizieren und Wege der gegenseitigen Unterstüt- zung auszuloten. Konkret wurden Verabredungen in verschiedenen Stoßrichtungen getroffen.
• Bewerbung der Stadt Durban für die olympischen Spiele 2018. Die Gruppen aus Durban bleiben dran und informieren die anderen über Handlungsnotwendigkeit und –spielraum.
• Studien: zu sozialen Grundsicherungen (Khanya College, KASA), Fußball (LRC), Alter- nativen (good practises) (Khulumani, KASA), Informal trade vs global trade (KASA, ES- SET, PACSA, EJN).
• Konferenz Poverty adressing Wealth mit einer Beteiligung verschiedenster gesellschaftli- cher Kräfte der Region und deutscher Gäste aus dem Umfeld von KASA.
• Speakers tours in Deutschland (Kanya College, ESSET, LRC)
Im Blick auf diese Ergebnisse soll die nächste Partnerkonsultation ein Schritt weitergehen.
Folgende Überlegungen sollten berücksichtigt werden:
• Eine stärkere Beteiligung von Basisgruppen neben den Vertretern der organisierten Zivil- gesellschaft sollte anvisiert werden, um die Qualität der des Bezugs zur Wirklichkeit zu gewährleisten.
• Die nächste Partnerkonsultation soll im Idealfall im Rahmen (unmittelbar vor oder nach) der Konferenz Poverty adressing Wealth stattfindet. Vor der Konferenz sollen die beab- sichtigten Veröffentlichungen und/oder gemeinsamen Aktionen mit den südafrikanischen Partnern erfolgt sein. Dies bedeutet für die Arbeit der KASA in 2011, dass die Konzipie- rung und Umsetzung gemeinsamer Projekte mit den Partnern einen zentralen Platz ein- nehmen sollten.
Protocol of the KASA Partner Consultation (13.10.-15.10.2010)
Location: iKhaya Lodge, Cape Town, South Africa Participants: see annex 1
Protocol: Lisa Stehr, Simone Knapp Facilitator: Malcolm Damon
Wednesday 13.10.2010
1. Opening of the partner consultation
1.1 Welcome greetings by Simone and Boniface and overview over objectives of conference:
reflections on the World Cup, identify regional problems and intensify relationship between KASA and local NGOs
1.2 Introduction of participants and their organizations
• Economic Justice Network (EJN: ecology, trade, food security
• Sekwele Center for Social Reflection: social/agriculture, HIV/Aids, gender
• Jesuit Center for Theological Reflection, Zambia: microfinance, good governance
• SACBC Justice and Peace: gender, environment
• Khanya college: work with social movements, research, education
• Diakonia Council of Churches: environmental and economic justice
• Streetnet: informal street vendors
• Labour Research Centre: trade union and world cup/FIFA
• PACSA: trade, energy, food security
• Khulumani Support Group: reconciliation and reparations for victims of apartheid
• ZIMCODD: debt and economic literacy, debt audit for Zimbabwe
• Church Land Program: support, information, and analysis on land-related matters
• ANSA: Alternatives to neo-liberalism
• ESSET: informal traders 2. Reflections on the World Cup
KASA: shift public attention towards socioeconomic effects of WC
(who benefits from WC?), experience that no success in attempt to publish anything on that topic, due to a lack of interest among publishers (WC and soccer just for fun), raise new at- tention on the role of Daimler (sponsor of German soccer association DFB) during apartheid, associated campaign: “Star of Apartheid”, which included the collection of signatures but had little success, because public interest around that issue was fairly low. Therefore KASA pub- lished the Khulumani booklet on Sharpeville in order to raise awareness that this massacer still dominates people’s lives.
“Red card campaign” (Khulumani): Blog, permanent exhibition, panel on xenophobia, CD launch with artists that work on issues of social justice, campaign around issue of corporate responsibility (Daimler, IBM, general motors), impact on companies uncertain, but successful among public
Labour Research Service: Campaign on the effects on workers, media attention (national and international), work together with Swiss Unions, objective to build up close relationship with Brazilian trade unions for the WC in 2014
Streetnet: campaign “World Class Cities for all”, mostly used for reflections on own work (what can be improved?), produced booklet with interviews that were done with street vend- ers around the country. Main message of these interviews: This W is not for us”.
