Kuna wakati niligusia umuhimu wa kujaribu kuanzisha an informal think tank... a group of individual that will be ready to objectively discuss and analyze various issues, policies and events with an intention of influencing future development planning and/or strategies for Tanzania.
Maono (vision) ni ku-provide ideas and information based on "proven" or at a minimal kutoa maoni ambayo yanakubalika katika nyanja (discipline) husika (Industry wide agreed standards)- regardless of the origin.
Of course katika kujadiliana itabidi kuwepo na juhudi za ku-contexualize ideas.. meaning; we should try to avoid wholesome adoption of ideas.
Nionavyo, haiitaji a prophet kuona matatizo katika maamuzi mbali mbali. Ni rahisi mno kuona mapengo au mashimo kwenye policy yoyote ile. LAKINI inahitaji a genius kupata ufumbuzi wa mapengo, mashimo au matatizo yanayotukabili.
Ninaamini itakuwa na faida zaidi iwapo kikundi hiki kitajizatiti kutafuta solutions, na kisha kuhakikisha mawazo hayo yanafika panapohusika.
Yes, ninafahamu kuna watakaoona tunapoteza wakati...; lakini ninaishi marekani, na wakati ambapo "think tanks" ni taasisi zinazokubalika na mara kwa mara kusikilizwa, bado ilichukua muda kufikia hapa walipo - there will always be a learning curve on these things. Aidha tuna REPOA kule nyumbani ambayo kwa maoni yangu wanajitahidi kwa kiasi chao, ingawa sina uhakika kama kuna aliyefanya tathmini ya effective yao katika ku-influence discision makers.
Wakati ambapo huenda tukaanza kwa kujadili policies mbalimbali, ni mategemeo yangu kuwa tutafika mahali quality ya mawazo & ideas zitakazotolewa zitaweza kusaidia our policy makers kupata mtizamo ambao huenda hawakuwa wameufikiria.
Sintashangaa iwapo pia tutafika mahali ambapo tutaweza kuwa na a broad influence to the governing body.
Ninaamini siri yakufanikiwa kwa kikundi kama hiki ni, 1. Ujasiri wa kusema kile kinachofahamika kama ukweli & na haki and 2. Kujikita katika utumishi kwa umma wa waTz rather than to serikali, chama au whatever!
Huduma hii italenga kufamfaidi nani? Who is our client?
= Mtanzania wa kawaida.
YEs... wakati ambapo tunaweza ku-target papers zetu kwa policy makers... kila kitu itabidi kiwe katika kujaribu kuinua hali ya mwananchi wa kawaida.
Means of Dissermination
- White/policy papers, detailed reports to support OR contradict an idea or policy
Why I believe this is doable:
- I believe, kuna watanzania wengi... sehemu mbali mbali duniani, wenye ujuzi na skills tofuati.
- Itakuwa rahisi ku-address different issues ambapo waTz mbali mbali na waatajaribu kutushirikisha maoni kutokana na ujuzi wao.
- I believe by and large wengi wapo tayari kuchangia japo mawazo jinsi ambavyo tunaweza kujikwamua kutokana na umaskini ambao kwa kweli - unaweza kabisa kufutika!
Of course we will need to addressed some dynamics, situations and/or conditions before this idea becomes a reality.
Kwa wakati huu however, lengo ni kujaribu kupima response..., pia kuweza kupata nafasi ya kusoma maoni, mapendekezo etc; kabla hatujapiga hatua nyingine.
Iwapo, unadhani itatusadia, jaribu kuwashirikisha waBongo wengine... popote pale walipo, na bila kujali field zao. Hili bado ni wazo...kama itadhihirika kuwa halifai, no big deal... We will drop everything and move on! But I really believe we need to start thinking on what we can do to change things (to be pro-active - rather that being re-active).
What do you think? Is this idea too idealistic? / do-able?
My senti mbili...talk to me with yours:)
Ned
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
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2 comments:
Wazo lako linatia moyo sana na linawezekana kutendeka.
