Malawi (International Development)
The next item of business is a debate on international development in Malawi.
14:57
I welcome this debate and the opportunity to inform members of the outcomes of my recent visit to Malawi and the progress that is being made on addressing the key priorities of the Scottish Government’s Malawi development programme.
Scotland and Malawi have a long history of collaboration. Scots have worked with the people of Malawi for more than 150 years, particularly in the areas of health and education. Scotland’s relationship with Malawi is about people and communities working together to develop further the strong civic bond that exists between our two countries. We have developed a unique model that demonstrates good practice in international development. Credit must go to other parties in the Parliament and, indeed, to the previous Administration for helping to develop that co-operation agreement.
The Scottish Government’s Malawi development programme builds on the strengths of that unique relationship. It also provides a more focused contribution by addressing the four key priority areas that were identified by the Government of Malawi and which are set out in the co-operation agreement—health, education, sustainable economic development, and civic society development and governance. That work is being taken forward by organisations in Scotland that are working in partnership with colleagues in Malawi to meet the specific needs of the people of Malawi.
I visited a number of projects representing each strand of the co-operation agreement. I was particularly interested in and encouraged by the partnership approach. I was encouraged not only by the work that non-governmental organisations are doing but by the time and effort that communities are investing to ensure that local people are part of the decision-making process and that they can create and shape their own futures. It is essential that vulnerable and disadvantaged groups are given help and support to empower them to make changes to develop longer-term sustainability and provide a lasting legacy.
Nowhere was that more evident than when I launched the capacity building for enterprise project in Blantyre. That project has been taken forward by the Scotland-Malawi business group in partnership with Challenges Worldwide and key businesspeople in Malawi. It is providing much-needed business support and advice to individuals and small businesses, many of which are run by women, to help them with the initial start-up and to help them to become sustainable.
However, it would be naive not to recognise that there are big challenges, some of which are not without controversy. We have seen the accusations in the media regarding the inappropriate use of resources and concerns about human rights in Malawi. Let me set out clearly the Scottish Government’s position and response. On funding, Scottish Government funds are provided to organisations in Scotland that have demonstrated that they have the relevant skills, capacity and expertise to deliver services on the ground directly to the people of Malawi. We do not provide grant funding directly to the Government of Malawi. Our approach remains to support communities and organisations through an open and transparent process. All grants that are awarded have strict conditions, and there are checks to ensure that money is directed to our priority areas and agreed development activities. Our approach includes a commitment to rigorous monitoring and evaluation procedures.
As a minister, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on individual cases that are currently subject to the independent judicial system of Malawi, but during my meetings with the Government of Malawi I relayed concerns that have been expressed in Scotland about the general issue of human rights in relation to gay rights. As part of our international development policy, the Scottish Government will not consider funding projects that discriminate between individuals or groups in that way. The Scottish Government believes that there is no place for prejudice or discrimination, and that everyone deserves to be treated fairly, regardless of their religion, race, sexual orientation, gender, age or disability.
The member makes an important point. That issue is one of the reasons why the Scottish Government has supported Waverley Care, for example, and proposals that it has made in working with people with HIV and AIDS, regardless of their sexual orientation. It is important that we have a respectful discussion with a Government that has a judicial system and experiences that are different from ours. One point that I relayed to the Government of Malawi was that human rights must be respected across the globe. Perhaps because of their culture, people come to the issue at different times and from different perspectives. Iain Smith clearly identified the health agenda. There are many challenges in Malawi—I saw at first hand what they are—and addressing them demands an atmosphere of respect, confidence and trust. I made it clear that that is our view.
I am keen that we work more closely together on civic society development and governance. There is much that we can do to work with the people of Malawi to strengthen the human rights context within civic society and governance systems. I recognise the important contribution that the Scottish Parliament is making towards civic governance in Malawi. I was pleased to host jointly, with Michael Matheson and Karen Gillon, a workshop for members of the National Assembly of Malawi. More than 70 per cent of that Assembly’s members are new since the elections in May 2009. Furthermore, the Government has moved from being a minority Government to being a Government with a significant majority. That in itself brings a further set of challenges for the parliamentary process. The National Assembly of Malawi indicated that it would welcome support from the Scottish Parliament to explore some of the challenges and barriers to strengthening governance. I look forward to hearing more from Michael Matheson and Karen Gillon about their experiences if there is the opportunity to do so, and to hearing about how the Scottish Parliament is looking to take forward its work with that Assembly. I offer the Scottish Government’s co-operation and support for that work.
The core of the Scottish Government’s engagement is, of course, to deliver on priorities that reflect the needs and preferences of the people of Malawi, not something that is imposed by others. Our focus remains firmly centred on people and empowering communities to address specific development outcomes. However, it is essential that the Governments in both countries have a shared vision and direction for the programme, that they continue to monitor progress, and that we encourage the sharing of best practice and learning from each other.
During my visit, I met ministers from the Government of Malawi to reaffirm the Scottish Government’s commitment to deliver on the co-operation agreement. It is important that we continue to achieve outcomes for the people of Malawi that further strengthen our relationship with both the Government of Malawi and our key delivery partners. I met a number of ministers and officials who cover the key areas of Scottish Government-funded activity in Malawi, and was encouraged by the commitment that was expressed and the enthusiasm for working more closely to deepen the relationship between our two countries. I place on record my thanks to the Government of Malawi for its invitation to visit and for the time and commitment of ministers during my visit.
I was briefed on the President’s priorities for the African Union for the next year, now that he has been appointed its chair. Those priorities are food security, infrastructure and energy, all of which are areas in which Scotland has something tangible to offer. I raised the issue of Malawi’s engagement with the European Union and discussed the potential for us to work together to support project sponsors to unlock EU funds. An example of that is the Scottish Government support for the Opportunity International programme, which has been instrumental in releasing additional EU funds. I also met the head of co-operation for the Flemish Government and discussed our respective programmes and areas of mutual interest, including food security and agricultural exchanges.
Our support for the Malawian people through aid continues. Earlier today, I was pleased to announce a funding package for Malawi of more than £7 million over three financial years. We have already committed a minimum of £3 million for the financial year 2009-10. Together with on-going projects, more than £4 million will go directly to Scotland-based organisations to support their work in Malawi in 2010-11. I was pleased to see applications for some of the less-developed areas of the programme, such as agriculture. For example, the application from the Scottish Crop Research Institute will strengthen the development of sustainable potato production in Malawi, which will contribute to food security and improve the livelihoods of workers.
Scotland has a lot more to offer in skills and knowledge. There is a clear and genuine willingness from the people of Scotland not only to be involved, but to ensure that we do it well. Members are all aware of the strong links that exist in our constituencies, ranging from church groups to universities, colleges, schools and wider community groups. I cannot go anywhere in Scotland without finding someone or some community that has a long and deep relationship with Malawi. All that contributes to the on-going work to help Malawians to work themselves out of poverty. However, I recognise that the answer is not always about funding. The Government also has a role in encouraging and facilitating others to make progress with important and innovative ideas. Where we can, we should broker partnerships to ensure that we contribute to the delivery of effective aid and development.
We will continue to consider new approaches and other areas in which the Scottish Government can provide support or assistance. I reaffirm the Scottish Government’s commitment to our work with Malawi and assure members that I will continue to drive forward a programme that is focused and based on the priorities that have been identified and agreed with the Government of Malawi and models of best practice.
Several members have visited Malawi in recent months and years, and I look forward to their speeches. We continue to forge a relationship that has lasted 150 years. The strength and depth of that relationship has been enhanced by the work of the Government, the previous Scottish Executive and the Parliament. It is important that we share that experience. We must also take the temperature of where we are now and reflect on what the direction of travel should be in future.
15:08
In previous speeches on Malawi, I have drawn attention to some of the huge problems that that beautiful country faces. The abiding image of my visit some five years’ ago is of coffins being assembled in street corner joiner shops. I recall telling members on my return that premature death seemed to be the country’s only growth industry. There are still many reasons for being concerned about Malawi but, thankfully, these days there is also much to be grateful for.
I have a far more hopeful image of Malawi for members today. It is of Montfort College in Limbe, which I visited, where blind and visually handicapped children from all over Malawi are taught how to use computers as part of a University of Strathclyde-organised programme. Some 32 schools have been involved in the programme and around 434 visually impaired students are now being prepared for the workplace who previously would likely have been reduced to begging in the streets. That is just one of hundreds of initiatives by Scottish organisations in Malawi that are literally transforming lives.
The Scotland Malawi Partnership is helping Malawi to achieve the so-called millennium development goals through increased collaboration in civic governance and society, sustainable economic development, health and—in particular—education. I will concentrate on education.
I welcome the minister’s announcement of £7 million to improve further the quality of life for ordinary Malawians. The money will help several education projects. As Nelson Mandela said:
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Scotland is helping to change the small piece of the developing world that is Malawi, and it is doing so literally a school at a time. Many Scottish schools have pledged to do all that they can in a whole range of educational projects to help Malawi. At college level, through funding from the Scottish Government, famous institutes of learning such as the University of St Andrews and the University of Stirling in the Mid Scotland and Fife region and Fife-based further education colleges such as Adam Smith College in Kirkcaldy and Elmwood College in Cupar are rolling out educational programmes, all of which are aimed at assisting Malawi.
My local university in St Andrews is twinned with the University of Malawi college of medicine and is helping with curriculum building, information technology capability and continuing professional development of health professionals. The University of Stirling is continuing a Scottish Government programme that provides training on skills that are geared towards entrepreneurship in aquaculture in an attempt to meet the goal of sustainability in locally-produced fish. The University of Stirling is twinned with Bunda college of agriculture. It is helping students to experience the commercial world through networking, support and advice. Of course, Dr Sylvia Jackson, who secured £75,000 of aid for those projects from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, was able to see at first hand the excellent work that the University of Stirling was doing when she visited Mzuzu University in 2006
Kirkcaldy’s Adam Smith College heads up Scotland’s Colleges International, a conglomerate of Scottish colleges working with senior staff and college principals to increase leadership skills in Malawi. I gather that about 30 Malawian students have graduated from the programme. As part of the graduation celebrations, a fundraising event was held at Adam Smith College, which raised £5,500, all of which went towards helping more young Malawians to attend college. I understand that David Astill from Adam Smith College met members of the delegation that went to Malawi in February on a CPA-sponsored trip.
