Continental Conferences
facilitated by SaferAfrica
National NGO Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons: Implementing the
Tanzania National Plan of Action
CONFERENCE REPORT
Secretariat: CEPEDE supported by SaferAfrica
Introduction
Participants representing 17 governmental agencies and officials, 63 non-governmental
organisations, three international non-governmental organisations, seven foreign
governments and national and international media personnel met at the Golden
Tulip Hotel in Dar es Salaam on 30 and 31 May 2002 to openly discuss the role
of civil society in the implementation of the Tanzanian National Plan of Action
to prevent, combat and eradicate small arms and light weapons proliferation.
The National NGO Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons: Implementing
the Tanzania National Plan of Action was called upon by the Arms Management
and Disarmament Committee of the United Republic of Tanzania. It was organised
by the Centre for Peace and Development (CEPEDE) of Tanzania who constituted
the Secretariat to the Conference. Supporting organising non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) were the Centre for Foreign Relations of Tanzania, the Tanzania Maritime
Foundation, SaferAfrica (South Africa), Saferworld (UK) and SRIC (Kenya). The
conference was sponsored by the United Kingdom (DFID) who also sponsors the
implementation activities of the Tanzania National Plan of Action on small arms
and light weapons.
The conference was divided into an opening ceremony and five working sessions
and included four working group discussions. Conference discussions were
divided
into three broader sections: presentations regarding the creation and implementation
of the National Plan of Action, areas for partnership between the government
and civil society for the implementation of the five-year plan; and a discussion
of specific recommendations to enhance the participation of civil society
in
the National Plan.
The opening ceremony included presentations by CEPEDE, the Tanzanian Police,
the Ministry for Home Affairs, the Tanzanian National Focal Point, the National
Defence and Security Council, the Arms Management and Disarmament Committee
and the Office of the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Government officials noted the commitments of Tanzania to the implementation
of international initiatives and agreements including the United Nations Programme
of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate Small Arms and Light Weapons in All
its Aspects (New York 2001), the Protocol on Firearms and Ammunition of the
United Nations Convention on the Combating of Trans-National Organized Crime
(Vienna 2001), the OAU Ministerial Declaration for an African Common Approach
to Eliminate the Illicit Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Bamako,
2000), the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Firearms, Ammunition
and Other Related Materials (SADC Protocol of 2001), and the Co-ordinated Agenda
for Action on Small Arms Proliferation of the Nairobi Ministerial Initiative
in the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa (Nairobi 2000).
Participants noted that the Tanzania National Plan of Action is the result
of an outstanding collaboration and co-ordination between the Tanzanian police,
other governmental agencies and national and international civil society. The
National Plan was developed following a national assessment of the problem of
small arms and light weapons in Tanzania and the regional and international
commitments undertaken by Tanzania in the global fight to reduce the problem
of small arms and light weapons proliferation.
In preparation for the creation and implementation of the National Plan of
Action, the Government created the National Defence and Security Council, the
National Focal Point Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the Arms Management
and Disarmament Committee, and the Regional Task Force Committees. The Government
conducted an assessment of the problem. This was supported by several experts
and NGOs, and a five-year national plan was elaborated and funds provided to
commence its implementation.
The Tanzania National Plan is the first national plan that depends on a comprehensive
and sustainable partnership between civil society and government officials for
its full implementation. For this reason, the National NGO Conference on Small
Arms and Light Weapons of May 2002 is the first Governmental-NGO conference
ever conducted in the United Republic of Tanzania.
Summary proceedings
Having discussed the process of the creation of the Tanzanian National Plan
of Action, the elements of the plan, its planned implementation and its sustainability,
participants noted that:
The National Plan of Action comprises a series of components or projects
that are to be undertaken jointly by government and civil society agencies.
The project schedule has been designed to ensure that action will be taken
in a logical and phased manner over the next five years - each component
will have a lead agency or NGO as the responsible contact point with supporting
actors.
There are over a hundred micro-projects that conform to the national plan
to be carried out at different stages of implementation. These micro-projects
take into account every aspect that can influence the small arms dynamic
in the country.
The plan therefore constitutes a co-ordination and a collaboration mechanism
that ensures the efficient management and use of resources and the identification
of needs to meet obligations.
