For the complete interview themes or writing guide, please see related files section in the data description.
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QUESTIONS CONCERNING FOOD AID
0) First I have some general questions concerning food aid. What is your definition of food aid?
1) What kind of food aid is your organization delivering in Malawi? Programme food aid (=food is sold in the local markets to fund other development activities), project food aid (=distributed to beneficiaries in the framework of a development project) or emergency food aid (=supplied for direct distribution in times of disaster)?
2) Is the trend towards increasing or decreasing food aid in Malawi?
3) How is the trend in food insecurity: there is conflicting information, some sources say that food insecurity and poverty is on the increase and others that the indicators are moving into the right direction.
4) What role do you think that food aid plays in the process of achieving long-term food security?
5) Considering that big parts of the population of Malawi face chronic malnutrition, what are the causes of hunger and how could they be addressed? Why is hunger and poverty on the increase?
6) How has the HIV/AIDS pandemic changed the situation?
7) What change is needed in order to improve the food security situation in Malawi? How can your organization support Malawi to achieve that change?
8) Could you say something about targeting of WFP:s programmes in Malawi? (Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping) What challenges do you experience in reaching out to those most in need of assistance? Disaggregated data according to gender?
9) How is WFP considering gender in its programmes?
10) Moving to the role of human rights in development in general and in food security in particular:
11) It is quite recently that issues such as human rights, democracy and governance have been raised by development agencies. Do you think increased focus on these has implications for food aid?
12) Why do you think that human rights and development cooperation have been isolated from each other both in policy and practice (HR dealt with by lawyers and development by economist, if we oversimplify)? What is in your opinion the role of human rights law in development in general? (international law plays an important role in regulating food aid)
13)What is the role of the right to food in food aid? (Considering that the human right to food has been interpreting in a way that raises an obligation for the state to appeal for food aid, if it cannot satisfy its minimum obligations under human rights law)
14) What is the difference between food security and the realization of the right to food? Why do you think that the right to food has been so marginalized in the work of development organizations?
15) Is your organization planning to apply a so called human rights-based approach to your work?
16) How do you describe accountability in the context of development cooperation?
17) Who is accountable to those people who face hunger in Malawi? Is there any risk that WPF and other agencies take over the role that the state should have according to its human rights obligations as service providers?
18) How do you describe participation in the context of food aid?
19) How do you describe empowerment in the context of food aid?
20) How do you describe non-discrimination and vulnerability in the context of food aid?
21) Do you think these concepts have changed the way development policy and cooperation is done?
22) Do you think these concepts have anything to do with human rights?
23) Moving back to food aid: Are there still some donors that see food aid as an instrument to manage agricultural surpluses?
24) EUs operations in support of long-term food security increased from 3% in 1993 to 36% in 1999. Why has this shift from in kind food aid to other modalities underlying support to long-term food security taken place in the 1990s?
25) Do you think that the work your organization is doing is political? Is development cooperation political?
26) In your view, are human rights political?
QUESTIONS CONCERNING OXFAMS SHIRE HIGHLANDS SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS PROGRAMME
1) Up until very recently human rights and development have been very isolated from each other both in policy and practice. Why do you think this is the case?
2) Considering that the definition of food security from the World Food Summit of 1996 is very similar to the way the fulfillment of the right to food is described, why do you think that the right to food has played such a marginal role in development efforts that aim at achieving food security?
3) Have human rights so far been too legalistic or too elite? Have human rights been identified as civil and political rights only?
4) Is there a word for THE RIGHT TO FOOD in Chichewa? Is a language of human rights used when engaging with beneficiaries?
5) Could you say something about how long the project has been going on and what are the plans for its continuation? Could you also say something about the funding of the programme?
6) Why has the SHSLP chosen to integrate RBA into its activities? What is the motivation behind this decision, what is that drives you to change the way you are working?
7) What changes has integrating a rights-based approach meant for the way Oxfam works in Shire Highlands? Has it meant new activities or has it changed the way old activities are carried out?
8) In the SHSLP there is no reference to the right to a sustainable livelihood or to the right to food, but only to rights in general. Why? (Talk of right to access to services upon which livelihoods depend.)
9) Can development projects contribute to making human rights part of every day life of the poor?
10) Participatory Rural Apprisal is the tool for needs assessment and problem identification. During these sessions, are human rights problems identified? Are questions concerning how a duty bearer fulfils service delivery duties raised?