The Scottish Agricultural College in Perth is teaching Malawian students the critical aspects of dairy production, as local dairy knowledge is limited without western help. It is hoped that Perth’s expertise will help Malawian farmers to increase the yield of high-quality milk in the country.
There are too many on-going educational projects to mention. One that is particularly close to my heart—as a former journalist—is the International Network of Street Papers foundation project, which trains people who are homeless to write, edit, print and sell a daily newspaper on the streets of Blantyre, Malawi. That sounds like a significant advance on what seems to be happening in the newspaper industry in this country.
Malawi is the only country with which Scotland has entered into a twinning relationship, so it is appropriate that the major share of our limited international development fund goes to Malawi. I hope that lessons learned and aid projects fulfilled in Malawi will allow us to extend that work into neighbouring sub-Saharan African countries such as Zambia and Mozambique. Of course, education is a two-way street. I am delighted to say that I now have a parliamentary twin in Malawi. He is a member of the ruling party in the Malawian Parliament—an experience about which, I am sure, he has much to teach this member of the Scottish Parliament. His name is Chiku John Hiwa, he is married to Eldys and he has a daughter, Zaithwa Rose Hitha. Twinning of local members will be of considerable mutual benefit. I look forward to meeting Chiku John Hiwa on some future occasion; we are already in touch by e-mail.
As the minister indicated, it is not helpful either to the people of Malawi or to those from the Department for International Development and Scotland who have invested considerable energy, faith and political capital in promoting the cause of Malawi, one of the world’s poorest nations, when one reads that the President has spent some £9 million on a private aircraft. However, that and the human rights issues that the minister addressed and to which Iain Smith referred should not be allowed to undermine or belittle the overall good that has come to Malawi through the co-operation agreement. The model that Scotland has pursued of funding deserving schemes and projects and, in particular, of educating Malawians to help themselves is the right one.
15:23
I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which lists my involvement in charitable foundations and other interests in Malawi recently and currently.
Shortly before I visited Bottom maternity hospital in Lilongwe in May 2005, it had been described as the worst maternity hospital on earth. Scottish midwives who volunteered there persuaded me to visit and see for myself what was a hell on earth, but nothing could have prepared me for that visit. There were women lying on the concrete floors giving birth; young girls in labour lying next to dead and dying babies and mothers; and flies and garbage coming in through broken windows. More than 12,000 births a year took place in that hospital, but it had no medicines and no fridge in which to keep medicines, even if they were available.
The Scots who had come to help had never seen a maternal death in many years of experience, but they saw several there in a short time. They were so horrified by the state of the hospital that they spent their first few days there just scrubbing the floors and beds.
The Malawian women were humiliated and abused by their circumstances. They were without rights or dignity at what should have been a special time in their lives. Those who needed emergency surgery regularly died on the hazardous journey up the road to the main hospital, which was a mile away.
The few staff—who included the inspirational Tarek and the scary Grace—explained that everyone who came by promised to do something but rarely returned with help. Tarek spoke passionately about the human rights of the women of Malawi and about how they were abused in childbirth, when they were most vulnerable. I and the people who were with me tried not to raise expectations, but I left determined to take action and I was certainly unable ever to forget.
By good fortune, STV was with me; its reporter Stephen Jardine has never forgotten the experience, either. Together with Sir Tom Hunter, Linda McDonald and others, we launched a Christmas appeal for funds, and Scotland responded with its traditional generosity.
Last week, I visited the new hospital. An emergency maternity wing has been built in the main central hospital grounds. The Rose Project and other organisations have funded a whole new district maternity hospital for all the other births, of which approximately 13,000 are expected this year. With tears in my eyes, I saw single delivery rooms—private delivery rooms—posters encouraging fathers to support their partners in childbirth, and a huge antenatal service with private interview rooms in which women can be asked about disease and infection without the humiliation of others sitting and listening. The transformation from bare concrete floors to a welcoming and relatively modern maternity unit is amazing.
Throughout Malawi, 807 women in every 100,000 still die in childbirth, compared with 11 in every 100,000 in the United Kingdom. However, the numbers are coming down and doing so faster than elsewhere. Throughout Malawi, more than one child in every 10 still dies before the age of five, but those numbers are coming down too.
The Malawian Government has some of the most innovative and successful food production and health programmes in Africa, but there is so much to do that the work of Scottish medics, Scottish midwives and generous ordinary Scots matters there. We should all be very proud that we did not just walk on and leave those mums from Malawi behind, because they deserve dignity and safe health care just as much as anyone else anywhere else in the world.
That is just one project, but it is perhaps the most potent example of the great partnership that exists between Scotland and Malawi. Over the past two years, I have seen great examples of progress and the mutual respect and support that exists between our peoples, such as the work of Scottish colleges, universities and schools that Mike Pringle, Ted Brocklebank and others have described. The fantastic work that Mary’s Meals does is now being adopted by the Government of Malawi as an official programme across all the country’s schools. People who support training in areas such as midwifery, anaesthetics and psychiatry are leaving behind skills that we have taken for granted in Scotland for centuries but are relatively new in Malawi. I have also had the pleasure to be involved with new organisations such as Pump Aid, which provides accessible, small-scale but highly successful water pumps and toilets for rural villages. It is indeed a unique partnership and I hope that, in this its fifth year, we can find a way of celebrating that fact and promoting that style of partnership to other small nations.
I thank the minister for her visits in February and thank the MSPs who visited too. I again thank the Scotland Malawi Partnership for its hard work and urge the minister to give it every support, particularly in capacity building for co-ordination of the partnership in Malawi itself. I thank Dr Francis Moto, who has just announced that he will be moving on from his position as Malawian high commissioner to London. He has been a great supporter of the partnership over the past few years and will be sadly missed, but I am sure that he will be replaced by someone who is equally committed.
I congratulate President Bingu wa Mutharika on his election as chairperson of the African Union for this year. It is an important year because the United Nations will review the millennium development goals in September. Malawi has made better progress than most towards the MDGs, particularly those on maternal health; tackling extreme poverty and famine; and tackling HIV and AIDS. The president can bring that experience to his position in the AU.
When he was elected as chair of the AU last month, the president said that, within five years, no child born in Africa should die of famine. He believes that that is an entirely achievable goal. It has worked in Malawi in the past five years, with food security for almost everyone now, and it can work throughout Africa too. He also made an important point when he said that Africa is not a poor continent but a continent of poor people. The challenge for us is to ensure that, by the end of the 21st century, Africa is able to take its place at the same table as everyone else in the world.
15:43
It is interesting to hear how the situation in Malawi affects so many people, especially those who have visited. We have heard quite a lot about the human indignity that poverty and disadvantage impose. That is why I am pleased that the committed funding that the Scottish Government provides to Malawi is in addition to Scotland’s contribution to the DFID funding from the UK Government. It is targeted at issues such as maternal health—we have heard about the situation in the maternity hospital—education, which underpins everything, and economic development, which is about getting a country back on its feet and enabling it to deal fairly with its own people.
Another important strand is civic governance, both for the Scottish Government, considering its funding for that, and for the Parliament. The interaction between our parliamentarians and parliamentarians in Malawi is hugely important, as is the impact that it has on civic society in Malawi and the ability for people to be heard, to be listened to and to have their say in government. We talk about that a lot for our own Parliament and country, and it is equally important in Malawi.
In any successful civic society, not only is there access to those with power and true participation—rather than what is often just termed participation—for people who are directly affected by the decisions that those in power take, but there are political parties. Any healthy society has political parties and other groups that people can be open with and part of. They help people to feel that they have a rightful place in that democracy.
One issue in Malawi—indeed, in much of the African continent—is that, as it is a country that is fairly newly independent and looking after its own affairs, it is often difficult for true community politics to be established there. I feel strongly that, until we truly recognise the issues, it will be difficult to move forward. I commend the work of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which does a lot of good work in that area. I was out in Malawi a few times with the foundation, before I went out courtesy of the Scottish Government a couple of years ago, and a lot of good work is happening in communities there.
Scotland and Malawi are very good friends. We talk a lot about that special relationship and the fact that we have a true partnership. I think that Pauline McNeill alluded to this point earlier: if we truly are friends and have a special relationship, that relationship will maintain through conversation that involves criticism of one by the other. Friends have the ability to disagree and be open about disagreement but still to be in it for the long haul and to remain friends.
There are some issues in Malawi just now. I have not been there for a while and, as Michael Matheson implied, we cannot always believe everything that we read. However, there are issues and there is a responsibility on Scotland to talk about them with our friends in Malawi.
Joe FitzPatrick will no doubt later speak about the motion that he has lodged about the fact that homosexuals are being persecuted in Malawi. That is against the constitution—article 20, I understand—and against the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. I am glad that the minister raised that matter when she was there, and it is something that members of the Parliament should not shirk from raising with our counterparts in Malawi.
There is also an issue with the quota system for tertiary and higher education. There is a view that the northerners in the country are being discriminated against. As an African country that has not suffered in the same way as others have over the years from the conflicts that come from different perceived ethnic identities within the false boundaries that were set all those years ago, Malawi has been a bit of a shining light, and I would hate to think that anything was happening that could spoil that.
I understand that the Malawian Government sent armed police against a peaceful protest by the Livingstonia synod against the quota system in education—a decision by the Government that has since been overruled by the courts, which were then ignored. I am sure that there is another side to the story but, in the true partnership that we have, we have a responsibility to raise such issues and talk them through without being scared of falling out or damaging any particular relationship.
