Initiatives of Change - Detailed view of For A Change Articles

An all-African conference on how to combat corruption and bring reconciliation to a war-torn continent, organized by MRA, took place in Tanzania in May. It was opened by Wilson Masilingi, Minister of State in the President's Office, who said that it would contribute to the National Anti-Corruption Plan which the government was drafting.

'This forum provides an opportunity to appreciate the importance of reviving moral values not only in Tanzania but all over the world,' said Masilingi. Unlike many of its neighbours, Tanzania has enjoyed peace since its independence in 1964. The country is one of the poorest in the world, and host to 400,000 refugees from other countries in the region, but economic reforms are beginning to bear fruit. A major obstacle is rampant corruption.

The opening ceremony was televised and the conference received wide coverage in the Tanzanian press. The Daily Mail quoted Ambassador John Edward Mhina as saying that observing the 'four pillars of absolute honesty, purity, lack of selfishness, and love' was the 'best way to eradicate corruption'.

During the four-day conference speakers gave personal examples of how they had fought corruption. A Kenyan group described their recent campaign for a clean election, inspiring Tanzanians to plan a similar programme in the run-up to their elections next year.

Sturla Johnson, a Norwegian doctor, underlined how industrialized countries often support corruption in the developing world. He had initiated a campaign in Norway to change the law which allowed companies to claim tax concessions on bribes given overseas. A Kenyan accountant, Ashwin Patel, described how a no-bribes policy had benefited his company.

Retired Bishop Elinaza Sendoro of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania took up the theme of reconciliation. In a talk quoted in both the Daily News and The Guardian, he said that reconciliation in Africa would not be achieved by fighting but by 'talking together and eventually striking a mutual agreement'.

A young Rwandan said that her father and two brothers had died in the violence in her country. 'But I got the courage to forgive,' she said. 'I have found my life again.'

Paul and Eva Gundersen