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IRCU concludes consultative meetings

Last Updated on Thursday, 17 May 2012 11:52 Thursday, 17 May 2012 11:39

The Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) has concluded consultative meetings for religious leaders aimed at mapping out their role and contribution towards building Uganda in last 50 years and the next 50 years.

Rev. Canon Grace Kaiso (right) looks on as one of the clerics demonstrates a point during the consultative meeting in Kampala. Extreme left is Professor Badru Kateregga.

This consultative process has enabled religious leaders to build consensus on their unique role in nation building and lay a fresh foundation for effectively living out this role in the next fifty years. It provided space for religious leaders agree on a common framework to guide them as they engage with peace, justice and governance issues at all levels of society.

The consultation took place in 17 regions namely; Ankole, Busoga, Bunyoro, West Nile, Acholi, Lango, Teso, Karamoja, Bukedi, Elgon, Kigezi, Rweonzori, Buganda which was divided into 5 clusters. These were

Cluster one; Masaka, Rakai, Sembabule, Lwengo, Kalangala, Kalungu and Bukomansimbi

Cluster two; Mityana, Mubende, Kasanda and Kiboga

Cluster 3; Mukono, Kayunga, Buikwe, Buvuma

Cluster four; Kampala, Wakiso, Mpigi

Cluster five; Luwero, Nakasongola, Nakaseke

Now that the consultative phase has been completed, a shared vision, set of value, and moral standards will be drawn out of the views and recommendations by religious leaders from each region. These will be compiled, published and validated in a national conference for senior religious leaders to be held in September 2012.

At the validation conference, the religious leaders will commit themselves to disseminating the agreed shared values, standards through their structures at all levels of society. In so doing, they will ensure these standards are internalized by the people and become the benchmarks by which they will judge their own conduct, and performance. It will also prompt religious institutions to examine themselves in light of these expectations and therefore become mutually accountable to each other and to their members.

IRCU presents a memorandum on oil to parliament

Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 May 2012 13:51 Wednesday, 16 May 2012 13:31

IRCU presents a memorandum on oil to parliament

On the 8 of May 2012, the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) presented before the Natural Resources Committee of the Parliament of Uganda a Memorandum on the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill.

The team from IRCU was led by the chairman of IRCU Peace, Justice and Governance committee, His Grace John Baptist Odama, Arch Bishop of Gulu Archdiocese, the Secretary General Mr. Joshua Kitakule and Religious leaders.

His Grace Bishop J.B Odama, 4th from left, with the IRCU team posing for a photograph after presenting the Memorandum on the oil bills to parliament.

In the memorandum, IRCU expressed gratitude to submit its final findings and recommendations. The religious leaders said they were inspired by their desire to see to it that Uganda’s oil remains a blessing to the citizens and nation as a whole and that they want to see transparency and accountability in the management of the oil sector

The religious leaders reccommended that the oversight role of Parliament is increased to include approving appointment of members of the Authority, receiving reports from the authority and ratifying petroleum exploration licenses and that Oil licenses should be approved by Cabinet and ratified by Parliament.

The clergy were also concerned about clause 16 which give the minister too much power and 17 that obliges parliament to obey the minister’s orders that this would erode its independency. They recommended that clause 16 and 17 be removed from the bill and that appointment of members of the authority be done by the President with the approval of Parliament and that parliament should also have a role/say in initiating dismissal of members of the Authority in cases of abuse of office.

For details of the IRCU Memorandum on Oil please go under publications and click on Reports.

Onsite training of FBO staff

Last Updated on Friday, 11 May 2012 15:36 Friday, 27 April 2012 08:10

Onsite Training of FBO Staff

Onsite training of FBO staff in indicator definitions and data management at all care and treatment/prevention Faith Based Organizations (FBOs).

This year, IRCU has embarked on onsite training in indicator definitions and Data Management. This is intended to help the secretariat team reach out to all the FBO staff involved in the implementation of the HIV/AIDS program especially HIV prevention and Care and Treatment that involve facility/FBO based staff and field/outreach staff.

This focused-facility based training and support addresses the gaps identified through the data quality assessment and monitoring and support supervision of 2011.

The training started after the secretariat team realized last year that it was interfacing with a few people at the FBO sites yet many other people are involved in the implementation. As a result cross learning to other staffs was limited and yet there is evidence of limited sharing of information by staff who attend trainings/ workshops with the other staff.

IRCU implementing FBOs are distributed in over 40 districts in the regions of West, southwest, Central, Eastern, West Nile, Karamoja and Northern Uganda. For cost effectiveness and time, IRCU teams are visiting the various regions at the same time.

IRCU donates to Kireka home for the mentally handicapped

Last Updated on Friday, 11 May 2012 16:14 Wednesday, 25 April 2012 09:19

Manager research and strategic information IRCU, Manisurah Aheebwa (In Red) hands over donations to Kireka home for mentally handicapped.

The Handicapped in Uganda, as in most developing countries in the world, face extreme conditions; The Government of Uganda has adopted a number of laws and policies like providing free primary education. However the gap is yet too big to be filled. The Inter religious council of Uganda has joined this cause by donating sewing machines and other assorted items to Kireka home for the mentally handicapped.

This home that houses some of the extreme cases of infant disabilities has 71 children, hailing from all over the country. Handing over the gifts the manager research and strategic information Manisurah Aheebwa said IRCU acknowledges that caring for orphans and vulnerable is tough and challenging ministry duty, but faith based organizations carry an undeniable call to be stewards and managers of humanity.

It’s upon this back ground that IRCU staff mobilized funds from within as an act of charity towards the community. Children with impairment are likely to start school later than their peers, and are most likely to start school after the age of ten. Their School attendance rates are variable and often low and will mostly need assistive devices and special help to cope.

IRCU HANDS OVER CARE PACKS.

Last Updated on Friday, 11 May 2012 16:05 Tuesday, 24 April 2012 14:24

IRCU HIV/AIDS Manager Jackie Katana hands over a pack to a beneficiary at IRCU head office in Kampala.

This Year Uganda’s population hit 34 million. Whether this is good or bad what concerns everyone is the quality of life that citizens in this country are living. IRCU has been for the last 12 years improving people’s conditions of living through offering Palliative care/ART services in 19 faith based organizations (FBO’s).These FBOs offer Medicine to HIV positive clients, counseling and lots more.

Now the service has expanded to include mosquito nets, safe water vessels, and water filters, to help IRCU Clients reduce chances of contracting diseases such as Malaria, Typhoid and Diarrhea. Safe water vessels remove dirt from drinking water as well as kill Micro disease carrying organisms thereby improving people’s quality of life.

Handing over the care packs to beneficiaries, HIV/AIDS Manager Jackie Katana said that IRCU is working in partnership with USAID to improve lives of over 1000 families.

She implored FBO’s to ensure that beneficiaries make best use of this donation. Diarrhea can be a life threatening problem if not treated correctly and rapidly. In addition it is one of the most annoying HIV symptoms. Diarrhea purges the body of needed fluid and electrolytes, resulting in dehydration.