RIC-NET ACTIVITIES FOR CELEBRATING THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE 21st SEPTEMBER 2018

Every year, Uganda joins the rest of the world to celebrate the International Day of Peace. 

Sustainable Development Goal 16 “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions” calls for promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

A peaceful society is one where there is justice and equality for everyone. Peace will enable a sustainable environment to take shape and a sustainable environment will help promote peace.

The theme for the International Day of Peace in 2018 is “The Right to Peace - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70” The selection of this theme is against the background that the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) does not include the right to peace as a separate Article. This non-inclusion, in face of intractable globalized and localized threats to peace calls for candid conversations on what the right to peace means to us, both in our local and shared settings.

In the context of Rwenzori region, threats to peace anchor on social, political and economic injustices linked to several interwoven factors including; the management, use of and access to land and other natural resources; governance deficits and the growing culture of political violence; cultural and political extremism in the context of cultural and political pluralism that characterizes the region; corruption and the diminishing culture of accountability and; inadequately tapped potential of women and youth to influence the peace agenda with their communities.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the Rwenzori region have a long tradition of celebrating a peace week preceding September 21^st. In this tradition, CSOs value the uniqueness of the region and the need to domesticate and localize the international day of peace celebrations. In line with this year’s international theme, CSOs propose to pay special attention to inter-ethnic collaboration in the pursuit of peace and reconciliation.

During the peace week, CSOs seek to achieve the following objectives

1.  To raise public awareness on social and cultural rights in the Rwenzori region. 
2. To generate consensus on the respect for social and cultural rights in the Rwenzori region
3. To amplify voices of youth and women using media and other spaces as avenues for engaging with key regional stakeholders on the pursuit of inter-ethnic dialogue and reconciliation.

ACTIVITIES

• Interactive and informative radio talk shows in the Rwenzori region
• District-specific dialogues on matters pertaining to peace, governance, social accountability, land and natural resource management.
• Dialogue meeting among  the  youth from Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu (OBR), Basongora, Banyabindi, Obukama bwa Tooro Kingdom, Obundighiya bwa Bwamba (OBB), security agencies and Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MOGLSD).
• peace caravan in Ntoroko District
•  youth sports for peace football competition
•  Civil society fair
• inter-school peace gala to kick start the civil society fair
• District Peace marathon 2018
• Public celebration of the international day of peace

EXPECTED OUT PUTS

1.         At least 1000 members of the public aware of social and cultural rights.
2.      Generated consensus on at least one aspect of respect for social and cultural rights.
3.     . At least 5 spaces created for women and the youth to interface leaders on aspects of interethnic dialogue and reconciliation.
4.     At least 30 CSOs able to showcase their works to the public on aspects of good governance, transparency and accountability.