There are human rights issues in Malawi, but there are human rights issues in every country in the world. No one is perfect, and it is far too easy to spout about human rights and to push forward the individual human rights issue as opposed to the collective human rights issue. It is a difficult balance to strike but, when things are clearly discriminatory and in breach of the international obligations set out by the world, we have to talk about them.
I close by saying that anyone in the Parliament who has dealings with Malawi should raise those issues. The Government should raise them further in its dealings, and I hope that Jack McConnell will do so, too, as part of the special relationship that he has with Malawi.
15:50
Pauline McNeill has not.
Give it to him.
The more significant point that we made in the case of Precious Mhango was about education. The campaign highlighted the fact that, in many areas of Malawi, women’s and girls’ rights and educational attainment rank far below those of men and boys. For example, in the northern Karonga region of Malawi, where the Mhango family come from, less than half the girls attend school and only 8 per cent of children who attend primary school go on to secondary school. Males have twice the level of university attendance as females. On the one hand, Precious Mhango’s supporters have argued that she should stay in Scotland to complete her education; on the other hand, ordinary people in Scotland have worked hard to increase educational attainment in Malawi.
I will skim through the rest of my speech, as I am running short of time.
The people of Scotland are fully behind our desire to fulfil our responsibilities as global citizens. After all, within two weeks of the recent disaster in Haiti, more than 50 per cent of Scots had donated to the appeal. When that happens during a recession, we know that we are moving in the right direction.
16:10
This has been quite a day for international development. As well as this debate on Malawi, at lunch time Jack McConnell had a meeting about Pump Aid, as he said. There has also been a meeting of the international development cross-party group, at which Father Pete Henriot, who has worked in Zambia for the past 22 years, gave a talk on the right to food. Basically, he said that the right to food is a basic human right. We do not live in a country in which people go hungry, but in many parts of Africa, particularly Zambia, many people do not eat in a day or eat only once a day. That is an assault on human dignity. The rights to subsistence and to health through nutrition are basic human rights, and those rights are not being properly respected in many parts of Africa—certainly not in Zambia and, arguably, not in Malawi.
Historically, Malawi was part of a three-nation combination, as I am sure Mike Pringle recalls. Zambia was intended to provide copper, Zimbabwe was dedicated to the production of food, and Malawi, which was Nyasaland at the time, was where the people were to come from to serve the other two partners in Rhodesia, as it was at the time. Each of those three countries has had a chequered history, but they are united by a joint history of Scottish involvement through David Livingstone and others.
When the opportunity came to do something in Africa, it was right that we entered into a partnership relationship with Malawi. I slightly disagreed with Mike Pringle’s comment that there was lots of resistance in DFID and Westminster to our entering into a partnership with Malawi. I remember that the trigger in the process was Hilary Benn coming to the Parliament in 2004, when he was the first external minister to give a talk in the Parliament. His essential point was that the task was so big that everyone could play their part in taking on the aid burden. In that context, it is as well to remind ourselves that although the £3 million that the Scottish Government contributes is welcome, the UK Government contributes £70 million every year to Malawi. We must take both those contributions into account, as they are both important.
Does the member agree that a percentage of the £70 million that the UK Government contributes comes from Scottish taxpayers?
I thank the minister for those remarks, which will be welcomed throughout the chamber. Does she recognise that the attitude of the Government of Malawi and actions that are taking place in Malawi in relation to the rights of gay people impact on the work to combat HIV and AIDS, as they make it more difficult to identify people who may need support and to present appropriate material that advises them of behaviours that should reduce the risk of AIDS?
The tourist board of Malawi states:
“The Warm Heart of Africa is beating faster now and the legendary welcome is there for all who wish to experience the unrivalled combination of Lake, Landscape and Wildlife in one of Africa’s most beautiful countries. Malawi is like none other in Africa: small, yet with an immense diversity of scenery and a vast inland sea.”
Members who have had the opportunity to see the country for themselves can testify to the truth of that statement. I have not had the pleasure of visiting the small but renowned African country, but it is well known to me. I know about the affinity that my colleagues Karen Gillon, Patricia Ferguson and Jack McConnell feel for Malawi. The minister seems to have that same affinity as a result of her experience.
I understand Malawi’s significance to Scotland and, crucially, the significance of the Scotland Malawi Partnership as a model of good practice in international development. I know that behind the beauty of Malawi is the challenge for the Malawi Government, which governs over one of the poorest countries in Africa. That young democracy, in which 43 per cent of members of Parliament are women, is charged with improving average life expectancy, which is currently 47; preventing avoidable deaths; improving the infant mortality rate of 86 out of 1,000 babies; and giving every child a decent education. The issue of reducing class sizes in Malawi is on a different scale from the issue here. Even the Scottish National Party Government could not fail to reduce class sizes from 100. No child can possibly get the attention that they need to learn in such circumstances. The role that we should play—and which we clearly are playing—is to build Malawi’s capacity to deal with its own problems.
As the minister said, Scotland’s connection with Malawi dates back to the 19th century. Jack McConnell’s Administration built on that connection, which is unique and critical for both countries. To its credit, the Scottish Government has continued the previous Administration’s commitment and has maintained a strong partnership. There is also a financial commitment—I welcome Fiona Hyslop’s announcement of further money for Malawi. Our partnership complements the United Kingdom’s international development strategy and its Malawi country assistance plan, which amounts to £70 million a year for four years—a significant amount for health and education.
It is important to note that the agreement with Malawi is reciprocal, which means that Scotland benefits from our partnership, too. We can share the experience of Malawi’s long-established ombudsmen and our nurses and doctors can experience for themselves acute health problems in Malawi in a way that they could never do here. This afternoon, I learned from Karen Gillon that two schools in my constituency—Anderston primary school and Hillhead primary school—have been participating in some of the Scotland Malawi Partnership work.
We know that Scotland can make a huge difference in helping Malawi to tackle its low life expectancy and Malawi can give us experiences in return. The prevalence of HIV contributes to Malawi’s low life expectancy; it deprives the country of its professionals, children and primary carers. Many people recognise that Malawi has made significant progress in tackling the incidence of HIV, which is beginning to reduce. However, the bill that is due to go before the Parliament in Malawi in June has its critics, because compulsory testing and prescribing criminal punishments for the transmission of HIV are controversial. It is important to recognise that a balance has to be struck when we create legislation. Christian Aid, supported by other agencies, has called on the Scottish Government to raise the issue of HIV with the Malawi Government. I agree that that should be done, if it is done sensitively, with a recognition of the good work that the Malawi Government has done. I note the answers that the minister gave to Patricia Ferguson’s questions on that subject.
We should not jeopardise the benefits of our partnership, but as a responsible partner it would be remiss of us not to comment on certain issues, because that would undermine our commitment to human rights. We argue for human rights anywhere in the world where they are undermined. Article 20 of Malawi’s constitution prohibits discrimination on any ground. We hope that, in time, that is acted on. We must ask the Malawi Government to address the case of the two men who were arrested and imprisoned for homosexuality—we hope that it will. We must condemn the treatment of those individuals, as many civic society organisations in Malawi itself have done. I believe that a sign of a mature friendship is being able to talk about differences without fundamentally damaging the relationship. Malawi is a developing country with its own culture and history and it needs time to change and adjust. We must play our part in ensuring that, as it develops, it fully encompasses basic human rights and freedoms.
When Iain Smith raised that issue with the minister, it struck me that we are still campaigning vigorously in this country for lesbian and gay rights, which are not quite as they should be. It was not so long ago that a minister in this Parliament was vilified for leading the campaign to revoke section 28, so we need to see things in context.
Poorer countries have a lot to offer Scotland. They are a critical reminder for those of us who want to pursue a progressive international policy that we have a responsibility to the developing world. As we use up the world’s valuable resources, we have a duty to developing countries. Policies that promote fair trade are vital for poorer countries to develop their products and markets. As an internationalist, I believe that the eradication of poverty goes much wider than eradicating it at home—it has to be a global strategy. I am proud of Labour’s record in international development and its aims to eradicate child poverty across Africa with full debt cancellation for the 18 poorest countries. Our responsibilities to developing countries must be part of our response to the global financial crisis.
As we have discussed previously, the model of co-operation is a progressive one. Indeed, the model is used by colleagues in the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly. There is also a desire in the Commonwealth for similar partnerships to be established with Swaziland. Our strategy is not simply about aid but about helping Malawi to stand on its own two feet. Our overall aim is for our mutual friendship to remain but for Malawi not to need our assistance.
The critical point in that regard is that we should use the skills that we have in Scotland that best suit Malawi’s needs. My limited experience of helping countries in either a conflict or development situation tells me that we often get that wrong. From my work to help Palestinians to get medical aid, I know that countries around the world often donate the drugs that suit them in giving assistance. The donation can be more political than practical. Our civic governance and maternal health exchange programmes, which enable Malawians to see what we do in Scotland, are a sound basis for starting to build capacity. I hope that other countries will use that as a model.
I welcome the debate on a topic that is part of the Government international development strategy. I hope that the Parliament will be given the opportunity at a later date to debate in more detail the rest of the international strategy. I would like to know a bit more about the Government work in sub-Saharan Africa and south-east Asia. I have been involved in international development for most of my adult life. I am genuinely proud of what the Scottish Parliament is doing in that regard. Successive Governments of all political colours should be in this for the long haul. That is what matters. That is how we will truly develop our countries to our mutual benefit.
Zikomo. I believe that that means thank you.
15:16
I feel like a bit of a fraud, because, if I remember rightly, every member who has spoken so far has actually been to Malawi.
This has been an extremely informative debate. There were particularly informative speeches from those who have had the privilege of visiting Malawi and useful contributions from those of us who have not had that privilege. I have not been to Malawi, but I have had the honour of going to Sierra Leone on a couple of occasions to assist with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy training of that country’s parliamentarians. Some of the lessons that I learned there were echoed in the comments made in this debate. I will return to that later.
