PROPOSED VISION OF OUR-ZAMBIA ______________________________ Our-Zambia.Com is a web portal designed for Zambians and friends of Zambia, at home and abroad. The purpose is to be a think-tank for Zambia, particularly for a Zambia we all want to see and experience in the 21st Century. I. Aim Our-Zambia Vision shall promote democracy and sustainable development in Zambia. II. Objectives (a) To provide a web portal for Zambians, and friends of Zambia, at home and abroad. (b) To act as a think tank for consolidating Zambians’ expectations and experiences (c) To be a source of updated Zambian information for the purposes of informing, educating and providing interaction for Zambians. (d) To groom emerging Zambian leaders who shall provide effective leadership in Zambia’s diverse sectors. (e) To enhance Zambia’s democratic process through advocacy, lobby, voter education and registration, and election monitory. III. Promoting democracy Zambia is on the right track of democracy. This is a massive accomplishment. Our-Zambia shall promote democracy and advocate for the strengthening of institutions that ensure a strong and working democracy. Our-Zambia shall issue statements, make publications in the press and media, participate in voter education and registration, and monitor elections to ensure that Zambian democratic systems are functional. IV. Sustainable development Zambia’s biggest challenge is the economy. A bad economy means higher rates of unemployment, staggering levels of poverty, high death rates, low life expectancy, and poor health and poor environmental surroundings. Our-Zambia shall engage high minds on the economy, analyze economic policies and provide suggestions to both government and parliament, and create poverty alleviation programmes to ease the sufferings of the Zambian people. Our-Zambia shall provide long term suggestions that will lead the nation to sustainable economic development. V. International Convocation A defining mark of Our-Zambia Vision shall be the International Convocation (I.C) which shall convene Zambians and friends of Zambia at one place to moot on issues pertinent to Zambia’s democratic and economic development. The conference shall take place after every three years. Organization will be instrumental resulting in a well-publicized and advertised meeting in the local paper, on television and internet. At this event each director shall present a paper on their area of interest, and after the presentation a platform of action shall be reached. The resolution shall be published into a document which shall be submitted to the president and parliament. The International Convocation of Our-Zambia Vision shall lobby the government to enact some of the resolutions in the platform of action into laws or to translate them into policies. The platform of action shall be floated to donors, interest groups or international organizations with an interest in Zambia’s democratic and economic development. VI. Our-Zambia.Com Our-Zambia.Com shall be the web portal for Our-Zambia Vision. Our-Zambia.Com website shall serve the following purposes: advertise Zambia to the world, create forum for policy analysis and discuss issues pertinent to Zambia. Directors shall have links on the website to create content in their respective areas and inform, educate or challenge Zambians on democratic and developmental issues. VII. Finances Our-Zambia shall raise money through six means: (1) Internet ads. (2) Directors’ annual subscription. (3) Our-Zambia Club of influential and common Zambians all over the world who shall be asked to make generous donations each time Our-Zambia plans the International Convocation. (4) Sell of Our-Zambia materials and publications. (5) Contributions and donations from all democratic and development supporters across the globe. (6) Projects. VIII. Secretariat A Secretariat shall be set up in Lusaka with computer and internet access. Directors shall have access to computers and the internet at the Secretariat. When funding becomes available the Secretariat shall purchase a laptop for every director. In order to ensure competitive advantage especially in project management, a full time Secretary General (SG) shall be hired to run the Secretariat. The SG shall be the principal project manager who shall draw project proposals and make submissions. He shall be remitted a fixed salary plus a commission on all successful proposals. The SG may be hired from among the directors or from outside the directorate. IX. The Directorate A Board of Directors for Our-Zambia.Com shall coordinate the activities of the portal. Directors shall be chosen from across the globe in order to bring about a diversity of experiences and perspectives. Each Director shall be responsible for the content and updates of their respective websites in harmony with the mission and objectives of Our-Zambia Vision. The members of the directorate shall coordinate affairs related, but not limited, to: (i) African Affairs (ii) American Affairs (iii) Art and Entertainment (iv) Business and Entrepreneurship (v) Civil Society (vi) Culture (vii) Economy (viii) Education (ix) European Affairs (x) Family Affairs (xi) Health (xii) Information and Media (xiii) Legal Affairs (xiv) Poverty Alleviation (xv) Religion and Ethics (xvi) Sport and Recreation (xvii) Technology and Science (xviii) Women Affairs (xix) Youth and Development Each director shall have the pleasure of creating content on their web pages. Each director shall have a designated number of pages on which to post their content. Directors shall derive content from research, observations, interviews, and directors’ own ideas and experiences. For example, a director of Art and Entertainment may desire to document Zambian music, cinema, news or events happening around art and entertainment. Each director shall provide personal bio and contact information, and shall be able to promote their views in the blogs. X. Head Office Our-Zambia head office (H.O) shall be situated in the country and town where the president of Our-Zambia resides, currently in Toronto, Canada. The H.O shall formulate policy and supervise the directorate. The president of Our-Zambia Vision shall be the Chief Executive Officer of Our-Zambia Vision. He shall preside over all meetings and shall be the de-facto head of the directorate and the Secretariat. The president shall be assisted by an Executive Committee (E.C) of members elected every year from among the directorate. The E.C shall comprise the President, Media Liaison Officer, Finance Comptroller, Events Coordinator, and two members at large. |