CPF2007Issue3

NEWS An independent publication from the 2007 Commonwealth People’s Forum, Afrikana Hotel, Kampala, Uganda.

Issue No. 3

Thursday, 22 November 2007

Commonwealth People’s Forum state their demands to the CHOGM

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he Communiqué by the Commonwealth Peoples Forum presented to the Foreign Affairs Minister yesterday strongly urged Commonwealth governments to fulfill their commitments if significant transformation in people's live is to be realized.

The document, which is a product of the deliberation of 9 Pan- Commonwealth national and regional consultations, is

described as a living product that will serve as the basis for engagement with the government and other development partners.

Some of the issues touch on Millennium Development Goals adopted in 2000. The Commonwealth Secretary reports indicates that 27 million people in the Commonwealth member state are HIV positive, 70 million

children are not in school, about 800 million live in less than a $ 1 a day, over 327 million live in slums and an estimated 300,000 material deaths that could have been prevented, take place every year.

The report sends a strong message that a society based on equality, stable and democratic governance, sustainable development, and equitable access to socio-

economic opportunities is not only possible, but achievable.

Some of the critical issues raised in the communiqué, of which they would like the governments to act on as a matter of urgency are; climate change, HIV/AIDS, Financing Development, Good Governance and Gender.

(See full report on page 2)

Women demand that funds for gender projects be increased

By Rosemary Okello and Bernice Sam

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HE saying “put your money where your mouth is” can aptly be applied to explain that true transformation in gender equality can only be achieved if countries invest in women's issues.

Unless national women's machineries are better resourced, realising goals such as the Beijing Platform for Action will remain nothing but a dream.

Uganda's Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Syda Bbumba, says there is a strong link between poverty reduction papers, women's empowerment, and the Millennium Development Goals.

Says Bbumba: “Unless countries strengthen the implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action particularly the critical areas that highlight women's economic empowerment and trade, realising women's potential will remain a dream.”

Speaking during the Commonwealth People's Forum in Kampala during a workshop on gender organised by the Commonwealth Women's Network, Bbumba's sentiment were supported by many speakers.

Giving her remarks at the workshop titled, Realising Women's Potential, Elizabeth Eilor said “realising women's potential for transformation is embedded in economics and includes eliminating discrimination against women and addressing violence against women”.

She said there needs to be centrality of gender equality in all sectors of the public sector.

Her views came at a time when Civil Society Organisations are preparing to attend the High Level Review Forum of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana, next year. The organisations are positioning themselves to transform the outcome of the review in to ensure more funding for gender equality work.

Bbumba said financing gender equality work

is not only relevant to developing countries but also to the developed countries as well.

The Beijing Platform for Action emphasised the importance of identifying and mobilising resources from all sources and across all sectors. It calls for gender perspective to be mainstreamed in budgetary decisions. It further calls for adequate financing specifically for gender equality.

But advocates of gender equality have realised that money and financial flows are inherently political issues and, therefore, it is important for women's groups to influence how countries engage in aid modalities.

There is, therefore, need for women to build solidarity and mobilise themselves in the run-up to the Accra meeting.

Even as they reflected on these issues, gender equality activists were sending a simple message to development partners and Commonwealth: “Make gender equality central to all five principles of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness by including, for instance, gender equality indicators and ensuring that civil society is involved in the processes of its implementation.”

One major criticism is that the Paris Declaration is structured narrowly and exclusively on issues of aid delivery. The Declaration fails to view the delivery of aid as embedded within a human rights framework that should promote sustainable development, gender equality, environmental sustainability and human rights.

During the Commonwealth Partners Forum at the Eighth Women's Ministers Meeting held in June, in Kampala, financing gender equality for development and democracy dominated the two day meeting.

Delegates at the Commonwealth People's Forum have raised concern that the Paris Declaration is gender blind and has no measures that promote women's rights,

Clare de Lore McKinnon, wife to the outgoing Secretary General Don McKinnon. gender equality or human rights standards.

The delegates say the new aid architect is designed to align aid to where each government is supposed to invest on any development using priorities.

Concern has also been raised in governments where gender machinery does not exist, and is characterised by gender inequality and human rights violations. The women at the Forum, have come up with a declaration which calls for, among other issues, raising and tracking use of money for gender equality programmes and creation of national machineries.

They also called on Commonwealth governments to put on their agenda the issue of aid effectiveness and gender responsive budgets.

Even though few researches have been done in this area, few reports indicate that women, as resource, have been unexploited for many years.

A World Bank report on Gender and Growth: Africa's Missed Potential, reveals that Africa is losing out on the productive potential of more than half of its effective workforce, that is the women. This lost opportunity can only be realised if governments invest in the household economy and in raising labour incomes of women.

Any investment should target national poverty reduction strategies among others that will reduce acute time burdens on African women. This can be done through clean water, accessible water, and prioritising labour-saving technology.

Published by African Woman & Child Feature Service for the Commonwealth Foundation. www.awcfs.org

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<<<< THIS IS OUR STAND >>>>

CPF/GEM NEWS

Thursday, 22 November, 2007

CPF communiqué to Foreign Affairs Ministers Honorable Sam Kutesa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uganda Deputy Secretary Generals Ministers and other Representatives Ladies and Gentlemen 1.

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First, I would like to thank the Government and the people of Uganda for the excellent arrangements for the Commonwealth Peoples Forum. We are truly appreciative of and grateful for the warm hospitality.

On behalf of civil society we would also like to thank you all for once again creating a space within your busy schedule, to receive our report as part of this on-going process of constructive engagement between Commonwealth civil society and our governments.

Recalling our successful interactions in Malta, and the joint civil society – government committee for the 8WAMM, civil society sees this as tangible evidence of your continued willingness to listen to and take into account our contributions in your deliberations. We hope this will result in a commitment to and implementation of the recommendations.

We the representatives of civil society from across the Commonwealth, have been meeting in Kampala over the past three days. The results of our deliberations are recorded in our statement to the 2007 CHOGM which has been given to you.

In it we reaffirm and recommit to the CHOGM 2002 endorsement of “a Commonwealth known, owned and valued by its peoples, responsive to their evolving needs , and invigorated by a more focused and productive partnership between government and civil society”.

We welcome the theme of the 2007 CHOGM on “Transforming Commonwealth Societies to achieve Political, Economic and Human Development”. We believe that the theme speaks to some of the essential elements of how people will realize their full potential.

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We stress that transformation is about fundamental change. It is about asking hard questions on how we govern ourselves and organize our societies.

Transformation is about how we rebalance power and redistribute resources, so that people can realize their full potential.

We are convinced that a society based on equality, stable and democratic governance, sustainable development and a more equitable access to socioeconomic opportunities is not only possible but also achievable.

We are deeply concerned that midway between the adoption of the Millennium Declaration and the 2015 end date for arresting poverty and underdevelopment, the Commonwealth Secretary General reports that 27 million people in the Commonwealth carry the HIV virus; 70 million C'wealth children remain unschooled; about 800 million live on less than a $1 a day; over 327 million live in slums; and an estimated annual number of 300,000 maternal deaths take place that could have been prevented in most cases.

10. This document you have been presented with, is a product of the deliberations of 9 pan –Commonwealth national and regional consultations, 6 consultations in Uganda, consultations at the Committee of the Whole (COW); as well as the 21 workshops at the CPF. This is a living document which will serve as the basis of our engagement with government and other development partners as we advance our work as Commonwealth civil society on the road to Trinidad and Tobago.

We would like to draw your attention to key areas in the document.

11. Climate Change On Climate Change we wish to highlight the fact that there is strong evidence that member states are already experiencing the effects on their people, the environment and their economies. We stress that a failure to deal with it will have far reaching

ramifications especially for small island states in the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

CHOGM to assert the commitments of all industrialized countries to meet the UN aid target of 0.7% GDP and to review and monitor progress towards that target every 2 years. Further we call for a joint Commonwealth Civil Society Working Group to explore and develop recommendations for innovative responses to resource needs related to the Accra and the Doha conferences and strategies for their achievement.

12. If you turn to paragraph 23 you will note that we call on Commonwealth member states to act decisively on climate change, including to make a commitment to negotiate a Road Map at the UN Climate Summit in Bali, for a fair, effective, flexible and inclusive post 2012 climate regime, no later than 2009.

13. Education Paragraph 49 calls for Commonwealth member states to endorse and implement the recommendations from the Commonwealth Education Ministers conference in Cape Town, in 2006. We see education as integral to attainment of all the MDGS. 14. HIV and AIDS Paragraph 60 notes that although the C'wealth is home to 30% of the world's population, we carry a disproportionate 60% of the global burden of HIV and AIDS. We call on C'wealth governments to implement the international commitment to universal access to treatment by 2010, among other actions. Further, we wish to underscore that legislation to criminalize HIV positive people must stop and that a more comprehenives and inclusive strategy and approach be taken.

15. Water and Sanitation Noting that next year is the United Nations International Year of Sanitation (IYS), in paragraph 67, we call on member states to recommit efforts and resources to meet the agreed water and sanitation targets as a key intervention.

