Malawi and Scotland Together in the Talking Place Since 1859

11. Malawian Democracy, Scottish Devolution and Partnership Renewed

ϭϵϳ  11. Malawian Democracy, Scottish Devolution and Partnership Renewed Relations Rekindled in the 21st Century The decades which followed Malawi’s independence in 1964 saw a continuation of the special connection with Scotland but it would not be unfair to conclude that it had moved into a lower key. It became apparent around the time of the Millennium, however, that something was stirring in Scotland Malawi relations. Both nations had undergone significant political changes during the 1990s. Malawi had broken the stranglehold of the one-party dictatorship and embarked on the path of multi-party democracy. Scotland, after almost 300 years without its own Parliament, achieved a devolution settlement which provided for the re-introduction of a Scottish Parliament with extensive, though limited, powers. New political energy, both in Scotland and in Malawi, created the potential for fresh interaction between the two nations. A spark, however, was needed to ignite the new possibilities. In the event it came from Strathclyde University, which incorporates David Livingstone’s alma mater, and Bell College, the higher education institution closest to his birthplace. Together, as the year 2000 approached and institutions sought meaningful ways of marking the auspicious year, they created the Malawi Millennium Project which quickly caught the imagination of a new generation of Scots and completed significant development projects in Malawi.1 This fresh enthusiasm gave rise to a new round of networking, bringing together groups large and small whose work expresses the close relationship between the two nations. Public lectures in Glasgow, by Peter West of Strathclyde University, and in Edinburgh, by Andrew Ross of Edinburgh University, rallied support. The Lord Provosts of both Glasgow and Edinburgh gave their backing as a formally organised Scotland Malawi Partnership came into being in 2004. In their invitation to the launch they invoked the historical memory: “As the Lord Provosts ϭϵϴ  of Glasgow and Edinburgh, we have agreed jointly to launch a campaign to have Scotland commit itself to extending its support for Malawi. The original name of the country, Nyasaland, was given to it by David Livingstone, who is revered there. Over the succeeding 150 years, the force of Scottish opinion has twice saved Malawi. Now it needs further help…..”2 Becoming a registered charity in 2005, the Scotland Malawi Partnership took shape as a civil society alliance bringing together a wide variety of organisations concerned with Malawi. It aimed to increase collaboration and multiply best practice. Its stated objective is “to inspire people and organisations of Scotland to be involved with Malawi in an informed, coordinated and effective way so that both nations benefit.”3 Simultaneously in Malawi, through the good offices of British High Commissioner Norman Ling, a Committee was formed to build up the Malawi end of the renewed partnership. In July 2004 this Committee, together with their Scottish counterparts, met with the new President of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika, who announced his backing. This rekindling of Scotland’s relationship with Malawi coincided with the early years of the devolution settlement. Though foreign affairs is a “reserved power” at Westminster, May 2005 saw the Scottish First Minister, Jack McConnell making an official visit to Malawi. A reciprocal visit to Scotland by President Bingu wa Mutharika, on the occasion of the seminal Scotland Malawi Conference in November 2005, featured the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between Scotland and Malawi. The Agreement states that: “Scotland and Malawi have a long history of collaboration, particularly in health and education. Both countries share a wish to build upon this history by actively engaging through partnership. This is a reciprocal partnership based upon sharing experiences and skills. It is an opportunity to learn from each other and to recognise the needs of our two countries.”4 It identifies civic governance and society, sustainable economic development, health and education as broad themes on which collaboration will be developed. Through the newly established International Development Fund, the Scottish Government began to make grants to support initiatives in these ϭϵϵ  areas, with £2.4 million being granted in 2005.5 Adjoa Anyimadu has noted the distinctive and innovative features of this initiative: “The first decision taken about the Scottish development policy was that it should focus on encouraging links between communities and schools in Scotland and those in a partner region or country on the basis of the mutual exchange of knowledge and skills. Both sides were to benefit from the experience of linking. The Scottish Executive championed this...