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Climate Change Awareness Football Gala, Nyakasinina Kabaale Sub County, Hoima district

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A REMARKABLE FOOTBALL GALA IN NYAKASININA, KABAALE SUB COUNTY HOIMA DISTRICT.

On May 19 and 26, 2024, Nyakasinina village in Kabaale Subcounty, Hoima district, became the lively center of a unique mix of sports and climate activism. The Climate Football Gala, organized by a diverse group of environmental and community organizations, brought together over 2,500 participants and spectators over two consecutive weekends. The event successfully combined the love for football with the urgent need for climate awareness and action, making it an inspiring model for community engagement.

The Power of Collaboration

The Climate Awareness Football Gala was organized by a group of prominent youth organizations and seven beneficiaries of the Joke-Waller Hunter (JWH) initiative. These organizations include the Oil Refinery Residents Association (ORRA), Youth for Green Communities, Friends with Environment in Development, Fridays for Future, Strategic Response on Environment Conservation, Water and Environment Media Network, and Conservation and Ecoenergy Initiative. The JWH beneficiaries with support from Both-ends under GAGGA support have teamed up to combine their skills and knowledge to fight against climate change and contribute to a just energy transition campaign in Uganda.

Diverse Participation

The event’s Participants came from various villages in Kabaale Subcounty, including Nyakasinina, Kabaale, Iyatal, Katooke, Nyamasoga, Kwaki, Kigaaga, and Ngemwa. Spectators also came from Buseruka, Kaseeta, and Kizirafumbi in Hoima and Kikuube districts, showing the wide appeal and strong community support for the initiative.

Event Planning and organization

Effective planning was key to the event’s success. The organizing committee, made up of ten members from Kabaale Subcounty, included a mix of youth, women, and men, ensuring everyone was represented. ORRA facilitated pre-event meetings, involving leaders from each football team to set rules and highlight the event’s focus on climate change.

Radio ads on TERRA FM and SPICE FM helped spread the word, while preparation meetings made sure all participants understood the event’s goals of promoting both sportsmanship and climate change awareness.

Impressive Attendance and Outreach

The turnout exceeded expectation, with over 1,000 people on the first day and more than 1,500 on the second. To make the most of the event’s educational impact, ORRA and its partners handed out over 2,000 leaflets and stickers in Alur, Runyoro, and English, with messages like “Climate action starts with you,” “Protect Mother Earth,” and “Plant more trees.” They also talked directly with spectators and used public address systems to share climate change information, ensuring everyone got the message, even without printed materials.

Local leaders, including council chairpersons and parish councilors, attended the final day of the gala, showing their support and appreciation for the initiative. Their presence highlighted the importance of the event and encouraged more activities that are similar in the future.

Achievements and Impact

The Climate Football Gala achieved remarkable milestones. The event reached over 2,000 people, effectively engaging a broad demographic spectrum, including children, youth, women, elders, and persons with disabilities. It also attracted the support of local leaders, fostering a sense of community-wide involvement.

 

The event’s success was evident in the enthusiastic participation and the positive reception from community members and leaders alike. It highlighted the potential of informal gatherings to unite diverse groups and promote crucial issues like climate change.

Future Directions

The organizing bodies are committed to building on this success. Plans are underway to host more targeted events, such as women’s football marches, youth activities, and games for the elderly and people with disabilities. Follow-up meetings with the organizing committee and local leaders will help refine future events and ensure they continue to leverage communal gatherings for climate education effectively.

 

The Climate Football Gala in Nyakasinina stands as a testament to the power of community-driven initiatives. By combining the universal love for football with the urgent need for climate action, the event not only entertained but also educated and inspired. As communities continue to face the challenges of climate change, such innovative approaches will be crucial in fostering awareness and driving collective action.

 

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Human Rights Defenders expand in oil region, launch grass root network in Hoima

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https://kazi-njemanews.com/human-rights-defenders-expand-in-oil-reg

Human Rights Defenders expand in oil region, launch grass root network in Hoima

Grass root Human Rights Defenders in the Albertine Region launch their solidarity network at Kolping Hotel in Hoima city.

Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in the Albertine region and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) corridor have launched a network to heighten advocacy and be able to overcome their common challenges.

The challenges highlighted at their two-day conference climaxed with the network launch include alleged intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrests by some security agents and representatives of multi-national conglomerates implementing oil induced projects.

“Our network does not only target oil project. We are looking at any form of human rights violation. This network of grass root defenders will also help to get quick solutions to our common challenges and problems,” says Mr Christopher Opio, the Team Leader for Oil Refinery Residents Association (ORRA), the organiser of the network launch event.

Ms Jenifer Baitwamasa, an HRD working with Navigators of Development Association (NAVODA), says the next move is to document all HDRs in the region to ensure that every human rights violation is tracked and followed up for redress.

“For instance when one of our colleagues is arrested, we must rely on Kampala people for legal and financial support. I hope that once we are organised at our grass root level, we can quickly reach out to different organisations at national level and beyond for support with ease and get empowered to continue working,” she says.

The launched network is called ‘Solidarity Network of Grass Root Environment and Human Rights Defenders’ (SNEHRD).

During a session on risk assessment by Mr Anthony Masake, the Acting Executive Director for Chapter Four Uganda, the HRDs were tipped on compliance with the existing laws of Uganda and interesting themselves in mastering the international human rights protection mechanisms.

“You should always use the government human rights protection offices like the police and Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) because they are by law mandated to protect human rights. Even if they are involved in any violation, you still have to report to them. When they fail to register your complaint, you proceed to other levels,” said Mr Masake.

The HRDs also had an online presentation from Ms Maria Garcia Torrente, the Human Rights Officer Sustainable Human Development Special Procedures at the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights based in Geneva.

Her presentation dwelt around correct utilisation of the United Nations human rights offices like Working Groups in response to and prevention of human rights violations.

Mr Andrés Zaragoza,   the Business and Human Rights Programme Manager at the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) in Switzerland, also sensitised the HRDs on the relationship that exists between business and human rights especially when major developments are taking place in a given area.

He appreciated the importance of grass root HRDs.

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