Negotiation context

I had once to negotiate with remote African village communities. At stake was their involvment for the construction of concrete bridges accross streams to ease the access to their village (see picture of temporary foot access bridge).

Intermediate negotiators were hired to prepare the field of negotiations. However direct negotiations were required prior to community committment. This is where start the story of this blog.

Arrival

We arrive (my driver and me) in the village with my four wheel drive car. A brand new one compare the aged rolling fleet of this area (see picture of one of the local cab providing all kind of transportation services over there).

For the youngest children, it is their first time seing a white man. They scream of fear, and their mothers play with that, laughing like hell.

For the young men, the car is the most beautiful car ever seen and I can tell you my driver is proud of the social position he is put in.

All the community is there, in the center square of the village, watching me and how I'll behave. I'm the strange thing.

Introduction

I'm welcome by one of the village's official leaders.

First thing is to give me a seat. We just spent 2 hours in the 4WD and my back needs some exercice. So I try to refuse the small stool they're offering. I explain I just need to stand up for a while. But I quickly realize that people are disappointed. Besides, the negotiator promptly explain to me there is no option but to sit.

Soon, women bring water that I cannot drink (health reasons)! Again I refuse it. Some of the villagers start thinking I'm rude! they don't like me. Others, more comprehensive, and tought by the negotiator, understand I cannot drink water. They bring palm tree wine! This is smelling awful, but I know it's an honnor and I cannot refuse at least to taste it. Here I go.

Discussions

We meet in a remote place, isolated from women and children. Men come from the field to meet with me and discuss the topic. Some sit down, others wait standing in a corner. The discussion starts between them.

The village speaks two different languages and not everyone speak my language. Although I've got basic understanding of two local dialects, they are so different accents between villages that I hardly understand anything. So, as the discussion goes on, I don't say a word. I try and use my negotiator as a translator. But he has to be both an active member of the discussion and my translator at the same time. It doesn't work. I'm really frustrated because I couldn't follow the discussion and because the negotiator was not able to keep me up dated on the content of the talks. Discussion lasts for about an hour.

At the end of each discussion round, there is a smooth silence marking that we come to a compromise or an agreement among the group. But I couldn't say whether it's a yes or a no. And what are the concerns the villagers raised?

When it's all over, exhausted, my negotiator tells me what was at stake in their talks. There were no direct concerns about the bridge project itself. Men were discussing the state of repair of the school, of the mosquee, and other collective assets of the village. Not much to do with the project I'm here for! Later I will understand this is the prioritizing process of this villagers. I ask whether details of the bridge project were discussed, negotiator answers they were not. I'm confused.

Food and Sleep

Night is now coming. My negotiator and me are resting in front of our guest's house. Girls bring candles.

Soon, It's time for food. A large plate is brougth: rice and meat sauce. It smells local food. As per the tradition, our guest, his closest male relatives, the negotiator and me all join the plate. A bucket of water allows us to wash our hands. We use our right hand to eat the rice in front of us. As I'm the main guest, people select what is considered being the best pieces of meat and drop them in front of me. For me to eat the lever and all kind of pieces we considered not so nice in western world. I don't want to eat lever pieces and other rat's hand, so I try and avoid them in the plate. It's not polite I know that.

The guest has disappeared and so has my negotiator. Only a man I cannot understand is there. After a while a woman comes and takes me inside. The bedroom is the main bed room of the house. This is my guest's bedroom! He'll let me sleep here and will arrange something else for him. No choice. A boy brings a bucket of heated water for me to wash. And everybody disappears. Finally, an hour later, just before I fall asleep, a youg woman comes in. Present of the village... Again I refused the present. The girl is shamed because she must think she's not pretty enough. The hell she is, but it's not part of my ethics.

Departure

The day after, villagers leave for field work early morning and I soon head back home. My driver accepts to carry all kind of things back to town and we also drive a sick little boy with his mam to the doctor.

On our way back we stop for a while buying a dead squarrel trapped by villagers, and drink a bucket of palm tree wine with them (see picture of the family during field work).

I have never discussed the project with the community. Quite frustrating and uncomfortable! Whether the village will commit to the project or not can't be told at this stage.

Something strikes me in this negotiation: These villagers are very poor but they welcome me as best as they could. I haven't brought anything except the project. I mean nothing personnal, nothing to build a relation between us. There is no relation between us other than business relations... I think of that all the trip back home.