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Monday, 13 September 2010

The Red Card Movement

File picture: From r-l: SACCORD executive director Lee Habasonda, TIZ president Reuben Lifuka, CSPR executive director Patrick Mucheleka, Caritas Zambia executive director Sam Mulafulafu and Citizens Forum executive director Simon Kabanda during a press briefing at SACCORD secretariat yesterday - Picture by Thomas Nsama


I was sceptical of the red card movement until I saw the above photograph with arguably the country's most important and influential NGOs. There we have SACCORD executive director Lee Habasonda, TIZ president Reuben Lifuka, CSPR executive director Patrick Mucheleka, Caritas Zambia executive director Sam Mulafulafu and Citizens Forum executive director Simon Kabanda during a press briefing at SACCORD secretariat - all waving red cards.

To be clear my scepticism was not related to the idea of a "red card". I think it is a simple and ingenious way for people to communicate their displeasure. Its something they instantly recognise and can make cheaply on their own. In fact as seen above, it need not a card at all! Anything red will do! My scepticism was related to  whether it could be "sustained" and could be identified with specific and concrete demands. This does appear to have happened, though it is still unclear on what "success" for the movement looks like.

THEMES :

3 comments:

  1. I am guessing we will no longer see professionalism from TIZ.

    Could they be joining the campaign because of the controversial NGO bill which I am not sure was passed or not passed??

    ReplyDelete

  2. now it will be churches flashing red card coz the people in poverty are to many.

    ReplyDelete

  3. I was a bit uncomfortable the first time I saw the above photo, because I did not expect any of those organisations represented to show a partisan stance. Should'nt NGO's be opposing and proposing ideas rather than opposing a government?

    ReplyDelete

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