Ninachotaka kusisitiza ni kuwa pamoja na tafiti, makala, habari na mapendekezo yatakayokuwa yanatolewa na think tank hiyo ni kwamba kila liandikwalo liwe limefanyiwa upelelezi wa kutosha wenye vielelezo.
not everyone is a "matter of fact, technocratic policy-oriented intellectual" wengine pia ni 'value oriented' writers ambao wanajipa jukumu la ku-challenge authority na kuumbua established perceptions and institutions.
kundi la pili la 'value oriented' nafikiri nalo pia lipewe nafasi. Mabishano na kutokukubaliana juu ya masuala ndio huzaa policy zinazoshinda.
I just discovered your blog and I have to tell you I strongly support the idea. I think this will help to give the people back home a way to look at things in a different perspective, and may be change our attitude, which – in my opinion- contributes greatly to our underdevelopment. It ain’t going to be easy – I know- but we have got to be pro-active and take the challenge.
I believe through the Think Tank we can disseminate information and knowledge that will help improve the way things are done back home. I think what we should try to achieve is kill two birds with one stone. On one side we can target the policy makers - you know they may pay attention or ignore us they will decide - but I think, much more importantly, the Think Tank should try to influence the leaders of tomorrow - the youth. I have in mind the young people in high schools, universities and other centres of higher education, where both the intellectual and social ground is more fertile to sow the seeds for tomorrow. Nevertheless– as you mentioned- we have got to find a suitable platform where the ordinary Tanzanian can also have access to that information.
I don’t know whether a website or things like launching a newsletter (periodical), publishing articles in established newspapers or similar things would do. We should try to explore all venues here. Let’s think of that.
I am strongly convinced that, the young people can become the real change drivers if they are properly equipped with tools that can help them analyze and assess policies or decisions in a critical manner. We should try to impart critical thinking to our audience. Believe me or not, to some extent the way people can benchmark government’s policies, strategies and decisions plays a crucial role here. I mean how do you expect somebody who has not seen how a good health system functions, a good utility system works or a good infrastructure network looks like – to critically question a minister or an MP on how things should look like? It’s all Greek to most of them. But through our exposure and what we have seen in other countries we can contribute greatly towards that end. It is – may be- not going to be a practical cure for most our problems, but without any doubt, a step in the right direction. I mean we are not going to export ideas as they are but try to find ways to make those ideas fit in the Tanzanian context.
You know the other day I was talking to other fellows here and we were asking ourselves whether our leaders are really serious with poverty eradication.
For those of us who thought the new government had shaken the dust off their shoes, we have been disappointed. The new revelations have put a damper on our hopes. It seems to me that with the exception of a few fellas most of the cabinet members are just chips off the old block. I mean how do you account for the way the government has been allocating our scarce resources?
Honestly, do we really need new expensive “shangingis” every time a new cabinet is appointed? Do we need to accommodate ministers in tourist hotels or build for them mansions (some as big as a football pitch!)each costing a hundred of millions of taxpayer’s money? You know what they say – it is just peanuts. But is it really? In a country where most of its population can not afford even the basic health services? In a country where per capita health expenditure is less than 5 USD per year? where running water is a luxury?
In a country where pensioners have to make do with Tsh 20,000 per month?
Sometimes I even wonder whether it was logical to build a multi-billion shilling Bunge house instead of improving our road networks. After all to whom do they want to show off if 40% of the annual budget money – year in year out- comes from foreign donors?
But still, the question remains- why do we allow our leaders- to live in a world of their own while most of our people are down and out? Forget about Dar and other big towns – go and visit the rural areas of Bongoland and you will see how the situation looks like – it’s abject poverty. Anyway the bottom line is I think enough talking has been done and we have got to do something to change the way things work back home. Something needs to be done brothers!
As I mentioned before, this is not going to be easy and may take some time before we can get the ball rolling but we need to give it a try.
Let us join hands together and contribute to bring about real changes in our country!
This thing is not building castles in the air- it is doable brothers!
SibalaB@aol.com
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