Join the YOPNEC “Promoting a Network of Commonwealth Young Achievers” The Network aims at bringing together young Ugandan professionals who have studied & worked within the Commonwealth countries; it will be reinforcing the role of young professionals in development. YOPNEC will recruit members from the corporate, NGOs, academia, media and other private sector entities to companion the values of the Commonwealth for the socio-economic transformation of Uganda and the East African region as a whole. The Network will officially be launched in November 2008. Membership is open to all young professionals and students across the East African Community and the Commonwealth. For further information on how to join the Network, please contact the
Desk Officer, CPA Uganda
Email: royalcsociety_ug@yahoo.co.uk
secretariat@cpaug.org or
download membership form at
www.cpaug.org/publication/membershipform  

Theme:  “Enhancing the relationship between citizens and the international institutions in Uganda” CPAUG is undertaking this programme as a citizen-participation project to compliment the efforts of other partners who are working to reform how international institutions deliver the much needed services to the communities they are met to reach the world over. In partnership with other institutions in Uganda, CPAUG will embark on implementing the proposed activities at the national and regional levels with a combination of making the communities demand for accountability and transparency. The  Programme aims at: Increasing awareness and information on the system of international institutions and why it requires sweeping reform Information Dissemination Partnership building; CSO- Public -Private Partnership Target Group:  Academia (students and administrators), Government, media, CSOs/NGOs & the private sector The campaign is starting in August 2009 around the country targeting schools and tertiary institutions Join the Reform Process to Achieve the MDGs by 2015! Lead Organization: Commonwealth Peoples’ Association of Uganda (CPAUG) For further information contact the CPA Uganda Secretariat P. O. Box 10358 Kampala, Uganda Tel: 256414577017 Email: secretariat@cpaug.org, royalcsociety_ug@yahoo.co.uk Website: www.cpaug.org

The Commonwealth Association –Uganda in partnership with the Government of Uganda represented by the Foreign Affairs Ministry commemorated the 2009 Commonwealth Day in Uganda with a Commonwealth procession. The proposed theme is “Uganda & the Commonwealth, empowering young people for socio-economic prosperity,” though the global theme is “Commonwealth @ 60: serving a new generation," Uganda is to adopt a national theme in line with the country’s socio-economic priorities with regard to young people.

The theme reflects the fact that 2009 will mark the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the modern Commonwealth. Yet the emphasis will be on the Commonwealth's young people - and the future - rather than the past, that is the celebrations were mostly attended by young people from around ten secondary and primary schools.

The celebrations attended by the British High Commissioner to Uganda, the diplomatic community, educational institutions, CSOs, the private sector, members of the Friends of the Commonwealth from Arua, Kampala & Jinja & the media was held at Hotel Africana, Kampala attracted close to 500 people. In his speech the Minster of Foreign Affairs, read for him by the Director for International Cooperation, Amb. Rhoda Kaisho, informed the participants that the Commonwealth has over the years devoted resources to youth programmes. He mentioned the Commonwealth funded Northern Uganda Youth Development Centre that has made a tremendous contribution to the empowerment of young people in the Northern part of Uganda.

He concluded by saying that though the world in engulfed in the financial crises, its not yet affected so many Commonwealth countries and he appealed to other leaders not to allow the crisis to distract the task of preparing the youth who are the future leaders of the Commonwealth.  

As part of the Commonwealth 60th Anniversary commemoration in Uganda, CPAUG with support from the Commonwealth Foundation (through the Friends of the Commonwealth UK, the Uganda Government represented by the Foreign Affairs ministry and the High Commission for Trinidad & Tobago, held a Commonwealth lecture and the inauguration of the Friends of the Commonwealth-Uganda Chapter at Nkumba University on 4th June 2009.

Attended by over 60 participants, the event attracted people from the government, development partners, media, civil society and the academia had the theme “The Commonwealth @60: Its relevancy to Uganda’s socio-economic transformation today.”

Speaking at the launch, the Ag. Executive Director, CPAUG said that the lecture aims at reflecting on the contribution the Commonwealth has had on the socio-economic transformation of the Commonwealth societies especially Uganda since the founding of the institution 60 years ago.

The Vice Chancellor, Nkumba University-EBB together with the Director of the British Council –Kampala then inaugurated the Ugandan Chapter of the Friends of the Commonwealth that brings together all friends who were part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) 2007 in Kampala.

At the end of the lecture & launch, the participants discussed how they view the Commonwealth in its endeavor to transform societies in areas like grassroot empowerment, democracy and the rule of law, skills development targeting the youth, leadership, the commonwealth as a facilitate for small nations in negotiations at the international level with the developed nations on issues focusing trade, its membership criteria and benefits therein. A full report will be posted on our web site mid-August 2009.