PACSA: Project with 250 young people: WC with mixed teams from different schools,
“learning fair” around issues like HIV/Aids, economic justice etc., three-week exchange pro- gram with young people from townships to Germany. Soccer was used to overcome crime since crime remains one of the biggest challenges in the townships.
Church Land Program: no campaign, but support of the street venders in Durban. Their biggest challenge was to overcome the distances if street venders come from rural areas, also problem for street venders: getting a registration.
→ WC rose hopes in the black communities, but they were not fulfilled, because poor areas were left out mainly due to the high crime rate.
ESSET: Exclusive zones: Traders were removed from areas around the stadium and replaced by commercial advertisers, guidelines for advertisements were established, issues like poverty etc. only covered by international media.
Diakonia: Briefings, hosting of street children in churches around Durban.
Khanya College: Failure to organize marches in Jo'burg and Durban: analysis about what were the problems of this lack of mobilization, soccer as a working class sport, predominantly by black people, objective to raise discussion how mobilization capabilities can be improved in general.
Zambia: Hope for benefits through visitors etc., but mainly problems: skilled constructors migrated to SA; human trafficking: Zambia as transit our source land (Red light campaing) Zimbabwe: try to rebuild tourism sector but with little effects; skilled workers also migrated for job search to South Africa.
Lessons learned
• FIFA dominated/ruled South Africa during WC
→ Work together with Brazilian organizations against dominant position of FIFA
• Information where not available in time, most contracts had to be signed parallel to bid
→ get information ahead and work together with government on all levels
• Study groups to empower communities, share lessons learned, focus on structures that cause issues
• Resistance is possible: Early morning market in Durban was sustained
• analyze law more closely to avoid misunderstandings
• mobilization/organization is possible (national networks), organizations proved themselves capable
• FIFA powerful, but sensitive to media and negative publicity
• research necessary, trade unions remain influential, negative financial balance of stadium used as argument for future mega events (Durban: Olympics)
• Awareness of mass euphoria, position of organizations: WC not generally rejected but how do we want it?
• problem of heritage: What shall be done with the Stadium?
• General problem of organizations: only reactive, acting isolated in silos
• use community based media, become aware and emphasize own success (Michael)
Summary/Main points:
• learn lessons for general work
• resistance is possible
• research (collect information and pass it on)
• difficulty to separate recreational aspect of sport from politics
• connection with partners (Brazil)
• learn lessons for Olympic bid (Durban)
Thursday 14.10.2010
1. Spiritual Input: 1. Cor. 12
“Only through the different parts of the body we can be a body at all” (Malcolm Damon)
2. Review-Lessons from yesterday
Do strikes during/after WC implicate a new uprise of civil society? How can NGOs react on that? Government prooved itself being capable of managing mega events and therefore can be considered capable of delivering to civil society. Civil society needs to ask and formulate expectations.
