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UNICEF YOUTH NEWS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:


Youth participation in prevention of violence against children at JLOS Consultations . UNICEF Youth of the Month featuring 'Big Deal'. Mapping Youth Organizations in Western Uganda and Karamoja. Youth Participation Training of Trainers in Gulu and Kitgum. June 2011 Vol. 1 Issue 2

Ureport In Action In The Justice, Law And Order Sector Consultations


The 13th -17th June , 2011 marked the unofficial launch of the Justice for Children programme whereby the voices of children and youth take front and centre stage at the regional Justice Law and Order Sector District Chain Committees consultations leading up to the JLOS Strategic Investment Plan III [2011-2015]. In partnership with the Justice Law & Order Sector, UNICEF and the Centre for Justice Studies & Innovations ("CJSI", lead implementing agency) facilitated unprecedented child and youth participation via innovative UReporting to bring Violence Against Children issues to the fore of sectored planning processes. Children and youth voices via uReport were presented by CJSI and representatives from youth-led Civil Society Organisations in Gulu ; Kica Ber , Gulu Youth Development Association (GYDA) and Gulu War Affected Training Centre (GWATC) . The youth representatives presented to the JLOS DCC officials, a role play on the commonest form of violence against children that as per the Ureport results of poll 2 indicated rape. The play had 8 characters, a rape victim who was a child, a police officer, legal aid officer, magistrate, mother, friend to victim, doctor, LC Chairman, and a neighbor. The Gulu Consultations were followed by DCC followed by JLOS DCC Review Forums in Mbale, Kampala and Mbarara. In Kampala , the youth from Uganda Scouts Association , Faith Based Organizations , Break Dance Project Uganda , and the Girls Education Movement (GEM) presented another role play entitled the Justice Law and Order System we would want to see . The youth also presented a picture of a diligent prosecution, and a thorough investigation system that sees to it that justice for children is done. At the end of the consultations the Deputy DPP recognized the efforts of the young people to ensure Justice for children is included in SIP III and challenged the members of the DCCs to work towards the JLOS the youth would want to see.

Above: Youth Participants acting out a Role Plat at the JLOS Consultations Below: Members of the Justice Law and Order Sector tuned in.

UNICEF YOUTH OF THE MONTH


Owiny Hakim a.k.a. Big Deal is a hip-hop artist from Northern Uganda. When we caught up with Big Deal he told us that hes in a battle to use hip-hop to combat tribalism and racism. Life has thrown Big Deal plenty of challenges. His mother was a Rwandan refugee and his father lived in an Internally Displaced Persons camp. When Big Deal's parents died, his fathers clan wouldnt recognize him because of the tribalism in his country. When I lost my Dad, I lost my whole family, he says. The only thing I had remaining was hip-hop. He says in his song 'You and Me' that "Many things have gone around against ma will, some time I keep quiet but it's never a solution. That's why I get microphone to show my expression. Coz I can't keep silent in the midst of this hard situation." Realizing that music was a medium that allowed him to overcome hard times, Big Deal started a community youth group called Brothers and Sisters for Peace. By using different art forms like hip-hop, break-dance, rap, traditional dance and drama, the group aims to foster young people's creativity and give them a sense of belonging and purpose. Big Deal says he wants to use the power of music to bring young people from different backgrounds together to overcome racial, tribal and religious divide. Music helped me, he says. It helped me create friends and create another family. Theyre not my brothers and sisters biologically but when people listen to your ideas, everyone can inspire each other through hard times. Big Deal considers himself a positive hip-hop rapper and wants to use music to create peace and equality in his country. He says his song 'Ignore your Difference' is all about how we should ignore our differences and focus on our common humanity. In You and Me he calls on world leaders to make peace a big deal. Big Deal thinks hip-hop is the ideal medium to bring about positive social change because its an expression of action that has no limits. Anyone can express themselves in a musical way, he says. People can listen anywhere, it has no boundaries. No one owns the culture of hip-hop. People are of different cultures but hip-hop belongs to everyone whether in the West or in Africa. Big Deal is inspired by other artists who come from harsh backgrounds like Haitian immigrant Wyclef Jean from Haiti and Knaan who lived through the Somali Civil War. He says the biggest challenge for him is living in a small village community where very few people have access to media or computers. People dont know much about hip-hop. Some of them rap about sex or alcohol but they dont know about quality hip-hop, he says. So I feel like thats a very negative thing. Big Deal remains confident however in the power of music. People here are starting to know that the type of hip-hop I do is different. We do positive hip-hop, he says.

