To assist readers of our blog we have posted a comprehensive introduction to our organization, also available at the ICC website: www.icc.mr.
The ICC in brief:
The Citizens’ Initiative for Change, known in Mauritania by its French-language initials as the ICC, is is a non-partisan civil society organization that works to anchor democracy and good governance, reinforce national unity and contribute to civic education. Together we are men and women who, despite the great diversity of their opinions, origins and party affiliation work together towards real systemic change.
This association serves therefore as both the advocate and the implement of change for the vast majority of Mauritania’s citizens who see no place for themselves in the current political debate. The ICC is strictly non-partisan and does not support electoral candidates or participate in elections. Proactive citizenship, the defense of human rights, independence, transparency, tolerance and, most fundamentally, integrity, constitute our core values.
The Initiative’s Ambitions:
To promote the values of citizenship and the culture of democratic pluralism in a modernized State driven by the rule of law.
To coalesce all the forces of change faced with the resistance or return of the old, discredited forms of governance.
To mobilize citizens to participate freely and actively in future elections.
To facilitate the reform of public sector management toward the aims of good governance.
To assist citizens in emancipating themselves from the bondage of clientelism and tribalism.
To demand transparency in campaign and party finance.
To insist that political change constitute neither a pardon nor a free pass for the perpetrators of corruption.
To support all initiatives and action supporting the free exercise of the citizen’s right to vote.
The Initiative’s National Vocation:
The Initiative is not a political party. It is open to all who believe that the alliance of corruption and tribalism threatens our country’s future and unity, who adhere to the initiative’s objectives, and who wish to prove that in its great majority the country’s population aspires to real change in the form of governance.
Our vision:
The Citizens’ Initiative for Change aims to assist in the restoration of the concept of the public good or res publica in Mauritania, as well as the awakening of democratic and civic values. Through its initiatives, the ICC hopes to contribute to public reason and to a true debate of ideas on Mauritania’s future.
More on our background:
The Citizens’ Initiative for Change was founded on April 17th, 2006, under the impetus of a major transition in Mauritanian history. The need for renewal within civil society and the return of civic values became apparent as soon as the Military Committee for Justice and Democracy commenced the 2005-2007 democratic transition process, a period that raised immense hopes in Mauritania. The ICC sought to influence this process in the direction of serious reforms and civic engagement.
Among other actions, the ICC organized several civic awareness campaigns throughout the country in preparation for legislative, municipal and presidential elections between November 19th, 2006 and March 25th, 2007. With the assistance of such partners as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the European Union (EU), the ICC’s Mauritanian Center for Political Analysis (CAP) held seminars and moderated debates on subjects ranging from the role of the citizen in a democracy to the judicial empowerment of the underprivileged.
Beginning in late 2006, the ICC founded Citizens’ Radio, Mauritania’s first independent, civic-oriented radio programming. This programming revolutionized the country’s media with innovative broadcasts that openly examined Mauritania’s major challenges, such as high-level corruption and the failures of the State. These programs were accessible to all Mauritanians, broadcast in all four national languages (Hassaniya Arabic, Peuhl, Soninke and Wolof) as well as in French. Citizens’ Radio helped raise awareness preceding and during the election campaign season. The Radio also allowed citizens to express themselves and their opinions freely for the first time by calling in, without the fear of censorship or reprisals, on highly sensitive topics related to corruption, ethnic and gender relations, inequality and their country’s autocratic legacy. By late 2007 Citizens’ Radio began experiencing interference tantamount to censorship, and in April 2008 its contract with Mauritanian state radio was not renewed. The ICC is actively seeking to revive Citizens’ Radio on a permanent, sustainable and entirely independent basis.
Following August 6th, 2008, the ICC remains at the forefront of the struggle for the strengthening of a young and fragile democracy, as well as the defense of the rule of law, transparency, and civic values.
Why Citizens’ Radio?
From its inception towards the end of 2006, Citizens’ Radio served its listeners as an independent and civic-oriented media. For the first time in the country’s history a radio service openly covered the many challenges facing Mauritanians. Further, in another first Mauritanians were finally able to call into programs and express themselves freely on a host of topics that concerned their daily lives, without fear of censorship or reprisals.
In the spirit of democratic pluralism and diversity, the radio broadcast in the nation’s four official languages (Hassaniya Arabic, Peuhl, Soninke and Wolof) as well as in French. Broadcast throughout the country several hours daily on the state radio service, Citizens’ Radio revolutionized Mauritanian media with innovative programs ranging from the news to in-depth reports, political debates to women’s-interest programming by first-time female radio journalists.
Many of the topics covered were highly sensitive, from corruption at the highest levels of government and the failings of the state to the legacy of ethnic discrimination and slavery. After several incidents of censorship, the radio’s contract with state-run radio was not renewed and Citizens’ Radio ceased broadcasting in April 2008.
Since then, and particularly in the wake of August 6th 2008, the ICC along with Citizens’ Radio numerous and faithful listeners is actively searching to renew the radio as a permanent fixture of Mauritanian media, financially sustainable in the long term and free of any pressure and censorship. At a time when a vibrant, independent media in Mauritania is more important than ever, the ICC is busy attempting to reestablish Citizens’ Radio on a permanent, sustainable and thoroughly independent basis.
