How people in Senegal make decisions

With many questions in my luggage, I travelled through Senegal for two months looking for answers. For example, how people in Senegal's communities make decisions. 

"We invented democracy in Africa long before colonisation and before the Europeans arrived," explains Karafa, the guide at the Sangawatt Nature Museum near the village of Diembering in Senegal. "We are very proud of the fact that the practice is still in use today".

The most important place and meeting point in a neighbourhood is the "arbre à palabres", and it is very easy to find wherever there is a long tree stump under a shady tree.

This is where important information is announced. And this is where problems are discussed in community and with the Council of Wise Men until a solution is found that is supported by everyone. Whether about marital problems, politics, health or education, everything is discussed here in the circle. Before a decision is made, those present are obliged under the "arbre à palabres" to consult their flatmates and, above all, their spouses.

The Council of the Wise is also the first instance for resolving conflicts. Each conflicting party addresses the Council individually and explains how they see the situation. After a phase of joint argumentation, the council decides and, depending on the situation, also imposes a punishment. Only if the conflict cannot be resolved satisfactorily do the parties turn to the "gendarmerie", which in turn first obtains an overall picture of the situation from the village chief, a member of the council. This procedure is laid down in the civil code in Senegal.

For me, the "arbre à palabres" symbolises and is at the heart of Senegal's active civil society, where the population recently manifested their political discontent with drum rhythms, dancing and singing until change became apparent. That really impressed me.

What does your "arbre à palabres" look like? How do you make decisions that are supported by the whole team? We look forward to reading about your experiences. Write us at info(at)pasos.ch