Action Group presentations close Gulu trip

The Gulu portion of the Global Kimeeza II closed on Friday with presentations from each of the three focus groups. The presentations, which centered on Youth as Peacebuilders, Poverty Relief and Economic Development, and Justice and Forgiveness, laid the foundation for the Action Statement that Kimeeza participants will write at the end of the conference.

Participants spoke of the need for education and economic empowerment, discussed a variety of practical steps youth can take to ensure their needs and voices are heard by decision makers, and emphasized the importance of cultural traditions in post-conflict northern Uganda. They also pledged to take a large role in the building of national unity and the reconciliation of regional tensions.

The Gulu participants were awarded Certificates of Participation and will return to their communities to continue their work towards peace and reconciliation in Uganda. The American participants headed back to Kampala to complete the Action Statement and present it at the Kimeeza closing ceremony on Monday.

Kimeeza participants Miriam and Brooke

Kimeeza Mentor program a success

Yesterday Kimeeza participants partnered with local organizations to go into the community and observe the many types of non-profit work in Gulu. These organizations ranged from Invisible Children, which runs income-generating projects and assists local schools, to The AIDS Support Organization (TASO), which provides counseling and other services to those affected by HIV.

Participants enjoyed this opportunity to see organizations at work, and the variety of knowledge and experience they gained will add a new dimension to the Action Plan they are currently drafting.

GYPA thanks the organizations that supported this event:

• Gulu Development Agency
• Invisible Children
• Gulu University Peace and Conflict Center
• Acholi Education Initiative
• Little Sisters of Mary Center for Disadvantaged Children
• TASO - Gulu
• Helping Hands (supported by Quakers)
• SOS International

Global Kimeeza travels to Gulu

The Gulu portion of the Global Kimeeza kicked off on Monday evening with a visit from Fabius Okumu-Alya, the Director of the Gulu University Center for Conflict Management and Peace Studies and the newly appointed Minister of Justice for the Acholi region. Mr. Okumu was instrumental in the development of the Juba Peace Talks, and he spoke to participants about the importance of their work at the Kimeeza. "I'm confident that you can come up with a plan that can be utilized," he said. "What comes out of your dialogue may be an eye-opener to us — something we can implement at a professional level."

Mr. Okumu pledged to bring a recommendation to Juba stating the necessity of youth involvement in the peace process.

"The youth are a force to reckon with."
— Fabius Okumu

On Tuesday participants met with Odokarach Shanty Francis, the Advocacy, Information and Research Officer for Gulu Support the Children Organization (GUSCO). He spoke about the variety of methods GUSCO uses to rehabilitate formerly abducted children. Many of the Gulu participants have conducted research at GUSCO; for the Americans, the visit was an opportunity to learn about rehabilitation from one of the most widely-recognized expert organizations in the field.

Participants then traveled to the Paicho Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, home to over 17,000 Ugandans who have been displaced from their homes by the LRA conflict. At Paicho, we met with Arop Dennis, Assistant Director of the Gomo Tong program, which works to rehabilitate returnees in the camp. Participants split into small groups and toured the camp with Gomo Tong members.

Tuesday evening brought a visit from 91-year-old Acholi storyteller Ak Akera, who entertained participants with stories of his life in Uganda under British colonialism. His visit added a new perspective to many participants' understanding of the current situation in the country, and his stories were a most welcome addition to the Kimeeza.

Breakdance for Social Change

The Kimeeza participants are a group of youth dedicated to creating positive change in Uganda. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds and have many talents that range from blogging to, as we witnessed last night, breakdancing.

Abraham (Abramz) Tekya comes from Kampala and is the founder of Breakdance Project Uganda, an organization that works with underpriviledged youth throughout the country. BPU uses breakdance and hip-hop to engage these youth in positive group action, providing free lessons to anyone who wants to join. Those who participant are also trained in how to be teachers, enabling them to pass on their skills and to take leadership roles in their communities.

Last night Abramz brought three BPU members to Makerere University Business School to perform and tell other participants more about the project. Their dancing showcased a creative, innovative way to contribute to social change in Uganda. It was also a lot of fun:

Breakdance Project Uganda member Abdul

More Kimeeza Media

The Global Kimeeza II has earned media attention from SANYU FM Radio, one of Kampala's main radio stations. The Kimeeza was featured today in their news.

Also, African Path, a web site aggregating news and events from all over the continent, has posted information about the summit.

Practical Reconciliation with the Ugandan Permanent Secretary of Internal Affairs

"The future of this country lies in the hands of the youth here."
— Ugandan Permanent Secretary of Internal Affairs

This morning Kimeeza participants had the opportunity to discuss practical reconciliation steps with the Ugandan Permanent Secretary of Internal Affairs. The Secretary believes, "In this diversity, youth have a major role to play in forging a common good." He stressed that forgiveness and cooperation, not revenge, are the way forward, and he thanked GYPA and the Kimeeza participants for their work in this direction.

