2010 Tanzania: Youth Empowerment for Political Participation

Host Country & Organisation: Tanzania, White Orange Youth (WOY)

Participant: Inga Marie List

GLEN Member Organisation: ASA-Programm, Germany

Time Frame: August - October 2010

This report is about a GLEN internship in Moshi, Tanzania, which took place from August to October 2010. Preparing for up-coming presidential elections in Tanzania, the GLEN participants were supposed to hold workshops for first.time voters and to readies general awareness for political participation among the Tanzanian youth in the Kilimanjaro region.

The Tanzanian democracy is considered as partly free according to the Freedom House Index. Onde of the major points of critique is the ongoing CCM (Chama Cha Mapinduzi – the Revolution Party) government which has been the ruling party since independence in 1961. Due to some irregularities during the last elections and major corruption scandals, they are believed to cheat by some UN agencies as well as the Tanzanian opposition. Many young people in Tanzania think that voting just doesn’t make sense since the CCM will win anyway. In 2005, during the last elections, the CCM managed to get 80 percent of the votes.

The GLEN participants worked together with the grassroots NGO Whote Orange Youth whose partners normally focus on HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns as well as taking care for orphans. This project was their first political one. The aim was to motivate young people to make use of their human right to vote, mostly by organizing trainings in different schools and training centers.

Read the full report here: GLEN FINAL REPORT Inga TAN 2010