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#AfricanLivesMatter Everyone else can question your courage,capacity, ethics or ideological erudition.BUT no one can rewrite your personal journey &experiences.BECAREFUL always when you're trying something 'NEW' not to assume it has not been tried several times before by others
#AfricanLivesMatter There used to a song that said "every generation, blames the one before". Well ,ever generation thinks struggles before its own were easier , cheaper &better. That leaders before it were less capable & less knowledgeable. BUT see, each generation must FIGHT
#AfricanLivesMatter In 1996 @DrMutasah was not a political party leader,church leader, businessman,NGO leader or Labour Leader when he started gathering @DeproseM @EverjoiceWin , @BrianRaftopoulos, @Pmisihairabwi , @BitiTendai & many others to form a broad Coalition called the NCA
#AfricanLivesMatter That first group that later became Chaired by @MorganTsvangirai was personally assembled by @DrMutasah . He started off with @DeproseM @KMarazanye and I. Even we thought he was idealistic, but we went along. He was an insistent & persuasive chap.
#AfricanLivesMatter The idea that @DrMutasah had ,had two parts to it , namely:
1. Start a constitutional Movement (NACOAS). Get the people to write their own constitution, present it to government, and
2. If government rejects it, form a broad-based Political Coalition or Party
1. Start a constitutional Movement (NACOAS). Get the people to write their own constitution, present it to government, and
2. If government rejects it, form a broad-based Political Coalition or Party
#AfricanLivesMatter The idea was written down. He gathered the first 10 . @EverjoiceWin & our sisters from the Women's Movement started schooling us about doing pedagogy & andragogy from their experience on the ground. Labour taught us mass mobilization & rolling mass action
#AfricanLivesMatter The churches taught us how to evangelize for social action based on socio-economic justice principles & concerns. No one constituency dominated this process . We all co-created it. Students brought energy , debate & questioning of assumptions about future
#AfricanLivesMatter @EverjoiceWin @DeproseM @LydiaZigomo @Pmisihairabwi @PerpetuaBgwanya @BitiTendai will tell you that the arguments within the NCA Task Force were vicious & based on principles & keeping each other accointable. We questioned tactics, strategies& narratives
#AfricanLivesMatter I am telling this story now in order to remind everyone that cares to remember that Coalitions of cross-thematic , cross-movement ,cross-regional and broad-based leadership is better at challenging autocracy than a single entity. Reach out , unite, organise
#AfricanLivesMatter When people reflect on our history of democratic struggles,they must know it was not a tale yehumbimbindoga or Omahamba yedwa. No !When faced with great odds,we found those things that could unite us across different geographies, issues, interests,genders&ages
#AfricanLivesMatter What and Mrs. Ncube ( that giant elderly heroine) & @LMatibenga a seasoned labour leader taught @TakuraZhangazha ,Learmore Jongwe & I as we traversed rural constituencies campaigning for a new constitution could not have been found in any law school book.
#AfricanLivesMatter We didn't only look up for leadership and inspiration. We looked everywhere. @DeproseM &I had a debate at the Anglican Church in Mabvuku ( Rev Petros Nyatsanza)on the eve of the 2000 Referendum.We were rescued by an ordinary gentleman who explained our points
#AfricanLivesMatter In any struggle you will&must have differences, even conflict.Becareful not to reduce your entire collective experience as fellow strugglers to that one difference.Don't destroy partnerships because you feel let down, disrespected, overlooked. Focus on Big Pic
#AfricanLivesMatter First lesson of any successful struggle is now how to have differences as well as how to manage them. I would add ,build a system and process of managing differences.Differences are not a once-off thing in any longterm relationship, be it marriage or business
#AfricanLivesMatter We missed this one ! Be transparent&open about personal ambitions and learn to manage them in a healthy manner . It is possible to have several people wanting to lead a process or organisation.We created rotational short turns in order to try different leaders
#AfricanLivesMatter Second lesson, we almost missed this one ! Learn to manage diversity , equality& inclusion in a substantive & not tokenistic way. Don't include women, youth, minority groups only to be seen & not heard. Learn to hear & show that you heard in behaviour&atitude
#AfricanLivesMatter Lesson number 3 , avoid the temptation of running away with a common struggle or dominating it to exclusion of other co-creators & co-fighters . They will dissert you when you most need them ,because people don't appreciate being used, abused, dumped&forgotten