16. Financing for Development Financing for development, remains a fundamental challenge to the achievement of transformation. Aid commitments made at Gleneages in 2005 have not been fully implemented.

To achieve even the basic goals of the MDGs, we must take a fundamentally different approach. Paragraph 36 calls on C”wealth member states and

17. Good Governance Paragraph 75 notes with deep concern the shrinking of the operational space of civil society especially in the context of the international efforts to counter terrorism.

18. Further, we call on C'wealth governments to institutionalize the participation of women in decision making by achieving the targets set out in the Beijing Platform for Action and the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality.

19. Gender Paragraph 77 underscores that the empowerment of women is key to transformation. CHOGM should move from rhetoric to reality by focusing attention on improving gender equality within Commonwealth States and adhering to agreed commitments in international declarations and conventions.

20. In conclusion, we the representatives of civil society wish to reiterate the importance of this exchange and others such as the Foreign Ministers Roundtable as essential points long the transformation process and agenda.

We the peoples of the Commonwealth, commit ourselves as members of civil society to work with governments and commonwealth institutions to carry out the transformation agenda, to respond constructively and energetically to invitations to form partnerships to bring about social transformation.

We believe this is a critical component in realizing peoples' potential.

We thank you for your attention.

Countries asked to walk the human rights talk

By Harriette Onyalla

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HE issue of human rights abuses not being taken seriously by Commonwealth heads of government reared its ugly head at every available opportunity.

The heads of state were accused of just making promises on human rights issues but nothing they appended their signatures to was translated into action.

Speaking during the Commonwealth People's Forum at the workshop dubbed Commonwealth Human rights Forum: Living up to Commonwealth Commitments, Syed Sharfuddin, chief executive officer at the Commonwealth Consulting and Risk Analysis in London, asked those in the family

to rebuke those who abuse human rights.

“They should be bold enough to protest when a government violates human rights even if that government is considered a friend,” he said.

Sharfuddin, who is a former special adviser on political affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat said although the Commonwealth has compliance mechanisms to monitor the progress of human rights and democracy in member countries, efforts have focused largely on democracy and elections.

“Focus on human rights has been weak but there is an awakening with more awareness now that human rights are actually at the

centre of achieving democracy through free and fair elections.

Human rights and democracy cannot be separated,” Sharfuddin said.

Although some Commonwealth countries have constitutions that guarantee human rights, the provisions are not strong enough to protect these rights.

“The good thing is that Commonwealth countries are positive about including human rights in their constitutions, Sharfuddin said. He added: “There is a lot to be done between having constitutions that guarantee these rights and implementing the provisions of that constitution.”

Even in cases where the constitutions have good provisions

around human rights, Sharfuddin said, they are not being implemented either because a country's police is ineffective or the judiciary is not independent.

Delegates from The Gambia, Zimbabwe and Pakistan issued statements calling on the Commonwealth to take tough action against their governments for rampant human rights violations.

The Gambia delegates pleaded with the Commonwealth to pressurise their government to rein in on army officials abusing human rights with impunity.

The Zimbabwe delegates urged the Commonwealth family to reengage their government in dialogue so as to stem further

Published by African Woman & Child Feature Service for the Commonwealth Foundation. www.awcfs.org

human rights violations in their country. “There is still hope for the Commonwealth to re-engage Zimbabwe as a non-member state just the way they addressed the South African question during apartheid even though South Africa had withdrawn from the Commonwealth,” a statement from the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum read.

Sharfuddin said the Commonwealth had come out more strongly on issues concerning Fiji Islands, Maldives and Cameroon.

“The mechanisms of engaging these governments can be further refined by involving intergovernmental bodies and civil society organizations,” he said

Thursday, 22 November, 2007

<<<< THE COMMONWEALTH AGENDA >>>>

Mckinnon bids farewell to Commonwealth in style

Don McKinnon at the Uganda stall during a visit to the Commonwealth People’s Space.

By Rosemary Okello CHILDREN who have suffered human rights abuses must be rehabilitated, this was the passionate message of outgoing Commonwealth Secretary General, Don McKinnon.

Speaking during a tour of the People's Space, McKinnon called on the Ugandan Government to rehabilitate children who have been abducted by rebels in northern Ugandan so they can have an active life.

Although there have been rallying calls for the war in Northern Uganda to be stopped, the Secretary General asked: “What do you do with the young kids after the war?”

He said the Gulu Youth Centre in northern Uganda, which is a Commonwealth project, was a clear evidence of what the organisation could do.

The People's Space, located at the Hotel Africana, is an independent place created at the Commonwealth People's Forum where the public are allowed to come in and express themselves. It allows them to feel they are part of the conference.

McKinnon noted that countries that adhere to Commonwealth values in the long run do very well economically.

“If you have good democratic institutions and good governance which are supported by people, then one can have confidence in your country,” said McKinnon.

He said that every so often people ask why money is being wasted in such conferences, but it's such fora that help in strengthening Commonwealth values.

“Countries that remain true to these values are those that in the long run do very well economically.”

The Secretary General said that where there is a good democratic institution as well as good governance structures that are owned and supported by the people, one can build confidence in the economy.

“There are a lot of benefits that come with good governance,” McKinnon said.

Talking on livelihood and the need to have a strong policy, the Secretary General said that this can work well in all Commonwealth countries and it must be matched by the benefits that people can feel on the ground.

McKinnon, who is outgoing Secretary General of the Commonwealth after serving the constitutional two terms of four years each, called on the heads of state to respond to what people expect them to achieve during the conference. “They must come up

with ways and means on how they are going to transforms the society,” McKinnon said.

“The fact that our leaders meet every two years enables us to see marginal change in the work of Commonwealth and, therefore, we remain relevant to what people expect of us.”

He said what will be discussed during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), due to start on Friday, are not issues which were discussed five or 20 years ago. “We are going to talk about things we want to do tomorrow,” he reiterated.

Things high on the agenda of the CHOGM are climate change, international trade and governance.

Acknowledging that by Monday he will be

By Sara NicsMcKinnon said out of the Commonwealth, that some of the lasting memories he is taking a way from this conference is in the way Ugandan people have enthusiastically embraced CHOGM. “It is something you don't see in many international meetings.”

He also lauded the partnership between the civil society organisations and the government adding “this will strengthen the outcome document of CHOGM conference”.

Foundation supports civil society

By Sara Nics The Commonwealth People's Forum is coordinated by the Commonwealth Foundation, an intergovernmental organisation that is funded by 46 of the Commonwealth's 53 member states.

“Our mission is to support civil society across the Commonwealth through South-South exchange,” says Vijay Krishnarayan, Deputy Director of the foundation. “Our three programme areas are sustainable development, culture and governance.”

With an annual budget of £3 million, Kirshnarayan says the Foundation's greatest impact is probably the £1 million it grants to

civil society organisations.

“Sustainable development, for example, is a huge heading,” he says. “We use the Millennium Development Goals as a framework for that work. We think the key areas we can effect are education and literacy.”

To that end, the Foundation has been documenting the work of civil society organisations to encourage governments to provide universal free primary education.

In the realm of climate change, among other things, the Foundation trains journalists on the emerging issues. Krishnarayan says journalists can help raise awareness about mitigating the effects of climate change

among other issues.

Krishnarayan is particularly proud of the Commonwealth's work to raise awareness about the importance of culture in sustainable human development.

“We are the only Commonwealth body with a mandate to work on culture,” he says.

As part of that work, the Foundation presents eight Commonwealth Writers' Prizes ever year, to celebrate novels as a means for inter-cultural understanding. Four of this year's winners read excerpts of their work at the People's Space of this week.

For more information about the Commonwealth Foundation, visit http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com

CPF/GEM NEWS

3

Curtain falls on the Forum with a thunderous applause

By Rosemary Okello AS the conference, titled the Commonwealth People's Forum comes to an end today, the Commonwealth Foundation Director Mark Collins is calling on the governments to make transformation a reality by prioritising climate change, addressing all the Millennium Development Goals, HIV/AIDS and human rights.

Talking about the success of the conference, Collins said that the partnership between the civil societies and the government has been exemplified during the Commonwealth People's Forum.

He said: “Civil society also has a life of its own and we are planning to publish the outcome document which they can use to advocate on issues around transformation so we can realise people's potential.”

The half a million dollar conference budget will go down in history as having invigorated and amplified the people's voices in the governance processes.

Chair of the conference, Warren Nyamungasira, is also happy that this conference will go down in history as having galvanised a basket full of ideas which includes business forum, youth forum, People's forum and the meeting of the Heads of state.

He challenged the governments on the need to have a common point of action which together with the civil society they can work together with to realise people's potential.

“As I said in my opening remarks, we have 100,000 years of collective expertise present here at the conference, why can't we all come together and identify the three most pressing things that we must achieve for transformation to take place before the next Commonwealth conference?” He posed Nevertheless, Nyamungasira, said what this conference has been able to achieve is coming up with the succinct recommendations on human rights, governance, MDGs issues, education, gender and the youth, which was presented to the Foreign Affairs ministers as part of their recommendation to the Heads of States.

