Democracy in Hard to Reach Places

June 2009 -- In recent years, African countries have embraced the notion of participatory democracy. Inherent in a government by the people is the right to participate in political processes regardless of locale, rural or urban. But while rural communities yearn to participate in public affairs, they also tend to be hard to reach because of poor road conditions. They have limited electricity supply, poor access to education, healthcare and employment opportunities. Therefore, rural communities enjoy even less of the fragmented political freedoms that may be available in African countries.

The 2009 West African Regional Conference on Smart, Appropriate and Resource Efficient Technologies and Products for Rural Communities, to be held in Abuja, Nigeria includes efforts to ramp up dialogue with, and among rural communities towards political participation. We invite your comments regarding democracy and political activities in your rural community:

• What leadership attributes do people in your rural community value?
• How do people in your rural community access news and information about political developments locally and nationally?
• During elections, does voter education in your rural setting foster the understanding of issues that affect your life?

Please send us your comments and questions to: info@democracy-africa.org.