We must bear in mind the fact that Scotland’s contribution to Malawi will always be a limited one, as we are a relatively small country. Countries such as China are contributing significantly larger sums than we are and of course the United Kingdom’s financial contribution to Malawi is significantly greater than the contribution that we will make. We are looking to give international aid in a different way from the traditional one. One of the major problems of international aid is that organisations spend so much money on their own infrastructure within the country that money perhaps does not get down to the grass roots. Organisations bring in the transport that they require and they have their own housing and food, which is often imported, too. That does not do much to assist the local economy, and much of the aid does not make its way into the local economy. The Scottish approach tries to ensure that we spread the benefit throughout the local economy, which is the right approach.
An issue that has not been mentioned as much as I thought it might be is trade. Fair trade is important and Malawi has good Fairtrade products, particularly peanuts and sugar, that sell in Scotland. Perhaps we could do more as a country to encourage more fair trade opportunities for businesses in Malawi.
Irene Oldfather, who has just come back into the chamber, mentioned the Honorary Consul for Malawi in Scotland, who was keen to develop a trade office in Edinburgh to help to develop trade with Malawi. Perhaps the Government will consider that further, because it is important to build the economy in the long term and assist trade.
I am slightly concerned that tobacco’s percentage share of export revenue in Malawi has increased from 53 to 70 per cent in recent years, because tobacco is not necessarily the best product for the long-term development of the country. I am not sure whether there is any Fairtrade tobacco—those who smoke might be able to tell me.
Civic governance is important and I am glad that we have a partnership on that. I said earlier that I worked with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy on training parliamentarians in Sierra Leone. About 70 per cent of them were new members, like the new parliamentarians in Malawi. It is valuable for us to give them such assistance. However, we must bear in mind the fact that our experience is very different from the experience of politicians in Africa. I do not have people coming to my surgery asking me to assist with burial costs, hospital costs or education fees—it would be inappropriate for us to consider providing such assistance—but that happens to politicians in Parliaments in Africa all the time. For many of them, most of their salary goes to providing direct support to their constituents, which cannot be good for them or democracy, as it leaves them in a difficult position. We need to consider how we can ensure that parliamentarians are properly supported in a way that is appropriate for them, rather than a way that is appropriate to our democracies.
I want to touch on human rights, which a number of members have mentioned. I am pleased that Fiona Hyslop raised the issue—and the rights of gay people in particular—when she was in Malawi. That is an issue of concern—it is a health issue as well as a human rights issue. A group of Malawian human rights activists recently formed the Centre for the Development of People to fight for the rights of homosexuals and other minorities. That group now says that studies show that because of homophobic legislation, gays and lesbians are being driven underground, which makes it harder to give them information that could protect them from AIDS.
Indeed, on 4 January, Malawian police arrested Bunker Kamba, an HIV/AIDS activist from the Centre for the Development of People, for possessing what police alleged to be pornographic material. He was arrested after police seized the material that the organisation uses to educate men who have sex with men on HIV/AIDS. To be fair to the Government in Malawi, it has consulted widely on its HIV/AIDS strategy, including with men who have sex with men, on ways of combating the spread of HIV in the country. It has publicly acknowledged the need to include men who have sex with men in its HIV/AIDS strategy. However, the draft legislation on HIV/AIDS suggests compulsory testing for certain groups. Gay people will not be encouraged to come forward in a society where they are under threat. I endorse the comments of many members, Joe FitzPatrick in particular, in relation to the Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga case.
I close by quoting an article in The Washington Post of 12 March by Desmond Tutu, who said:
“Hate has no place in the house of God. No one should be excluded from our love, our compassion or our concern because of race or gender, faith or ethnicity - or because of their sexual orientation ... But a wave of hate is spreading across my beloved continent. People are again being denied their fundamental rights and freedoms ... Our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters across Africa are living in fear ... this pandering to intolerance is being done by politicians looking for scapegoats ... An even larger offense is that it is being done in the name of God.”
I am not a religious person, but Desmond Tutu said:
“Gay people, too, are made in my God’s image. I would never worship a homophobic God.”
I hope that people in the rest of Africa listen to the words of Desmond Tutu on this important issue.
16:36
Like many members who have contributed to the debate, I do so having had the opportunity of visiting Malawi, which I did some four years ago as part of a cross-party delegation from the Scottish Parliament. Anyone who has visited that beautiful country cannot do other than come home with wonderful memories of the people they met; people who, in the face of some horrendous problems of poverty and ill health, maintain a level of happiness and contentment that we, with our supposedly more affluent lifestyles, can only be envious of.
Malawi is a country with great opportunity. However, for the foreseeable future, it will require a great deal of international assistance if we are to see an acceptable standard of living for its people. In the past, I and my party have welcomed the contribution that the current Scottish Government and the previous Scottish Executive have made in developing a programme of assistance for Malawi. The programme was formalised in the co-operation agreement that the former First Minister, Jack McConnell, and the then Malawian President signed in November 2005. Indeed, it is only right to pay tribute, as other members have done, to the personal interest that Jack McConnell takes in Malawi and to his leadership in developing links between our countries.
Of course, in terms of our constitutional settlement, international development is reserved to the UK at Westminster. Considerable assistance is given in aid through DFID. As Des McNulty reminded the chamber, the total aid that DFID is providing to Malawi in the current financial year is £75 million. Anyone who has visited Malawi will know the vital importance of that foreign aid and the real difference that it makes to the prosperity of the country and the health and education of the people. As a party, the Conservatives are fully committed to international development. That is why spending on international development is one of only two budget areas—spending on health is the other—that we would ring fence and protect from any of the cuts across the public sector that are inevitable whatever the outcome of the coming general election.
The purpose of the engagement between Scotland and Malawi should not be to replace the aid that the UK Government provides or to rival it. Such an approach would simply be likely to cause confusion and conflict with the work that DFID is undertaking. However, we can work in parallel with DFID assistance, targeting specific areas such as health, education, sustainable economic development and civil governance and society.
As we have heard during the debate, a great deal of good work is going on. In his speech, Ted Brocklebank reminded us of the partnerships that are being developed between colleges in Scotland and in Malawi, including the successful series of training seminars that staff from Scottish colleges are providing. That is exactly the sort of good work that we should be promoting, sharing good practice with our colleagues in Malawi.
That is not to say that we should not recognise that there are issues in Malawi with which we should be trying to assist. Aid to Malawi from the UK Government has been cut this year because of concerns about the purchase by the Malawi Government of a new presidential jet, at a cost of more than $13 million. If we give aid to another country, it is only right that we should expect that aid to be properly spent and accounted for. Given the poverty that exists in Malawi, it is impossible to see how the Government there can justify the purchase of a presidential jet when there are so many other priorities.
As the minister acknowledged at the start of the debate—and as many members have indicated—there remain concerns about civil liberties in Malawi. Joe FitzPatrick and Iain Smith were right to refer to the problems that the gay community in that country faces. However, concerns about civil liberties go beyond those issues. I am grateful to Friends of the Earth Scotland for drawing our attention to a number of other matters. A new police bill that allows police to search without a court warrant appears to be targeted at members of Opposition parties. It mirrors similar legislation that was introduced by Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe and may be indicative of a worrying trend towards authoritarian government. The President has taken new powers to decide the timing of local government elections, and there is evidence of harassment of NGO leaders who are outspoken against Government policy. None of those developments should be tolerated in a liberal democracy. If we give aid to Malawi, we have a right to expect that our views on civil liberties will be respected in return.
Currently, Malawi holds the position of chair of the African Union, which puts it in a position of great influence on the continent. That puts Scotland in a strong position to influence the African agenda; in particular, it gives us the opportunity to highlight our concerns about human rights abuses across the continent and on-going conflicts in countries such as the Sudan and the Congo. I hope that Malawi will provide leadership for the continent and that the Scottish Government will use its position of influence to ensure that there is progress on those issues. I welcome the minister’s comments on that point at the start of the debate. Of course we should recognise that when dealing with Malawi, we are dealing with a distinct and different culture. When raising our concerns, we need to be conscious of those cultural differences, but that should not prevent us from taking a stand.
I am sure that even those members who have not had the opportunity to visit Malawi agree that our on-going programme of engagement as a country and as a Parliament is of great value. I know from first-hand experience that it makes a real difference to the lives of people in Malawi, but I hope that we can use our influences with the Malawian Government to ensure good governance and the protection of civil liberties in Malawi, so that the people of that country can continue to see real benefits from our engagement.
16:42
The partnership approach can address the challenges of HIV and AIDS.
We want to support existing links, to galvanise Scottish society and to reflect good practice. Our funding and approaches must have openness, transparency and accountability. Joe FitzPatrick addressed those points. Our work with the Network of International Development Organisations in Scotland and the Scotland Malawi Partnership to develop networking and information exchanges is vital. I acknowledge that members have welcomed the £7 million of funding for Malawian projects that we have announced today.
Our relationship with Malawi is not just historical; it is a modern and unique process that will evolve and adapt to meet new and emerging priorities. That is why I had a conversation with Malawi’s chief secretary about justice issues, on which Malawi is trying to make progress. We also addressed concerns about projects, particularly in relation to prisons; Michael Matheson raised the SPS issue.
The co-operation agreement forms the basis of our engagement, which must involve partnership. Des McNulty was right to remind us of the mutual respect in that partnership.
We have achieved much since the early engagement with Malawi. The Scottish Government remains committed to developing that special relationship. We honour the co-operation agreement between our two countries and we honour those who helped to forge that relationship. I, too, record my recognition of Colin Cameron, whom Irene Oldfather mentioned and whose passion has been important in taking forward Malawi’s case.
In the partnership, we will share ideas and discuss priorities. The relationship is one in which we will not take decisions or action without consultation and discussion. That is the type of development process that we will undertake.