For Nyamungasira, the theme of this year's Commonwealth People's Forum, Realising People's Potential, which was adopted from the CHOGM theme, Transforming Commonwealth Societies to Achieve Political, Economic and Human Development , can only be achieved in partnership with all the stakeholders.

Lauding the partnership between the secretariat, civil society organisations and the government during the conference, Nyamungasira said everything about the conference has been memorable. He specifically commended the Ugandan government which supported the conference to the tune of US$600,000. He said the People's Space and the interactive area which was opened to everyone had an array of cultural activities which provided an excellent opportunity where ordinary people could engage with the conference.

He also said that The Learning Journeys enabled delegates to move from the rhetoric of workshops into the real life situation.

The conference which was well attended by local and international press could not have been a success without the support of the Civil Society Advisory Committee (CSAC) where each region is represented.

For now, ass the curtain falls on the Commonwealth People's Forum, delegates are taking back home knowledge, networks, friendships as well as unfinished business.

Published by African Woman & Child Feature Service for the Commonwealth Foundation. www.awcfs.org

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<<<< GOVERNANCE >>>>

CPF/GEM NEWS

Thursday, 22 November, 2007

Women’s Organisations cash strapped

By Juliana Omale-Atemi GOVERNMENTS must move beyond the mechanics of aid and focus on the real purpose of aid.

These sentiments were expressed at the Commonwealth People's Forum at a meeting of the Commonwealth Women's Network.

The workshop carried the women's voices from the Commonwealth Partners' Forum and the Eighth Commonwealth Women's Affairs Meeting held in June.

The minister's meeting ran under the theme financing gender Equality for Development and Democracy.

These meetings were informed by the facts realising harnessing financial resources for women's work is difficult. The reason for this is not because of difficulties in accessing funding, but because it challenges the ability of the women's movements worldwide to become stronger, more vibrant and effective.

Reduced funding to women's organisations is linked to the depoliticisation of the concept and failure of the gender mainstreaming agenda, weak tracking systems and the impact of the security agenda and the war against terror.

Zawadi Nyong'o of the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) says money and financial flows are inherently political issues and that influencing them is critical to any strategy for women's rights.

“The challenge of course, is that there just doesn't seem to be enough of us, and while we are privileged to be here today representing our various constituencies, there are millions of voices being left out of these debates,” she added.

Nyong'o's remarks are complementary to the Second Fundher Report: Financial Sustainability for Women's Movements Worldwide, published by the AWID. The report states that despite growing public awareness on the centrality of gender equality and women's rights in development, funding for the protection and guarantee of women's rights and freedoms is grossly insufficient.

For instance last year, 67 per cent of organisations reported having annual budgets of under US$50,000, while less than five per cent of those surveyed reported annual budgets of US$500,000. Most of the latter were based in the developed countries.

Described as being in a state of “survival and resistance”, 729 women's organisations worldwide reported raising a combined annual budget of US$77.5 million in 2005 compared with US$ 396 million raised by Save the Children USA in the same year.

The report adds that growth and sustainability of women's rights organisations is threatened by the fact that majority of organisations depend on sporadic and project-based funding and are rarely able to secure core, multi-year or programme funding.

The Commonwealth Women's Network, chaired

by Marren Akatsa, is affiliated to the Commonwealth Foundation and has among its active members African women's rights advocates Fatma Alloo and Bernice Sam who are also members of the Civil Society Advisory Committee. The Network Secretariat moved to Kampala, Uganda after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta in 2005.

www.commonwealthfoundation.com

Save us, Zimbabweans plead to Commonwealth

By Brenda Zulu IN re-engaging for Zimbabwe to be reinstated into the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, called on the organisation to take up the issue despite President Robert Mugabe's continued defiance.

The widespread concerns over the deepening crisis in Zimbabwe have had a spill-over effect on the Commonwealth People's Forum and the Royal Commonwealth Society supported by Commonwealth organisations, civil society groups and campaigners who have called upon the Commonwealth leaders to re-engage with Zimbabwe as a matter of urgency.

However, Tsvangirai, who is president of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in Zimbabwe was taken to task by those who attended the meeting. The delegates demanded know from him where the real problem in Zimbabwe lay.

The interest focused on the country's land reforms and the internal situation the MDC. However, Tsvangirai dismissed this as media propaganda even as he was bombarded by question after question from the floor of the meeting.

He made reference to efforts of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Initiative by South African President Thabo Mbeki, which is credited with engaging the ruling party in Zimbabwe in mediation talks although he also noted that the situation had not changed for the better for ordinary Zimbabweans.

To reverse the situation in Zimbabwe, Tsvangirai insisted that free and fair elections would be a first step that could significantly reverse the situation.

“We want to be part of the family of nations including the Commonwealth and they must take up this issue as their

own because President Mugabe remains defiant,” said Tsvangirai.

Citizens of the Commonwealth , have affirmed their solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe and are calling upon their leaders to recognise their shared responsibility towards supporting Zimbabweans, particularly in addressing the economic and humanitarian crisis engulfing the country and strengthening a processes of dialogue and negotiation which would assist in rebuilding the nation.

The director-general of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Stuart Mole, observed that although Zimbabwe was no longer a member of the Commonwealth, it was wrong to ignore such an important issue, given the very strong links between the people of Zimbabwe and civil society organisations represented within the Commonwealth.

In an effort to raise Zimbabwe's profile at meetings in Kampala, the Royal Commonwealth Society supported by Commonwealth organisations has initiated a Commonwealth People's Charter on Zimbabwe.

Mole hopes that civil society organisations and individual citizens will sign up for the petition so that the heads of Government meeting will be persuaded to act on Zimbabwe.

Sharing an overview of the current state of human rights issues in Zimbabwe, Legal Resources Foundation chairperson, Nokuthula Moyo, outlined concern about food shortages, the lack of basic commodities and foreign exchange due to a collapsed economy and the challenge over the curtailment of the social and democratic rights of the people.

“If you were to come to Zimbabwe today and walk into a shop, the first thing you will notice is that there is no food in our shops and then you will also notice

Published by African Woman & Child Feature Service for the Commonwealth Foundation. www.awcfs.org

endless queues as people try to get cash out of a bank.

“We have a situation of serious food shortages. How do you feed your children? How do you survive in a country like Zimbabwe?” posed Moyo.

She added that the police continue to harass ordinary people while the justice sector has also gone on strike over wages. She also said that there was no foreign exchange, no electricity as it was imported, and no water in some areas.

She pointed out that the country has the highest inflation rate in the world of up to 8,000 per cent while unemployment levels have continued to rise at more than 85 per cent. As a result four million Zimbabweans live outside their country.

Kumi Naidoo, the Secretary General of the World Alliance for Citizen Participation (CIVICUS), reminded delegates that when Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere told Mugabe that he was taking the jewel of Africa and that he should keep it well.

He reiterated the fact that people of Zimbabwe had suffered so much and also observed that the opposition leaders were brutalised in March, this year.

He called for support of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) mediation effort and the encouragement of dialogue with Zimbabwe to find a way forward. He also called for the creation of space among civil society organisations in Zimbabwe to dialogue with government.

Presenting the bigger picture of human rights injustices in the Commonwealth countries, Maja Daruwala of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative said it was important that CHOGM gives human rights centre stage.

Daruwala insists that there are two types of peace: “Peace with justice and the peace of the grave.”

Thursday, 22 November, 2007

<<<< PICTORIAL >>>>

People’s Forum in Pictures

CPF/GEM NEWS

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A display of innovation and creativity

By Ruth Omukhango ALTHOUGH it was designed as a side event at the Commonwealth People's Forum, the People's Space has stolen the limelight from other main events at the meeting.

Poor people with stalls in the Space managed to rub shoulders with who is who of the world, bringing to reality that social class only existed in people's imaginations.

A walk through the cultural village, which is part of the people's space, revealed the rich heritage among the Commonwealth member states.

In line with Commonwealth People's Forum theme ─Realising the People's Potential ─ the Space gives an opportunity for people from all walks of life to exhibit products that can provide practical solutions to their problems.

This is the first time such an idea is being implemented and will be part of future Commonwealth conferences.

At the People's Space, there are various exhibitions in the stands ranging from music, works of art, internet blogging, agriculture and security.

The exhibitors are drawn from Non Governmental Organisations, film production, herbalists, corporate organisations and community based associations.

For Uganda, the Space created an opportunity for local artists to display their talents and goods.

Excited Ugandans could be seen haggling over prices with delegates eager to have souvenirs. Others were just excited to be there and making a sale did matter.

Irene Kutega, team leader of Executive Souvenirs, Uganda, beckoned delegates streaming past her stand to take a look at her traditionally designed objects such as Tshirts, mugs, key holders and pens.

“We are here to promote our products because they are authentic Ugandan as well as target delegates and local people to buy our products,” she said.

Next to her, stalls belonging to corporate organisations such as the Uganda Telecommunication Limited were crowded with people ready to publicise their products by offering free internet access to the general public.

