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Abstract

With respect to our societies’ evolution, both in Mali and other places in Africa, actual recruitment at all levels (social, political, economic, cultural, etc.) has proved undeniable. The political and institutional reforms carried out since the early 90’s in several countries of the continent far from respond to people’s needs and, thus, prevent the start of true development. The monopoly of all the action on the part of the State and its administration through the verticalization of the development supply had consequences on local dynamics. Therefore, the challenges faced by societies are huge and varied.

The construction of a collective vision of our country becomes a paradigm in order to face these challenges. The Citizens’ Assembly in Mali is the correct response to that end. The process of this Citizens’ Assembly is characterized by an ascending organization (from the local to the national level), which allows for the expression of diversity. This expression of diversity on the local level will enable, then, the construction of common perspectives through the challenges, values, commitments, acceptable changes, proposals, etc., on the regional and, later on, on the national levels.

Highlighted points of the comprehensive text :

• From checking to the various challenges : the clear reconstruction.
• Methodology
• Implementation Process
• Schedule for the first stage of the process
  
  

From checking to the various challenges: the clear reconstruction

How has Mali, our country, evolved since its Independence in 1960? Do the coming of democracy or even the political and institutional reforms which began here or there allow for a reasonable explanation of the orientations and crises that have come to stay?

Actually, Mali’s current situation has been checked and has proved to be sad and characterized by the following aspects :

• Over a century of political and economic authoritarianism, implemented by the colonial power and encouraged - despite its Independence - by a paternalistic and centralizing State, has produced disadvantages which turn into the various difficulties which Mali’s population has to face.
• Rural and Urban communities whose conflict solution methods no longer work and which remain in never-ending crises.
• Pauperization, competition to gain access to resources and inequalities which spread as natural resources diminish.
• Hopeless youth who look for their salvation abroad, risking their lives.
• A population which becomes more and more urbanized at great speed, in cities which can be managed less and less.
• An economy which progressively becomes more informal.
• Finally, a government and public institutions which depend on foreign policies – with great difficulty – to administer the public sphere.
  
  

The challenges people have to face are very large and varied. These challenges concern all social groups (men, women, youth), regional development sectors and socio-professional groups. In order to alter the direction in which current tendencies are going, at a time when actors focus more and more on individual survival and identitary withdrawal strategies, “a Citizens’ Assembly in Mali” may allow for the elaboration of a collective vision of the future of our country. This refection process based on the actors’ experiences, the social values, the various dynamics, etc. will enable the drafting of the strategies to be implemented in order to find an exit in this dead-end.

Methodology

The Citizens’ Assembly in Mali is characterized by an ascending methodology (local, regional and national). It is undeniable that the local level constitutes the most relevant stage to begin with the implementation of a legitimate local governance and with the construction of a collective vision. Thus, the process will start on the communal level and it will move on to the national level.

The exercise will comprise 48 communities distributed around 22 areas within the 8 regions of the country as well as in the Bamako District. With respect to this last district, the exercise will comprise 6 communities. The ratio of urban and rural communities was determined considering the sociological, demographics and cultural characteristics of each area. The meeting point of the different cultural areas of the country with the administrative organization enabled us to maintain this sample of areas and communities. The expression of diversity on the local level (geographic-cultural, thematic and socio-professional) will then allow for the construction of common perspectives through the challenges, values, commitments, acceptable changes, proposals, etc., on the regional and, later on, on the national levels.

Chart of the areas and communities considered by region and cultural areas.

Region	Number of areas	Number of communities	Cultural areas
Kayes	3	6	Soninké
Koulikoro	3	6	Bamanan
Sikasso	3	6	Senoufo, Minianka
Ségou	3	6	Bamanan, Buwa
Mopti	3	6	Peulh, Bozo, Dogon
Tombouctou	3	6	Tamachek
Gao	2	4	Sonrhaye
Kidal	1	2	Tamacheck
Bamako	1	6
Total	22	48

The process of Mali’s Citizens’ Assembly will be developed through meetings and workshops, according to these stages :

• 1st stage: communal meetings;
• 2nd stage: zonal workshops;
• 3rd stage: regional workshops;
• 4th stage: national meeting;
• 5th stage: handing in of the final document on the zonal and regional levels;
• 6th stage: handing in of the final document.
  
  

Implementation Process

• Creation of a technical committee A technical committee was created for the implementation of the Citizens’ Assembly process in Mali. Such committee is made up by members of the Djoliba Center and Mali’s Alliance for the re-founding of Governance in Africa (ARGA / Mali). It should be pointed out that the process unfolds under the coordination of the Djoliba Center, and that ARGA / Mali provide technical and methodological support. The new technical committee held several meetings in the premises of the Djoliba Center and/or in the Conference Room at the Center for Political and Institutional Studies in Africa (CEPIA). These meetings allowed us to brush up the general methodology of the process and to work out the problems that may come up when heading towards the process. To field technical teams were created to carry out the first stage of the process on the communal and zonal levels, in the regions of Sikasso and Ségou.

