Darlene former VSO with RFPJ honoured

North Shore News November 24, 2010

North Vancouver residents Darlene Gage and Jean Domingue are being honoured by CUSO-VSO for their work in Uganda from 2007 to 2009.

According to a written statement, they spent two years working with CUSO-VSO on two unique projects in Fort Portal.

Gage has been working in the non-profit sector for 25 years on various projects involved with peace, the environment and social justice work. In Uganda, she helped the Ruwenzori Forum for Peace and Justice develop conflict resolution and mediation strategies. The organization is a network organization in Uganda that's responsible for helping smaller organizations in the region build and get stronger.

Domingue, a carpenter and builder, was able to find a project in Uganda helping people learn construction skills. He worked with the Toro Botanical Gardens, where he helped local builders develop a packaging and processing facility that the gardens use to distribute medicinal herbs throughout the region.

CUSO-VSO has been training and sending volunteers to share their knowledge and expertise in education, HIV/AIDS, disability, health, secure livelihoods, and participation and governance for 50 years in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers have made lasting impacts on the international communities they've worked in as well as at home in Canada.

In 2011, CUSO-VSO will commemorate 50 years as the world's largest volunteer-sending agency focused on international development. An event will be held at the University of British Columbia Dec. 4 and 5 in honour of volunteers past, present and future.

For more information visit

www.cuso-vso.org

http://www.nsnews.com/CUSO+honours+residents/3877436/story.html#ixzz16QKuOj2j

RIC-NET Staff Participates in Setting up Election Monitoring DATA Centers in TESO, Northern Uganda and West Nile regions

Mr. Bwambale Edwin, ICTO RIC-NET setting
up the LAN at PAC Uganda

RIC-NET under CEW-IT is participating in establishing a DATA Centers in the regions of TESO, Northern Uganda and West Nile at PAC Uganda in Soroti, ACCORD in Gulu and CEFORD in Arua respectively. The whole process is going on very well. So far the DATA Centers at PAC Uganda and ACCORD are complete and operation. Trainings have been held to ensure that the Centers are effectively utilized to satisfy the intended objectives. Next is the Journey to Arua, that’s on 24th November, 2010 to set up the Center in Arua at CEFORD.


The Chairperson of PAC Mr. Omwata Charles was introduced to the election platform of uchaguzi in PAC office in Soroti today.
This was during the setting up exercise of the TESO Regional Data centre under the CEW-IT project to which PAC belongs.


Mr. Murugahara John Silco, the Programs Manager
RIC-NET introduces the Chair Person of PAC Mr. Omwato
Charles to the Election Monitoring Platform.


The role of RIC-NET in the CEW-IT project is to provide ICT technical expertise to the activities of the project. For more Information about the activities of the project, you can visit the following sites;

1. CEW-IT News Update Blog
2. Rwenzori Peoples Voice Blog
3. Uchaguzi Election Monitoring Platform
   

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Compiled by

Mr. Bwambale Edwin

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RIC-NET STAFF JOINS KALI,IWDP & GHFRD (RWECO MEMBERS ) TO EVALUATE A TWO YEAR EU/HIVOs FUNDED PROJECT

Rweco members have started evaluating the two year EU/HIVOs funded project. The project was initiated way back in November 2008 and has lasted for two years. The aim of this project was to enhance the civic competence of the citizens to participate in the local government planning and feedback process and demand for accountability in order to influence service delivery.

