Author(s):
Olivier Le Blanc <uganda@dangermines.ca> .
Kampala, Uganda,
Wednesday 14 September 2005
Raising the Voices East Africa 2005 was conducted successfully from August 28th to September 3rd 2005 at Ranch on the LakeCountry Club in Kampala, Uganda. Margaret Arach Orech, ICBL Co-chair of the Working Group on Victim Assistance and Olivier Le Blanc, Capacity Builder Officer from Mines Action Canada (Young Professional International Mine Action Program) organized and facilitated this 5 days advocacy training workshop with 10 participants coming from Eritrea, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda. Raising the Voices East Africa was the first workshop of its kind in the region.
Raising the Voices Participants
Raising the Voices program empowers survivors. First, it gives them knowledge by introducing them to three key documents: the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT), the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and the UN Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. Second, it equips them with basic advocacy skills, so that they can lobby decision makers to bring about a positive change. Third, it provides an opportunity for survivors to share experiences and build networks. As a result of this entire experience survivors build self-confidence and self-esteem.
This successful program has trained over 50 landmine survivors from South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Caucasus. Graduates are now advocates in their respective countries, and participate in MBT-related meetings at the national, regional, and international level.
Both the opening and the closing ceremonies of the workshop received media attention. The opening ceremony was the most publicized event and it was performed by the Deputy Head of Mission, Austrian Embassy in Kampala, Walter Ehmeir. In attendance were the Coordinator, Uganda Campaign to Ban Landmines, Eddie Mworozi, representatives of local NGOs involved in Ugandan Mine Action as well as Mirembe Jackson, Senior Rehabilitation Officer, Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development. Susan Walker, now Humanitarian Affairs and Disarmament and Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention Consultant, who was visiting Uganda at the time, also assisted to the Opening Ceremony.
Raising the Voices East Africa 2005 was made possible with the financial support of the Austrian Government’s Development Cooperation program. A comprehensive report of the workshop will be produced for distribution at the 6MSP in Zagreb in November 2005.