The Zambia Think Tank Forum
Our Vision and the way forward

Zambia today

Zambia Plc Ltd, of which every Zambian young and old is a shareholder, is
now one of the poorest countries in the world. One does not need to be a
Harvard University graduate or Oxford economist to be able to analyze the
current socio-economic mess now prevailing in Zambia.” Poverty in Zambia” is
acute” and can be felt and smelt everywhere.

Using all the measures and indicators, over 80% of Zambians are living below
the income poverty line. Life expectancy has dropped from about 60 years
twenty years ago to only 45 years in 2001.The per capita income is now about
US $380 having fallen by about 60% between 1975 and 1995. Zambia's gross
domestic savings as a percentage of its gross domestic product (GDP) is one
of the lowest in the world, having declined from 16.5 per cent in 1990 to
5.4 percent in 1998.

In real terms, the Zambian economy has not grown. Instead of registering
growth, the key sectors (mining, agriculture and manufacturing and services)
are shrinking resulting in high unemployment. Privatization and the
so-called structural adjustment have failed to improve the economy. Instead
these policies have caused major social imbalances. The current external of
approx US$7.2 billion has and will continue to enslave Zambians as long as
it is not challenged and stopped.

The trillion Kwacha questions are, what has gone wrong, what needs to be
done to correct the situation? The answer in my view is that, Zambia has had
serious problems with policy formulation, macro-economic management and
implementation. We have in the last 34 years and especially the last decade,
some of the craziest economic policies.

Zambia is being used as economic theory laboratory test for some of the
neo-liberal policies which have never been tried anywhere in the world.
Zambia has wasted whole decade and has had no major investment into key
sectors-education, health, mining and agriculture. If Zambia Plc continues
shrinking at this rate, our children and their children will have no
“shares” to own because Zambia Plc will face “liquidation”. The major
contributing factor to this decline is the shortsightedness so far displayed
by most of our politicians who have instead invested massively in partisan
politics. Honestly, how can Zambia afford the luxury of having twenty
political parties for such a small population of 10.3 million!

The Zambia Think Tank Forum has a crucial task to work with other Zambia Plc
stakeholders to find solutions to reduce the risk of Zambia Plc going into
liquidation. We all have a duty to research better methods of policy
formulation, propose strategies for better macro economic management and to
monitor their implementation. The Zambia Think Tank Forum has a duty to lead
the way to fight poverty and create an equitable social economy, which
promotes human development above profits. This is not going to be an easy
task but it has to be achieved to ensure a better Zambia for our children.
The Zambia Think Tank has to spearhead this agenda and help formulate
policies and strategies for the “Zambia Vision 2020”

The Mission Statement

We are proposing that The Mission State of the Zambia Think Tank Forum be: -

“The Zambia Think Tank Forum is totally committed to Zambia’s socio-economic
survival and will strive to work with other stakeholders to introduce
pro-poor policies and strategies which can reduce poverty, and create a more
sustainable social economy”

Comments, suggestions and new ideas are welcome from all potential members.

Policy alternatives

The Zambia Think Tank Forum will closely work with other committed NGOs,
public and private sectors, and donors working in Zambia to promote and
enhance the prospects for equitable, sustainable and participatory
development through research, capacity building and lobbying.

Our focus and priority will be to contribute to better collaborative efforts
that will identify and build the analytical case for appropriate and
promising alternatives.

Support so far

The idea and move to set up The Zambia Think Tank has so far received some
overwhelming support from Zambians all over the world. Mail from individuals
and organisations have had positive comments and excellent ideas to move
this project forward.

The Moderator has received mail from Zambians working for international
organisations financial institutions, research and development centres. We
have so far had positive comments from Zambians working for the World Bank,
The African Development Bank and Southern African Development Council.

We have also received mail from Zambians in Embassies and High Commissions,
Members of the Zambian Parliament, Zambian NGOs, churches, and Zambian media
and even from one leader of a Zambian political party.

Strong messages of support have also come from The Center for Global
Development and the UNCTAD.