Co-ordination and collaboration between NGOs and Government is vital for
the implementation of the plan.
Participants identified key areas for implementation of the plan, these
were the strengthening of law enforcement agencies in Tanzania, the review
of national legislation, training and capacity building, developing information
exchange and co-operation mechanisms nationally, regionally and internationally,
and building co-operation and interaction between civil society and government.
Participants then discussed the main areas where civil society can provide
input into the national process. These areas were identified in the following
four broad aspects: public awareness and education, research and facilitation,
development and economic alternatives, and special interest groups including
women, the youth and vulnerable communities.
Participants divided themselves into working groups to explore these
four broad areas for immediate action. The working groups explored what type
of experience and work Tanzanian NGOs were undertaking in these areas, what
type of action could be undertaken in general support of the plan in these
areas, and what needs NGOs perceived to be vital in order to operate within
the national plan objectives.
The summary of the working group proceedings and recommendations are as
follows:
Public awareness and education
The group noted that there is an urgent need for:
Trust building between local authorities and communities since the key
to education and public awareness lies at the village level.
Empowerment at local level in order to tie public awareness to improved
standards of living and development.
Youth education as this lies at the centre of a long-term awareness programme
The full participation of the media as this is fundamental to a national
public awareness programme.
Actions recommended by the group include those that are government-led and
those that are a contribution of civil society to this effort:
Revitalisation of the village security committees to facilitate trust-building
between local authorities and villagers. This would include the training
of police and communities on dialogue and awareness of each other's needs.
Dissemination among the people of information relating to the laws governing
firearms and related laws and new initiatives to curb armed violence.
Training teachers to introduce education for arms control and reduction
of arms dependency.
Promotion of support to micro-development and micro-financial projects
to reduce community dependency on arms.
Creation of youth programmes including national youth camps.
Training media personnel to adequately cover small arms issues in the press
and on the radio.
Needs identified by the group include the following:
The government should give more recognition and support to civil society
and NGOs in general - a new dialogue and interaction to this effect should
be fostered by government and civil society.
The government and civil society should focus on the provision of training
and trainer of trainer courses to rapidly enlarge that section of the community
that is able to teach and train.
Programmes to provide micro-finance for community enterprises; alternative
economic development should be created in cooperation.
Networks at community, regional and national level should be established
to improve interactions and information exchange and dissemination on these
issues; networks should also be established to improve action and co-ordination
in support of the national plan of action and its implementation.
Research and facilitation
The group noted that civil society can contribute much to efficiency and the
identification of needs and challenges for the implementation of the national
plan of action. Research that was identified included the following:
Economic benefits lost to the communities because of small arms and light
weapons proliferation and misuse (including armed crime).
Sources and users of illegal firearms nationally, regionally and locally.
Exploring the issue of corruption linked to small arms and light weapons issues.
Facilitation was also looked at as a positive contribution to the effort
by civil society. The group identified several ways in which this could be maximised:
Co-ordinate all meetings and seminars organised by research and learning
organisations to ensure that they include a session on small arms and light
weapons issues.
Facilitation of meetings to develop monitoring and evaluation mechanisms
that both NGOs and Government can use in the implementation of the national
plan.
Needs identified for urgent consideration for supporting these roles of civil
society include the following:
The promotion of discussion among like research NGOs to identify research
areas useful for legislation and regulation review and creation on all aspects
related to firearms, ammunition and related materials control in Tanzania.
The improvement of co-operation between NGOs. It is recommended that
a forum be created where civil society can develop a common approach to
advocate on the problem of small arms and light weapons in Tanzania.
The identification of donors and resources to be accessed for research and
other civil society components of the Tanzanian National Plan on the understanding
that the National Plan only has co-ordination funds but cannot fund each micro-project
that is developed by civil society.
Development and economic alternatives
The group discussed the role of civil society in the Tanzanian National Plan.
The initial impression that this was a police-led, governmental plan that seeks
the support of civil society was dispelled and the group recognised that the
Tanzanian plan was a full partnership between government and civil society in
all aspects of its implementation.
The group noted the following:
There is a need to further develop ownership of the Tanzanian Action Plan
in the business community and civil society. Greater awareness is therefore
needed and the education and public awareness components of the Plan of
Action should be encouraged.
