On Wednesday (Jan. 9), Arab News published one of my articles titled “A Stitch in Time Saves Nine”. In that article I alluded to the breaking story of the Naples incident where angry citizens rioted against a two-week garbage pileup. In my analysis I mentioned that it would have been easier for the authorities to have dealt with the situation early on than to handle the growing social unrest that is resulting from it now.
Needless to say, and to my delight my critics were many. There were those who agreed and those who didn’t, and then again, there were those who felt that I was out of line. In any case, no matter what the response, the truth remains that most seemed to have missed my point.
The Naples garbage pileup incident was the result of mismanagement by the local government and bureaucracy. The public outrage that the world witnessed back then was nothing more than the frustration of citizens calling for authorities to take responsibility for their inaction; and the lessons presented underscored the need for good governance, transparent actions and accountable performance.
That was the message of my article. That is the end toward which our leadership is leading us.
Ever since the start of the historic National Dialogues initiated by the then Crown Prince King Abdullah, the voice of Saudi citizens regarding matters of national development is growing strong. In almost all of the dialogues initiated from 2003 to date, the central message revolved around the need for good governance as the key determinant of socioeconomic development, prosperity, efficiency and sustainability.
That is easier said than done. It is a truth generally known that no one likes to be put on the spot by being held “accountable” for something or the other.
Semantically, the term is negative, for it pins blame and points fingers at failure, poor performance, and ambiguous activity. Little wonder we shun it.
And that is where the danger lies. By avoiding moments of accountability and without realizing it, we create a malignant silence that is perceived by others as “untransparent” activity. This in turn creates speculation and misunderstanding which in turn translates into blame and finger pointing. A vicious cycle then ensues and the victim is then put in a defensive mode that wastes a lot of precious time and resources. So how can this be reversed?
In their article, “Create a Culture of Accountability” Connors and Smith, authors of “The Oz Principle” redefine the term to mean “a personal choice in which individuals take ownership for the solution”. This is done by the systematic process of seeing the problem, owning it, solving it and finally doing it.
This process of seeing, owning, solving and doing can have positive impact only if it is the result of a collaborative effort where all stakeholders embrace the culture of “mutual accountability.” By seeing, owning, solving and doing, each participant asks the enabling question of “What else can ‘I’ do to rise above this situation and achieve the results that ‘we’ desire?”
Mutual accountability depends on collaboration. And collaboration is a process that requires openness and trust between all those who perceive themselves to be part of the solution. The majority of the citizens of Jeddah — whether they belong to the public or private sectors or to civil society — are willing, ready, and able to be part of the solution to raise this city from its decaying state to restore it to its past glory. The time is right, the need is urgent.
We the citizens of Jeddah are calling upon all of those who have taken it upon themselves to be in positions of public service to take the first step toward collaboration by putting the concept of “public” back into our public institutions. Live the public life literally, not only in press releases. Go out and have some fun, visit different neighborhoods, take a walk, go to malls, shake hands with people, talk to them, ask them the tough questions, share with them your plans, open your doors and your hearts to the needs and concerns of the city that you are meant to serve. Do not fear us, we the citizens of Jeddah are not only your clients, but also the pulse through which your performance is measured.
Jeddah, The Bride of the Red Sea, The gateway to the Two Holy Mosques, the resting place of the Mother of Civilization, Mother Eve, is crying for us to be mutually accountable. She is crying for us to take ownership in reclaiming her beauty, her safety, her cleanliness and her sustainability. She is asking us to capitalize on our collective comparative advantage as independent members of local authorities, local businesses and of civil society.
One evening as I was walking down the Corniche I came to a sudden halt. Standing above me, in its dominating presence and blocking my way, was one of the many billboards that paved the walkways. On it was a message from the Jeddah Municipality that made me happy beyond words. The message was a breath of fresh air, a cry for collaboration in search of solutions. It inferred to the decaying state of our city and it read: “We are all responsible. Jeddah is a Trust; let us all live up to that Trust”.
Officials of the city of Jeddah, thank you for initiating the invitation for partnership. We, the citizens of Jeddah, have accepted. Civil society is now knocking at your door.
— Fatin Bundagji is an Institutional Development Consultant based in Jeddah.