This positive and overwhelming response is a clear testimony of how
information and communication technology (ICT) can be utilised and harnessed
as a tool for socio-economic development.

The Forum’s aims:

o To continuously facilitate and critically analyse the issues affecting
Zambia’s economy;

o Encourage all Zambia (Plc) stakeholders to debate the socio-economic
issues affecting them with a view of influencing policies makers;

o Recommend strategies for human-centred economic development;

o Facilitate and encourage research into the social impact of a decade of
“rapid and extensive liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation” of the
Zambian economy;

o Encourage full participation of all Zambia Plc stakeholders in the
economic development process;

o Support the growth of a Zambian Social Economy sector;

Our objectives:

o To spearhead the campaign for “Zambia Visi0n 2020
o To build and develop Zambia Think Tank Forum into open forum to freely
debate, analyse and recommend strategies for wealth creation, employment
creation and income distribution;

o To build the Forum to become a major player in formulating and monitoring
the Zambian budget as a tool for real economic growth;

o Build the Forum into a non-political Zambian Economic Think Tank and
network to disseminate information on economic development and the Social
Economy;

o Host a bi-annual Zambia Think Tank Forum (Zambia Stakeholders Forum” to
openly discuss the views of all the Zambian Economy stakeholders;

o To register ZTT Forum as a NGO in Zambia and charity in the UK with
Chapters in each country which has more than twenty members.

Strategy

The Zambia Think Tank Forum will achieve its objectives by pursuing a
research agenda, which will state the case for change in socio-economic
policies. The Forum will collaborate with other stakeholders to conduct
research, encourage debate and find better strategies for socio-economic
development

The Forum will maintain a weekly electronic newsletter, which will be
distributed to all its members, the media, Members of Parliament, UNZA,
Chiefs, The Civil Society, the private sector, key Ministries and donors.

Information and research conducted by the Forum will also be posted on an
interactive website which will be designed and maintained by The Forum
Moderator who is also a Co-Founder of the Zambia Think Tank Forum.

The Forum will host a bi-annual public workshop in Lusaka as a way of
publishing its views of the economy and to lobby policy makers on key
policies, which need to be addressed or changed

Membership

All Zambians living in Zambia and abroad are free to join the Zambia Think
Tank Forum. No discrimination of any nature will be allowed. All Zambians of
any colour, creed and sex are free to join.

All members will be expected to respect the views of other members and will
not be allowed to use abusive language either during debates or in their
e-electronic messages to other members.

Members will not be allowed to use the Forum for partisan politics and will
come up with clear guidelines, rules and policies on this matter.

Proposed Structure

We propose that the Zambia Think Tank Forum be composed of all individual
members and Corporate Members (organisations based in Zambia). We further
propose that the Forum meetings once every two years to review progress,
release research results and carried out other tasks referred to it by the
Forum Task Forces.

We further propose that The Forum be managed by a part time Board that will
include the Co-Founders and six other prominent individual or corporate
members. We propose that Mr Kennedy Mambwe holds the position of Moderator
until the legal matters are finalised in Lusaka.

To support the Forum, The Board and the Moderator it is hereby proposed
that, Forum Task Forces be appointed to research and advise on alternative
policies. We propose that Task Forces cover the following areas/tasks: -

1. Macro Economic Policy and Budget
2. Commercial & Micro Finance
3. Youth Development Policy (Chaired by prominent Youth)
4. Women Development Policy (Chaired by prominent Woman)
5. Mining
6. Agriculture and Cooperatives
7. Health (Primary Health Care & HIV/AIDS)
8. Education & Skills Development
9. Commerce and Industry
10. External Debt
11. Media & ICT

We further recommend that Task Forces be composed of four members who are
specialists in their subject areas or sectors. Each Task Force will need to
identify a Chair and Secretary who will lead research, formulate policies
ands strategies to be discussed by the Forum and later disseminated to all
the stakeholders. The Chair of each Task Force would lead the Forum on its
subject area during its bi-annual General Conference.