There is a need to undertake facilitation and dialogue as well as intensive
research on those areas for prosperity creation, micro development and the
provision of alternative economic programmes to reduce small arms dependency
at community level. This includes, in particular, those communities that
depend on the production of illegal arms and ammunition for their livelihoods.
There is a need for a crime prevention strategy in Tanzania that includes
improved city design, communications and infrastructure and the generation
of work opportunities for people at the risk of becoming dependent on either
criminal activities for survival or dependent on servicing the continued
production and misuse of firearms and ammunition. This is particularly true
of the youth.
Taking these considerations into account, the group discussed the type
of involvement of enterprises and businesses in the promotion of alternative
development at community level and recommended that the Government assists
with micro-financing or planned and co-ordinated development programmes
to reduce gun dependency in the informal economic sector.
Key recommendations of this group were:
Improving dialogue between civil society, including business, and local
authorities - particularly local and regional police structures. This should
be an institutionalised project where the relationship between authorities,
business and people is not left at the mercy of personalities but is rather
an institutional framework that should be followed and improved upon by
the interactions between these groups on the ground.
Improving the flow of resources from the national to the village level.
Improving the capacity of NGOs in terms of both material and expertise
to contribute to the generation of alternative economic structures and sustainable
development at the village level. This could be done through a government
plan to provide resources to NGOs to enable them to operate more efficiently
in their regions, and through trainer of trainer courses on NGO participation
in development and economic alternatives in relation to increasing security
and non-violence at community level.
Creating a database and an information network at regional and national
level to promote co-operation and co-ordination between business, NGOs and
the government in the implementation of the national plan. The database
should be created using a bottom-up approach where the district nets are
first constructed, followed by the regional nets and finally through a consultative
and open process - the national co-ordination net should be established
and linked to regions and districts.
The prioritisation by Government of poverty alleviation initiatives and exploration
of the connections between arms and poverty as one of the micro-projects for
the implementation of the Tanzania national plan of action.
Special interest groups
Workshop participants noted the special role of women, the church, health
and youth groups in Tanzania. These groups have outreach programmes and have
already developed programmes for education and community support. Since women
and children are also the first victims of armed violence and crime, the group
focused on what could be done to both protect women and children and also to
empower them as full participants to the Tanzanian National Plan.
The group noted the following needs:
To address problems of the youth: government and development programmes
to encourage job creation should be pursued; curricula should be changed
in schools to improve a culture of peace education and to inform them on
small arms and light weapons proliferation issues.
To address women issues: there should be a partnership plan of action
between government and civil society to ensure the participation and involvement
of women in the day to day implementation of national plans following a
bottom-up approach. At the same time, there should be government support
to build the fundamental pillars of the family to develop strategies to
improve parenting ability at home and to reduce the struggle for economic
survival of adults that leave their young alone and unattended.
For society in general: there should be improved identification and handling
of the relations between refugees living in Tanzania and the Tanzanian communities.
A system of identification and the ability for refugee communities to engage
in meaningful work and agricultural development should be developed to reduce
friction at societal level.
The group pointed to the following needs and recommended the following action:
Programmes for the promotion of seminars to foster bottom-up involvement
in societal processes by vulnerable groups and civil society in general.
Programmes to promote enhanced co-operation between government and civil
society.
Encouraging training for participatory processes and disseminating information
through trainer of trainer programmes.
Government should look at the performance of the judicial system to improve
the quality and speed of the provision of justice in the courts. This will
deter people from seeking revenge or from being rewarded for criminal behaviour.
Government should encourage anti-corruption laws and the enforcement
of these laws at all levels and ensure that government officials (particularly
law enforcement and judicial personnel) are adequately, fairly and promptly
paid for the services they provide.
Government should improve the security of people by the adequate provision
of protection so that citizens are not required to provide for their own
protection, therefore fostering the proliferation of the use and possession
of small arms and light weapons.
Civil society and government should be partners in the implementation
of existing agreements and policies that have not as yet been made operational
and that assist in the provision of peace, security and best practices.
Civil society should provide input into education, public awareness,
family education and best parenting practices so as to promote a culture
of peace and responsibility from the bottom up.
