Malawi’s new president sets three challenges for Scotland - David Hope-Jones

Through the Covid pandemic, we learn from ‘The Economist’, 80 countries have seen their democracies weaken and only one has seen their governance systems strengthen. Malawi, the small landlocked African nation which has a 161-year friendship with Scotland, was the one global exception.

David Hope-Jones OBE, Chief Executive, Scotland Malawi Partnership

This year Malawi’s constitutional courts successfully annulled discredited presidential elections, with fresh polls called and the leader of the opposition, Rev Lazarus Chakwera, elected. Since his election, the new President has been working to strengthen governance and reduce the power of the Executive.

President Chakwera recently gave the keynote address at the Scotland Malawi Partnership’s annual conference by Zoom. He spoke passionately about what the enduring friendship with Scotland means in Malawi, the “unbreakable linkages between our two nations”, but, more than this, he outlined his vision for the future of the bilateral relationship, setting Scotland three challenges.

The President’s first challenge for Scotland was to inspire more people to participate in the bilateral relationship across all corners of civic society. What is so unique about the Scotland-Malawi relationship is the fact that it lives and breathes across hundreds of individual school, church, NGO, business, university, hospital and community links. The President challenged Scotland to redouble its work inspiring, supporting and coordinating these civic links: increasing the number of Scots and Malawians involved from 300,000 to half a million.

The President’s second challenge was for Scotland to host a return high-level conference, within five years, to track and celebrate the progress since the September 2018 ‘Malawi and Scotland: Together for Sustainable Development’ conference hosted in Malawi. This conference had an inclusive and transparent process for listening to Malawians who have been working with Scotland. The resulting 128-page report, co-authored by dozens of groups, captured this Malawian voice. It is right that we continue to be led by this Malawian vision and are held accountable to this.

The President’s third challenge to Scotland was to: “see this partnership between us become an example to the world of two nations approaching climate change with the sense of urgency, and in the spirit of collaboration, commensurate with the existential threat this truly is”. With Glasgow hosting COP26 in just over 12 months we have a unique opportunity to make this a reality.

The President’s speech was a powerful and timely reminder of all that it is special about the bilateral relationship. It is not a patronising, paternalistic relationship defined by pity or poverty; it is a dignified two-way friendship underpinned by solidarity and mutual respect, with government, parliament and civil society working together in constructive synergy.

It is right that when Malawi elects a new, inspiring, visionary leader, Scotland stops and listens. Unless we do, it is all too easy for the normal north-south power relations to prevail, with Scotland setting the agenda based on our understanding, our cultural and political context, our zeitgeist.

Malawi stands alone in the list of countries which have strengthened their governance at a time of unprecedented global challenge. It has achieved this through civic activism, the rule of law and a belief in better. With a renewed confidence, Malawi is setting the agenda. We must look to follow Malawi’s lead and step-up to the challenges we have been set.

David Hope-Jones OBE, Chief Executive, Scotland Malawi Partnership