An important point is that Scotland’s reach, influence, trust and affection will not necessarily be measured by the amount of money and investment, because they go well beyond that. Points have been made about the influence of Malawi’s president as the chair of the African Union—I have raised that with the UK Government in the past few days. We must engage positively and constructively on that and on some of the infrastructure and development issues to which Robin Harper referred.
We are at an exciting and pivotal stage and we have many new ideas and concepts to take forward. We want to make progress in the relationship, on which we have had time to reflect. We have a country-to-country relationship with Malawi, but its strength is that it is also a people-to-people relationship. The passion, commitment and determination to forge and develop that relationship have been reflected in today’s excellent debate.
This is a debate in which to enjoy and celebrate success. I was born in Africa—in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia—so Africa is in my blood. I was delighted to go twice to Malawi from the Scottish Parliament. I told the first of those delegations, “Once you go, you will just have to go back.” I am sure that Karen Gillon and Michael Matheson would agree, as they have been back several times. Africa is a poor place in so many ways, but what it has in abundance is joy. Whoever and wherever they are, and whatever their circumstances, Africans always seem to be happy—always smiling and glad to see you, to meet you and to get to know you.
We have Jack McConnell to thank for what has been achieved, because it was he who decided to re-establish and improve the relationship between Scotland and Malawi by starting a fund to help in Africa, mainly in Malawi. The aim of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Scotland’s visit was to establish links, to look at projects and to see how we could help. I am sure that members of that first delegation had no idea what they would encounter. It was all too depressing, and all of us saw the mammoth task that Malawi faced.
Two constituents, Anne Findlay and Graeme Walker, asked me to visit a maternity hospital called Bottom. At the time, it was probably the most depressing place that I had ever been in. It was run by Dr Tarek Meguid, an Egyptian, who had a vision of building a new hospital. That is about to happen. While I was in Malawi, a civil servant said to me, “Where should I go?” I replied, “You will have an eye-opening experience if you go to Bottom hospital.” That night, she said, “That was the worst experience of my life.” I said, “Yes, but it was certainly eye-opening, wasn’t it?” As a result, Jack McConnell and his wife went to visit the hospital. Maybe Jack will confirm this, but I heard that, as they left, his wife turned to him and said, “God help you, Jack, you’ve got to do something about this place.”
After that visit, Graeme Walker and midwives got funding from the Scottish Parliament for the advanced life support in obstetrics—ALSO—programme. At the time, the infant mortality rate was 103.32 deaths per 1,000 births. Given the population and birth rate, that meant that 5,172 babies died at birth.
Jack McConnell was much criticised for his involvement. He was told, “The issue is not devolved; it is Westminster and DFID’s problem.” We are all glad that he ignored those comments. The result is that many projects have started in Malawi. Ted Brocklebank talked about many projects and I am sure that other members will talk about, for example, projects that help AIDS victims, projects in orphanages such as the Open Arms orphanage in Blantyre, and Mary’s Meals, which is funded by Tom Farmer and others. There are too many projects to list—indeed, a search on Google for Scottish projects in Malawi recorded 30,800 hits.
When I returned from Malawi, I thought that I must get involved and help. I kept in touch with Anne Findlay and Graeme Walker and other people. Then I met Linda McDonald and her husband, Iain. Linda was raising money to try to improve Bottom hospital and, in 2006, she asked me to join the Linda McDonald Charitable Trust—it now has MUMs at the end of its name, which stands for Malawi underprivileged mothers. I readily agreed to help. The focus of the trust is to help mothers and babies. The first MUMs recipe book raised well over £100,000—copies are now rare objects, but I have a few left if any member wants one, or one of the other two recipe books that have been produced. I will be more than happy to take members’ money. There are five trustees: Linda, Iain, Anne, Barbara Watt and me. The trust is small and has few people, but a lot can be achieved. Linda went on to produce more recipe books and calendars, and we have all been involved in other fundraising. Linda persuaded STV to have its 2006 Christmas appeal for Bottom hospital and, after Tom Hunter agreed to match what was raised pound for pound, well over £800,000 was raised.
Much happened after that, but the aim was to get rid of Bottom hospital and replace it with a new maternity hospital. A site was found at Kamuzu central hospital, and the Bwaila maternity hospital was started with the money, with the rest of the millions supplied by the Clinton Hunter development initiative. When my wife and I were on holiday last October, we visited the hospital and were delighted to see that the building was up and almost running. It has the blessing of the president and will be called the Ethel Mutharika maternity hospital, after the president’s wife. The initiative will at last bring maternity care in Lilongwe into the modern age.
The focus of all those efforts was to help mothers and babies. The most recent infant mortality statistics show a fall from 103.32 deaths per 1,000 births in 2004-05 to 89.05 deaths per 1,000 births in 2009. That is a reduction of 14.27 deaths per 1,000, or almost 3 per cent per annum. I am sure that that trend will continue when the new hospital is up and running. The initiative must be a success.
MUMs is also involved in five feeding stations, where 500 children are fed three times a week to improve their health, and in other projects, which are continuing to receive support.
Much is being done by many people to help the people of Malawi. The projects are positive and are making a big difference. The warm-hearted people of Malawi deserve all that help and all our support.
15:29
I am sorry, Presiding Officer. On that note, I will sit down.
16:16
In February, I had the pleasure of being part of a CPA Scotland branch delegation to Malawi, led by Karen Gillon. It had been five years since I was last in Malawi, and a number of things had significantly changed. However, as members have said, the warm heart of Africa continues to extend a warm welcome—that has not changed in any way. Although the main purpose of our visit was to establish the pilot twinning programme between MSPs and Malawian MPs, I will touch on a couple of highlights of the visit for me.
I was aware that the Scottish Prison Service had initiated contact a number of years ago with the Malawi Prison Service and was keen to look at how they could share experience and work together on projects. I visited one of the prisons that the SPS has had some involvement with. Father Brian Gowans, a prison chaplain with the SPS, arranged through his contacts in Malawi for our delegation to visit Zomba central prison, Malawi’s maximum security prison. On the Malawian side, our visit to the prison was organised by Sister Anna Tomassi, a missionary who has been working in Malawi for a number of years now.
I am sure that members will appreciate that conditions in Malawian prisons are extremely difficult. One report that I read before visiting the prison described it as “hell on earth”. Most prisoners spend five years or more there, and it has a wing of condemned prisoners. The prison was built in 1935 and its conditions have largely not changed since then. Sadly, HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis and other conditions prove to be a major problem in the prison, which has limited health care facilities. It could be said that the prison is a little overcrowded. It was built for a capacity of 756 prisoners but at present has 2,134 prisoners. The average prison cell was designed for 15 prisoners but now contains 35 prisoners. It would be fair to say that the conditions and the health challenges that prisoners face place a big burden on the prison staff. On average, one in 20 prisoners a year will die, possibly from conditions that they may catch in prison.
I can recall feeling during the visit that the prison was a rather hopeless place. However, as I went round the prison, it was evident that one person brought a considerable level of hope to the place: Sister Anna. Her role largely consists of going in to feed prisoners, who often suffer from HIV, AIDS or other conditions and who often do not get access to prison food. The intention is that prisoners should have a meal once a day, but that does not always happen if the firewood does not turn up for the kitchen to provide the meal. Sister Anna has successfully set up a rehabilitation centre for prisoners in Blantyre. Her dedication to working with a group who are often so marginalised in society is to be commended—I found it an inspiration. She pointed out that seeking funding for that type of work is often difficult because it is not regarded as a priority.
It struck me during the course of our visit that, unfortunately, the engagement with the SPS appears to have stalled to some degree. I think that benefit could be gained from re-establishing that contact and that work. I hope that the minister will be able to take that point forward from the debate.
Just across the road from Zomba central prison is Zomba mental hospital, where a first-class project is run by the Scotland Malawi mental health education project to drive up the quality of care for mental health patients and to increase capacity in the provision of mental health services. Malawi is currently served by one psychiatrist, but the programme is at the stage at which it is hoped to increase that to three psychiatrists. Further, because of the funding that was announced today, it looks as though Malawi will actually have five psychiatrists—that will be a direct result of the programme and the funding that the Scottish Government has put in place and is to be welcomed. I was very impressed by the quality of the project and its work.
I also had the pleasure of visiting Domasi and Limbe secondary schools, which are run by the Blantyre synod and which have benefited from support from Falkirk schools through Falkirk churches together. Falkirk high school and Graeme high have sent much of their old equipment from previous school buildings to be used in school facilities in Malawi, which has proved to be of benefit. I had the pleasure of watching a basketball match in Malawi at which children wore Falkirk Mod T-shirts, which Falkirk Council sent for their benefit.
The main part of our programme concerned the workshops that we established for the twinning programme. In the course of the four workshops—three were on media training and the other was on the role of parliamentary committees—85 members of the National Assembly of Malawi participated. I was interested to find during the media workshops that all the problems that politicians in Malawi have with the media are exactly the same as the problems that politicians in Scotland experience. Sadly, even with our best efforts, Karen Gillon and I could not give answers on how to improve the situation.
The new twinning programme that the Parliament has established can provide benefits and I am keen to see how it will progress in the coming year. Through the continued engagement of the Scottish Government and Parliament, we can continue to do a lot of work with our friends in Malawi to help to improve situations where we can.
15:36
I apologise to Ms McNeill—that makes two of us.
It is difficult for me to cite examples, as members who have been to Malawi have done today—I refer in particular to the eloquent information that we heard from Jack McConnell. However, a couple of things have struck me. Although I had not been elected to Parliament when the initiative began, I have watched its progress. Scotland and the UK have had a long and not always glorious relationship with Africa, from Mungo Park to modern times. All too often, we have taken from the continent, and many of the problems that it faces result from that.