Government and developmental agencies should consider the human and material
resources that could be earmarked for civil society in the management and
implementation of these recommendations.
A general discussion of the results of the working groups led the NGOs present
at the National NGO Conference to identity emerging commonalities and urgencies
in the evolution of partnerships between civil society and government in pursuit
of a common implementation of the Tanzanian National Plan of Action on Small
Arms and Light Weapons.
NGO conference statement and recommendations
NGO participants to the National NGO Conference on Small Arms and Light weapons
expressed their gratitude to the organising committee for taking the initiative
to call this meeting. NGOs particularly commended the AMAD Committee and CEPEDE
for the manner in which the NGOs had been reached, identified and invited to
attend the Conference. Participants particularly congratulated this initiative
on the regional representation that it afforded in bringing together over 60
operative NGOs based in 18 different regions of Tanzania and ranging from grass
roots organisations to research institutions. Participants particularly noted
the importance that this event had because not only was it the first consultation
in relation to civil society and small arms issues, but also the first meeting
ever between civil society and government to construct a sustainable partnership
dialogue in Tanzania.
Participants recommend that:
The government of Tanzania should continue to build an inclusive consultation
and partnership process between civil society and local, regional and national
authorities on all aspects pertaining to the security, development and wellbeing
of the people of Tanzania.
The effective support of civil society in the implementation of the Tanzanian
National Plan of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons would be considerably
enhanced if the following measures where taken into account and put in place:
The creation of a comprehensive partnership plan to improve economic alternatives
for the people of Tanzania, including employment creation and ensuring revenue-sharing
across all levels of Tanzanian society;
The promotion of economic investment not only nationally, but at village
level. This could be encouraged through a system of micro-financing of community
operators wishing to start micro-enterprises (a type of banking loan for the
start up of home businesses), through improved dialogue between business,
authorities and villagers, through targeted research to identify areas that
could be developed economically throughout the country, through improving
the capacity of the police and local authorities, as well as through the training
of civil society to engage in dialogue.
The promotion of a bottom-up approach to include vulnerable groups, particularly
women, in all participatory processes, as well as the implementation of programmes
in Tanzania to encourage and promote wellbeing, lawful and responsible behaviour,
the promotion of timely justice and the improvement of basic education that
promotes peace and tolerance from the family level to the university curricula.
The promotion of information exchange, interaction, dialogue and dissemination
of information at all levels of Tanzanian society, right down to the village
level. This will involve the immediate changing of school and education curricula
that should be developed with input from civil society, the training of teachers,
officials and civil society in conducting education and public awareness;
the promotion of a more responsible and focused participation of the independent
media to promote peace and education as well as warning the public of the
dangers of armed conflict and crime in our society; and the promotion of village
and regional capacity to identify law breakers and bring them to justice.
Participants offered the following practical steps to engage in participation
towards the above objectives:
The creation of a national database and network, structured from
the bottom up to improve interactions and dialogue between NGOs from different
districts and regions with each other and for sustaining a national dialogue
forum with government and business across all aspects of Tanzanian life.
The identification of resources that exist in civil society that
can be pooled towards assisting this national process. Particular reference
to research and public awareness expertise was made. This is an existing process
and can be retooled to serve the national process.
The creation of a national public awareness campaign on the dangers
and negative impact of small arms proliferation on Tanzanian society.
Participants urged the national and international community - particularly
those that can assist with the provision of resources - to provide full support
to the Tanzanian National Action Plan and to also consider the needs of civil
society and NGOs so that resources, technical assistance and material resources
can be accessed by NGOs in support of the partnership role they occupy vis-à-vis
government.
Participants urged international organisations operating in Tanzania to
be consequent and aware of these wishes and the partnership between government
and civil society in Tanzania. This is particularly important as the operation
of international agencies in Tanzania must encourage and promote this process
and operations must not be conducted against the spirit or the letter of this
intention.
Participants concluded by reaffirming that peace and prosperity at national
level lies in equal participation at all levels of society from the village
up; in nurturing a strong and independent role for NGOs and civil society in
alliance with national aspirations; and in establishing a healthy economic,
cultural and peaceful future for our children.