• Methodology training In this respect, a course on surveying methods and tools and information processing (note-taking techniques, DESMODO tools) was given at the Djoliba Center from August 3 to August 5 by ARGA / Mali for the members of the field technical team. During the opening, the Director of the Djoliba Center first recalled the context and justification of the process, and then urged the team members to personally commit towards the success of the mission. Richard Toé (member of ARGA / MALÍ) provided a thorough explanation in the local language (Bamanankan) of key concepts (challenges, values, commitments, changes, proposals, etc.) and of the integration proceedings between the team members and the local actors.

• Research and communication mission A key actors’ information and surveying mission was carried out after the course on methods and tools in the cities of the first stage of the process, in the regions of Sikasso and Ségou. This mission was directed from August 9 to August 22, 2009 by Ambroise Dakouo (ARGA / Mali Administrative Secretary) and by Sory Coulibaly (Head of the Documentation and Public Debates Department of the Djoliba Center).
  
  

The aims of the mission were :

• to provide information about the context of and justification for the process to the -consuetudinary and traditional - administrative authorities , NGOs, associations, peoples, local media;
• to prepare the legal and administrative framework for the development of the meetings: distribution of news letters to governors, prefects and mayors;
• to identify and mobilize local contacts and allies (delegations from the Djoliba Center, NGOs, people-resources, youth and women associations, etc.);
• to identify and propose solutions for possible blockages to the process development;
• to write a detailed report (which includes a proposal for the development of the various stages of the process).
  
  

Throughout this mission, the administrative authorities, the elected representatives, the traditional authorities and the people welcomed the team warmly. The actors met theer share views on the detour that the country’s evolution has taken. They agree with the need of a deep reflection process by means of citizens’ assemblies, which will allow for the elaboration of strategies and perspectives in accordance with the values and local realities.

Schedule for the first stage of the process

The first stage of the process will take place from September 1 to September 21, 2009 in the regions of Sikasso and Ségou, according to the following schedule:

Chart 1: Schedule of the meetings in the Sikasso region.

Sikasso region
Team I	Capitals of the areas considered	Dates	Stages	Locations of the Assemblies	Local organizers	Notes
Supervisor : Néné Konaté, Team leader : Sory Coulibaly, Note-takers : Youssouf Koné, Aboubacar Diallo	Bougouni	02/09/09	Bougouni communal meetings	Bougouni Area Council’s conference room	Abraham Dakono
		03/09/09	Zantiébougou communal meetings	Zantiébougou Mayoralty’s conference room	Mamadou Doumbia
		05/09/09	Bougouni zonal meeting	Bougouni Area Council’s conference room	Abraham Dakono Mamadou Doumbia
		06/09/09	Series of Bougouni zonal meetings	Bougouni Area Council’s conference room	Abraham Dakono Mamadou Doumbia
	Sikasso	08/09/09	Niénan communal meetings	Mayoralty’s conference room and Public school	Souleymane Ouattara and Mayoralty of Zantiébougou
		09/09/09	Sikasso communal meetings	Jean Bosco Center	Souleymane Ouattara
		10/09/09	Sikasso communal meetings	Jean Bosco Center	Souleymane Ouattara and Mayoralty of Zantièbougou
		11/09/09	Series of zonal meetings in Sikasso	Jean Bosco Center	Souleymane Ouattara and Mayoralty of Zantiébougou
	Koutiala	13/09/09	Koutiala communal meetings	Catholic Mission conference room	Pierre Keita
		15/09/09	Konséguela communal meetings	Mayoralty’s conference room and Public School	Pierre Keita and Mayoralty of Konséguela
		16/09/09	Koutiala zonal meetings	Catholic Mission conference room	Pierre Keita
		17/09/09	Series of area meetings in Koutiala	Catholic Mission conference room	Pierre Keita

Chart 2: Schedule for the meetings in the Ségou region

Ségou Region
Team II	Capitals of the areas considered	Dates	Stages	Location of the assemblies	Local organizers	Notes
Supervisor : Marc Traoré, Team Leader : Ambroise Dakouo, Note-takers : Boukary Diarra, Idrissa Sanogo	Ségou	02/09/09	Konondimini communal meeting	Public school	Boubacar Diarra and Mayoralty of Konondimini
		03/09/09	Ségou communal meeting	Ségou Area Council’s conference room	André Coulibaly
		05/09/09	Ségou zonal meetings	Ségou Area Council’s conference room	André Coulibaly
		06/09/09	Series of zonal meetings in Ségou	Ségou Area Council’s conference room	André Coulibaly
	Niono	08/09/09	Niono communal meeting	Mayoralty’s conference room	CAFO and Mayoralty of Niono
		10/09/09	Diabaly communal meeting	Niger’s office conference room	Mayoralty of Diabaly
		11/09/09	Niono zonal meeting	Mayoralty’s conference room	CAFO and Mayoralty of Niono
		12/09/09	Serie encuentros zonales de Niono	Mayoralty’s conference room	CAFO and Mayoralty of Niono
	Tominian	14/09/09	Encuentro comunal de Mandiakuy	Catholic Private school	Mayoralty of Mandiakuy
		15/09/09	Encuentro comunal de Mafouné	Mayoralty’s conference room and public school	Mayoralty of Mafouné
		16/09/09	Encuentros zonales de Tominian	Area council’s conference room	Area council of Tominian
		17/09/09	Serie encuentros zonales de Tominian	Area council’s conference room