It is therefore only right that the partnership begins—as it has begun, in a substantial way—to address some of those issues by putting something back in to the country. It strikes me that there are two ways in which we can do that: the Scotland Malawi Partnership, which works by building capacity in civic government, is the way forward with regard to educating people about the opportunities—I have seen similar work in places in eastern Europe; and organisations such as the CPA and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which Linda Fabiani mentioned, have a role alongside the partnership. In many instances—again, I speak from limited personal experience—it is difficult for those who are elected in such countries to understand their roles and responsibilities in representing the entire constituency and the Government. That two-tier operation—the civic capacity-building, allied with the work of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and others—should, by raising the level of expectation and expertise of all who are involved, be able to address over a long period the question of how everyone can participate in the country.
We often criticise Westminster for being remote from Scotland; I am sure that there are also people in Shetland and Orkney who criticise this place for being remote. However, we have an opportunity to knock at the door, even if that means we have a distance to travel, and we know how to engage with the Government and the Parliament. We who have been elected to this Parliament have—I hope—an understanding of how to engage with civic society. We need to ensure that the capacity-building work in Malawi engages with both elements: the executive and the parliamentarians, and civic society. The partnership seems to be progressing that work.
However, as Pauline McNeill and Linda Fabiani mentioned, that does not mean that we should sit quietly when we see basic human rights apparently being breached by a Government. Notwithstanding cultural and religious differences, it is our duty as a country that has worked—and which continues to work—hard on human rights issues within our own communities to address breaches, but to do so in a way that demonstrates to the politicians and those who have concerns how to engage in civil and civilised behaviour in relation to such matters. We had our own traumas, to which Pauline McNeill referred, in relation to section 2A, but we debated that openly and relatively bloodlessly.
We need to demonstrate and use our expertise through the partnership and pilot twinning that the CPA is undertaking. We must demonstrate how it is possible to engage in such debates in a way that does not do long-term damage to the relationships between different sectors of society and between government and civic society.
In saying, “This is what we think you should be doing,” we must always bear in mind the colonial history that we have with the whole of Africa. Our telling people how to do things in their country in a way that is not diplomatic and polite will not necessarily bring the right reaction. As Ted Brocklebank pointed out, the purchase of the executive jet was a little disturbing, but I am sure that people in Africa will have found it rather odd that people here were receiving expenses for duck houses. The scale of the challenge is slightly different, but it is not helpful if we visit countries claiming some sort of superiority, which is clearly not what we have.
15:56
I would like to start by saying that the irregularity of my appearances at the cross-party group on international development, the cross-party group on Malawi and the meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association does not in any way reflect the intensity of my feelings about international affairs or my love for Africa.
Forty years ago, as a young man, I worked for two years in a very remote area of Kenya, on the Uganda border. It was a life-changing experience. It took me more than six weeks to begin to adapt to the open and friendly spirit of the Africans whom I met and, on my return, it took six months to readapt to our society—it was really quite difficult.
I congratulate the minister on addressing, at the very start of the debate, the human rights issues that concern us, and for the tone in which she did so. In doing so, she allowed Pauline McNeill, Linda Fabiani, Hugh O’Donnell and others to make a sensible series of observations on the way in which we should approach human rights in Malawi. That approach is quite simple: as parliamentarians, we must support the parliamentarians in Malawi, and their constitution. It is as simple as that and it is our duty.
At this point, I should draw members’ attention to my membership of Friends of the Earth Scotland.
In the 3 April 2006 edition of the Melbourne Herald Sun, John Borshoff, the chief executive officer of a company called Paladin Energy, was quoted as saying:
“The Australians and the Canadians have become over-sophisticated in their environmental and social concerns over uranium mining”.
Why is his company in Malawi? Clearly, it is because it believes that Malawi is unsophisticated in its approach to, and ability to deal with, companies that are exploiting its environment to mine uranium and export it all over the world.
The minister outlined ways in which we can contribute to Malawi, one of which was in governance. Certainly we have, in relation to our environment and monitoring, sophisticated governance that is often complained about but which is actually quite excellent. That is an area in which we could give specific and useful help to the Malawian Government, if it were to ask for it.
In Scotland, we do not feel that genetically modified organisms are the way forward for our agriculture—the present Government is quite clear on that. However, Monsanto wants to move into east Africa—indeed, into the whole of Africa—and do what it is trying to do in the rest of the world, which is to control seed production and, therefore, agriculture. There might be some advantages to some GM products, but what worries me is the size and the power of the companies that are developing the products and the way in which they enter agreements with farmers that constrain those farmers’ ability for example to reserve seed and use it again. Again, we have a huge amount of expertise in that area that we can share with Malawi.
I was glad to hear the minister mention the Scottish Crop Research Institute. As a member of the Soil Association in Scotland, I am sure that, if the minister wanted to approach the association, it would be only too glad to assist by giving advice on how to do low-input farming in Malawi. One of the great advantages of low-input farming for countries in east Africa is that they become less and less reliant on what will be ever more expensive nitrogen products. At present, many of the countries are becoming far too dependent on such products.
I was also glad to hear Jack McConnell’s speech. I, too, pay tribute to the tremendous work that he is doing. I have about a year and three weeks left in which to serve Scotland in the Parliament, after which, in the words of Tony Benn, I will leave Parliament in order to get “more ... involved in politics”. I hope that, at that time, I will be able to give some practical assistance in Malawi. I did not even attempt to go on any of the recent parliamentary visits to Malawi for the simple reason that, having had my two years’ experience in Kenya, I would not deprive anybody of the unique experience of visiting Africa, and particularly Malawi, or of the wonderful memories that people carry back from that. We have heard reflections on that experience from members throughout the chamber. I already have my memories of Kenya and I would not like to have deprived any other member of the opportunity to go to Malawi.
I must hurry you, Mr Harper.
Despite the tragedy of circumstances that many members have described, their having had the opportunity to visit Malawi—I am not one of those—the debate has been quite uplifting. Clearly, progress has been and is being made.
Although I have not had the opportunity to visit Malawi, it is a country that is dear to my heart. For more than 15 years, Malawi’s consular officer has resided in my constituency, which has facilitated many community links. The constituency has hosted many visiting dignitaries coming to Ayrshire from Malawi. Members will be familiar with the work of Colin Cameron: he has announced that he will be stepping down from his role in May, and I am sure that members will join me in expressing our gratitude for all the hard work that Colin has undertaken to strengthen relations between our two countries. [Applause.] His personal commitment and dedication to Malawi have been exemplary. I know from the discussions that I have had with him that he has been uplifted to have witnessed an initiative that he could never have imagined 15 years ago. I know that he is very grateful to Jack McConnell for initiating the work, and to successive Administrations for continuing with it in a way that he could never have imagined.
I will put on my convener’s hat for a moment and thank the Minister for Culture and External Affairs for her letter to the European and External Relations Committee, outlining the substance of the visit that she recently undertook. In particular, I was pleased to note the progress on capacity building for small businesses, which the committee was keen to see being developed, following the submission of a considerable amount of evidence during our international development inquiry, the report for which was published in 2008. At that time, the committee received a considerable number of contributions and responses regarding the possibility of a Scottish representative being posted in Malawi full time. Subsequently, we added to our report a recommendation on the matter, asking the Executive to consider that. The Executive’s initial view was that it did not see merit in the proposal, but during recent discussions with stakeholders the matter has been raised with me again. I ask the new minister, who I know is open to looking at things again and to new ideas, to take the matter into consideration.
The reasoning that was put to the committee was that it is vital that the resources that are being provided and the projects that are being undertaken can be absorbed in local communities, and that blockages, logjams and bureaucracy should not get in the way. Those problems should be minimised in order to maximise the use of resources.
I point out to the minister that the Scottish Executive already has offices and officers in Brussels, Beijing and Washington DC, as well as Scottish Development International offices around the globe. Why, in that case, cannot we have a representative in Malawi, with which we now have this unique partnership? We should not underestimate the difficulties that can be faced on the ground, where such an officer could ensure that bureaucracy does not get in the way of delivery and implementation. When people are coming to us and saying that a full-time representative would assist matters, we need to be careful to listen.
Let me raise two other suggestions on furthering Malawi’s economy and on sustainability. The first suggestion is that we should consider the possibility of depositing each year’s aid, ring fenced, with the National Bank of Malawi in a designated sterling account, from which payments could be taken out to support projects in Malawi. Not only would that add an extra layer of transparency about how much of the money is being directly invested in Malawi, it would further encourage independence and sustainability.
The second suggestion is that some thought be given to using not just top hotels but guest houses and bed and breakfasts, where people would be exposed to the real Malawi and, I am told, its welcoming hospitality. That would give people the opportunity to see homes at first hand. As anyone who has visited the country will be aware, there is a plethora of NGO workers, politicians and civil servants who visit Malawi, so that would be another useful way of encouraging sustainability in the local economy.
I am running a bit short of time, but I want also to mention the school-to-school and community-to-community links that have been set up in my area. I am really proud that ordinary people in the communities that I represent, along with people across Scotland, are contributing in a quite extraordinary way to many of these projects. In North Ayrshire, the local Rotary clubs have undertaken work to raise money for Malawi to link in with school projects.
In addition, St Michael’s academy in Kilwinning—which I know Jack McConnell has visited, and which has now been merged into St Matthew’s academy in Saltcoats—was one of the first schools in Scotland to make direct links with a school in Malawi. Its link with St Peter’s secondary school in Mzuzu has had beneficial effects not just in Malawi but, as anyone can see, on the children in Saltcoats. As well as providing educational materials and sponsoring educational attainment, they have benefited from pupil and teacher exchanges. The headteacher, Eric Allan, and his staff should be congratulated on all their work in developing those links. Fourteen children from St Peter’s secondary school will visit the Parliament a week today, which is a little bit unfortunate because it would have been wonderful if they could have experienced today’s debate. Fortunately, with the benefit of new technology, we hope to be able to let them see the content of the debate when they visit next week.
