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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& #39;re trying something & #39;NEW& #39; 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& #39;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& #39;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& #39;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& #39;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& #39;t appreciate being used, abused, dumped&forgotten