Gloria Karungi, the organisation's officer in charge, said besides publicity, the activity was designed to retain old customers as well as attract new ones.

“This free service is also a way of giving back to the community through corporate social responsibility,” she said.

On the opposite side, women belonging to a local association ─Agali Awamu Development Association ─were in an upbeat mood showcasing their agricultural products which included vegetables, bananas and various types of soils.

According to Daisy Zimbe, chairperson of the association, they are not only at the Space to sell their products but also to appeal to the government to support the local farmers by promoting small scale agriculture.

Away from these knowledge enriching stalls, delegates were treated to scintillating cultural music produced using cheap and locally available materials such as tree barks and ropes.

Anna Babinaga, coordinator of the People's Space, said this is the beginning of creativity and the people's involvement in the Commonwealth process. Hopefully, Babinaga said, the people's space will bring local people closer to the Commonwealth process by the end of the conference.

Published by African Woman & Child Feature Service for the Commonwealth Foundation. www.awcfs.org

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<<<< TRADE UNIONS & INVESTMENTS >>>>

CPF/GEM NEWS

Call for respect of workers' rights

By Juliana Omale-Atemi A WORKSHOP of representatives for the International Trade Union Council and Commonwealth Trade Union Group took place on the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, with the message that we are not yet out of hoods.

The delegates complained about restrictions on the freedom of assembly, absence of minimum wage legislation and sometimes the incompatibility of national legislation on trade union activities with that of the International Labour Organizations (ILO) standards.

David Elkanah Baliraine of Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union said workers and unions continue to be denied the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

“To a large extent, employers who include both local and foreign investors continue to deny their workers the freedom to join trade unions,” he complained.

The delegates called for the formulation of remedies to guard workers against dangers inherent in employment opportunities resulting from trade agreements.

To this end Commonwealth leaders were urged to establish an observatory to analyse the effects of international trade agreements on Commonwealth countries and develop strategies to mitigate negative economic and employment impacts.

Speakers at the conference included members of the trade union leaders from Uganda and other Commonwealth countries.

The Commonwealth Human Rights Commission, represented by former special advisor on political affairs to the Commonwealth Secretary General, Syed Sarfuddin, expressed solidarity with trade unionists on fundamental freedoms which are core principles of democracy and good

‘To a large extent, employers who include both local and foreign investors continue to deny their workers the freedom to join trade unions’

David Baliraine Elkana governance.

Trade Unions point out that continued human and trade rights violations in Commonwealth countries point to institutional weaknesses of the Commonwealth's capacity to promote and protect human rights in the work place.

The unions called for continued pressure on Zimbabwe government and support for civil society in that country, until fundamental improvements in the human rights situation are achieved, including respect for core labour standards and the cessation of harassment against trade unions.

They also appealed to heads of government to establish a target on labour standards as well as ratifying all eight core labour standards

in the next six years and undertake biennial reviews of progress towards the objective.

Although they acknowledge the UN's recognition of decent work as key to poverty alleviation and an indicator for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the trade unions now want the concept of decent work placed at the core of social and economic policy.

Hence, they are calling on governments to focus investment on people and their access to justice, labour protection, education, health care and clean water among other social concerns.

They are further calling on the Commonwealth Heads of Government to set

up a high-level commission to examine the challenges of climate change in order to create structures to deliver rapid solidarity assistance in the event of natural catastrophes.

They want the organisation to assist countries deal with the challenges of employment transition to a more sustainable economy.

The Commonwealth Trade Union Group consists of trade union centres representing over 30 million workers from 51 Commonwealth countries, while the International Trade Union Council represents 168 million workers in 153 countries and territories with 305 national affiliates.

Trade Unionist held at Entebbe Airport IN 2002, the Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe from its membership. A year later Zimbabwe unilaterally decided to leave the Commonwealth.

Since then it has not been easy for its nationals to attend Commonwealth meetings.

The secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union, Wellington Chibebe, had brushed shoulders with security at the Entebbe Airport when he was briefly detained, simply because he is a citizen of that country and almost missed a chance to attend the Commonwealth People's Forum. He spoke to Khadija Mohammed about his experience.

QUESTION: Is it true that you were stopped at the Entebbe airport?

WELLINGTON CHIBEBE: Absolutely. In fact, we were two Zimbabweans, all from the trade union.

QUESTION: Why were you stopped?

Chibebe: It is just international political games over Zimbabwe's contested membership at the Commonwealth. The immigration officer at the airport denied us a permit, saying we had no business in Uganda. He said Zimbabwe is not a member of the Commonwealth and we should not be part of the Commonwealth People's Forum. He also said as trade unionist we had no role to play at the Commonwealth

meeting.

QUESTION: Why do you think that is so?

Chibebe: They were concerned that since Zimbabwe has been suspended from the Commonwealth, we might use our presence here to campaign against the government and use CHOGM as a platform to embarrass the Zimbabwean and Ugandan governments. The misunderstanding that Mugabe has with Commonwealth has nothing to do with innocent Zimbabweans.

QUESTION: How did you get through immigration?

Chibebe: Senior immigration officers questioned us for about 30 minutes and took details that included information of our accommodation venue in Kampala and a photocopy of our letter of invitation. This was done specifically at the intervention of National Organisation of Trade Union (NOTU) QUESTION: How did NOTU know that you were stopped at the airport?

Chibebe: Coincidentally, we arrived with the secretary general of the African branch of the International Trade Union Confederation. He noticed our delay at immigration. He came in and contacted the national organisation.

QUESTION: What do you think of the process at the Commonwealth People's Forum?

Chibebe: The process is going on well,

especially on human rights.

People spoke strongly about Zimbabwe and against the Zimbabwean government. I'm here to exchange ideas concerning human rights at the workers' rights level. I'm also interacting and networking with the trade union civil society around the world.

QUESTION: What is the relationship between workers' rights and the People's Forum theme of realising people's potential?

Chibebe: Both require equal rights for people around the world.

QUESTION: Do you have any closing comments?

Chibebe: I'm greatly impressed with the level of support that we are getting, and the commitment to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe. The misunderstanding that Mugabe has with Commonwealth has nothing to do with innocent Zimbabweans.

Wellington Chibebe

The people speak out As the world's attention shifts from people, youth and business to heads of state and finance ministers, Sara Nics decided to ask delegates to the Commonwealth People's Forum about their opinions on the global trade paradigm.

What changes are needed in the global trade structure to support truly sustainable development around the world?

Lahoma Thomas (Canada) There needs to be equitable trade policies. Developed countries flood markets with our goods at rock bottom prices. Domestic products in developing nations can't compete. When it's time for them to sell their products to Canada, a lot of their products don't meet health standards, packaging requirements. Those are just protectionist measures cloaked under standards that are not universally applied.

Vicky Ogik Akot (Uganda) The experience I've had with the organisation I've been involved with, we tend to produce a little and we can't meet the demand at market. We can not compete with the world market. If we could have training on how to produce the products well, we could change our scale and sell more.

Solveig Asksen (Norway) I think we really need a global body to control and regulate trade regimes in a fair and transparent way. We should better redistribute global wealth through a small tax on international funds transfers. That would help to bridge the gaps between the rich and the poor.

Samuel D. John (Malaysia) When we think of trade, it is only maximising profit irrespective of what will happen. The byproducts of industry and trade are so negative for the countries that supply the natural resources.

The wellbeing of the people who live where the natural resources come from must be considered. I'm not saying there should be no profit. But in return for the natural resources, there should be some transfer of technology so that developing countries can become producers and investors.

Thursday, 22 November, 2007

7

Presidents urge business to help in livelihoods transformation

By Namukwaya Josephine JUST how critical the business community is to the success of programmes and transformation of people's lives in Commonwealth countries was registered yesterday when two heads of state graced their meeting.

During a gala dinner for the Commonwealth Business Council at Sheraton Hotel, Uganda's President, Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, praised the business community for its effort in transforming societies.

Museveni said those in the business sector have all the tools to help in transforming the Commonwealth countries.

The gala dinner was sponsored by the East African Breweries Limited (EABL), which is also the number one leading tax payer in Uganda.

Museveni said if Uganda can attract more corporate companies to invest in the country, then there will be more jobs and increased incomes, ultimately leading to increased demand necessary for economic growth.

He gave the example of EABL, which promotes livelihoods of people in Kapichorwa, east of Northern Uganda, by buying from the local people barley ─the raw material for making beer. This, he said, was critical for linking agriculture to industrialisation.

“Because of industrialisation, Uganda's economy is likely to be boosted. Industries pay taxes, which enable government to provide services to its people, transforming their lives,” he said.

Earlier at the launch of the Commonwealth Business Forum, Museveni had called on Ugandans and Africans in general, to produce and add value to their products to make them compete favourably in the Western and Asian markets among others.

He gave the example of Singapore and Madagascar who mainly depend on palm oil,

to which they add value, to rake in millions of dollars. This has helped their economies to boom.

Speaking at the same meeting, Kagame said that investing in local entrepreneurship will help develop tourism and enhance the capacity of Information Communication and Technology sector.

