Foundation for Human Rights Initiative

1. Capacity Building for Local Government

Objective:

“Enhance decentralized governance through promoting participatory decision making processes for effective service delivery and poverty reduction”

The Uganda Government adopted the Decentralization policy in 1993. This system of governance is aimed at increasing opportunities for citizens to democratically determine how they should be governed; make choices regarding the type and quality of services they want and increase access to basic services thereby contributing to the reduction of poverty among vulnerable groups and households.

The decentralization policy has not sufficiently been deepened; there exists low capacity and knowledge gaps in matters of participatory planning, budgeting, public accountability and understanding of human rights obligations; there is hardly any framework for sharing best practices and there are weak linkages between parliament, district councils and civil society. The majority poor including women, disabled, people living with HIV/AIDS, elderly and children are neglected and excluded from key decision making processes, unable to access their rights and basic services.

This action therefore seeks to strengthen capacities of district leaders in participatory planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation of public policies and projects for effective service delivery and poverty reduction by bridging capacity and knowledge gaps, strengthening linkages between parliament, district councilors and civil society, adopting a framework for sharing best practices and skills development for civil society groups to engage local authorities on state obligations.

It is a build up on a pilot project executed for the districts of Mukono, Nakasongola, Tororo and Mayuge in 2008. Under this project a situation Analysis was conducted in the four districts on the state of decentralized governance, and a Practice Guide on “Good Practices in Local Government” was published.

2. Building Capacity of Community Based Associations

Capacity Building Workshop for Gulu Youth for Action, Gulu District

Objective:

“To build capacity of community based human rights associations to effectively monitor and report human rights violations in order to promote dialogue and respect for human rights and democratic development in Uganda.”

The proposed action aims at responding and filling the gap in respect of the absence of a reliable network of human rights monitors; the existing knowledge gap in human rights monitoring and documentation among journalists and community based human rights groups; limited information flow on human rights abuses from local human rights monitors to national human rights groups for effective exposure and advocacy; weak linkages between media associations and human rights groups at the community level that impair early warning and the lack of a country specific instrument for human rights monitoring and documentation.

The action also seeks to build the capacity of community based groups in organizational management, skills and knowledge building, strengthen linkages with State organs and other community based activists and national organizations.

3. Capacity Building for the Judiciary

Objective: “To advocate for best practices in the administration of justice in Uganda.”

The judiciary is a critical actor in the enforcement of human rights. Judicial officers as interpreters and adjudicators of disputes play a central role in upholding the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights.

Effective administration of justice is key to improving access to justice. The judiciary is therefore central to the attainment of the above. The attempt by the judiciary in Uganda to resolve disputes, grant remedies and ensure quick disposal of cases leaves a lot to be desired. There is continued delay in trial proceedings which results in unreasonably long terms (three to five years) of incarceration. In the absence of a National Legal Aid scheme effective legal representation for the majority poor, access to justice remains elusive.

Against this background, FHRI has worked closely with the judiciary since 1998 in facilitating annual conferences for its members, which have yielded significant results. The conferences have sometimes been preceded by a study on the state of justice in the country whose research findings formed the basis of discussions. At the end of the conferences, the studies, recommendations and policy discussions are used to positively influence the administration of justice. Out of the constant constructive dialogue between FHRI and the judiciary, there is a remarkable improvement in dispensing justice with courage, openness and independence. The forums have provided a mechanism for reflection to judicial officers on their professional skill to deliver strong, liberal and clear decisions that have enhanced legal excellence, justice and equality.

Although Uganda’s judiciary has exhibited a strong preponderance towards independence, impartiality and integrity, judicial independence is still under threat.

In partnership with the Judicial Studies Institute judicial, FHRI’s judiciary capacity building program has created a forum for annual examination of judicial practices and constraints to effective justice delivery. Topical issues have been examined such as: land rights, judicial independence, application of international human rights standards in adjudication of disputes, expedite trials to reduce case back log, reform of archaic legislation, increased attention to economic, social and cultural rights corruption within the judiciary among others.

Building on this experience, research findings around three themes of police accountability, juvenile justice and rights of disabled persons in Uganda form the back rock for the judicial roundtables in the 2009-2011 programme.

4. Leadership Development for Human Rights Defenders

Objective:

“To build a cadre of human rights defenders who are passionate and knowledgeable in the field of human rights”

Building a sustainable human rights movement is key to the attainment of justice, stability and democracy in Uganda. A cadre of human rights defenders who are passionate about the values of justice and knowledgeable about the principles and practical approaches to advancing democracy is a precondition to the nurturing of a human rights culture and social justice movement.

Ugandan civil society is weak and nascent. There is therefore need for a deliberate effort to tap and develop skills of upcoming human rights defenders and facilitate a sharing of experiences among human rights defenders in the region.

This action addresses this problem in two ways: advancing the human rights network in tertiary institutions and through the introduction of a Human Rights Summer Course for Eastern and Central Africa.

i.The University Human Rights Network

The University human rights education and training outreach program began in 2006. Consequently, human rights clubs were established in the following universities by the end of 2009: Makerere University, Kampala International University, Nkumba University, Kampala University-Gaba, Ndejje University, Bugema University, Kyambogo University, Uganda Christian University-Mukono, Kibuli Teacher Training College; and Gulu University, Nkozi University, Busoga University and Mbale Islamic University in 2010.

CDD also continues to conduct and facilitate Inter University Human Rights Competitions where students engage in debate on topical issues like: Access to quality education; Judicial independence; Application of the death penalty; right to health; electoral democracy and media freedoms; they also provide a platform for the enhancement of students’ understanding of various human rights concepts through the sharing of experiences. The events that are adjudicated by a panel of independent judges facilitate enrichment of the students’ research skills as well.

The formation of human rights clubs and continued engagement of the same has led to a steady growth of a strong foundation of the student human rights movement and the competitions facilitate the students with in depth research into the field of human rights.

To consolidate the achievements made so far, FHRI will conduct more university human rights sessions in 2011 and an inter-university human rights competition with representation from various universities.

ii.The Annual Human Rights Summer Course

The Great Lakes region is and has been rife with conflict. Human rights defenders in this region must be courageous, passionate and knowledgeable about human rights trends in the region. Sharing practical experiences and context specific challenges necessitates a platform to enrich human rights defenders about risks, opportunities and new tactics to advance democratic development in the region. Through this action FHRI has so far conducted two human rights summer courses that benefited human rights defenders from a cross section of expertise in the region and beyond.

The maiden human rights summer course was held on 4^th – 9^th October, 2009 in Uganda at the Jinja Nile Resort under the theme “Building an effective Social Justice Movement in the East and Horn of Africa”. The course provided Human Rights Defenders with a platform to reflect on their human rights work and experiences as professional and activists. Participants were enriched with knowledge on the risks, opportunities and new tactics to advance human rights and democratic development in the region. At this course, it was resolved that consequent courses would be conducted and hosted on a rotational basis by the various countries involved.

In 2010, the second human rights summer course was held under the theme “Building a Democratic Culture in Eastern Africa”: Emerging Trends; co-hosted by FHRI and the International Commission of Jurists-Kenya (ICJ –Kenya) on the 24th – 29^th October 2010 and held at the Naivasha, Great Rift Valley Lodge in Kenya. The 2010 course was a build up on the momentum built during the 1^st course held in Uganda providing a follow up on the action plan developed as well as a platform for human rights defenders in the region to reflect on their human rights work and experiences as professionals and activists and enrich them with knowledge on the risks, opportunities and new tactics to advance human rights and democratic development in the region.

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