ZIMBABWE ELECTION SUPPORT NETWORK ANNUAL REPORT 2010 work of ZESN. The partisan status of some traditional leaders, police officers, governors affected the smooth flow of some meetings and workshops that the programme organized. The participation and contribution of women during workshops was very low in relation to their heavy presence at these meetings. Field officers faced a lot of challenges especially in accessing police clearances hence pre-visits need to be increased to circumvent these challenges. Kundai Matenga ZESN Programmes Assistant amongst the targeted communities. The degree of appreciation for diversity has increased in the areas where the workshops were held as can be seen by the numerous requests for ZESN to reach out to more people. Attendance in all workshops was good and in others overwhelming. Prosper Mutandadzi Masvingo, Manicaland and Midlands Field Officer Recommendations There is need to continue lobbying and advocating for the repeal of POSA and other repressive laws as they have a bearing on outreach workshops and meetings. Youth need to be engaged more especially with the idea that they can be agents of peace. There is also need to translate educational material to other local languages other than Shona and Ndebele. Conclusion Recognizing that elections are a process and not an event, ZESN through the programme will continue to use the time inbetween elections in engaging the populace so that they reflect and review the environment of the previous election as well as prepare for future elections. Most importantly, it allows for people to talk about election-related issues in a more relaxed setting because campaign periods tend to be intense and are often associated with intimidation and fear. The enthusiasm of the people during the workshops was very encouraging. ZESN will continue to draw lessons from previous efforts done in order to continue to thrive and reach many Zimbabweans. ZESN Billboard erected in Graniteside, Harare Impact Relationship with the police, traditional leaders, District Administrators steadily improved. There has been a marked increase in awareness and knowledge in governance issues particularly electoral systems, peace building and tolerance 12 PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN ZIMBABWE