He further proposed for the creation of export oriented service industries. Kagame, who was also the key speaker during the dinner, said there is need for East African Community to operate as a family with common purpose and values, good governance, human rights, rule of law, and gender equality.

He said Africa has a vibrant cultural industry as well as talented and skilled human resource which can work effectively with civil society, government and private sectors to transform countries.

But he decried regional infrastructure, such as the impassable roads, the legal border checks, stopping of transit vehicles to move in the night stop, issuing of work permits and visas to Commonwealth residents as impediments to growth.

“Our countries can only utilise their potential by recruiting talented, skilled, responsive and accountable human resource by using ICT to make border clearances better.”

Kagame called on East African governments to use efficient and effective means of transport such as the railway.

He said professionals must be paid handsomely to curb the brain drain that is affecting Commonwealth countries' transformation.

“Africa as a continent has skilled personnel that can compete well in a global market,” Kagame said.

The Rwanda president appealed to the business community to help enhance the interregional trade for accelerated growth.

However, he said, governments have a role of making cost of doing business affordable through removal of business licenses, work permits and free movement of labour among other factors.

“This will then help East Africa to integrate into a dynamic market and abandon exporting raw materials,” he said.

Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, being welcomed to the opening of the Commonwealth People’s Forum by the Executive Director of Commonwealth Foundation, Mark Collins.

Mobilise people to create wealth, Waite advises

By Harriette Onyalla “DO not sweep the problem under the carpet,” was Terry Waite's wise counsel at the opening plenary session of the Commonwealth People's Forum in Kampala, Uganda.

“Identify it, understand it and draw on the strong points of every country to solve it,” the international humanitarian and diplomacy advocate said.

Waite believes the problem is not so much about poverty as the failure of Commonwealth leaders to mobilise their people to create wealth.

This is about people creating wealth by working together to create products that are traded fairly to bring in earnings that allow for decent living as well as savings.

“Why is it that certain countries particularly in Asia have been able to lift themselves significantly into wealth creation while other countries especially in Africa are left behind?” he posed. “It is

Published by African Woman & Child Feature Service for the Commonwealth Foundation. www.awcfs.org

certainly not because people in Africa are slow or lazy or stupid.” He suggested that the path to a better world involves getting to the root of the problem.

“If the people begin creating wealth, government will be able to tax them. This will make the people more anxious to know what their governments are doing with their money and they will be forced to hold these governments accountable,” he said.

Uganda's State Minister for Internal Affairs, Matia Kasaija, said people must hold the government accountable. He gave the example of a time in April when thousands of people ─both men and women ─took to the streets. The demonstration was one Uganda had not seen in a long time.

People were fired up! The hot African sun blazed as if reflecting the fierceness of emotions that charged through the hearts of the thousands of women and men who marched on the dusty streets.

Then, it turned bloody…

Three people died. Two of them

knocked dead by a government vehicle whose driver was afraid to stop at a road blocked by the demonstrators. The other, a young man was beaten to death by the demonstrators who were angered by the first incident.

“Government had come up with a proposal to de-gazette part of Mabira, a tropical rainforest, some 30km east of Kampala for sugarcane growing.

“I can assure you, there were fireworks. Some of us spent the night in a Cabinet meeting that ran on until 4.00 am The people came out and spoke clearly. Those of you who keep abreast with news will know that the government abandoned that project,” said Kasaija amidst clapping from the hundreds of delegates.

Kasaija said Uganda's civil society has played an important role in developing the country where poverty declined from a 56 per cent head count in 1992 to 31 per cent last year.

However, the minister said, government may to step in with

tougher laws to crackdown on non-governmental organisations extorting money from local people or those that are active in partisan politics that diverge from the intentions indicated in their constitutions.

He said that while non governmental organisations increased in number from between 180 to 200 (1986-1989), the number jumped to 3,560 in 2001.

The Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, Mark Collins, said the People's Forum aimed at finding ways to influence the heads of government in becoming more pro-people oriented.

Waite said among the issues the Commonwealth heads of government must tackle urgently is ensuring that every child has access to the most rudimentary education.

He said the answer to lack of education, poor health systems and unfair trade lay between the local person and the international community.

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CPF/GEM NEWS

<<<< SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT >>>>

Climate change breaks down social networks As climate change takes centre stage at the on-going Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, Brenda Zulu spoke to Erica Jobson, a consultant at Futerra Sustainability Communications on how well communicated climate change issues can ensure sustainable development.

QUESTION: What does climate security mean to the people attending the Commonwealth People's Forum?

ERICA JOBSON: Climate change is the most important issue affecting the environment and communities. And will soon affect the people's security. It is important to note that average global temperatures are rising due to destructive human activities. Key contributors are highly industrialised countries. Mass deforestation is also to blame.

QUESTION: What issues are going to be affected by climate change?

JOBSON: Climate change will affect many areas including agriculture and food security, health, and economic and social development.

Q. How can people be responsible with this climate change?

JOBSON: People need to know what steps to take to mitigate climate change.

Governments too need to take leadership in tackling climate change.

Q. What have you learnt from the communication for climate security?

Erica Jobson JOBSON: I've learnt that what matters to people in Uganda is different from what happens in other parts of Africa and the United Kingdom. This makes it important to localise issues of climate change in different settings.

QUESTION: What challenges are there in communicating climate security?

JOBSON: Educating people and creating a sense of action without scaring them or letting them not view changes as a burden, remains some of the biggest challenges.

QUESTION: How can Africa make it poor people shift from using charcoal and firewood for fuel?

JOBSON: People should just start applying simple steps like planting trees, with the governments providing alternative fuels.

QUESTION: What are the visible examples of climate change in Africa?

JOBSON: Climate change increases the incidence of diseases such as cholera, diarrohea, dysentery and malaria. Malaria is now emerging in areas where it was not known. Recent flooding has resulted in loss of property, lives, income generating opportunities and destruction of infrastructure. The low levels of Lake Victoria, the melting of the ice on Mount Kilimanjaro and the drought, are classic manifestations of climate change.

Q. What are the consequences of climate change?

JOBSON: There will be increased poverty as climate change will lead to an increase in food prizes due to unstable micro economy, resulting in inflation which discourages foreign investment. Low incomes will lead to poor health and decreased standards of living. It will also lead to a breakdown in social networks, conflicts over grazing and watering points.

Environmental pollution hurting lives

By Judy Waguma The saying that wisdom goes with age could never have been more apt with Zena Daysh.

At 93, Daysh is strong and agile. Her wisdom, gained through the years, enables her to advise Africa on many issues.

“We cannot focus on knowledge alone. We need to use wisdom to make the future a better place to live in because life has miracles everyday,” Daysh says.

Daysh, who is the Executive vice chair person of Commonwealth and Human Ecology (CHEC) speaks of good health that she rarely consults a doctor.

Speaking at the Commonwealth People's Forum in Kampala, Uganda, she blames environmental exploitation for being the cause of many illnesses that afflict people today.

“We have made the environment unhealthy by polluting it with our activities,” Daysh says.

She laments that in this day and age women and girls still have to walk long distances to fetch and use firewood and paraffin to cooking and lighting.

Daysh says: “It's mandatory that women stop using these fuels because they reduce the number of years they have to live.”

Levi Oguke from Nigeria is clad that Daysh is still strong and healthy.

He observes: “At 93, she is still standing, exhibiting strength and wisdom. This is what we call human ecology, it starts with heart matters then it moves to Millennium Development Goals.”

The people of the Commonwealth, and the world at large, are facing a double energy crisis: adequate supply of food and energy to

power their industries that support live and food production and distribution, according to Oguke.

In a draft statement to Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), civil society groups point out that scientific knowledge and innovative technology must be recognised as central to transformation, and to combating climate change to achieve sustainable development and eliminate poverty.

In the draft, the civil society caution the heads of government against putting a lot of focus on clean coal, carbon capture and confiscation as solutions to climate change.

Instead they are calling on Commonwealth member states to invest in science and technology to support the transformation of energy supplies with a focus on renewable and energy efficiency.

In Uganda, 90 percent of the population depends on biomass fuel. Another 95 per cent of lighting uses kerosene, resulting in heavy pollution of the environment. Per capita of forest cover is 0.1 and is coming down due increased demand.

Zena Daysh “Bio fuels development needs to be part of a global plan and there is a good opportunity for the Commonwealth to take a lead on this,” says Ian Douglas, CHEC governing board chairman.

Now delegates at the commonwealth want their governments to put into practice measures to promote sustainable energy use.

The draft also highlights the importance of ensuring sustainable utilisation of marine, coastal and freshwater resources because the impacts would be devastating to populations dependent on fisheries for food and livelihood security.

Thursday, 22 November, 2007

The People must be part of governance

By Jane Nabunnya THE political setting and resultant institutions in a country determine the ability of the citizens to participate democratically in the activities of any country.

This is why Commonwealth countries are being called upon to promote spaces and platforms that will facilitate citizens to articulate their voices on issues affecting them.

Addressing delegates at the workshop on Enhancing Citizens Participation in Good Governance among the Commonwealth Countries workshop, Ms Gulmina Bilal, founder and executive director of IndividualLand said: “There is need to ensure that people participate, something that can only be done by listening to them and not just talking to them.”

