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Today (July 01), the length and breadth of Kampala, Capital of Uganda is soaked with messages of solidarity and the Global Call to Action against Poverty on this second international White Arm-Band Day. As early as 4 a.m. banners were erected in strategic positions of the city calling upon Ugandans to speak out with one voice and send a clear and powerful message to Prime Minister Tony Blair, President George Bush, the rest of the G8 leaders as well as our President Museveni.

UGANDA MDG/GCAP COALITION GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION
KAMAPALA SPEAKS OUT

By Deo Nyanzi and Warren Nyamugasira, Kampala July 1, 2005

Today, the length and breadth of Kampala, Capital of Uganda is soaked with messages of solidarity and the Global Call to Action against Poverty on this second international White Arm-Band Day. As early as 4 a.m. banners were erected in strategic positions of the city calling upon Ugandans to speak out with one voice and send a clear and powerful message to PRIME Minister Tony Blair, President George Bush, the rest of the G8 leaders as well as our President Museveni. As the day broke, in the morning rush hour, youth adorned in white t-shirts with the GCAP logo and the white arm bands were already stationed at all the nine roundabouts leading into the city; holding 6 by 3ft posters, calling on the G8 leaders to increase aid, cancel debt and open trade. It is just as well that the youth have taken the lead in this campaign because they have a very big stake and a message they want to send to Tony Blair and George Bush and to President Museveni. "I need a job", said one youth at Mukwano Rd. who was walking the street looking for a job. "We need jobs for our children", said market vendors in Ggaba at the southern end of Kampala. MDGs promised jobs, decent and productive work for youth. To be specific MDG 8 target 16 says that developed countries "in cooperation with developing countries will develop and implement strategies for decent and productive work for youth". Five years after the millennium declaration, the youth are asking, "where are the promised jobs?" In Uganda we have many University graduates whose employment is vending newspapers on the streets. Many more would love to do the same but don't have the opportunity. As we drove around the city this morning checking how well the campaign was going, we met and talked to one of the youth vending pancakes on a small wheeled cart. He too asked us to send the message about jobs for youth. In a country where about 30% of the population is youth, Goal 8 target 16 is something the G8 leaders should do something about seriously.

A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations flagged off the Call for Action Truck that visited all parts of Kampala and its suburbs today spreading the message about MDGs and the GCAP. Elizabeth Elior of African Women Economic Policy Network (AWEPON), the MDGs lead agency for Eastern Africa, called upon the G8 to honour their commitments on aid, trade and debt in order to given women a shot at economic empowerment. She said violence is meted out on women because they are not economically empowered. Women are subjected to HIV/AIDS infections by men because they can't say no due largely to being economically disempowered. The Council for the Economic Empowerment of Women in Africa (CEEWA) called on the leaders of the 8 most industrialized nations to listen to the cries of women when they make their deliberations at Gleneagles in Scotland. Ms Olga Nakato of CEEWA implored the G8 to guard against making commitments without follow through action. Mr. Kimbowa of Uganda Coalition on Sustainable Development, which hosts Sustainability Watch, called for environmental and social concerns to be integrated into global trade and for good Governance to ensure that resources are used wisely, sustainably and in an accountable manner. A Danish representative for Ms Uganda expressed her solidarity with Ugandans in this call for action against poverty. She said, "if our leaders cannot do it, we the people must". Benson Ekwee, Campaign Support Officer NGO Forum highlighted some of the issues and voices of the people at the grassroots. People in camps live on 50kg of maize grain per family per month and the supply is often irregular. Orphans are the last to eat, the last to go to school and the first to drop out. Many girls are dropping out of Universal Primary Education because they are needed at home to play the role of parents where there none or because of early pregnancies. Now is the time to act to end these injustices. In the suburbs of Kampala, fishmongers are concerned about bilharzia; women want drugs put in the empty government health clinics. Parents want jobs for their sons and daughters. Those in trade want better terms of trade. To President Museveni, they say, "Mind the taxes you levy and on which items you levy them. Every tax government levies the burden eventually becomes borne by the poor consumer", said Kabasi of Bwaise suburb. Museveni should ensure that aid and domestic revenue are used in a way that helps more people at the grassroots. J

Just as we were about to flag off the Call to Action Truck, two boys walked into the NGO Forum compound where the function was taking place. One, Olanya, about four and half years old looked sad, neglected and dejected. As it turned out, his Acholi name, roughly translated, means 'they have wasted me' or 'I am just there'. We tried to ask what message little Olanya would like to send out to G8 leaders, but he would not speak; as if to say 'even if I speak, nothing will happen to change my condition' Here then is the test of success of the G8 meeting: the extent to which the concerns of silent Olanya and those he represents are addressed with concrete actions. END