What is Ubudehe?
Ubudehe refers to the long-standing Rwandan practice and culture of collective action and mutual support to solve problems within a community, according to a recent academic research paper, by Ashish Shah “Democratic Paradox in Rwanda”-
The result is a set of Home Grown Solutions – culturally owned practices translated into sustainable development programs.
Other links
http://rwandapedia.rw/explore/ubudehe
Click to access press-release_IP-08-1202_en.pdf
How is Somaliland linked with Rwanda?
The Director of ActionAid-Somaliland, Sam Joseph’s contract with our team was not renewed. He moved to Rwanda to work with a small, select team** to develop ‘Ubudehe’, in which the ideas developed in Somaliland were refined and expanded. It was awarded a UN prize for innovation in 2008. My sense is that few people in the ‘development’ world know about, let alone wish to replicate Ubudehe. Probably because it challenges the orthodoxy, it is not featured in ‘development studies’ curricula (certainly several academics and aid agency boffins I have spoken to were ignorant of Ubudehe). Maybe, also, because the ‘development’ world is wedded to log-frame analysis, while Ubudehe depends upon Systems thinking, institutional analysis and locally driven participation. I always wish I had that Somaliland experience before I was appointed to ActionAid-Ethiopia’s new programme based in Waka town, in southern highlands of Wolayta..
A major strength of Ubudehe is that knowledge of an area (its demographics, soil, water, timber, infrastructure etc) and the transformations desired by the residents is held by them at the local level. This information is, ideally, in the public domain along with budgets and responsibilities. There are stories of external ‘consultants’ visiting areas to research the residents’ needs/wants. Rather than being allowed to conduct their essentially extractive ‘consultation’ they have been told, “We have already collected all the necessary information. Your survey will only distract us from our work. If you wish to assist, please look at our plans in the office and make us an offer.” To my way of thinking, that is the correct balance of power. My neighbours and I would react quite hostilely to a powerful outsider coming to our small Cumbrian village to extract information to assist its objectives, however well clothed they were in terms of “capacity building”, “assisting small communities” or “bringing economic growth to rural England”….yeah! what’s your real objective?
*During my 10 days in Somaliland (7-16 Nov 2017), from discussions with team members involved in the ‘development’ business and observations as we went along, I sensed there continues to be an emphasis on the “direction of people and things” and wonder how much “direction of ideas” takes place? There are more vehicles of all shapes and sizes in Somaliland than ever. Why does any NGO/UN/EU et al really need any of its own vehicles with its ownership sticker? Rent from local owners…why not? Scope here for a Masters/PhD thesis?
**The core team for ‘Ubudehe’ comprised Sam Joseph as lead trainer/tutor; someone seconded from Ministry of Finance and someone seconded from ActionAid-Rwanda. Dennis Paine (DFID) supported the initiation of Ubudehe in Government and with DFID funding. Later funding came from EU and Rwanda Government. What was important was that this practical application of Poly-centric governance, and divided ‘ownership’ (by Peter Checkland’s definition) meant collapsing the initiative was much more difficult than had been the case in AA-Somaliland when Sam’s contract was not renewed and the innovation the team had started was never appreciated, supported, understood and so could not be reviewed by peers (ie. peers who knew of Ostrom’s, Checkland’s work). The orthodox model pursued by AA understood ‘peer’ to refer to colleagues on the same rung of a hierarchy. AASom had no ‘unorthodox’ peers within AA.
Ashish Shah’s degree looks at the Democratic Paradox in Rwanda – between the democratic practices involved in crafting the institutions of Ubudehe and the professed democracy of a tight, powerful central State.
http://www.rwandapedia.rw/cmis/views/workspace%253A%252F%252FSpacesStore%252Fc600a401-ced5-48e6-aada-eba50f0c97c7
Robin's Observations 