• Consider approach by Michelle Williams → how to transform protest into constructive action, regain space as citizens (Marje)
• Problem: media covers protest but not long-term processes, aims must be discussed, clarified more, shift focus more on human beings than on institutions, understand structural processes, understand why they partly fail, find alternatives, not be blinded by lack of technical capabilities, because people still have answers (Michael)
• Lack of understanding processes, laws, technical processes, technical processes need to be explained to civil society, they need to be aware of own rights in order to apply them, no access to knowledge, language can often not be understood by majority and therefore constitution and its contents remain unknown to the people (Michael)
• language of NGOs captured by politicians, recapture language and fill words with meaning (Madalitso)
• Durban social forum-> constructed around WC, suggested as forum for all organizations, link with World Social Forum Dakar to win support of masses (Gaby)
• Human rights committee meeting June/July in Cameroon to work on issues of company accountability (Marjorie)
3. Durban and the Olympics
• consider financial problems after Olympics (link indebtedness of Greece to Olympics)
• Research on indebtedness after WC (study to collect data), estimated: 100 billion of public indebtedness after mega events (Rutendo)
• Research important but it needs to be linked with every-day life of people (e.g. household indebtedness linked to mega events),use information about economic issues for elections in 2011: raise awareness about the extent of propaganda that is used during the elections, but also move beyond: training to educate about economic processes in general (Michael)
• Comment: SA government was aware of (financial) consequences when they made the bid for the WC, but ignored negative effects
• COP 17 in SA: how can this event be used to shift focus and raise awareness about environmental issues (Malcolm)
• Research important, but should be subordinated to action, workers today are more
vulnerable because issues are less covered after the end of apartheid
Way forward
• “No to Olympics”: waiting for Durban NGOs to show way forward, campaign now because bid ends June 2011
• EJN and LRS work on study on debt related to WC
4. Input Social security in Southern Africa (Maria van Driel)
• Context: associated with welfare state, historical background: struggle for education and sanitation etc., organized working class in Europe, which sends demands to state, welfare today as a universal right (UN-declaration), cuts after crisis of 1970's
• situation in SA: no developmental state yet, selective infrastructure, pensions started under apartheid state, “Maintenance Grant” (during apartheid)-> support both for child and parent, democratic transition 1994, “Maintenance Grant” abolished by Land Commission;
1997 replaced by “Child Support Grant”(210 ZAR per month)-> until age of 7, no direct support for parent, today extended until age of 14; Problem: no state support during age of 15-60; pension rights fixed in constitution, but not fully realized; critical question if feeding a child is everything that is included in child care, should it not go beyond that?
• empirical data: basket same as in Uganda/Burundi, same level of child impoverishment;
teenage pregnancy rate related to level of poverty, SA first world country among white/indian population, but third world level for black population
• Problematic situation for women: Trapped because they remain unable to work, child raising as a constraint, Grant only provides difference between having food instead of nothing, but does not go beyond that, women stuck in lack of education, level of social security low and only prevents absolute poverty
• Socioeconomic change: family today a single-parent model → women therefore in charge of raising children and providing food at the same time
• Contrast to North: Social security paid by state (GDP) in southern countries, insurance model in north
• Emphasis that pension should not be considered as a favor, but is provided to those who worked and therefore contributed to the wealth
• Michael gives example of Korea: system of nutrition and health in schools, generally should the focus be shifted also towards the problem of obscene wealth instead of just being on poverty
• Marjorie mentions idea of a “Poverty addressing wealth” congress, which could give practical solutions to issue -> follow up
5. Input KASA “Just give money to the poor?”
• pilot project in Otjivero, Namibia on a basic income grant
• citizens receive monthly payment not bound to any conditions, positive effects in the realms of education, health and employment
• arose resistance of white farmers, because they fear the empowerment of the people and are afraid that they become less willing to work under exploitative conditions
• redistribution of wealth, revolutionary aproach Situation in Zambia
• no real social protection (public expenditure cut by SAP's)
• in four districts donor funded (GTZ) cash transfer programs, little government support, but nevertheless expanded to 10 districts; the criteria for reception by donors
Situation in Zimbabwe
• social protection fairly developed during the 1980's
• implementation of SAP's after independence, capitalism was taken over
• focus on market, but pensions lost value after hyperinflation
• limited discussion about social security, focus on “first generation rights” (political rights) Similarities between developments in SA and Zimbabwe
• destructive measures, existence of corruption, what can take state into deep crisis
• may become threat to a stable economic system in the future of SA
6. Zimbabwe
• 48% of GDP used to pay debt, some of debt still inherited from 1960's and 1970's
• objectives: (realms in which KASA should help)
◦ establish structure to increase responsible borrowing
◦ distinguish between legal and illegal debt, cancel illegal debt
◦ approach creditors, lobby creditors to cancel debt General problems
• political circumstances, find way to ensure that constitution benefits ordinary people,
• polarized society, protest votes
• Church spitted and partly claims to be apolitical, no strong critical church voice, apolitical space is misused
Simone asks for role of EJN in Zimbabwe
• workshop on climate change, but generally problematic for EJN Boniface asks what concrete assistance is needed in Zimbabwe
• common agreement: solidarity very important, expertise, resources
→ coverage in media, maintain awareness for problems also in Germany 7. Situation in Zambia
• voter registration manipulated
• violence around elections
• process of constitution not public
• health sector: strikes, upgrade of some clinics, but still general problem of lack of equipment. Clinics can often not be reached by rural population
• lack of transparency: ministries work with differing data concerning indebtness etc.)