ABOVE: Big Deal shows off his rapping and dancing skills at the Youth Participation Training of Trainers in Kitgum.

BELOW: A snapshot from Big Deal's Music Video, 'Ignore Your Difference' that can be found on youtube.com

TOWARDS A YOUTH COALITION


The journey goes on towards establishment of the National Youth Coalition. This month mapping of youth centres and youth organisations took place in Western Uganda and Karamoja region. 32 youth organisations were mapped; 18 in Western and 14in Karamoja. During the mapping exercise it was observed by the Youth Partnerships Consultant Ahmed Shaban Mugweri and Farida Katerega; Youth Officer Ministry of Gender that the youth in these regions who are actively engage in different developmental activities at their youth centres, are working in isolation without any established network that is bringing them together to share ideas and influence regional or national youth policies. The mapping exercise in the 10 districts covered this month was also an opportunity for the youth in the different organisations to acquire information on meaningful youth participation in monitoring and evaluation using Ureport. The youth were excited by the automatic responses they got and inspired to recruit many more other Ureporters in their respective communities so as to get their voice heard. Important to note however is the fact that these youth regardless of the districts they hail from, they speak the same language when it comes to issues of health , HIV/AIDS, Unemployment and Violence Against children, women and youth . It is therefore exceedingly vital for these youth to be equipped with skills and capacity to network within their respective regions first and as a national youth coalition thereafter. The youth are enthusiastic about their future once their energies are synthesized towards a common goal through the Youth Coalition.
ABOVE: Kugumikiriza Highway Community Based Organization that uses garbage recycling as a means to create sustainable youth employment. BELOW: Kyegegwa Rural Youth in Development Organization.

BELOW: District entry meeting with Kabarole District Officials.

LEFT: A focus group discussion with the beneficiaries of Kyegegwa Rural Youth in Development Organization. RIGHT: A group of Youth learn how to use Ureport.

TOWARDS A YOUTH COALITION


From the 22nd -24th , and 27th -29th of this month thirty youth participants from different youth organisations met in Gulu town for a training of trainers in Childrens Rights, Youth Participation and Positive Deviance in the districts of Gulu and Kitgum respectively . During the three day training of trainers the youth were able to share their own stories and experiences in youth participation and positive deviance. The trainings were highly youth friendly with video, games, break dance, power walk and other participatory training methods. The trainings were an opportunity for the youth to explore the meaning of youth participation and its different forms and to discuss the ways it can be promoted and fostered , to reflect upon the roles, responsibilities and values of the different actors; NGO, civil servants, local authorities, international institutions) in promoting and developing youth participation Through the training the youth leaders were also able to explore effective ways of implementing youth policies on local and national levels with the participants and their organisations/institutions and to reflect on the practical use of the national youth policy reviews. The trainings were also a great opportunity to develop personal and social competences of the participants youth participation and to provide possibilities for networking and planning future cooperation projects between the participants and lay foundation for the National Youth Coalition. The trainings also led to the recruitment of 60 Ureporters with ripple effect, and an energized team of youth leaders determined to create a better Acholi working together in harmony.

Participants of the Gulu with Amina Muhammed, Chief of UNICEF Gulu Zonal Office (left) and Kitgum (top most above) Youth Participation Training of Trainers alongside the facilitators (next two above)

SPECIAL THANKS TO:


UNICEF Kampala, Communications For Development Team. Amina Muhammed, Chief of UNICEF Gulu Zonal Office. UNICEF Gulu Zonal Office. Dr. Musinguzi Davis, Youth Participation Facilitator. Farida Katerega, Youth Officer, Ministry of Gender. All the Youth organisations involved.

COMPILED BY:
Caroline Barebwoha, UNICEF Youth Participation Consultant.

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