Bilal urged civil society to use traditional and known knowledge within the communiti es to encourage citizens to voice their concerns, Kumi Naidoo make demands and hold leaders accountable.

Richard Ssewakiryanga from Uganda's Ministry of Finance stressed that participation of citizens in governance should be linked to tangibles if they are to understand it better.

“Participation alone, which in most cases has costs in terms of time and resources, is not enough. People need to know that they will be able to get rid of poverty,” he explained.

“In Uganda, the government has ensured that citizens participate actively in three spaces that include the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP), the Budget and the Decentralisation processes,” Ssewakiryanga said.

However, he noted, there were challenges faced by citizens that interfered with the whole participation process. These range from “political interference, tensions as a result of different interests between communities and planners, hostility at the local level and unresolved questions around civil society mandate.

But Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of CIVICUS, stressed that real democracies were participative in nature and provided citizens with vast opportunities to make and contribute to decision making processes.

“We need to be bold and recognise that there are very serious gaps preventing civil society participation in governance,” Naidoo said.

“We need to go beyond capacity building and begin to deepen our understanding in democracy, create collaboration among civil society, promote justice and agree on how to address globalisation,” he explained.

Published by African Woman & Child Feature Service for the Commonwealth Foundation. www.awcfs.org

<<<< HEALTH >>>>

Thursday, 22 November, 2007

CPF/GEM NEWS

9

Prioritising health key to development

By Judy Waguma ALARM bells are ringing over acute shortage of human resources in the health sector. This fact is making it difficult for the Commonwealth nations to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Commonwealth nations need two million more health workers in order to meet the three health-related MDGs – maternal mortality, child mortality and HIV/Aids.

According to World Health Organisation, there is a shortage of 4.2 million trained health workers globally and 17 Commonwealth countries face a critical health workers shortage.

“Some countries continue to export unemployed health workers while they have severe domestic shortages,” said Jacqueline Wilson, director Governance and Institution Development Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat.

These shortages in key countries have overtaken the advancements made over time like that of anti-retroviral treatments in some countries with high HIV/AIDS epidemic levels.

“Migration of health workers has had a great impact on the health systems in the Commonwealth countries which have been recorded to have the highest burden of diseases,” she said.

This is despite the fact that these countries form one-third of the world's population, with a greater percentage of global HIV/AIDs, maternal deaths and children under five suffering from malnutrition and having nearly half of infant deaths in the world,” said Wilson.

“Fifty-three Commonwealth countries have up to 1.8 billion people who live with the disproportionate burden of the global poverty and ill health,” she explained. “And if

we really want to enhance the health sector we have to reach the rural areas and have health professionals in these areas.”

Trained health professionals are migrating from rural to urban areas and some move from the less developed countries to developed countries for better income.

“We have designed protocols to guide the ethical issues around such migrations. This will not be a law but a framework for the professional health workers,” she said.

The meeting sought to ensure that G8 countries in the Commonwealth deliver on their commitments.

“We need to put pressure on them to deliver on their pledge to contribute at least 0.7 per cent of their gross national income to oversee development assistance,” she said.

“This will enable countries to pay their workers well and improve on their health systems.”

“The good news, however, is that money has been increased through special funds from various organisations and the private sector and this may continue overtime,” she said.

“The theme prioritising health resonates well with the theme at the Commonwealth People's Forum - Realising the People's Potential, “ said Dr John Hunt, European Vice President of the Commonwealth Dental Association.

Human resources, maternal and child health, lifestyle diseases, safe health practices, mental health and development were prioritised as key areas for discussion at the Forum.

“Health issues affect the human kind the most and we need to prioritise on them,” he said.

“The way to democracy is in dispelling the discrepancies in the health system,” said Olga Mkhabela-Nkondo, Vice president Democratic Nursing Organisation of South

A pregnant woman on a wheelbarrow, for this woman safe motherhood is far from being a reality Africa.

Giving an example of South Africa, she said South Africa has formulated a policy to ensure that rural nurses are given a handsome package as an incentive to health workers recruited to work in rural areas.

Health and education remain the two most

important facets to development and freedom. “We must ensure proper education and health care to enhance opportunities in a developing world,” said Dr Jyotsna Jha, adviser Social Transformation Programme Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, London.

Education will reduce HIV infections

By Joyce Gunura At only 15 years you cannot fail to admire Katongole Patrick. Living with HIV/AIDS he has never let the disease drag him down and now he is a student at Kyambogo College, Kampala.

Earlier this week Katongole spoke at the Commonwealth People's Forum, during the session dubbed HIV Prevention education as a tool for social Transformation.

He was not shy talking about HIV/AIDS and the power of education to transform society.

“HIV positive people need compassion, attention and love,” Patrick said. “We need each other in the fight against AIDS. HIV-positive people should not be left alone or they will be frightened.”

According to statistics from the

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, approximately one million Ugandans are infected with the virus. At the Commonwealth People's Forum it was clear that attention is shifting from prevention to treatment.

Uganda's HIV/AIDS education programme began in 1986 with a media campaign that included messages about loving carefully and faithfully. The messages were accompanied by a local drum beat called Gwanga Mugye or Kanga Baigye. In traditional Luganda and Runyoro culture, that particular drum beat is a warning.

That early campaign was effective, infection rates decreased and the programme directors shifted their focus to educating the public about HIV/AIDS. Over the past 20

“HIV positive people need compassion, attention and love, we need each other in the fight against AIDS. HIV-positive people should not be left alone or they will be frightened.” years, workshop participants said, education efforts in sub-Saharan Africa have been weakened by overly-narrow messages.

Many of the educational messages currently focus on abstinence, faithfulness, condom use and HIV testing. During the workshop, Patrick repeated the core messages, that all Ugandans

should get tested for the virus. If they are found to be HIV positive, he said, they should practice the ABC rules: abstinence, be faithful or use a condom.

But conference delegates were critical of that message. They said the realities of sexual relationships in the world are that generally, sex is initiated by men; few women are taught to negotiate safe sex; few women say no to sex within marriage; and that marriage is considered a safe sexual environment.

Published by African Woman & Child Feature Service for the Commonwealth Foundation. www.awcfs.org

They argued the current HIV education paradigm does not adequately take this reality into consideration.

The education campaigns also do not adequately address the reality of the sexual lives of young people.

Workshop participants said, for youth the “C” of the ABCs of sex are more accurately translated to curiosity, coercion, confusion, comfort, company, cash for cars, cellular phones and clothes.

The World Aids Day is marked on December 1 and the theme this year is leadership. Participants at the Commonwealth People's Forum are calling on leaders in join efforts to reduce HIV infection rates to re-focus their efforts toward realistic and effective prevention education.

10

CPF/GEM NEWS

<<<< YOUTH & EDUCATION >>>>

Governments asked to invest in education for all

By Shifaa Said Hassan ALL Commonwealth countries must adopt a mandate of quality education for.

This is the only through which people's potential will be realised.

Speaking to delegates at the Commonwealth People's Forum, Colin Power, former deputy director general of UNESCO said governments that signed the Jomtien Declaration on Education For All, must adopt a holistic approach in education through knowledge and skill-building.

The education communiqué formed part of the overall People's Forum communiqué presented to the Foreign Affairs Ministers. It called on Commonwealth nations to invest six per cent of their gross domestic products in education, because countries that have done so have developed economically.

Power reiterated the importance of education saying it has a central role in social transformation. He said Commonwealth nations must take a holistic approach to education, building skills as well as knowledge.

The director of Disability Equality in Education, Richard Rieser, said people with disabilities have been excluded from education systems for decades. He says that historical separation has left people with disabilities feeling unwelcome and unvalued.

He said the MDG targets of universal primary education by 2015 will not be reached unless disabled children are included.

The UNESCO report on inequalities in access to education revealed that half of the 113 million children who are not in school are disabled.

Rieser called for the creation of a global movement of people with disability to play a leading role in implementing Article 24 of

Over 150 children from all over Uganda have signed a memorandum, calling on the Commonwealth Heads of Government to address four critical issues: HIV/Aids, child trafficking, children with disabilities and conflict.

The children are calling for care, support and treatment, legal protection of children against trafficking, rehabilitation and access to services.

They also want the plight of children in conflict to be discussed by heads of government as a major issue.

We have observed, they stated, that the greatest areas of conflict lay in the war torn areas of Northern Uganda and Karamoja, and also within homes, and this adversely affects us.

Conflicts cause abduction and death, trauma, violations of rights, displacement, loss of cultural norms and morals, and corruption, they complain.

“We, therefore, ask the government to work hard to return peace in affected war areas and also include us in the

Youth place their demands on CHOGM

By Arthur Okwemba

Education is the gateway to transforming livelihoods. the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

He said that although many governments have ratified the convention, little progress has been made towards goals.

“It is time for persons with disability to get rid of their internalised guilt and feel liberated. They must also be united in the fight against all forms of discrimination,” said Rieser.

