First Maasai conference on culture and development: preliminary report of a conference (twice concelled): Kimo Kouwa Village. Monduli District and Arusha Town, Tanzania 3-6 December 1990 and 5-9 February 1991
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Date
1990
Authors
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Publisher
NORAD
Abstract
The largest cluster of Maa-speaking people, the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania, are today in a great cultural dilemma.Torn between the worlds of modernity and tradition, they have long clung to tradition; fostering cultural pride at the sacrifice of development. Seen from this point of view, the First Maasai Conference on Culture and Development satisfies an important need. It will be the first major attempt to seriously look into the Maa people's cultural dilemma and to provide guidance for the future.
If it had not been for the government twice cancelling this conference, it would have taken place on 3-6 December 1990 or 5-9 February 1991, at the Maasai village of Kimo Kouwa,
Monduli District or at the New Arusha Hotel, Arusha Town, Tanzania respectively (see page 8 - Why the Conference was Cancelled). Before its last cancellation, the conference was attended by 120 representatives of Maasai localities and others, from Europe and America. The participants are listed in Annex I and II.
The conference was funded by the Institute of Development Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland and by the Norwegian Agency for Development (NORAD), Dar-es-Salaam and organized by Snruni Oitesoi ol.e-Ngulay (a freelance Maasai cultural researcher) who also prepared this preliminary report.
At the time of writing the Government of Tanzania has allowed the conference to go ahead if only members from Tanzania participate. This was communicated by the Arusha Regional Commissioner as per his letter Ref No RC/AR/CC6/9/39 of/3 April 1991, signed by the Acting Regional Development Director.
Delegates who gathered at the "Meat Camp" decided to create a committee of 20 to maintain the momentum at the time. This committee met on 6 February 1991 and decided to seek an audience with the RC so as to let it be known the reasons behind the cancellation. The process was therefore set in motion to co-ordinate and support action on FMCCD.
Description
Available in Print form, East Africana Collection, Dr Wilbert Chagula Library, ( EAF FOS F57)
Keywords
District Commissioner, Masai (African people), Congresses, Women's Cultural Exhibition
Citation
Fosbrooke Henry A. (1990) First Maasai conference on culture and development: preliminary report of a conference (twice concelled): Kimo Kouwa Village. Monduli District and Arusha Town, Tanzania 3-6 December 1990 and 5-9 February 1991