11) How to identify who is a rights holder and who is a duty bearer? I guess that sometimes there is overlapping and a local duty bearer can have valid claims towards the government. Have you created any method for identifying different actors and their rights and duties?
12) It is said in one document that power relations between the duty bearers and rights holders have been improved through dialogue. Could you elaborate on this issue? What are the main challenges when identifying unequal power relations and addressing them? What is Oxfams own role in these power structures?
13) Considering that big parts of the population of Malawi face chronic malnutrition, what are the underlying causes of hunger and how could they be addressed? (Removal of subsidies and liberalization; fragmentation of land holdings; HIV/AIDS; gender inequality.)
14) Combining so different activities, for instance soil and water conservation that is quite a technical matter, with policy issues such as raising awareness on the land policy reform : is this something Oxfam has always been doing or has RBA increased attention to policy issues?
15) Land policy reform plays an important role. Do you see a possibility for a radical reform in favour of small-holders who currently face hunger?
16) What is the role of government National Safety Nets Programme Strategy (NSNP) in achieving food security? (The gov is moving towards a social protection policy. Objective is to improve livelihoods of the most vulnerable and marginalized.)
17) Do you see a risk that Oxfam and other development organizations are doing part of the job that the Government of Malawi should in fact be doing as part of their human rights obligations? Do you see any risk that service delivery from NGOs undermines the capacity of the Government in the eyes of the population?
18) How to balance the role of being a service provider and at the same time promote access to services as a right?
19) How do you describe accountability in the context of the project? Who is accountable to the people who face hunger if they have no access to services?
20) How do you describe participation in the context of SHSLP?
21) How do you describe empowerment in the context of SHSLP?
22) How do you describe non-discrimination and vulnerability and in the context of SHSLP?
23) Do you think these concepts have changed the way development policy and cooperation is done?
24) Do you think Shire Highlands Sustainable Livelihood Programme is part in any political processes (Im not referring to party politics but political in the sense of affecting distribution of power and resources)?
25) Can human rights play a role in the struggle for social justice?
26) What change is needed in order to improve the food security situation in Malawi?
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
1) Start by introduce yourself: what you do, where you live, your family situation in Finland etc.
2) Ask the participants to do the same.
3) Have you taken part in planning of the Oxfam SHSLP?
4) Have you taken part in any activities organized through the Programme?
5) Have you taken part in sessions to discuss human rights?
6) What entitlements/services/goods do you need in order to get enough food for you and your family?
7) I have understood that there is a land reform policy going on in Malawi right now. Is this an important issue for you?
8) What are the biggest threats to your food situation?
9) What makes you proud of your village and community?
10) Can you draw a picture of your village and the institutions (for instance the Village Development Committee)? The more power you think the institution has the bigger the circle, okay. What is the role of the different institutions? Who do you contact if you have a problem? What about the Village Rights Committee?
QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE HUMAN RIGHT TO FOOD PROJECT
1) Up until very recently human rights and development have been very isolated from each other both in policy and practice. Why do you think this is the case?
2) Considering that the definition of food security from the World Food Summit of 1996 is very similar to the way the fulfillment of the right to food is described, why do you think that the right to food has played such a marginal role in development efforts that aim at achieving food security?
3) How are human rights defined in Malawi?
4) Is there a word for THE RIGHT TO FOOD in Chichewa?
5) What is the role of the Voluntary Guidelines in the human right to food project?
6) In your opinion, can one say that the VG is a first attempt to marry or integrate food security (representing development') with the right to food (representing human rights')? Is it a happy marriage?
7) Do you think that the content of the VG reflect that General Comment on the right to food by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights? Why do you think that GC 12 is not mentioned in the VG?
8) From a human rights perspective, do you see any advantages or disadvantages that the process of writing the VG was led by FAO (a technical food security and agriculture agency) and not a human rights body?
9) How do you describe accountability in the context of the project?
10) Who is accountable to the people who face hunger?
11) Is there any risk that WPF and other agencies take over the role that the state should have according to its human rights obligations as service providers?
12) Is it important that the right to food is made justiciable in Malawi?
13) How do you describe participation in the context of the project?
14) How do you describe empowerment in the context of the project?
15) How do you describe vulnerability in the context of the project?
16) Do you think these concepts have changed the way development policy and cooperation is done?
17) Considering that big parts of the population of Malawi face chronic malnutrition, what are the underlying causes of hunger and how could they be addressed?
18) What change is needed in order to improve the food security situation in Malawi?