As I am running out of time, I will conclude by acknowledging that although much work has been undertaken, much more needs to be done. As others have mentioned, we need to deal with issues such as HIV/AIDS, the average life expectancy of 48 and the mortality rate for under-fives, which is, although it has halved, still tragically far too high. There are no easy quick-fix solutions, but the efforts of the past decade have shown that a multifaceted approach at local, national and international levels can make a real difference.
The people of Scotland stand ready to assist and the young people of Scotland are eager to be involved. It is important that the people’s Parliament—the Scottish Parliament—continues to support those partnerships.
16:04
I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on international development and Malawi—although I should declare that I am, I think, the third member to speak who has not visited the country.
The forging of international connections is important for us because Scotland has a long history of going out into the wider world. We have a reputation for welcoming people from other countries and for accepting our responsibilities as global citizens.
International development does not have a universally accepted definition, but in broad terms it covers everything from international aid, to the environment, to education, to disaster relief, to human rights. Sometimes, international development has been carried out in an exploitative way. I am proud that Scotland invests and gives with the highest of ethical considerations.
I do not believe that we should view international development as charity; I believe that it is an absolute responsibility for all of us, as global citizens, to share our wealth—some of which came from the exploitation of such countries in the first place. Today, we are also making a tremendous contribution to global warming, which is affecting developing countries more than it affects us. So, we really have no excuse. Even if our forefathers had been completely blameless and we had already solved the problem of global warming, I would still argue that it is our duty as human beings to share some of what we have. None of us gets to choose what life we are born into—it is a big lottery and we are the lucky ones. It is as simple as that. Therefore, I am pleased that the SNP Government and the Scottish Executive before it—in fact, the whole Scottish Parliament—have taken seriously their responsibility to other countries, including Malawi.
I am, however, disappointed that the Scottish budget for international development work is limited, as are all our budgets, by cuts and spending on projects such as nuclear submarines. I find it to be somewhat ironic that funding for schools, hospitals and telecommunications that would effectively pave the way to peace is blocked by a determination to maintain deadly weapons of mass destruction.
I agree with other members that Scotland and Malawi have a special relationship and a deep understanding of each other’s past and future. It is important to note that that relationship goes far deeper than official levels; it is part of ordinary life in Scotland and Malawi. On Monday night, I attended a truly fantastic concert at the City halls in Glasgow to mark St Patrick’s day. There, I met Tom McDonald, the headteacher of Holyrood secondary school in Glasgow’s south side. He told me that his school has a four-year relationship with two schools in Malawi and has raised tens of thousands of pounds each year to fund an annual trip to enable pupils and teachers to construct schools in Malawi. Last year, more than £17,000 was raised for the trip, and excited pupils are now preparing for their upcoming 2010 trip. I am sure that the whole Parliament wishes them well with that.
Members will know that I am working closely with Florence and Precious Mhango, who are Cranhill residents originally from Malawi who have twice been detained and put on flights back to Malawi only to be given a last-minute reprieve. They recently won their High Court appeal and are now preparing for a judicial review. I remain hopeful that the British Home Secretary will show compassion and grant them leave to remain before a more hard-line Tory Government gets elected, all chances of a reprieve disappear and they are once more put through the ordeal of a court hearing.
Part of the Mhangos’ campaign involved setting up a Facebook group, which now has more than 1,100 members. That attracted people who had worked in Malawi and Malawian people themselves, and it sparked off a debate about human rights in Malawi. One of our arguments was that Precious Mhango would be in danger of female genital mutilation if she were sent back to Malawi, but a number of Malawians were unhappy that we had suggested that possibility. I worked hard to put their minds at rest that that was not the biggest part of the argument, so we have managed to get their support for the Mhangos. Although it is not rife throughout Malawi, according to the Malawi Human Rights Commission, FGM exists there. Nevertheless, as, I pointed out to our Malawian friends, there are human rights issues in many countries, including Scotland. After all, what is locking up innocent little children behind barbed wire in places such as Dungavel and Yarl’s Wood if it is not a breach of their human rights? Human rights issues exist everywhere—Malawi is no different—and, special friendship or not, we have a duty to speak up, as members have said today. Perhaps the special friendship makes it easier to broach such matters. I support the view of Amnesty International that international engagement should include promotion of human rights when opportunities to do so arise.
I have referred to the work that Holyrood secondary school is doing in building schools in Malawi. It is incredibly important that we support education in Malawi—something that the brilliant charity Glasgow the Caring City has done to great effect. It was either Nelson Mandela or Ted Brocklebank who said that education is the key to changing the world.
This afternoon’s debate is a welcome opportunity to highlight the work that the Parliament, organisations and individuals throughout Scotland have been undertaking with their counterparts in Malawi. Some of the people who have been involved are in the public gallery. Our partnership with Malawi benefits both parties, and the wealth of support that we have heard from members throughout the chamber today is testament to the fact that the partnership is now stronger than ever. The Scottish Government’s Malawi development programme is vital to improving health and education standards in Malawi and through our continued co-operation we can also assist with economic and social development.
Scotland prides itself on being a nation that is willing to work with and support other nations, and its relationship with Malawi is an excellent example of that. The history of the relationship goes back to a time before modern Malawi was formed, when David Livingstone travelled up the Zambezi river to Lake Malawi in 1859. The relationship continued through Malawi’s history, through its independence from the British state, and through the founding of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. The Scottish Government, like its predecessor the Scottish Executive, has long had links with partner agencies in Malawi. Indeed, the Administration has safeguarded the £3 million that is earmarked for funding projects in Malawi as part of the doubling of the international aid budget to £9 million.
As several members have said, we must ensure that the money goes to the right places and is put to the best use. As with the Scottish Government’s plan for engagement with nations such as China, a line must be drawn carefully between opportunities for engagement and opportunities to raise real concerns about abuses of human rights. I was particularly pleased to hear the minister’s assurances that the money goes directly to projects and not to Government and that she raised human rights issues during her visit to Malawi.
I take this opportunity to highlight a case in Malawi to which the minister and other members have alluded and which is of great concern to members and to Amnesty International globally. Two men, Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, have been arrested by the Malawian authorities on a charge of “unnatural practices between males” and “gross indecency”. They are currently in detention in Chichiri prison and are awaiting trial. What was their crime? The two men were arrested two days after holding a traditional ceremony to celebrate their relationship. While imprisoned, they have faced mistreatment and they were reportedly beaten while in custody. Should they be convicted, they face a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. We must remember that they could get that sentence because they love each other.
I thank the 35 members across the chamber who have already signed my motion S3M-5484, which expresses concern about the case and suggests that the Scottish Government’s relationship with Malawi provides a unique opportunity to present our concerns on the issue. The cross-party support that exists has been conveyed to Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, who have expressed their thanks to the Parliament for its support.
As well as the clear breach of the most fundamental human rights, there is a wider issue at stake. Malawi has made many inroads into tackling its problems with HIV and AIDS. The rates of infection have stabilised in most places in Malawi; indeed, they are falling in urban areas, in which the message has been easier to convey. We must congratulate the authorities on that turnaround, but the continued marginalisation of the gay community in Malawi is a step backwards. I hope that we can use the channels that are available to us to seek a review of those discriminatory practices. I was pleased to hear the minister’s response to Iain Smith’s question on the matter.
The minister’s announcement of a £7.5 million funding package for Malawi together with the sum of more than £5 million for on-going projects to support the work of Scotland-based organisations in Malawi in 2010-11 confirm the Parliament’s commitment to that country. Individual members and ministers have demonstrated that we take the relationship seriously. Despite any future cuts to Scotland’s budget, we must continue to consider other areas in which we can work in partnership with the people of Malawi for the benefit of both Malawi and Scotland. I whole-heartedly agree with the sentiments of Robin Harper and Hugh O’Donnell in particular. They said that the relationship must be mature. We cannot go into Malawi and say, “You must do this because we’re the industrialised nation and we know what’s right for you.” As Pauline McNeill and my colleague Anne McLaughlin said, it should be possible for Scotland and Malawi, as close friends, to have a frank dialogue about how we think things could be improved in Malawi. Perhaps the Malawians might have messages for us about how we can improve our society. If we are working around the world to improve human rights, that must be seen as a positive thing. That work will benefit everyone around the globe.
16:22
The member is absolutely right to make that point. The issue is that we are all making contributions to Malawi, which is important.
I first went to Malawi before the Scottish Government’s intervention and the initiative by Jack McConnell that we have talked about. I went to help the Malawian Parliament with some housekeeping issues. I recollect that at the time—it must have been in 2002—the Parliament there met only when money was available to pay for it, so there were substantial periods when the Parliament simply did not meet and there was no democracy in Malawi.
That contrasts with my experience on my most recent visit to Malawi, in May last year, as an observer of the parliamentary elections. I found the experience humbling. I was outside a voting station in Mzuzu in the north of Malawi at 6.30 in the morning, as were hundreds of other people who were queuing up and waiting to enter the polling station to cast their votes when it opened at first light, which was at 7 am. People walked 6, 7 or 10 miles there and back to polling stations to cast their votes and express their preference. The enthusiasm of the people of Malawi for their rights, democracy and ability to express a choice was every bit as large, and arguably larger, than our enthusiasm for those things. The learning process is not all one way between ourselves and Malawi.
I was a member of the group that considered the development fund projects for Malawi in the initial period after the fund was created. I was particularly keen on the idea that there should be genuine partnerships. I am delighted that the independent review shows that the partnership element has been followed through. The approach has not simply involved the Scottish Government giving money to Malawi; it has involved the engagement of Scottish institutions of all kinds, from church groups to universities and colleges, as well as individuals, working together with partners in Malawi to achieve something of mutual benefit. That does not always happen in development processes, but it is characteristic of what has been done in Scotland.