Kimeeza Coordinator Josh Goldstein with the Ugandan Permanent Secretary of Internal Affairs

Global Kimeeza featured in the New Vision

The opening session of the Global Kimeeza II was featured today in one of Uganda's leading newspapers, the New Vision. Ugandan Minister of Youth James Kinobe and American participant Mai Shaffner were both quoted in the article.

Day Two: The Launch

"Youth are important peacebuilders because they still have hope. They are a bridge between the young and old generations."
— Abramz, Ugandan participant

Today's official launch of the Global Kimeeza II met with excellent speakers, forward-thinking discussion and much excitement.

We were honored to have Ugandan Minister of Youth James Kinobe speak at the opening session. Minister Kinobe praised the Kimeeza participants for their demonstrable commitment to reconciliation and reconstruction. He discussed the many roles of youth, both positive and negative, in conflict and development, telling participants, "As young people, you are the center of everything."

"The world has become a global village. When I sneeze here, people in American get a cold."
— Minister of Youth James Kinobe

Minister Kinobe urged GYPA members to continue in their strong partnership with youth around the world, emphasizing the many connections that tie the globe together. Northern Uganda Peace Initiative Chief of Party Stig Marker Hansen also touched on global connections and how they can be used to rebuild Uganda. He talked about the many regional implications of the conflict and the practical steps Americans can take towards reconstruction.

Kimeeza participants with Ugandan Minister of Youth James Kinobe

One of the most important of these practical steps is poverty reduction, a topic risen by GYPA Country Director Joseph Bagambaki Kaliisa and discussed in depth by Rodney Schuster, the Executive Director of Uganda Microfinance Limited, one of the leading microfinance institutions in Uganda. Mr. Schuster's presentation on the role of microfinance in poverty reduction set the stage for the Poverty Relief and Economic Development group discussion.

This group is one of three Action Groups into which Kimeeza participants have been divided. Each group (Poverty Relief and Economic Development, Youth as Peacebuilders, Justice and Forgiveness) is made up of both American and Ugandan participants and has been tasked with examining their specific issues and reporting their findings to the Kimeeza as a whole.

One of the main goals of the Global Kimeeza is to translate theoretical discussion into practical action steps. Participants have already developed several ideas for the Action Plan, the document that they will create and present at the end of the Kimeeza. The Action Plan will enlist the support and define the role of youth in post-conflict northern Uganda, serving as a model for others who want to contribute to reconstruction efforts.

The discussions began today will continue throughout the Kimeeza as participants meet with more speakers, visit organizations working for peace in Uganda and travel to Gulu. Check back tomorrow for more news from Kampala.


Kimeeza participants at the opening session

Day One of the Global Kimeeza II

This morning, GYPA Uganda Staff were thrilled to welcome the American Global Kimeeza II participants to Uganda. All arrived safely, and the students had a full day of settling in at the Makerere University Business School (MUBS) in Kampala, exploring the city, and learning more about the Global Youth Partnership for Africa and the goals for the Global Kimeeza II.

The Kampala participants arrived in the evening, and the two groups met and interacted over dinner at MUBS. Topics of conversation ranged from peacebuilding to religion to politics to breakdancing, and all are looking forward to an exciting day tomorrow as we officially launch the Global Kimeeza II.

Check back for photos, personal stories, participant spotlights and more as the Kimeeza continues to develop.

Welcoming the Kimeeza II to Uganda!

Early Wednesday morning, a group of eager American undergraduates will arrive in Kampala for a two week travel conference called the Kimeeza II: The Role of Youth in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda. This is the fourth Global Youth Partnership for Africa (GYPA) trip in the last 12 months and I'm happy to be a part of it. The two week program in Kampala and Gulu, will bring together American and Ugandan youth interested in a rebuilt and reconciled northern Uganda. These programs are innovative because they are travel/education hybrids; there is the experiential component of seeing a brand new place but also the education/practitioner component of engaging in first hand issues of community building and reconciliation.

I think this particular trip will be fascinating because it is the first GYPA program since the cessation of hostilities in northern Uganda, which means the people of northern Uganda, though inherently skeptical after 20 years of off and on war, have more to hope for and work for than ever before. One of the things I like about these programs is the energy that is created, both among Americans who generally have not been involved with Ugandan issues in the past, and with the Ugandan youth, many of whom have made advocating for war-affected peoples their life's work. The Ugandans are energized because their work is validated by enthusiastic and optimistic outsiders, and the Americans bring fresh insight and new perspective into difficult community challenges.

As a reminder of how unique a time this is in northern Uganda, here is a New Vision article (not available online) on New Year's celebrations from the North:

"For the first time in 20 years, the Acholi sub-region in northern Uganda ushered in the new year peacefully. In Gulu, there were fireworks at two seperate places and people dance to the morning hours. In Unyama displaces people's camp, 7km from Gulu, a former LRA commander, Onen Kamdulu, staged a thrilling disco performance to excited revellers."

Continue to check the Kimeeza II website for photos, blogs and the occasional podcast.

— Joshua Goldstein, Kimeeza II Uganda Coordinator