On the issue of financing education reforms, Herri Le Mottee of South Africa said moving education in Africa towards attainment of Education for All goals required active commitments from government, civil society and individuals.

She said education financing was not the responsibility of government alone, but a collective endeavour to be undertaken with

development partners, business, civil society and parents.

“Looking at education financing from this perspective should already alert us about where the money is coming from and where the responsibility for delivery ultimately lies,” she added.

She said national budget allocations are a good indication of overall commitment to education and priorities within the sector.

The budgets of many Commonwealth countries on education are low compared to military and public expenditures.

She called on governments to prioritise education needs and develop layers of transparency and accountability in their budget processes in order to achieve EFA goals.

Hear our voices, children plead

By Akelle Waguma

Thursday, 22 November, 2007

peace talks so that we can enjoy peace,” they say in the memorandum.

They want government bodies to support children that are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS through provision of food and

other assistance.

Being the most affected group as far as access to antiretroviral drugs is concerned, the children want the drugs to be provided from accessible points and accompanied with the necessary

Ugandan Children at the Commonwealth People’s Forum.

support.

On child trafficking, the children say that the issue is adversely affecting them yet there is little being done to tackle it.

Trafficking leads to various problems like psychological torture, drug abuse, early marriage, prostitution, school drop outs, and child labour, which in turn affects the general development of the children.

Hence, they want the government to establish a strong body to register all the children, so they can monitor them.

The children want parents to be encouraged to do family planning to assure them quality life.

They want government to work on policies that will see to it that all children have equal opportunities as well as sensitizing parents on how to take care of such children.

On participating in decisions making processes, the children want to be invited to attend parliament proceedings.

They conclude by asking all governments to ensure that these issues concerning children are tackled as soon as possible.

Youth place their demands on CHOGM

By Arthur Okwemba AFTER haggling over the content of their communiqué, the youth meeting on the lakeside of Entebbe town were united in a strong message to the Commonwealth heads of government: Give young people a half chance and we will astound you.

This message arose from the feeling by young people that they were not being included in governance structures and other decision making processes, yet what was being decided affected their lives significantly.

Coming from diverse backgrounds as is the commonwealth family, the youth called on Heads of Government to support and facilitate developing member countries to adopt technologies and development process geared towards fighting poverty, unemployment and environmental degradation.

The youth proposed that a high level panel made up of young people and which will focus on young people's health issues in the Commonwealth, reporting directly to the Commonwealth Health Ministers meeting be established. This would give them the opportunity to inform the health policies which are made by their respective countries.

They further urged the Commonwealth countries to provide financial support to youth policies in line with the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment, the Commonwealth Youth Programme and the Commonwealth youth Exchange Council.

Other recommendations proposed by the youth to the CHOGM include: ?

Structural change in the governance of international organisations, in order to ensure that young people, who are involved in tackling issues at grassroots level, are recognised as those shaping the real policy change. ?

Young people be given legitimate representation in Commonwealth bodies and institutions, including the priorities of the Commonwealth at the highest levels. ?

Governments must have meaningful and constructive mechanisms to engage young people in policy making at all levels, especially supporting and developing National Youth Councils. ?

Revise and formulate robust policies that enable young people to serve as partners in development. ?

Positive media reporting of youth initiatives, to change the current stereotypes and value the contribution of young people in developing a fair, just and progressive Commonwealth. ?

The Commonwealth and member governments integrate youths with disabilities in their action plans. ?

Support young people to advocate and lobby for change on issues identified within this communiqué. ?

Formulate policies, which prevent discrimination based on age and gender among young people seeking to own property and capital. ?

Aid and foreign direct investments should be directed at infrastructure projects that promote sustainable development, reflecting the needs of recipient countries as defined by such recipient countries. (Full report is available from the CHOGM website)

Published by African Woman & Child Feature Service for the Commonwealth Foundation. www.awcfs.org

<<<< ECONOMY >>>>

Thursday, 22 November, 2007

CPF/GEM NEWS

11

‘African leaders bleeding their countries'

By Jane Nabunnya IT is an indisputable fact that developing countries need unprecedented increase in investment if they have to make meaningful impact on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

But according to Sony Kapoor, an Independent Investment Banking Consultant and debt cancellation activist, the increasing capital leakages that run into billions of dollars, are having a painful effect on taxes collected by many African governments.

“In a study of 40 sub-Saharan African countries, an estimated total capital

flight for the period 1970 to 2004 amounted to US$400 billion,” says Kapoor.

Giving an example of Zaire, Kapoor said that between 1965 and 1997, former Zairean President Mobutu Sese Seko stole US$5 billion which is equivalent to 4.5 times the country's GDP. This is corruption that is sophisticated and very subtle, Kapoor explains. “It involves the Swiss and other European, American banks and multinational agencies. It is an organised system promoted and perpetuated by African leaders and the private sector.”

He adds: “The implications for such theft are felt more by the ordinary

Sony Kapoor citizens. While the beneficiaries live in luxury and are able to take their children to expensive schools, while

the poor live in squalor.”

The Financial consultant urges Commonwealth countries including civil society and the media to collaborate in exposing capital leakage and to raise awareness about capital flight.

“All stakeholders need to support the World Bank Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative to ensure the return of money swindled by corrupt African leaders and stashed in European banks,” Kapoor proposes.

He appealed to the civil society to join the international task force against capital flight and to “lobby governments to approach foreign banks to demand for the return of

the money and to stop the money from leaving the countries in the first place”.

Kapoor also calls on civil society to support the international action movement against bank secrecy “to force the banks to open up and provide the governments with information related to bank accounts and the amounts accrued”.

“Civil society needs to tackle debt issues and call for repatriation of stolen assets. This will require lobbying for renegotiation of Foreign Direct Investments and instituting tougher fiscal regimes that ensure compliance and equity in redistribution of resources,” Kapoor stresses.

Countries torn between debt conversion and debt cancellation

Gloom as Zambia's debt rebounds

By Judy Waguma

By Brenda Zulu

A GROUP of Kenyans campaigning for debt cancellation have put forward a request to creditors ─redirect public funds currently used to service the country's foreign and domestic debts toward development projects.

“I would rather we rescheduled these funds to projects that support slum upgrading, better education and health care than have it cancelled,” says Francis Nzengu, executive secretary of the Kenya Catholic Justice and Peace Commission.

The Italian government is leading the way for debt conversion in Kenya. Italy has agreed to allow Kenya government channel 44 million euros (approximately US$57.2 million) of repayment into the social sector.

The arrangement was made on condition that the two countries agree on the development projects to be funded by the converted loan payments.

Even though debt conversions may come with such conditions, Nzengu says it is still preferable to repayment. The conversion should benefit both countries. For instance, the creditors can enable $20 worth of development investment for every $10 they lend.

Kenya, on average, spends about 30 per cent of her national budget servicing foreign debt.

The Kenya Catholic Justice and Peace Commission estimates that, at this time last year, the country had a debt total of KSh806 billion, of which KSh425 billion was owed to extra-national debtors.

In the fiscal year 2005/2006, the government earmarked KSh122 billion for debt service, more than the amount spent on either education (KSh96 billion) or health (KSh30 billion).

Nzengu says the money could do more good in Kenya than simply make the country debtfree. For instance, he says for just KSh120 billion, Kenya could repair the national road network.

Corruption in Kenya is an issue that cannot be ignored. There are cases where donor

money ended-up lining the pockets of a few individuals. Debt relief campaigners estimate that 80 per cent of Kenya's past loans have been lost through corruption.

But Rose Wanjiru, project coordinator with Action Aid-Kenya, says rather than use the national budget to settle illegitimate creditors claims, the funds should be used to address health concerns in the country.

“A number of countries which do not qualify for debt relief still spend as much as a fifth of their export earnings on servicing debt, while at the same time struggling with high disease burdens,” complains Wanjiru.

But some Kenyans are not for HIPC. Patrick Wachira, a student at Moi University, says debt cancellation will hide some uncomfortable truths about the origin of the debts and the corruption therein.

“These have less to do with the headline-grabbing billion dollar debt relief packages, and more to do with answering questions of the 'whys' and 'whens' about the debt issue.

He raises an irony in the case of Rwanda which has benefited from debt: “Has this cancellation distracted attention from rumours that United Kingdom companies were supplying arms that fuelled the Rwandan Genocide in the early 1990s?”

Wachira thinks some international institutions are keen to prevent such uncomfortable questions.

Debt advocates are now demanding for transparency around these issues.

Early this year, a group of international organisations suggested that the government make public details of the Kenya debt register.

“To be honest, the debt transparency steering committee has not been put in place yet, mainly because this would have been in a bad taste for those in power,” says Nzengu.

Elijah Murugu, director of Kenya Debt Management Department, says that the country's debts should be managed with complete public transparency. He says the debt service needs to be linked to a clear macroeconomic framework, which ensures a sustainable rate of growth in public debt.

“I would rather we rescheduled these funds to projects that support health care than have it cancelled,”

THE jubilant mood that preceded the campaign for debt cancellation seems to be fizzling out fast, raising serious questions about its effect on the livelihoods of the poor people in countries which have so far benefited from the initiative.

