Mawasiliano CentreStrategic CommunicationFor the Common Good

Advancing democracy, good governance, sustainable development, and human dignity through ethical, people-centred strategic communication in African contexts.

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Who We Are

Mawasiliano Centre (MaCe) is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to harnessing strategiccommunication as a catalyst for democracy, good governance, sustainable development, and human dignity. We believe that ethical, inclusive, and intentional communication is a vital public good - essential to democratic life and societal transformation. Grounded in a commitment to the common good, we collaborate with communities, researchers, civil society actors, political leaders, policymakers, and citizens to shape public discourse and influence communicative actions in order to advance the public interest, with a strong focus on African contexts.

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We invite you to join us in building a more democratic and inclusive future through the power of strategic communication.

What We Do

Programme Areas

We organise our work around five strategic programme and thematic areas, each addressing key challenges and opportunities: Communication Rights and Ethics; Information Integrity & Digital Citizenship; Communication for Social Change & Development; Government and Public Sector Communication; Democracy and Governance Communication.

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Communication Rights, Freedoms & Ethics (CRFE)

Advancing policies and practices that uphold freedom of expression, media freedom, access to information, digital rights, and ethical standards in public discourse and governance.

What We Do

Core Approaches

We harness and advance strategic communication to drive meaningful change across all our programme and thematic areas through our core approaches and activities - conducting interdisciplinary research, undertaking evidence-based advocacy, doing policy analysis and dissemination, delivering capacity building and training, and designing tailored communication strategies and plans.

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Research & Knowledge Generation

Conducting interdisciplinary and applied research, including opinion polling and public attitude studies, to produce context-specific insights, identify gaps, and inform evidence-based policies, practices, and communication efforts.

Policy Advocacy & Engagement

Undertaking evidence-based policy advocacy and direct interaction with government and decision-makers to influence reforms, enhance accountability, transparency, and inclusive public decision-making.

Capacity Building & Training

Providing capacity building and training to equip individual citizens, civil society organizations, communities, journalists, government and public sector institutions, policymakers, and other stakeholders with essential knowledge, skills, and attitude in strategic communication for advancing the common good.

Civic Literacy & Public Dialogue

Promoting Information Integrity, alongside media, information, and civic literacy while facilitating inclusive public dialogue and social change initiatives to foster informed debate, combat misinformation, and encourage transparent, equitable public discourse.

Strategic Communication Design

Designing and implementing tailored communication strategies and plans - including multi-channel campaigns, stakeholder engagement initiatives, and participatory communication efforts - to translate research into actionable impact and amplify marginalized voices.

Guiding Principles

MaCe's work is guided by a commitment to advancing the common good by strengthening the social conditions that enable individuals and communities to flourish together. We believe that democracy, accountable governance, and sustainable development depend on ethical, well-designed strategic communication that informs citizens, encourages dialogue, and supports collective action.

Our approach is people-centred, evidence-based, and contextually grounded, recognising that communication must respond to political, cultural, and technological realities. Through collaboration, research, and practical engagement, we seek to strengthen communication ecosystems that promote informed public discourse, civic participation, trust, and accountability in public life.

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Why Our Work Matters

In an era of fragmented, algorithm-driven media and hybrid communication systems, ethical and inclusive public discourse, civic engagement, and institutional accountability are not automatic - they are democratic public goods that must be deliberately cultivated. When communication is trustworthy and people-centred, it enables individuals and communities to participate actively and informedly in public life, advancing the common good. In African contexts, where history, culture, and politics deeply shape discourse, contextually grounded strategic communication is essential for legitimate, sustainable progress - including contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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Why Collaborate With Us

We put people at the heart of our work. By combining rigorous research, evidence-based advocacy, and participatory engagement, we ensure every solution is informed, inclusive, and grounded in local context. Through our five strategic programmes, we help African countries, institutions, political actors, and citizens strengthen their capacity to harness strategic communication for the common good - whether shaping strategy, facilitating dialogue, supporting policy, or enhancing civic engagement.

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