• Corruption: courts on former presidents, permanent absence of current president
• Donor funding often taken by public servants
• 5-6% growth of GDP, but not beneficial to work force
• Profit taxes proposed, but still rejected
• lack of extractive capabilities (companies need to pay tax after five years, but just formerly close after that period of time to avoid taxation)
Summary Malcolm
• broader view beyond SA is needed
• outcomes of the conference are desirable, but also objectives to provide KASA with insights in situations/organizational problems etc.
Friday 15.10.2010: Practical implications
1. Spiritual input: Quote Gandhi,
The ability to realize what is there and what to do about it (Nomasonto Magwaza)
2. Input Boniface
• Obvious problems could lead to the assumption that crisis of African states are internal, not only neo-liberal influences, but the governments themselves cause the challenges Africa faces
• How useful is foreign aid then?
• Holistic approaches necessary, consider factor on all levels
• How can it be made sure that unheard voices become heard, that sustainable solutions and concepts actually become applied?
• Example of “Beijing Consensus”
• promotion of innovation
• Wealth not only measured in terms of GDP, but quality of life (equality as a source of stability/security)
• national independence/ self-determination
• → no external implementations, independent choices about policies
3. Input Timothy: The ANSA initiative (Zimbabwe) Historical background:
• socialist ideology after independence (free education, health care etc.)
• after 1989: no alternative to capitalism → implementation of SAP's
• shift in attitudes: no longer fight against government, because government was seen as victim of neo-liberal measures of IMF/World Bank etc.
• 1996: need to come up with African approach (trade unions)
• 1996-2003: Planning, issues: how start initiative, who is target group? How get support of other movements? How define neo-liberalism?
• Develop study, publish, educate, problem: ideological differences between trade unions
• strategic alliances, redistribution of wealth, education system with sustainable human empowerment, participatory democracy
ANSA as common perspective, not organization
• several alternatives to neo-liberalism, particular approach depends on preconditions of country (SA economy depends on diamonds etc.)
• common enemy during colonialism, but now more difficult to create unified movement, after independence: depoliticized, target vanished, blinded by temporary euphoria
• space after independence taken over by foreigners from WB and IMF, government focused on those institutions instead of population
• shift formulation: poverty eradication instead of reduction
• change, but for what?
Discussion
• important for KASA is the concrete formulation of alternatives
• difficult to prove alternatives if one is not in position of power, position of participants: no alternatives necessary, because it is not southern responsibility to prove failure of neo- liberalism, Maria argues, that failure of neo-liberalism is obvious, struggle against alterna- tives is in itself an alternative
• re-pick those “alternatives” up from behind us: consolidate case studies which are already there
• crisis-management (informal economy) versus real alternatives
• we need to find new indicators for what we want and what we want to make being seen
4. Evaluation/ Agreement on Plans
KASA
• Campaign “Poverty addressing Wealth” important and useful (fits with BIG project)
• emphasize new inputs for new arguments (colonialism, slavery cannot be used as arguments anymore)
• problem: civil society only reactive, acts when damage is done, because dependent on donors, own agenda must be subordinated
• continuity of Khulumani → Reparation
• continuity of research on effects of WC, translation and publishing
• informal trading → raise awareness through ESSET campaign
• PACSA (energy issues): role of international companies in coal mining (use of South African coal in Germany) → effects on climate
Street International
• Focus on informal economy, review campaign in India, prepare for Social Forum EJN
• Ecology: historical debt of industrialized countries (Reparations)
• Informal sector (connection to Street International)
• Land grabbing Khanya College:
• Information gathering in journal → contribute other topics (e.g. climate change)
• focus on public sector service (shift ideological burden away from family)
• Photo exhibition in Johannesburg in 2011 (Cross border trade)
• Audit on social work
→ funds for research
→ what level of social security exists in every country?