During the evaluation, Rwenzori Information Centers Network presented their success stories as per result area as follows:

1. Building the capacity of the citizens to participate in local government planning and demand for accountability

· Documentation

Posters 4 Editions (500 copies each)

Newsletters 7 Editions (500 copies each)

Banners 9 different banners

Video Documentaries 2 Editions

Blogs http://rwecovoice.blogspot.com

Documentation of partner activities e.g. Kisangi primary school, Rwentaiki Primary school (IWDP) Public expenditure audit (GHFRD, KALI, IWDP)

· Information sourcing

Collection of Sub county development plans from 20 sub counties and 3 district plans

· Sharing information with the world and the community

NGO News Africa http://www.ngonewsafrica.org/?p=718

New vision 3^rd October 2010, Kanyampara water channel http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/18/733904

All Africa.com

http://allafrica.com/stories/201010040296.html

· Radio talkshows:disscusing community projects in the sub development plans

2. Capacity Building of LG and CSOs to account to the community for better service delivery

} 8 trainings on ICT use with LG and CSOs

} 4 trainings on the IEC materials with CSOs

} 1 training CSO portal

Evidence http://kasesenews.blogspot.com/2010/10/training-on-e-library-for-kasese.html

http://rwecovoice.blogspot.com/2009/12/adding-mobile-component-to-e-society.html

} Physical equipments to the Local Government to kick start the E-Society Centre; http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Technology/-/688612/816942/-/tv6sdf/-/index.html

http://www.i-network.or.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=350

} Continuous Computer Literacy training to individual users from the District Local Government and the CSOs to the E-Society ICT Centre; http://kasese.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-csos-portal-training

} Platforms development for Information sharing;

http://www.kasesecso.org/ - Kasese CSOs Portal

http://www.kasese.go.ug/ - Kasese District Website

http://kaseseelibrary.org - Kasese District E-Library

http://dgroups.org/iicd/kasese - Kasese Community D- Group

http://kasesenews.blogspot.com/ - Kasese District News Blog

http://rwecovoice.blogspot.com/ - CSOs News Blog

http://www.kabaroledistrict.go.ug/ -Kabarole District Website

Documentation for District Content.

Documented UNAID-HIV/AIDS survey statistics for Kasese district, Health department and computer was given to the district.

3. Participating CSOs have improved capacity to influence LG service delivery

· Have trained participating organizations to use ICT tools as platforms for Information sharing;

Letter of Appreciation and recognition;

http://ric-netnews.blogspot.com/2010/09/appreciation.html

http://rwenzoriruralhealthservices.blogspot.com/

http://ric-netnews.blogspot.com/2010/10/kasese-cso-portal-trainingp-by-erastus.html

http://kasese.ning.com/

— Trained CPFs on how to document and take pictures;

— Have Built a D-group & other platforms where CSOs and citizens have shared issues concerning services delivery e.g. Discussion on dividing Kasese District; http://dgroups.org/ViewDiscussion.aspx?c=06190e42-e0f5-4576-9b4d-18637aa0016b&i=6e4890c5-2d65-4a01-aff2-db3d89d15b55

— Helped participating CSO to identify and procure the ICT equipments; such as setting up the Local Area Network (LAN) for KALI

4. Improved dialogue between LG and CSOs

· Held round table meetings to discuss: what info, how it’s needed, in what form. This was to help LG, CSOs and citizens identify how dialogue can be realized.

· Concept of E-Society where LG, CSOs and Citizens have started using the platforms for sharing information.

· Joint assessment of I.C.T needs and tools to be used; referred to ICT Needs assessment report.

· Joint radio talk shows with LGs and CSOs

RIC-NET staff attend an IEC training by timothy

Election Observation in Zanzibar

A team of 6 persons from Citizen Election Watch-IT Uganda and one person (Odhiambo Morris) from Kenya participated in the Election Observation process in Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar from 25^th October – 3^rd November 2010. A similar team of 8 other persons were deployed in Arusha and Mwanza. The main purpose was to share learning and gain experiences on conducting observation for election and use of ICT tools as an integral part of election monitoring which can be used as Uganda prepares for the 2011 elections.

