Event Reports

Background, Improvements, Setbacks, Disappointments and Threats

Why Electrol Democracy Fails to Meet Stakeholder's Expectations in Tanzania Compared to Some Growing Democracies in Africa

Tanzania's transition to multi-party democracy in the 1990s was a milestone in its governance history. While it set the stage for citizen participation and regular electoral cycles, significant challenges persist in meeting stakeholders' expectations. Improvements such as increased voter awareness and enhanced electoral infrastructure demonstrate progress. However, the dominance of ruling parties, limited political space for opposition, and low trust in electoral processes highlight systemic flaws. In contrast, growing democracies like Ghana and Botswana have embraced more inclusive practices, robust electoral commissions, and strengthened accountability measures, fostering higher public confidence. Setbacks in Tanzania include frequent allegations of voter suppression, manipulation of electoral laws, and inadequate civic education. These issues have led to stakeholder disappointments, with many questioning the credibility of elections and the fairness of outcomes. The threats of political instability, suppression of dissent, and erosion of democratic norms further hinder Tanzania’s progress. To rebuild trust, Tanzania must prioritize transparent governance, enhance civic participation, and ensure an even playing field for all political actors. By addressing these gaps, Tanzania can draw lessons from Africa’s thriving democracies and move closer to realizing the true potential of electoral democracy.

KCDE’s Commitment Amid a Warming Climate

Rediscovering Forests; A Proactive Step Toward COP29

Forests are essential to life on Earth, supporting ecosystems, regulating the climate, and providing resources for both humans and wildlife. At a recent conference in Arusha, KCDE with the support of KAS Tanzania brought together faith-based organizations, eco-stakeholders, and environmental advocates to address the urgent need for forest preservation as a proactive step toward COP29. This gathering emphasized the role of forests in climate resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable development.

Youth-Led Climate Action and Business Innovation Training Program

Empowering Tanzania’s Young Entrepreneurs

This initiative was designed to harness the creativity and potential of young Tanzanians to address the effects of climate change in rural communities through business. Major goals included: * Providing practical skills in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and digital marketing tailored for climate action. * Encouraging creativity and innovative thinking to develop solutions that build resilience in agriculture and related sectors. * Promoting Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on Climate Action (SDG 13) and Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8). * Establishing a network of young leaders equipped to drive change and contribute meaningfully to Tanzania’s development goals.

Roundtable Discussion

Urban Resilience and Local Governance in Tanzania

ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability Africa (ICLEI Africa) is collaborating with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Tanzania to publish a series of thought pieces on Urban Resilience and Local Governance in Tanzania. This short-term project draws upon ICLEI-Africa’s vast experience working in Tanzania’s urban sector and seeks to explore urban resilience in the country’s main urban centres from various perspectives. It is also in line with KAS Tanzania’s interest in urbanisation and resilience issues from a political lens.

Social market Economy Model for Tanzania (SMET)

Engaging Key Stakeholders in Economic Issues for Shaping a better Tomorrow

A brief report on SMET discussion with postgraduate students at the Institute of Accountancy Arusha followed with a round table discussion meeting with business community, professional’s and key policy makers aimed at creating awareness about social market economic model in Tanzania. The discussion also aimed at encouraging students to undertake further research on SMET model in Tanzania to catalyse more discussions at various levels of policy implememtation.

Capacity building to Women on Peace Building and Prevention of Youth Radicalization

Inter-Religious Council for Peace Tanzania

The Inter-Religious Council for Peace Tanzania (IRCPT) partnered with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) to conduct Zonal Trainings on Peace and Reconciliation Skills for Religious Leaders. These trainings were held at Kyusa Hotel Kigoma from April 25th to 27th, 2023, and at Dolphin Hotel Tanga from May 16th to 18th, 2023. The primary goal was to equip religious leaders with the tools to prevent radicalization, violent extremism, and offensive religious ideologies from taking its roots in society. The training focused on promoting dialogue, early conflict prevention mechanisms, and media engagement to address social and political challenges.

Tanzania’s regional role Governance, mediation and economic diplomacy

Roundtable Meeting

The roundtable marked the second event in a project partnership series between KAS and Chatham House on Tanzania’s Foreign Policy Agenda: Economic Diplomacy and International Agency. The series aims to encourage informed dialogue and debate at an important moment for Tanzania’s external engagements: the country’s main foreign relations strategy document, the ‘New Foreign Policy’, was adopted in 2001, but an official review has been commissioned by President Samia Suluhu Hassan and is to take place in 2023.

Social market Economy Model for Tanzania (SMET)

Discussions and Critical Review of the Social Market Economy Model for Tanzania (SMET) as an alternative economic model for Tanzania.

A two-day experts’ roundtable discussion aimed at bringing social market economy model for Tanzania into the lens of economists and think tanks for critical analysis and proposing strategies for rolling it out and adoption in Tanzania. The event gathered economists and other key stakeholders from universities, civil society organizations and the private sector.

Tanzania's Global Economic Diplomacy

Evaluating International Partnerships for Prosperity

On 27 July 2023, the Chatham House Africa Programme and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Tanzania office convened a private roundtable meeting in Dar es Salaam. The discussion focused on the priorities for Tanzania’s engagement on the international stage, including the effectiveness of global partnerships for trade, investment and infrastructure development, and the country’s agency in responding to shared challenges such as climate change.

Workshop on promotion of Social Market Economy – Tanzania Model (SMET)

Conducted by KAS in collaboration with its partner Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC)