NATIONAL CIVIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME, NCEP II

Introduction

Like-minded donors, in partnership with a broad spectrum of civil society organisations (CSOs) representing different interest groups, have designed a framework for the delivery of a National Civic Education Programme (NCEP II) otherwise commonly referred to as URAIA Programme. Civic education is an important means of equipping citizens with relevant knowledge to contribute to and participate meaningfully in socio-economic, political and development processes.

The first National Civic Education Programme (NCEP I) was implemented in Kenya between August 2000 and September 2002 through a partnership of a group of donors and about 70 indigenous Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). Sanaa Art Promotions (SAP) was among CSOs that implemented NCEP I. The programme aimed at consolidating a mature political culture in which citizens were aware of and exercised their rights and responsibilities, and participated effectively in broadening democracy.

The programme (NCEP II) is being implemented by several role-players that have agreed to work together in order to pool methodologies and experience, avoid duplication and enhance a more effective participation of a wide cross-section of Kenyan society (particularly the poor) in this national programme. Sanaa Art Promotions is among 48 CSOs that have been selected to implement this programme. All funded CSOs have organised themselves and implement under the framework of existing consortia. Sanaa Art Promotions is implementing NCEP II under CRE-CO as the coordinating consortia.

The objective of this programme is the consolidation of a vibrant democratic political culture in Kenya, where citizens are aware of and fully exercise their rights and their responsibilities.

Consortia

• CRE-CO, a rights-based grouping comprising a number of prominent human rights NGOs.

The main role of each consortium will be mapping and planning the rollout of NCEP II, and then co-ordinating their work within and across the consortia, via the Public Steering Committee (PSC). Individual CSOs will be responsible for the actual implementation of the programme.

Key outputs

NCEP II will provide support for the co-ordinated provision of civic education that is geared to enhancing human rights and good governance. NCEP II will have three main result areas:
1. Efficient and effective management of NCEP II Programme
2. Efficient and effective co-ordination of CSOs involved in providing civic education.
3. Enhanced knowledge and uptake of legislative and human rights among all Kenyan citizens.

Civic education content will be clustered around five major national themes:
1. Human rights
2. Good governance
3. Democratisation
4. Constitutionalism
5. Nation-building

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NCEP II will include a new set of themes; will ensure that gender equality, environment conservation and HIV/AIDS messages are mainstreamed throughout; and will be using a rights-based approach where appropriate.
Project Activities

Our main objective is to increase positive participation of the youth in the democratisation process, embrace and respect human rights, responsibly use the environment and natural resources at both grassroots and national levels through facilitation of civic education using participatory methodologies processes. Participatory methodologies have been used in other social development areas and success has been achieved. Sanaa Art Promotions use of Participatory Interactive Media Model (PIMM) in promoting social development in East African communities has led to tremendous change in the target participants with a change from passive participants to social actors, who have taken charge of their situation. Interactive visual and performing arts have over the years been used as a cultural means of communication to perpetuate stereotypes in the society. The same arts will now be effectively used to correct myths about youth participation in governance and enhance their human rights as citizens of Kenya. Unlike other intervention strategies, this approach addresses the barriers of communication such as impaired speech and hearing among youth as well as audiences of semi or illiterate community members. A picture (murals) is worth a thousand words.

SAP intends to work with youth groups in this project. This project targets the youth between ages 15 and 35 years in schools, tertiary institutions, and community. They form the primary participants. The estimated number of primary participants is 213, 080 while secondary participants are 1,007,200. Sanaa Art Promotions has proposed to carry out the following activities; interactive learning platforms, focus group discussions, message development workshop, debates, outreaches and murals painted with appropriate messages.

SAP is implementing NCEP II in eight constituencies. These constituencies are Mwea, Ndia, Ol Kalau, Ndaragwa, Maragua, Gachoka, Othaya and Kieni.

Evaluation

The impact evaluation recommends that civic education be more embedded in the day-to-day reality of peoples’ lives. This lends itself well to a rights-based approach, that locates rights in basic daily needs such as the right to clean water, decent housing, food, and so on. It also matches the broad themes of NCEP II (see above).

Roll-out programme

NCEP II Phase I started in July 2006 and ends in September 2007. There will be a break during 2007 general elections. Phase II is likely to commence in April 2008 till December 2009.

The Contact person is:

Mr. Christopher Agutu
Project Coordinator

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