Chairman lc III Kapir meets Kapir peoples grassroot parliament on sunday

The chairman local council III Kapir sub county (Ochen Bony) and the speaker (Adilu Julius) on Sunday met with the leadership of Kapir peoples grass root parliament and the staff of PAC-Uganda to discuss on the monitoring and implementation of the 25%and 5% that the local council authorities had given out. The chairman on his speech told the team that the sub county council sat and resolved that grass root parliament be given power to monitor the implementation of the village action plan that was drafted by the local council ones and submitted to the sub county for funding. The 25% was meant for local council one and 5% was meant for local council II. Kapir has a total of 32 villages and of which each one has received (600,000) for implementing the village action plan .Kapir peoples grass root parliament is one of CBOs that is support by PAC-Uganda and its also one of the CBOs that has been preaching the gospel of Citizens Manifesto in Ngora district. Kapir is one of the sub counties in Teso region that has moved a step a head in terms of good governance.

RIC-NET trains PAC staff on ICT

The staff of PAC-Uganda and TAC uderwent serous trainning on the management of the data centre on 21-Nov-2011 in Soroti. The training was facilitated by RIC-NET under the new project called citizens manifesto in action. The team that came to facilitate was led by John Silco the ED of RWECO. The training was basicaally on how to send messages to the blog and how to communicate using ICT (skype). In addition to the training, PAC-Uganda also recieved one new projector from the same team.

TRAINING OF DATA CENTRES KICKS OFF

In line with the new CEW-IT Project under EU and OxfamNovib aimed at ‘citizen’s manifesto in action: building a social contract between citizens and their leaders , there is need for deployment of modern information Technologies to facilitate information knowledge sharing between citizens and their leaders.
In light of the above, RIC-NET kicked off her role of setting up data centres and conducting trainings in ICT to enable effective use of the technology in reporting governance issues concerning citizens and welfare.
The trainings were conducted on 21st and 22nd November 2011 in Eastern Uganda -Soroti at PAC (Public affairs centre) offices, and in northern Uganda –Gulu at ACORD (Agency for Coorperation and Research in Development.
The trainings started with a brief over view of Uchaguzi- Uganda (ww.uchaguzi.co.ug). UCHAGUZI is a collaborative initiative of CEW-IT (Citizen’s Election Watch – IT) HIVOS, and OxfamNOVIB.

UCHAGUZI is a platform that is built on simple technology USHAHIDI’s web and mobile-based software, enabling citizens to extend their role and responsibility to actively engage in the protection of democracy while ensuring that government as the provider of electoral services actively responds to their demands in near time.
RIC-NET ED took members in training of E-platforms that is blogs, skype, twitter as well as citizen voice. The participants were impressed by the skills they gained and many of them were able to upload information on the blog and creating personal blogs, the most interesting part was Skype as everyone took the chance to chat and make free calls to their colleagues.
The ICTO took members thru maintenance tips, he highlighted on the importance of Repair and maintenance. He highlighted common computer problems such as viruses, Dust, Power surges, Water/ food stuffs, the participants were also given tips on how to keep their computers safe one of which was to make sure that the computers are scanned regularly, and back up the data on external drives.

acholi-to-be-sensitized-on-the-national-citizens-manifesto in Action

Acholi to be sensitized on the National Citizens Manifesto.
Publish Date: Nov 12, 2011

By Lilian Namataka
Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development, ACORD, is to sensitize the people of Acholi Sub region on the Citizens National Manifesto.

The drive is aimed at arming the people with information that will enable them hold their leaders accountable to the people they represent at the various leadership levels.
The EU funded sensitization project under Oxfam Novib is to last a year, and it is kicking off officially next week.
This follows research that shows that majority of the people have no idea what the Citizens National manifesto is or its contents, and what it means to them as Ugandans.
It has also emerged that majority of Ugandans have no idea that it is their right to hold their leaders accountable by making a follow-up on promises made during campaigns, to see that they are fulfilled.
Bernard Loum, the focal person for Citizens Elections Watch for northern Uganda that is implementing the project says:
"Majority of the people think and believe that once a leader is elected and assumes office, for instance as an LC5 chairperson, he is now untouchable and only refer to him as Chairman, or Honorable in case of an MP. So, they think it is a sign of disrespect for the people to demand that the leaders work on the pledges they made during campaigns."
The National Citizens’ manifesto is a document that was drafted by the citizens of Uganda IN 2010 representing the voices of over 60,000 Ugandans, from selected sub-counties and parishes.
The document, which is endorsed by all politicians, also highlights development concerns the average Ugandan faces day-by-day, a citizen vision of the Uganda they desire, key national values and interests and demands in the economy, society, politics and policy.
Some of the things that the citizens highlighted in the Citizens’ manifesto are: demand for free and quality services for all Ugandans, a corruption-free, peaceful and secure Uganda, demand for justice in northern Uganda, preservation of the dignity of every Ugandan.
"Once the people are sensitized on this document, and on their rights, they will be able to fully demand that their leaders provide the necessary services, as an obligation and not as a favour," Loum explains.
To carry out this project, ACORD is to work with 30 community-based organisations (CBOs) selected from all the districts in Acholi sub-region.
Among the CBOs selected include Youth Strengthening Strategy /youth movers, Community Advocacy for Rural Development, Amuru youth group, Children of the World Foundation, Loyoro Otim Kikomi, FORDE Uganda, and Dwoka Paco Women’s Group.
The CBOs are to use communication platforms like community dialogues, dramas, printing T-shirts with desired messages, holding radio talk shows, among others.
The Gulu district language board is also to translate the National Citizens Manifesto into the local Luo language to enable the local communities better understand its contents.

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/29967-acholi-to-be-sensitized-on-the-national-citizens-manifesto.html