I hope that we continue the ethos of that partnership framework, as a new way of doing things that balances the input and involvement of Malawi and Scotland. Neither is more important than the other and each has an equal voice and level of control. That is the real human rights issue: there are the basic issues of ensuring that people can eat and have their personal safety, but they also have a right to democracy. The people in Africa’s right to democracy is equal to ours and they are determined to exercise that right.
16:30
I stand before members as a self-confessed Malawi addict, having grown to love the country and especially its people over the past five years. Malawi is renowned internationally both for its extreme poverty and for the scourge of the AIDS pandemic that has ravaged a generation, left countless children orphaned and crushed family members under the strain of providing for those who are left behind. However, Malawi lives up to the name “The Warm Heart of Africa”: the great spirit of hospitality, resilience and good humour with which its people face such challenges is clear to see and exceptionally humbling.
Many members have seen at first hand the huge impact that our relationship with Malawi is having in enabling that country to meet some of the immense challenges that it faces. As other members have said, it is a two-way relationship. Personally and as a Parliament we have learned, from our Malawian counterparts and from the inspiring communities and projects that we have visited, much about the importance of community action, the place of hospitality and how to negotiate the balance between respecting cultural traditions and welcoming emerging contemporary practices.
Michael Matheson and Jack McConnell spoke about two inspirational projects that are on very different scales. Michael Matheson described the humbling work in Zomba central prison of Sister Anna—a woman who is doing an amazing job in very challenging circumstances, with humility but little financial support—and Jack McConnell spoke about the transformation of maternal health at Bottom hospital, which is a huge project with huge revenues that will bring real benefit to hundreds of thousands of women. Another such project is Mary’s Meals.
Education is, without doubt, one of the fundamental human rights. It is one of the key ways in which individuals, communities and nations develop and move out of poverty. In Malawi, as Pauline McNeill said, class sizes are significant. That was brought home to me when I visited a school and found the overcrowding and lack of resources and teachers hard to comprehend. With the best will in the world, a headteacher who has a teaching staff of eight will struggle to ensure that a school that has well over 1,000 pupils meets its learning targets. Pupils often fail to complete their school certificate, which limits their prospects. Gender inequality, particularly in secondary and tertiary education, means that there is still a bias against girls.
On top of that, there is a cohort of pupils who walk many miles to get to school. Some of those pupils will have had little, if anything, to eat or drink. As a result, the children struggle to absorb and retain information. They are susceptible to illness and they often leave school early. In February, the delegation visited a school in the Limbe district. We arrived just before 9 am and were taken round to the back of the school, where 25 women were stirring porridge on huge stoves over piles of wood. The women were all volunteers and most of them were parents of pupils. They had been there since 6 o’clock in the morning. Michael Matheson and I had a chance to help them: it was physically hard, given the strength that is needed to stir the huge pots of porridge and the effect of the wood smoke on our puny eyes. We then had the opportunity to see the porridge being distributed to every child in the school. The project is run by Mary’s Meals and has been running for a few years.
The headteacher was able clearly to articulate the difference that the project has made. She said that before the project started, the children were so hungry that they often went home from school early, whereas now they want to come to school, they are happier, they are keen to learn and they are achieving much more. The pass rate in the school has significantly improved. Mary’s Meals is such a simple idea. It costs £14 per year to feed a child. However, its impact is revolutionary in many ways. It enables children to learn to their full potential and to find a way out of poverty.
Mary’s Meals is well supported in Scotland. A number of schools in my constituency are involved and parishioners at St Athanasius’ church in Carluke have a weekly coffee morning, just to support the project. The project’s simplicity is its strength and I welcome attempts to roll it out throughout the country, because I think that it will be a catalyst in changing the reality for many young Malawians in the future.
I cannot not mention the work of Open Arms, which has had an impact on me since the day on which I first arrived in Malawi, in 2005. This year, we went to see the charity’s new place in Mangochi, where it works with some of the poorest children in Malawi. The children’s mothers have died and many of them are HIV positive. They would have little chance of survival without support and care. The care that they get from Open Arms is of a standard that they would not find in many places. The project is inspirational.
Members talked about the elections in May, which resulted in a huge turnover of members in the Parliament of Malawi. Some two-thirds of members have not been members of Parliament before. However, despite the limited parliamentary experience of a majority of members, I am greatly encouraged that Malawi’s MPs are displaying great ability and willingness to learn from more experienced MPs in Malawi and overseas.
Any Government with a two-thirds majority would face challenges in reining in its enthusiasm and encouraging full parliamentary scrutiny. I hate to think how parliamentarians here would have managed to maintain a degree of parliamentary scrutiny if the previous or, indeed, the current First Minister had had a two-thirds parliamentary majority. That is the challenge that faces our colleagues in the Parliament of Malawi. It is also a challenge for the Government of Malawi.
Such issues were central to joint workshops that we held with the Minister for Culture and External Affairs and colleagues throughout Malawi. Some 85 new members came to the workshops, which was encouraging and, I think, signifies the importance that Malawi’s parliamentarians place on engagement with members of other Parliaments, particularly the Scottish Parliament.
Michael Matheson alluded to the workshops that we had on the media. I think that we learned as much from them as they learned from us, and we found that the challenge of politicians being regarded as a very low form of life by many people in the media is the same the world over.
We raised the issue of human rights, including the issue of the couple of men whom Joe FitzPatrick mentioned, and the issue was raised with us openly by members of civic society and by parliamentarians. That is the strength of our relationship; we can talk to each other and can disagree with each other. However, we must do that constructively. As Pauline McNeill rightly reminded us, we were not so far away ourselves 10 years ago. I remember being a member of this Parliament and seeing Wendy Alexander’s face plastered all over billboards, and I remember the difficult journey that we had to make.
On education, I went to university in 1985—my uncle wondered why we were wasting such an opportunity on a girl. Hugh O’Donnell mentioned expenses in that regard. Let us therefore not get carried away with our self-congratulation and thinking that we can impose our values on other people. However, we can have a constructive relationship and make changes.
What strikes me about Malawians is that they want the chance to help themselves. They are not waiting and wanting us to do everything for them; they want us to help them to help themselves. Our partnership is about helping Malawians to help themselves, but it is also about Malawians helping us so that we can learn more about who we are and about how climate change and fair trade impact on the poorest people in the world. If we get this relationship right, both our countries will benefit significantly in the generations ahead. I welcome this debate and look forward to my children growing up in a world that is more equal and in which their Malawian friends are more equal. I thank the Government for what it is doing in that regard.
16:52
I am grateful to all those who have contributed to the debate. It is clear that Malawi remains high on the agenda in Scotland and that the Scottish Government’s engagement continues to achieve cross-party support. We have heard thoughtful, reflective, challenging and engaging contributions with new ideas and, indeed, recent insights. They were very valuable contributions that inform our on-going understanding of Malawi—“The Warm Heart of Africa”.
It was interesting to hear accounts of members’ experiences as well as of the activities and initiatives that are taking place in constituencies across Scotland. In particular, I pay tribute to Jack McConnell for his previous work and, indeed, for his excellent speech. He reminded us of the passion that informs and continues to drive his determination.
Ted Brocklebank mentioned, in particular, Montfort College and the International Network of Street Papers foundation project, involving the Big Issue. I had the pleasure of visiting both those projects. There is inspirational work in the college in recognising the importance of education and in enhancing the educational prospects and opportunities for achievement for blind Malawians through co-operative computer work, with the support of the University of Strathclyde in particular, which was gratifying to see. The Big Issue initiative in Blantyre is an interesting one, which was expanded to include Lilongwe in January.
One of the most reflective speeches was that of Michael Matheson, in which he talked about issues that prisoners in Malawi face and about mental health issues. Some of those are challenging agenda items, even in our experience in Scotland. However, they are particularly big challenges in Malawi. Michael Matheson will be pleased to know that we are supporting work on mental health and on the proposal for training psychiatrists, to which he referred.
We also heard about school links—Anne McLaughlin talked about Holyrood secondary school, in particular. Members might remember that we met a remarkable young woman from that school when she spoke at time for reflection about issues involving Malawi and fair trade.
Scotland has lots more to offer in terms of skills, knowledge and expertise. However, as Pauline McNeill and Karen Gillon said, we have a lot to learn. Having a different perspective is important to us as, in devolution terms, a developing new democracy.
The people of Scotland are clearly and genuinely willing to become more involved. Our people-to-people approach is unique: it makes the difference and will continue to do so. However, with that willingness comes a responsibility to act appropriately.
We pay tribute to the medics and midwives. The impact on tackling child and infant mortality in particular has been remarkable. We have also heard about improvements in the maternal mortality rate. I reassure members that I discussed that with Malawi’s health minister, because progress is not happening at the rate that people there want. I welcome the improvements that are being made, which have been supported in Scotland, but that key challenge must be addressed.
Even simple issues such as transport must be dealt with. Much maternal mortality relates to the distances that women who are in the late stages of labour must travel. I saw bicycle ambulances and heard about the issues that relate to them. As the mother of three children, I thought that the idea of travelling in the late stages of labour in a bicycle ambulance was challenging, but even such ambulances can make a difference to tackling maternal mortality.
The Scottish Government’s role is to act as a catalyst and to influence organisations and groups to focus resources on the needs that Malawians have identified. Linda Fabiani talked about democratic participation. One project that we announced today involves democratic dialogue with women in deprived communities, which will help them to participate purposefully in dialogue with their female members of Parliament.
Iain Smith talked about issues that relate to HIV and AIDS. Progress has been made, but Malawi’s average rate of HIV infection is 12 per cent. I visited Chiradzulu district, where the rate is more than 22 per cent. Many members have reflected on images of Malawi. Perhaps the most lasting and testing images for me are of coffin workshops, which are seen on street corners and everywhere. They are a reminder of the acute need to address HIV and AIDS.
Order. I am very disappointed when I hear above the minister’s voice conversations from the back row of the chamber. I ask members other than the minister to keep their voices down, please. Please continue, minister.