→ extend progressive elements of SA to other African countries PACSA
• energy audit: engage municipality (end of October)
• basic needs basket (research data, report)
• food security (social grants etc.)
• democracy parameter (what does democracy mean to people?)
ANSA
• study on governance issues
• environment, global warming
• role of religion in entrenching neo-liberalism
• labor migration issues (xenophobia)
• financial crisis (SA capital imperialist?)
• Militarization
General problems of NGO's
• lack of mobilization, incapability of holding meetings, intellectual weakness
What can we do together?
• Organize, build, resist, mobilize, network, exchange of information
• use media: journalist of Cape Times → monthly column? (Marjorie)
• Michael: offer to publish on website (www.sekwele.net)
Which projects are planned/ which are most important issues areas?
• Reparations, land grabbings (Marjorie)
• elections of 2011 (local in SA, Zambia, DRC etc.) (Maria)
• community based media (give platform to people) (Michael)
• debt, Olympics (campaign on negative effects of mega events) (Rutendo)
• research on actual debt/effects of WC as basis for campaign around Olympics
• Conference “Poverty addressing Wealth” (Khulumani)
• break tensions/differences between trade unions and civil society Conclusions
• KASA partner consultation is a possibility to network, to bring KASA partners together and create a platform where relevant issues of South Africa and Southern Africa can be discussed and effective cooperation can be agreed upon.
• KASA and its partners will engage in a “No Olympics” campaign following the discussion in the Durban Social Forum.
• A conference on “poverty addressing wealth” will be held next year. If possible, the partner consultation will take place around this event.
• Researches and Publications envisaged for next year: social security; World Cup;
alternatives; informal economy.
List of Delegates
First Name Surname Organisation Country Email
Baphiwe Nxmalo Diakonia Council of Churches South Africa baphiwe.nxumalo@diakonia.org.za Bunana.
Gaby Bikomo Street International South Africa members@streetnet.org.za Kabelo Selema SACBC Justice and Peace Dept South Africa kselema@sacbc.org.za
Lisa Stehr KASA Germany lisa.stehr@googlemail.com
Marjorie Jobson Khulumani Support Group South Africa marje.jobson@googlemail.com Michael Pienaar
Dikwele Centre for Social Reflec-
tion South Africa michael@sekwele.neet
Raphael Phiri
Jesuit Centre For Theological Re-
flection Zambia scdevelopment@jesuits.org.zm
Rutendo Hadebe
Zimbabwe Coalition for Debt and
Dev. Zimbabwe rutendo7@gmail.com
Eddie Cotttle Labour Research Service South Africa eddie@lrs.org.za
Nomusa Sokhele Church Land Programme South Africa nomusa@churchland.co.za
Madalitso Mtine PACSA South Africa mada@pacsa.org.za
Boniface Mabanza KASA Germany boniface.mabanza@woek.de
Simone Knapp KASA Germany simone.knapp@woek.de
Malcolm Damon Economic Justice Network South Africa mpd@ejn.org.za/admin@ejn.org.za
Mandla Hadebe EJN South Africa Mandla@ejn.org.za
Nomasonto Magwaza ESSET South Africa sonto@esset.org.za
Maria van Driel Khanya College South Africa maria.vandriel@gmail.com
Timothy Kondo ANSA South Africa timothy@ledriz.co.zw
Phindiwe Siwela EJN South Africa admin@ejn.org.za
Brian Mphahlele Khulumani Support Group South Africa No email address for him
