THE MASSES HAVE A SAY IN THEIR INFORMATION

                     As I went through the TJRC (Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission- Kenya) report a question crossed my mind. This was it, "do the masses know this?” This thought plunged me into a virtual debate on how and why the masses should be the first consumers of such reports as the one I was reading. I went forward to state my stand on the usefulness and modalities of using such reports. And this was it:

                      Reports compiled in the name of the people (the masses) belong to the masses and should benefit the masses. We are used to seeing smartly dressed men and women carrying questionnaires criss-crossing villages and slums "gathering information" from whoever they meet. After this "crucial mission" they vanish never to be seen again only to be heard "unveiling" a report of their mission in a posh hotel hundred miles away from the village. Then the work ends there. 

                       The report will then be shelved or rather be discussed far away from its real owners. At the end of the day, the hoi polloi (the owners and the cornerstone) of the report remain a forgotten lot. With nothing to benefit from their report. Then the cycle continues; another group visits the village to collect information, compile a report then disappear....and the society remains where it was.

                        But my big question is; how can this thievery be stopped? Should we sit back and watch because "it doesn't concern us"? Here are some thoughts:

                        Stop interviewing the masses if the fruits of those interviews are destined to other people. The masses should enjoy for giving out their information. This can be achieved through writing such reports in a language understandable by the lowest of the lowest and/or by enabling them take part in the actual implementation of the report. Doing this is the surest way to Canaan. This is the only way to make them self-reliant.

                         Thought number two: establish village based information banks. Train local men and women to guide others. This way you cut the chains of ignorance confining the masses to abject poverty. Avoid big english when dealing with guys down there. They are not interested in vocabularies. They are thirsty of knowledge. Study them and pass the message in a manner that fortifies self-reliance and poverty eradication.

                        It will thus be a great betrayal of the masses if information gathered from them isn't brought back to benefit them. The only way to counter this, I think, is for the masses to ignore these information gatherers and chase them away. This isn't incitement but protection of the masses.