Annexure 3 Terms of Reference 1. Background Prior to the 1995 parliamentary elections, a number of NGO’s joined to cooperate in a joint voter education programme in order to tackle voter apathy. These organisations decided to continue their cooperation after the 1995 elections and develop a longer term education programme focusing on the role of political leaders, human rights, the role of NGO’s and on participation and development. Sweden provided support for activities implemented 1996–2000. Sida funded CIVNET alongside others, notably the Royal Danish Embassy, the British High Commission, the American Embassy, the Dutch Embassy. Sida’s contribution in 1996–97 was 43.7% and 31.6% in 1997–98. There was no funding from Sida in 1998–99. Funding resumed in 2000 in a basket with the Dutch and the Danish Embassy where the contributions were almost equal i.e. a third each. Following the drafting of a 2001–2005 five-year Democracy Development Programme through civic education, Sweden provided support to the amount of 2 MSEK for activities during 2001 and 2002 (decision ZWE 81/2001). CIVNET then approached Sida for a further support (phase 2) to the continued implementation of the five-year project from January 2003 up to December 2005. In 2006 Sida and SAIH (Norwegian Students and Academic’s International Assitance Fund) funded different aspects of the leadership development programme where 24 leaders graduated in November 2006. The overall objective of CIVNET’s activities have been to promote democracy by enhancing peoples’ participation in the decisions affecting the development of their country and of their communities. This overarching objective has been disaggregated into the following objectives for the second phase of the five-year programme: 1. To facilitate changes in attitudes and behaviour leading to the constructive participation by civil society in the formation and promotion of good governance by imparting knowledge to all citizens of Zimbabwe, including those holding public positions, about the functions of central and local government and their roles in ensuring that these bodies behave democratically. 2. To ensure good governance by promoting full public participation in the democratic process through voter education. 3. To ensure critical consciousness and the participation of citizens and communities generally including disadvantaged groups in economic and developmental issues and to promote accountability at all levels. 4. To foster genuine healing and reconciliation among victims and perpetrators of political violence and promote a culture of peace based on tolerance and mutual respect of divergent views. To achieve these objectives, CIVNET organised workshops around three main themes: Participation (2003), Voter Education (2004) and Participation and Development (2005). These workshops were held at national, provincial and ward-level. The ones who were trained at the provincial level have acted as facilitators at the ward level workshops with assistance of provincial trainers. Participants of the workshops have been selected from the local communities and the local and traditional leaders have been involved in their identification. CIVNET had plans to organise an average of 1 300 workshops per annum. The activities have been community based, mainly rural, farming, mining and other remote areas which have been disadvantaged for a long time and CIVNET has promoted the establishment of community based education or study circles. In terms of geographical coverage, the activities have been implemented nationwide. THE CIVIC EDUCATION NETWORK TRUST (CIVNET)) IN ZIMBABWE – Sida EVALUATION 2008:51 25