"Satu Riutta asks whether civic education initiatives - to which huge sums of donor funds and effort are devoted annually - actually promote political participation among the rural poor in nascent democracies. Does raising awareness about citizen rights and responsibilities increase participation? Are the effects of civic education greatest on collective or individual forms of participation? Do women respond differently than men? Drawing on a rich set of original data from villages in Tanzania and Zambia, Riutta casts new light on both the empowering effects and the limitations of civic education in the context of participatory development and democratization" -- Publisher's description.

The Research and Education for Democracy in Tanzania project is based at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Dar es Salaam. This is the second in a series of publications documenting scholarly opinions and research findings. Issues relating to Tanzania's political trends are discussed, with a focus on the political environment and processes that surrounded the run up to the October 1995 general elections. It brings together analytical discussions on why Tanzania is yet to establish an enlightened civil society, the weaknesses and prospects of the new political parties, and the gender imbalances and disadvantaged position of women as political actors.

This study considers the role of civil society in Tanzania's development and transition to democracy. It analyses the structures and management of civil groups, and their relationships with communities and government, so as to determine the extent to which they represent a force for change. Professor Mushi, widely published political scientist at the University of Dar es Salaam, argues that capactity is still limited due to a lack of resources, trained personnel and management capacity. Moreover, civil society is hampered by a lack of autonomy because the state, although withdrawing from being sole service-provider in Tanzania, still holds sway over civil groups.