Promoting Grassroots Democracy

   

An important goal of Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program (CEP) is to foster a culture of democracy within participating communities.  The program introduces this concept in the first session of the CEP and puts it into practice through the election of a Community Management Committee (CMC) in each village.

 

Made up of seventeen democratically chosen members, the CMC serves as a model of democracy for the entire community.  In addition to its other leadership responsibilities, the CMC works to increase democratic participation by encouraging residents to register to vote, obtain national identity cards, and participate in national elections.  Local elected officials frequently congratulate the CMCs for partnering with them to improve democratic practices in their areas. 

 

Since 1997, Tostan has trained over 2,002 CMCs in Senegal, 198 in Guinea, 80 in The Gambia, 42 in Somalia, 39 in Guinea-Bissau, 33 in Djibouti, and 30 in Mauritania.  These CMCs meet monthly and keep records of their activities.  As of October 2009, 187 CMCs in Senegal and all 198 in Guinea have received official government recognition as civil-society organizations.

 

Individually, CMC members work closely with locally elected officials, thus increasing citizen participation in civic life and creating cooperation between government and community stakeholders.

 

Tostan receives many testimonials from villagers whose lives have improved because of their work in CMCs.  In the Senegalese village of Kouthiaba, for example, a female participant went on to become a rural counselor for her region, participating in critical decisions for her community's future.  Tostan also receives letters from local elected officials praising CMC members for their engagement in community affairs.