Civil Society Leaders Denounce the Continued Police Brutality, Lack of Accountability, professionalism and Impunity in the Security Forces.

Date:               23^rd April, 2012

Contact:          Uganda Governance Monitoring Platform (UGMP)

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Civil Society Leaders Denounce the Continued Police Brutality, Lack of Accountability, professionalism and Impunity in the Security Forces.

“The fact that a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court has been committed by a person pursuant to an order of a Government or of a superior, whether military or civilian, shall not relieve that person of criminal responsibility unless: (a) The person was under a legal obligation to obey orders of the Government or the superior in question; (b) The person did not know that the order was unlawful; and(c) The order was not manifestly unlawful.  2. For the purposes of this article, orders to commit genocide or crimes against humanity are manifestly unlawful.” – Article 33 of the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

We the leaders of civil society in Uganda strongly condemn the increasing use of barbaric and uncivil methods by security agencies while claiming to manage public order. The most recent of these incidents was the brutal and insensitive fondling of FDC women league chairperson, Ingrid Turinawe’s breasts on Friday 20th April 2012. This particular incident is one of many attempts by the police to publically harm and humiliate the same citizens who they have a constitutional mandate to protect and safeguard. We note that this incident occurs in the context of an increasingly militarized police force whose viciousness has been questioned by the public but condoned by the state. Such incidents inevitably depict a rapidly deteriorating governance order.

This shameless display of state brutality and use of sexual assault and molestation was perceivably meant to intimidate and threaten Ugandans of good will who might attempt to blow the whistle on the excesses of the state. Such brutal acts by a public security agency denote a state thoughtless of dignity and sanctity of human life

Youth take action for Sustainable Development: Our Future is worth it.

Sustainable development has emerged as one of the most prominent development paradigms over the last four decades. It aims at providing a holistic approach, enveloping several dimensions such as economic, environmental, social and participatory development into a single framework. Over the years, we have seen a growing institutionalization of sustainable development on the international level. In 2009, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) decided “to organize, in 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development at the highest possible level, including Heads of State and Government or other representatives”

In June this year, world leaders will convene in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, called Rio+20. The Conference is aimed at Spurring actions that will help people and countries move toward a greener economy that will promote more jobs, greater prosperity, less poverty, and ensure that we all live in decent and safe communities and in addition to improving the way we manage the challenges of sustainable development.

World leaders will also consider

“A FACT FINDING ON NODDING DISEASE IN OKIDI AND AKWANG SUB-COUNTY KITGUM DISTRICT”

Background of the disease:

A disease only known by many as “Nodding disease” was first reported by the Acholi parliamentary group to parliament to the then Minister of Health in 2004. However it was not called the nodding disease, it was referred to as the “strange disease”. It has since emerged that the report on the strange disease reached to the Ministry of health in 2009 according to the current Director General Health Services Dr. Jane Achieng.

The cultural belief on the causes of the diseases:

• Witch craft and evil spirit
• Relief food that had pieces of broken bottles and the chemically treated beans meant for agriculture that people ate due to hunger
• Bombs used during the war
• Epilepsy
• Dirty water from the wells/springs and bites from Black flies (mostly found along the water/river banks)
• Trauma due to the war
• Eating of the Bush meat.

 All in all the signs and symptoms are observed when a child is given food to eat, although the child is angry, s/he does not realise the taste of food and seizures. Health workers believe that the disease affects the brain and destroys the sense of taste and feeling. Different agencies have intervened but the possible causes of the disease have not yet been established by either the Ministry of health or the world health organisations and other development partners.

The Purpose of the Finding:

To find out the socio-cultural and economic impact of nodding disease on the population, especially children and women, in kitgum district and how much the local government and the central government is doing on the ground to help the affected families.

Secondly the Fylaa Alumni to get valuable information about nodding disease that shall help in advocating for government interventions to manage the disease nationally.

Research Findings:

Every Effort, Every Penny Counts

Dear everybody, this morning i am compelled to write to you to help a couple of colleagues who urgently need help and save at least two lives.

Pius Engetu is a colleague of mine at FOWODE Young Leaders Alumni Association and with him, we have organised and carried out several school outreaches and charity outreaches to to providence homes of the disabled. Late last year, his dad was diagonised and recommended for a kidney transpalnt and he was confirmed the kidney donor. I promised to add my effort to his own when he approached me.