the same trap of planning things in Harare for people in other places. It is important that in planning programmes, the communities affected by the subject matter be part of the planning process. It is ideal, for example, that if an event is scheduled for Masvingo, the planning meeting for such an event must be held in Masvingo, with Masvingo stakeholders playing a leading role, identifying the relevant partners, service providers, key leaders and the protocol. This then makes it imperative for the Commission to have facilitators and partners in every province. When we say local stakeholders we do not mean local representatives of Harare-based organisations. This is the mistake which many organisations make. It is better that organisations headquartered in that province to be in the lead. Such an approach would, for example, prioritize and put in the fore front TellZim ahead of Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum for an event in Masvingo, even though Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum may have an office in Masvingo. Doing this allows for local ownership of the process and is also safe when it comes to community sensitivities which the Commission may not be familiar with. Community processes, if not well handled, can exacerbate conflict long after and the commissioners have left. There needs to be local front liners who can deal with conflict resolution at community level during the process. Ministry of Health also have national presence at community level through the Village Health Workers. This group could, if properly trained and supported, offer some of the community level psycho-social support that will be required. 2.9 Choice of Office Space and Venues for Meetings Public participation in a programme can be hindered by a simple thing like location of the offices of the Commission. When the NPRC Act was gazetted, the NPRC decided to call for a press briefing and the venue for the briefing was a Boardroom at the Munhumutapa Building, the headquarters of the Office of the President and Cabinet. That was a terrible choice of an office for many reasons, as stakeholders later reflected. First, the Commission struggles with convincing the people that they will be independent from the government. Secondly, for many victims, the Office of the President brings memories of the dreaded spy organisation implicated in many human rights violations. Thirdly, the security protocol to enter the office is very discouraging. In the end, the press briefing was poorly attended. 6 THE CODE OF INCLUSION