The Citizens Manifesto: A National Synthesis Report
September 2010
Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF)
For long citizens have been passive and reactive actors in the political process in general and in deepening electoral democracy in particular. Through the CM - an initiative that is defined both as a process and an output, citizens have taken the foundational steps to reversing their passive and reactive stance in politics. This national synthesis report is evidence of the growing pro-activeness of Ugandan citizens who are working together for a better governed country, a country where every Ugandan feels happy to be part of and a country where every Ugandan is patriotic to. This National Citizens Manifesto Synthesis Report is a culmination of a year of reflection, consultations and consensus building that took citizen Manifesto Partners to every region of Uganda to consult with ordinary Ugandans about their dreams and aspirations for the country. In this national synthesis report, a diagnosis of Ugandan's major social, economic, political and policy challenges is done from an ordinary citizens' perspective and key demands and proposals made of how Uganda can overcome some of the systematic challenges it faces.
This synthesis report is an output document that explains the CM Initiative, the process it took to develop it and highlights key emerging priority issues from regional and interest group reports. From this National Citizens Manifesto Synthesis Report, a Final Citizens Manifesto - a concise statement of principles and demands is derived. The purpose of this Synthesis Report is therefore to provide the evidence base about the final CM so that all who engage with it know it is a product of an extensive consultative process.
The report is written with a number of audiences in mind. The primary audience is Ugandan citizens in their diversity - those that participated in the process and others that will interact with it in one way or another. It is this group that hold the ultimate power to make the idea of the Citizens Manifesto, a reality by using it to engage with one another and with aspiring politicians. The second audience targeted are actors in political society and in particular Political Parties, aspiring politicians offering themselves for different leadership positions in the forthcoming election. The third audience is the next government - there are important demands that both technocrats and politicians working in the next government must heed to. Finally, this report is also useful to other development players that are engaged in democracy promotion in Uganda. To partners that support development in Uganda, it is important that this voice of Ugandan citizens inform your work and priorities.
This National Synthesis Report is divided into 4 parts. Following this introduction is a section that explains in detail what the CM is, its rationale; its objectives and expectations. A section on the process of developing the Citizens Manifesto concludes Part 1. Part II are outcomes of the Citizens Manifesto comprising a Vision for Uganda, values and principles that should underpin governance and development in the country, a citizen perspective on what should constitute Uganda's national interests, the top 10 development concerns that emerged from various consultations and analyses, this is followed by key demands and aspirations in areas of politics, society, economy and policy (including foreign policy). A synthesis of common expectations and demands for each elective position concludes Part II. Part III is a brief on the role of different actors in Uganda's development scene. Part IV presents 19 matrixes highlighting regional and interest group specific issues from the different consultations.
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