The team participated under the auspices of Legal and Human Rights Centre (Tanzania), which is the lead organization in the consortium called TACCEO (Tanzanian Civil Society Consortium on Election Observation) which was formed to monitor the 2010 elections using the selected observers and poll watchers at different levels in the constituencies in parts of the region. The Ugandan team was split in groups to have a wider coverage and capture issues in parts of Dar Es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha and Zanzibar. This was well coordinated by the TACCEO Regional Coordinator for Dar Es Salaam Dr. Rose Mwaipopo, Harusi in Zanzibar and Jimmy lhuhende in Mwanza.The key highlights observed during the reporting period are presented below:

Campaign process

- The campaigns were good and complied with the government regulations governing the campaigning process and procedure.

- There were cases of sporadic and isolated incidences of violence as reported in some constituencies. These were instantly corrected.

Polling day – 31^st October 2010

The election was peaceful in most of the polling stations visited and were opened in time except one centre at Mbagala Kibonnde Maji station that started at 10.00 am. Despite all these, all those who turned up voted and by 4.00 pm most stations closed with no one queuing to vote

- Most political parties especially CCM, CUF and CHADEMA were represented by their agents with a list of voters to confirm whether their names marched with the respective numbers which made the exercise more transparent. The party agents conducted the entire exercise in a friendly manner regardless of their ideological leaning. They were also friendly to election official.

- The team noticed low voter turn up in the polling stations visited with less than 50%.

- The team witnessed the way votes were counted, filling of the declaration forms and signing of the forms by the party agents to confirm their satisfaction with the results.

- Majority of the polling staff appeared to know what they were doing on polling day and acted efficiently and professionally but a few officers and assistants did not appear certain about the election commission’s guidelines.

- Most of the Invalid ballot papers at the polling stations visited were not ticked which could have resulted from inadequate voter education.

- Police officers were deployed at all the polling stations visited and police who where not on duty voted among other citizens.

Post election events

- The team was also concerned about the slow pace at which election results were being announced and the anxiety which this delay caused among stakeholders

- There was evidence of security personnel deployed in some parts to curb off outbreak of violence.

NEC, TACCEO, MEDIA

- The voter register was displayed 8 days before the elections to allow voters cross check their names and raise complaints before actual voting day. Cases of disqualified voters and missing names were reported and action taken on some of them to allow them vote.

- Constituency Observers deployed by TACCEO that worked with the Ugandan team looked motivated and knew the issues in their areas. They were able to brief the teams about the situation in the constituency and guided us to the campaign rallies and polling stations.

- News coverage and access of the state media notably TBC, Daily News and Habari Leo Newspapers by different political parties were balanced in their reporting.

Use of ICT by TACCEO

www.uchaguzi.or.tz

The ICT centre was housed at LHRC offices in Dar Es Salaam

- The use of the ICT portal empowered citizens to report on incidences during the election process in real time on the website

- Having many (about 40) volunteers to approve and verify all the incoming reported incidences/text messages was very effective.

- There was action taken about some of the messages sent that required Police or NEC action. This was timely communicated to the relevant authorities

- The centre had all the contacts of the key Police Officers which made the work easy to implement messages that needed police action

- Messages were coming in both Kiswahili and English. This enabled the public to freely express themselves in the language they are comfortable with.

- Total number of reports approved and verified as at 2^nd November 2010 were 1486.

- The use of other social media like the skype, twitter, jamii forums, Uchaguzi situation rooms were very effective in supporting the web portal in being up and running by all parties involved.

IEC Materials Multimedia Training kicks off

Participants sharing ideas with the trainer Mrs Rachael Kadama

A training on IEC materials development 2 kicked off on 8th November 2010 at Sports view hotel. The Training is involves trainees from E-Society Kasese under Rwenzori Information Centres Network (RIC-NET), Health child and Uganda Commodity Exchange (UCE). It is being facilitated by I-Network and IICD. The training basically focuses on enhancing skills in effective writing, photos and video shooting and production (editing). The training is running for seven days from monday to Saturday 13th November 2010. The objective of the training is to enhance information sharing among the civil society organizations and the relevant beneficiaries. I promise to keep you updated on all that is taking place at the training.

Posted by,

Bwambale Edwin
Trainee in the IEC Materials Development programme 2