Bass teaches MPs to lobby

By Anthony MugeereSEVEN years ago, Josie Bass, an African-American quit her job as a criminal investigator to start a private educational training firm.Alva Consortium, based in Washington D. C. was formed to design training programmes for top executives and employees of corporate and public organisations.Today the consortium boasts of being the leading training company for top companies in the United States of America. Bass also lays claim to being the most experienced and famous negotiation skills trainer in Africa, particularly among parliamentarians.“I have spent the last 30 years training parliamentarians in the US Senate and East and Sub-Saharan Africa in various skills,” says Bass, who was in Uganda recently.During her one-week visit to Kampala, Bass conducted a one-day workshop in negotiation skills for Ugandan women parliamentarians. The training, organised by the Uganda Women Parliamentarians Association (UWPA) and the United States Embassy in Kampala, focused on the art of persuasion. In particular, the legislators dwelt on practicing collaborative leadership and understanding issues.“The aim was to help the MPs in their negotiation skills in their constituencies as well as issues of conflict in parliament. It also emphasised the definition of an issue platform and advocacy skills to fine tune their skills in negotiating and lobbying,” she said.Those who attended the workshop say it was an eye opener especially on the aspect of lobbying. The MPs say they benefited from her long experience in lobbying in the US Congress, which they intend to utilise to push for their interests.“She used the example of peace building and conflict resolution to illustrate the view that being in parliament is conflict in itself,” says Kasese Women MP, Loyce Bwambale. Bwambale, who is also the chairperson UWPA described Bass as: “A cool but tough lad.” Adding that: “Her history tells a lot about her character and we would like to invite her again.”Bass, whose background revolves around politics, civil rights activism and investigating police officers for misconduct against civilians has also conducted similar workshops in Kenya, Rwanda and Nigeria.But in Uganda, she met a group of women legislators with special qualities: Bright, articulate and with the desire to quench their thirst for knowledge.“Ugandan women MPs simply want to learn as many skills as possible so that they can cope with the debates in the House,” Bass said, after the workshop.“That is a rare quality here in Africa, where most women parliamentarians feel they can sit in parliament to listen to the debate by the men and only participate in issues to do with them. Ugandan women MPs are leading the way in many things,” she added.Bass, who holds a PhD in Law from the University of Baltimore, USA, derives her international outreach reputation from the extensive experience as a civil rights and community activist. During the 1960s, she worked as a student activist leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Chicago, Illinois with the legendary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “I assisted Dr. King in organising some of the largest non-violent protest marches in the state of Illinois against the infamous KKK-a known hate-crime organisation in America. That was during the American Civil Rights Movement,” she explains.One thing about Bass is that she has a lot to do with being first. Not only was she the first woman in the US to head the law enforcement division of the Maryland/Prince George’s County human relations commission, but also the first African American to serve in a policy position to the Governor of the State of Maryland.Bass also broke the ground in the Gaming Industry as the first African-American woman to serve in a top industry post when she became Director of the Charitable Games Division of the District of Columbia Charitable Games Control Board.“I don’t know whether or not being first is an attribute of success in life but I’m happy to be the first person to achieve such great things,” she remarks, proudly. For a decade, Bass was an active volunteer with Maryland organisations seeking to knock down discriminatory laws in fair housing, education and employment. In 1981, The Washington Post, one of the most widely read newspapers in the US, wrote about how her activist role made her the target of numerous death threats. The paper wrote: “She has been viciously beaten and survived to continue her struggle to assist organisations, governments and communities that seek to end discriminatory practices, politically empower women and minorities and foster democracy globally.”Born in Washington DC, Bass, who is now divorced and childless, grew up in Maryland. She picked interest in politics at an early age and became a member of the Board of Governors of America’s oldest woman’s political club — the venerable 100-year-old, Woman’s National Democratic Club.She also served as a political consultant to several Republican and Democratic senators and congressmen in the US. To date, she is still a member of the Congressional Black Caucus Corporate Council Board.“I am an independent woman who is neither Republican nor Democrat,” she says, adding, “...but I’m still politically active.”That is Bass, the African-American who has combined political wit with a passion for the performing and visual arts. In 1994, she founded the Josie A. Bass Career Development Internship Programme for African-American students at the prestigious Wolf Trap Foundation. No wonder, she was awarded the Anheuser-Bush Volunteer of the Year Award for 2000 by the famous Washington Leadership Organisation.On her arrival to Uganda, Bass says it could be sooner than later.“I am closely following the performance of the Ugandan women MPs and I love Uganda for its beauty and hospitality of its people. And don’t forget that I’m also famous throughout Africa for coming back unannounced,” she said. Bass is indeed a woman of substance.