The Dundee and Perth Experience

The 12th and 13th November will go down in the record books for the most hectic schedules, but much of this was playtime - exploring the beautiful scenery of the Highlands - a good balance to the work we are doing.

At lunchtime on Monday, I met with WDM's WorldWise group of new campaigners in Dundee, and then in the evening with the town's main WDM group. I spoke about Malawi for justice, not charity, and answered critical questions about how Scotland can partner with Malawian civil society groups working on governance. An example was given of promoting integrity in Malawi's public sector management, something which needs to be pushed from both North and South particularly with regard to water management. Focussed Scotland-Malawi partnerships can really help here.

On Tuesday, the same message was taken to Perth, and we discussed how women can provide leadership in Malawian society. We also touched on how water privatisation in Malawi can only be averted with support from people in the UK. They MUST press DFID to really show their support for the public alternatives, and stop hiding behind the World Bank.