Partners in Zambia

WE propose that The ZTT Forum considers closely work with other stakeholders
already working in Zambia. Close collaboration and networking will be to be
built with: -

o The Civil Society in Zambia;
o Media (Both Independent and Public);
o The Economic Association of Zambia
o Zambia Chambers of Commerce and Industry
o Export Board of Zambia
o Zambia Investment Centre
o The Law Association of Zambia
o Chamber for Small Business
o The Institute of Social Research (UNZA)
o The Copperbelt University;
o Cooperatives

The ZTT Forum will also need to closely work with the private sector and
donor agencies that are currently operating from Zambia. Special links and
relations will need to be established with the following agencies and key
Ministries: -

o Ministries of Finance, Agriculture and Commerce and Industry;
o Parliament (Including individual MPs);
o UNDP Country Rep
o DFID (Central Africa);
o USAID Zambia
o EU Reprehensive
o World Bank
o ADB
o ECA
o COMESA
o SADDC

Partners abroad:

Plans are underway for the Zambia Think Tank Forum start collaborating and
networking with the following UK and American based organisations: -

o The Centre for Global Development (USA);
o The Africa Social Enterprise Network (UK);
o The European Network for Self-help and Development (Berlin);
o The Commonwealth Association for Local Development (COMMACT)(UK);
o New Economic Foundation (UK);
o Southern Links (UK)
o Jubilee Scotland(UK)
o World Development Movement(WDM)(UK)

Management and Coordination:

The ZTT Forum will be electronically coordinated from London by Mr Kenny
Mambwe until we are officially registered in Zambia. Members will be
consulted on the best way forward as far as registration in Zambia is
concerned.

We also need to agree on the future structure to enable fund raising and to
support independent and unbiased research and policy formulation.

Funding;

A project proposal is being put together to seek funding for equipment (PC,
Scanner, Printer and ISDL line) for the Coordinator/Moderator. A further
proposal will be prepared to source funding for the first Zambia Economy
Stakeholders’ Forum to he hosted by The ZTT Forum (Lusaka) sometime in
April/June 2003.Members are requested to come up with any ideas and
suggestions for the funding the first Zambia Plc Stakeholders’ 2003 Forum in
Lusaka.

The Forum will liase with other stakeholders to hold host seminars,
conference and workshops as a way of disseminating its findings and
recommendations and at the same time raise funds from participation fees and
sponsorships.

Recruitment of Members

Until further notice, when The Forum agrees on the ground rules, membership
recruitment will continue to be through word of mouth and personal
recommendation. However, member’s views and their data will be treated in
confidence as required by law.

The Co- Founders will through the Moderator propose membership guidelines
which will include a code of conduct to avoid the Forum being used as
partisan politics ground and to avoid litigation or libel.

Actions for next steps & Time Frame

In order to take the next step(s), the Co-Founders request that all
potential members study this concept document and submit all
comments/suggestions to the Moderator before 30th April, 2002.All views and
comments will be included in a second draft document to be circulated during
the second week of May 2002.

Between this week ending 17th March 2002 and first week of April, the
Co-Founders will proceed to work on the following key tasks: -

• Compile a “potential” Zambia Think Tank Forum membership list – Moderator
• Source funds to register domain name – Zambia Think Tank Forum.com – NC
• Design an interactive website – NC/Moderator
• Second draft of concept document (By May) - NC
• Registration in Zambia and UK (By July) – NC/Lusaka based members.
• Draft project proposal for funding – NC/Moderator
I. Registration of Domain Name
II. Design of website
III. Equipment (PC.Laptop, Scanner and Printer)

We look forward to receiving you comments, views and suggestions before 30th
April. We will as usual appreciate if you could pass copies of this concept
paper to as many individual Zambians and organisations as possible

Draft by:

Norman Chipakupaku
Director
Trade Africa 2000 Plus Limited
Co-Founder (The Zambia Think Tank Forum)
(Dated: Monday, 18 March 2002)

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