All posts by Calvine Kilama

2015 Women’s Advocacy Network Annual General Meeting asks “What is the future?”

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The second day of the Women's Advocacy Network 2015 Annual General Meeting, 18 November 2015.

As the year 2015 come to an end, more than 100 members of the Women’s Advocacy Network (WAN) held their annual general meeting at Comboni Animation Centre from 17th to 18th November 2015 to review the year and discuss plans for 2016. The two day meeting was attended by members from all over northern Uganda to discuss the success and challenges of the WAN.

The meeting was guided by questions such as: what has been done? What has not been done yet? What needs to be done? What is the future of WAN?

The meeting began with an opening prayer by participant members from Can Rwede Pe Women’s Group. After this, the WAN chairperson listed the successes the WAN has achieved in 2015. These included opening a WAN bank account and medical services being secured for people with fragments of bullets still in their bodies. The WAN has alsoregistered in Gulu district as a community-based organisation (CBO), conducted child tracing and family reunification processes, and admitted three new groups from Adjumani, Pader and Lira districts.

The meeting informed participants about some of the pending tasks including following up on the petition WAN made to parliament in 2014, advocating to ensure the needs of war-affected women are considered in the PRDP 3, and also organising a meeting with the Office of the Prime Minister to make proposals for consideration of WAN members in government programmes.

However, challenges were also noted: a member from Rwot Lakica Women’s Group said that too much sunshine has affected their harvest which has affected the yield of  a livelihoods project being implemented by the WAN. Also the threat of physical violence during child tracing and lack of unity and cooperation among WAN group members has at times brought other challenges.

When asked what needs to be done to work effectively in 2016, a member of Okony Wa Women’s Group from Pader said that members should have unity, hard work, continuous lobbying and love for one another.

The WAN’s proposed plan for 2016 includes the groups contributing to the new WAN account through membership dues, proposals for funding being written, child tracing and family reunification continuing, sub-county officials being trained on gender-related issues affecting women, conducting group savings, holding exchange visits, as well as trainings on clerical skills for members.

In all, the AGM was a successful event that brought together more WAN members at one time than any other event. It contributed to exchange and learning among members and has set the foundation for an active and fruitful 2016 for the network.

Read more about the WAN here.

See pictures from the AGM on JRP’s Facebook page here.

A sign of hope – Gulu commemorates International Peace Day in style

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Gulu commemorates International Peace Day on 21 September 2015.
Gulu commemorates International Peace Day on 21 September 2015.

 

On the 21st September 2015, Gulu district joined the rest of the world to commemorate the 33rd International Peace Day at Pece stadium, as a sign that violence and conflict can be eradicated. The theme for the celebration was “partnership in peace and, dignity for all.” The event was attended by various stakeholders including officials from the Acholi Religious Leaders’ Peace Initiative (ARLPI), UN Human Rights, Gulu district officials, CAP Uganda and the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP).

The celebration started with an opening prayer by Bishop Mark Baker Ochola who prayed for the people of Apaa for the land conflict in their area, and appealed to those in power to exercise their power in a way that promotes peace. This was followed by a march from the district administration offices to Pece stadium accompanied by St Mauritz Primary School’s marching band. Prayers were also held at Gulu’s main roundabout and in front of Mega FM radio station.

Muslim cleric Sheikh Musa Khalil read the Quran and emphasized that people should remember that God created mankind from generation to generation including those who shed blood and that it is important to forgive. Other readings were done by Pastor Orach Julius and Rev Loum Godfrey who read from the Bible. Rt Bishop Onono-Onweng noted that on this day the world needs peace because it there are many injustices including hunger, cruelty and other forms of suffering.

Hon Newton Ojok who represented Gulu district chairperson Ojara Mapenduzi, said that the choice of Pece Stadium as venue for the celebration was deliberate as the stadium was built to commemorate the participation of Acholi in World War II and it is also the place where the first peace negotiations with the LRA took place. Peace, he said, means freedom and living in harmony and without peace, there is no development.

Jimmy Patrick Okema the regional police commander said that the region has witnessed several wars which should never happen again and that it takes both the police and the public to maintain peace. Whereas it is the duty of the police to maintain peace, he said, civilians also have a duty to report any suspicious activity to the police.

Kilama Calvine is a volunteer working with the Justice and Reconciliation Project. He is a holder of a Bachelor of Laws Degree of Gulu University and he lives in Laroo, Gulu District.