ZIMBABWE ELECTION SUPPORT NETWORK ANNUAL REPORT 2010 Public Outreach Programme Emma Chiseya Public Outreach Programme Officer Introduction The constitution making process, one of the deliverables of the GNU, provided an opportunity for ZESN to intensify its civic and electoral education in order to enhance informed peaceful citizen participation in the outreach programme. ZESN through its Public Outreach programme dedicated the first half of the year 2010 to sensitizing the Zimbabwean community mainly through community workshops, on the importance of participating in the constitution making process. During the second half of the year the activities carried were in pursuance of the public outreach programmes's overall objective of enhancing citizen participation in issues of governance and democracy in an environment where peace and political tolerance prevails. The majority of the workshops and public meetings were particularly organized for rural and poor urban populations as these are normally starved of non partisan and credible information. Outreach activities were particularly targeting women, youth, the differently abled and traditional leaders as well as workers. These were conducted by trained community based educators, national and provincial taskforces, and ZESN field and programme staff. Activities Material design workshops th On the 15 of March the Public Outreach department together with the Media and Information programme conducted a material design brainstorming workshops in Harare with participants drawn from the national taskforces and members of the ZESN secretariat. ZESN also organized a two day strategic retreat for material design in May 2010.The workshop was attended by participants drawn from the ZESN Board and the Secretariat. Below is schedule of training workshops held Date Provinces targeted Venue Attendance 26/01/2010 Mashonaland Provinces Jameson Hotel, Harare 15/04/2010 Masvingo, Manicaland and Midlands Flamboyant Hotel, Masvingo 26/04/2010 Matebeleland South, North and Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel Bulawayo 35 participants 20 male 15 female 35 participants 26 male 9 female 36 participants 25 male 11 female 9 PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN ZIMBABWE