The debt cancellation in Zambia, for instance, has not made significant difference in the lives of Zambians as had been initially expected. Many of them have had to contend with problems in accessing basic services such as health, education, clean water and shelter just as was the case before debt cancellation.

Before the debt cancellation, Zambia was sagging from a heavy debt burden which was impacting negatively on government programmes.

However, things changed when the country attained the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) status in 2005. The country's US$7.2 billion external debt was slashed to about $500 million, as a reward for sticking to the economic reform agenda spelt out by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

The good news was only for a short time.

Things have almost gone back to square one. Recently, the Government announced that the country's external debt had been increasing steadily. In April 2005, at the completion of the HIPC, it stood at $643 million. What is emerging now is that the government has contracted eight loans totalling US$110.21 million and is slipping back to the debt situation it was in before it was cancelled.

Civil society has voiced its concerns about the government taking non-concessional loans that carry normal interest rates and conditions.

“This free-riding borrowing is very unhealthy, where a country begins to borrow just after receiving debt relief,” says Muyatwa Sitali of the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflections.

“The government is risking the country's ability to have a sustainable debt, and we stand a high probability of falling back into

unsustainable debt,” Sitali explains.

“This is a threat to Zambia's future debt solution. Years of high levels of debt servicing meant Zambia could afford minimal social expenditure, but with debt relief the government promised investment in priority areas like education and health as part of poverty alleviation plans.”

Even with concerns like these the government will continue to borrow from both domestic and international sources.

“We shall borrow “for right reasons, to promote development. We don't qualify for low-interest loans from the International Development Agency (the World Bank's lending arm) as we are no longer regarded as highly indebted poor country,” said Finance Minister Ng'ande Magande.

“We have to borrow, but we shall only be contracting concessional loans as opposed to nonconcessional loans,” he explained.

The painful reality, however, is that the HIPC funds and the new loans have not made life better for those living in abject poverty.

Although 15 per cent of this year's national budget has been allocated to education, and 10 per cent to health, critics say little has been invested because much of the budget was donor driven.

Most of the money from China is being spent on developing infrastructure like road networks and providing power in rural areas.

“Social funding is still minimal because more priority and resources are allocated to maintaining non-social issues like State House and supporting international trips than promoting social protect,” says Saviour Mwambwa, from the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction.

“Even if there is allocation of funds or savings from debt relief, very little trickles down to the poor people. The whole country suffers when funds are misapplied because we still have to pay, even if there is nothing to show for what the loan was used.”

The current developments indicate that the government is perhaps forgetting too early in the day where it has come from.

The country's US$7.2 billion external debt was slashed to about $500 million

Published by African Woman & Child Feature Service for the Commonwealth Foundation. www.awcfs.org

12

<<<< PRESS FREEDOM >>>>

CPF/GEM NEWS

Democracy key to media functioning

By Lydia Mirembe

H

OSTILE political environment and lack of technology has been a major deterrent to the operations of the media, affecting its ability to contribute effectively in the democratisation process of the commonwealth countries.

Speaking at the workshop dubbed “The role of the Media in Development in Commonwealth Countries”, speaker after speaker bemoaned the challenges faced by Commonwealth media while tackling the development agenda.

Other delegates cited hostile political environment in which the media operates, as hindrance to media's role in the democratisation process.

Organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society and Television for Environment, the workshop marked lack of freedom of expression as a challenges preventing media from covering issues of poverty, democracy, development and public interest in the Commonwealth.

While the media enjoys freedom in some countries, others are so restricted and unable to comment freely on matters of governance and democracy.

Giving the example of Uganda, Amanda Onapito a communications officer with the Church of Uganda said that the media does highlight issues of democracy but no one listens.

“A lot of people express their views on radio talk shows and in newspaper columns, but the situation never changes and in some cases it gets worse. Is anyone listening to these views?” she posed.

Other participants blamed the lack of technical skills and minimum qualifications among media practitioners.

“A lot of reporters, editors, commentators don't have what it takes to thoroughly report on development issues. Most of them are not trained in the profession and they're in it to get a by-line, beat the editor's deadline and be paid,” said Simon Richard Mugenyi, a communications officer at World Vision, Uganda.

Closely related to the quality of personnel is the issue of media ownership. It was observed that media owners wield a lot of clout determining who is employed and what is published.

Charles Odongtho, a Ugandan journalist said: “Most media owners are profit motivated. They are more interested in attracting advertisements so their inclination is towards content that can attract big audiences which in turn attract money.”

In such circumstances, development issues are

Journalists at work during the Commonwealth People’s Forum in Kampala. grossly sidelined. “Media should be in the hands of the right people who have development issues at heart,” Odongtho added.

Yet another panelist, John Riber blamed poor remuneration for journalists in developing countries as a hindrance to media contribution to development in Commonwealth countries.

“Journalists in developing countries are very poorly paid and this opens up channels for corruption,” Riber said.

He further noted that in situations where the media tries to disseminate development information, they are faced with legal constraints regarding copyrights and patents.

Where developmental films and texts are illegally reproduced, they are done so poorly, sometimes affecting the effective delivery of the message therein.

But the delegates were agreed that the media needed to be empowered to engage meaningfully on issues of development.

Governments, civil society, media owners and practitioners all have a role to play in ensuring that the development agenda is promoted through media.

“It is a question of civil society and media practitioners pushing governments to construct and support media to play its role,” said Holly Aylett, a communications trainer at the Maisha Films Laboratory in Uganda.

Echoing Aylett's views, James Deane, head of policy and development at BBC World Service Trust said the Commonwealth is founded on

the fundamentals of human rights and democracy which cannot be upheld unless the media are engaged in reporting issues that concern people's lives.

“In the absence of genuine public debate on these issues, democracy is restricted to a smaller urban elite whose primary interest is in advertisers,” Deane said. ?

The participants made various recommendations. These were: ?

Increased government and donor support to the media in addition to training and skills development for media personnel. ?

The Commonwealth to partner with other institutions to set up a media training workshop between now and the next CHOGM. ?

Measure media development and empowerment. Need to have key indicators like press freedom, journalists payment and ownership. ?

Commonwealth governments to create an enabling environment for the media. ?

Donors to understand and support the role of the media in development. ?

Transformation of state broadcasters into public service broadcasters capable of supporting and commissioning diverse and independent programming.

Greater support and licensing of community radio and other efforts to create more plural media capable of communicating and legitimising the perspectives of people living in poverty and marginalised populations.

Editorial Board Project Coordinator: Rosemary Okello-Orlale Editorial Coordinator: Fatma Alloo - TAMWA Editors: Arthur Okwemba, Yvonne Achieng, Juliana Omale-Atemi and Sara Nics.

Journalists: Brenda Zulu (Zambia), Khadija Mohammed ( Tanzania), Shifaa Hassan (Tanzania), Jane Kenyi (Uganda), Lydia Mirembe (Uganda), Josephine Namukwaya (Uganda), Joyce Gunura (Uganda), Judy Waguma (Kenya) Jane Nabunnya (Uganda), Ruth Omukhango (Kenya) Contributors: Harriette Onyalla (Uganda), Bernice Sam (Ghana)

African Woman & Child Feature Service

Graphic Designer: Njoroge Mbacha Administrator: Ruth Omukhango

The newspaper is produced by African Woman and Child Feature Service as part of a media training forum for journalists from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia on gender and development writing.

Thursday, 22 November, 2007

EDITORIAL Realising People’s potential key to transformation AS the curtains fall on the Commonwealth People's Forum in Kampala today, giving way to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the cry for every delegate is to see commitments being translated into action.

The conference theme - Realising People's Potential - derived from the CHOGM theme - Transforming Commonwealth Society to Achieve Political, Economic and Human Development - is loaded and sends a strong message that these issues cannot be achieved unless people's potential are realised.

Indeed, during the seven days the conference has been running, the delegates have raised numerous questions on how best pertinent issues will need to be tackled to achieve the required transformation. Some of these issues included climate change and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Financing development issues especially within the developing world and particularly in relation to gender, is also another matter Heads of State will be expected to address.

The resolutions of the Commonwealth People's Forum, whose rallying call is “it is time to act and translate commitment to action,” demands to see action on issues around HIV/AIDS, youth, gender and human rights among others. The delegates are agreed that unless governments address these issues in a progressive way, then transformation will remain a pipe dream.

Similarly, if nothing tangible happens in the next two years, then the next CHOGM meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009 will be full of tears than accolades.

But good things have happened in this year's CHOGM compared to past meetings. Partnership between the government, the secretariat and the civil society was almost non-existent. This partnership was clearly evident when a communiqué from the civil society was presented to the Foreign Affairs ministers' meeting yesterday.

Another milestone has been the opening of the People's space which has brought CHOGM closer to the people where they can come and express themselves freely.

It is instructive to note that the process that culminated in this meeting as been democratic and needs to be maintained. National and regional consultations, the final communiqué which was presented to the Foreign Affairs ministers and the final communiqué to be presented to the Heads of Sates reflect the diversity of views and issues emerging from all the Commonwealth countries.