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Pressrelease news
One year in captivity
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July 11, 2013 - Today marks one year in captivity for 3 of our staff. In the afternoon of July 11, 2012, we received the shocking news that Muthoni, Abdinoor and Martin were travelling back from a field visit in Puntland and were stopped by gunmen. Our Somali staff, Axmed, was shot in the stomach while our Kenyan staff were captured and taken to some unknown location. Axmed was later taken for medical treatment in Nairobi where he underwent some surgeries to remove bullets. He has now recovered from his wounds and is back home in Somalia.
In spite of lots of communication with different influential people and negotiations with the kidnappers, they have not yet been released. We continue praying for the hostages and those holding them. We appreciate those who in various ways have supported us in this difficult situation and trust that we soon will be able to report good news that our staff has been released.
On behalf of the Crisis Management Team
Leif Zetterlund
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Project news
Staff training
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May 22, 2013 - Following training on Rights Based Approach in September last year and; Advocacy, networking and civil society development in February this year, the staff members who represented IAS Uganda shared their learning with the rest of IAS Uganda staff members in a 2 day sensitization workshop
Programme or project news:
IAS Uganda has had a successful 2 day sensitization workshop on advocacy, Civil Society development and the Rights Based Approach in Pader district. A team of 25 full time employees and volunteers convened in Pader district in northern Uganda on the 16th and 17th of May for the workshop. Though some of the concepts were not necessarily new given the approaches that IAS Uganda has adopted over the past 5 years, this workshop gave an in-depth insight into advocacy and RBA. Addressing the advocacy and RBA in the same workshop revealed how closely linked they are such that one cannot be achieved without the other. We were challenged to be more deliberate especially in integrating the concepts of RIGHTS. With the RBA, staff appreciated the outlook on poverty – poverty as a violation of human rights and also a major cause of human rights violations. The task for us therefore was well defined – to sensitize communities about their rights and responsibilities but also empower them to hold the duty bearers accountable. Communities need to speak out but must learn how to speak out without being antagonistic. While the concepts seemed simple to the minds of the elite, it will be an all engaging task for us to pass on these concepts to the rural populations where cultural beliefs and practices are strongly enshrined. Once the communities appreciate these concepts, a big part of the battle will have been won.
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Project news
Partner Network Conference completed
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March 10, 2013 - From the 11th – 16th February 2013, 75 participants from IAS and partner organizations across Africa gathered in Arusha, Tanzania for the second annual Partner Network Conference. The topic was advocacy and networking - challenging and equipping civil society organizations to become better agents of transformation in local communities.
Participants came from different backgrounds and countries, ranging from South Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda to Chad, Somalia and Nigeria. Each came with a different history but all came with a common purpose – to explore how they could move toward their role as advocates for change. For some, this was a natural transition, one they had already started on, while for many others, this was new territory to be explored. As the week progressed, common ground was found, in exploring not only the how, but also the why.
It is safe to say that the 2013 Partner Network Conference was only the beginning of a long journey. One participant described it as “life changing”, another as “an eye opener to what the church can do in promoting and advocating for civil rights”. To another participant, what stood out was “the importance of networking, because more voices are much [more] heard than one”. Many also commented on the valuable exchange between partners, and the topics discussed during afternoon skills workshops (smaller group workshops facilitated mainly by the participants themselves in their areas of expertise).
Regardless of what was taken away from the conference, the truth is that the hardest job is yet to come; putting the knowledge into action, and this will be one of IAS’ and the partners key tasks throughout the coming year. One thing, however, seems certain – those who were there, left with a lot of passion, and even though it may be spread across the continent, the IAS Partner Network stands in solidarity, and will walk this journey together.
Information about the 2013 Partner Network Conference and other activities, including the follow up activities throughout the coming year, will be posted on the IAS Partner Network webpage, currently under development (www.iaspartner.net).
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Pressrelease news, July 11, 2013
ias-intl.org
