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OUR CORE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS (2008-2017)
In the period of 10 years starting from 2008-2017, Public Opinions will mobilize resources; identify potential funding, networking and technical partners to implement the projects defined in this document.
UN Reform Program
Public Opinions will work towards the reformation of the United Nations so that it can be more responsive and effectively serve the people of the world irrespective of their religion, region, ethnicity, color, creed or any other divisionism. Reform of the United Nations is a top priority of the UN Administration and Leadership under H.E Ban Kii Moon-the Secretary General of UN.
During the 2005 World Summit, World Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a strengthened UN with enhanced authority and capacity to effectively and rapidly respond to the full range of global challenges of our time. In the period 2008-2017, Public Opinions will commit itself to conduct research, operate a think tank and study groups, generate ideas and raise awareness to renew and revitalize a more responsive United Nations. The following are the core pillars that need answers/opinions for the Reform of UN;
- Move forward on development challenges
- Address the need of the poor nations i.e. the sub Sahara Africa, Caribbean states, Eastern Europe, Latin America, etc.
- Provide leadership in achieving international development goals
- Strengthen the UN efforts to maintain peace and security in the world
- Counter terrorism globally
- Re-organize efforts on disarmament and non proliferation
- Bring human rights to all people around the world
- Strengthen humanitarian action
- Reform management and operations and the practices of the United Nations
- Improve accountability and oversight at the United Nations
- Set highest ethical standards
- Enhance partnership with civil society organizations
- Re-invigorate the Human Rights Council
- Protect Civilians and prevent genocide
- Enhance UN to the level of an actor rather than an ideological and theoretical organization
- Address Global Warming
We therefore welcome your opinions/proposals for the reform of the UN as reflected above. Public Opinions will organize regular meetings with stakeholders; workshops, seminars, conferences and public dialogues on the reform of the UN.
Human Rights and Good Governance (HUGGO)
The HUGGO Program is designed to principally advocate, promote and strengthen the core values of democracy and good governance and human rights in Uganda. In the period 2008-2017, Public Opinions will implement key projects as seen hereafter;
Right to Vote which will ensure high participation of people in election, free and fair election through civic and voter education, election dialogues and meetings, voter education, election watch,etc at all levels i.e. secondary schools, higher institutions of learning, local governments,etc.
- Organizing Community Fairs and Public Dialogues on Democracy and Good Governance in communities and Higher Institutions of Learning in Uganda
- Stop Child Sacrifice and Trafficking. The project will help in mobilizing communities and other stakeholders to create awareness, find appropriate measures to tackle child sacrifice and trafficking which is rampant especially in Buganda sub region and Northern Uganda respectively. Majority of the infants/children are kidnapped or trafficked for a number of reasons i.e. ritual murder, child labour,domestic labour,early marriage, forced marriage,sex,prostitution,etc
- Rights at Workplace. The project will advocate, promote and strengthen the workplace rights in the private sector in Uganda
- Consumer Rights Initiative (CORI). The Consumers are the principles for any business success and social-economical development of a nation. Public Opinions will advocate, promote, protect and ensure rights of the consumers in Uganda. The business community has continued to exploit the ignorance of the consumers especially those in remote or slum areas by among others;overpricing,counterfeit goods, sub standard goods and services, expired goods, exploitative advertisements/promotion,etc
- Performance Analysis of the Ministers of the Cabinet of the Republic of Uganda
- Performance Analysis of the Political Parties in Uganda
- Karamoja Peace Initiative (KAPI). The project will be implemented in the districts of karamoja sub region and it is intended to mobilize community for peace building, reconciliation, recovery and development of the dilapidated sub region of Uganda.
- Rights Awareness and Monitoring Initiative (RAMI) which will ensure community rights literacy, constant and coordinated awareness,referral,case follow-up in Karamoja Sub region,Bunyoro Sub region,Teso Sub Region and Acholi Sub Region and Batwa Community of Uganda
- Legal Aid Care (LAC) to sexually abused vulnerable Children and Orphans (VCO), poor families of sacrificed or trafficked children, disadvantaged abused mothers or wives as result of Gender Based Violence, etc.
- Deepening Decentralization Project (DPP) will be implemented in selected districts which started operation from the financial year 2001. The project is important in promoting and ensuring better service delivery in local governments, prioritization of broader social policies, furtherance of decentralization process, combating corruption, ensuring transparency and accountability, access to information, community participation in budgeting, accelerate deepening local democracy in which citizens will no-longer be seen as voting machines. The project will ensure participatory budgeting since it has in-built mechanism that lead to formation and strengthening a social capital and networking as well as increasing public ownership of development program. It will also guide and enable people to care for public investment and reduce vandalism, lead to better resources management, allocation and utilization, increase in voluntary community support, willingness to pay charge fees and timely payment of tax dues. This therefore will lead to creation of common vision and understanding which in turn leads to appreciation of community challenges based on development of a shared vision and unity of purpose which enable people to concentrate on long term development of community, enhance political legitimacy and voter support. It will also give attention to areas such as staff skills, ICT, auditing, evaluation, monitoring, planning, implementation, execution of functions, understanding terms of reference, etc. The project will be implemented through community meetings, training workshops/sessions, public dialogues, field visits, etc.
Corporate Social Responsibility Development Program
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a commitment by business to behave fairly and responsibly and contribute towards social-economic development while improving the quality of life of workforce and their families as well as the local community and society at large. CSR is promoted worldwide by the United Nations Global Compact, World Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OEDC), etc. The UN Global Compact was established in 1999 and launched in 2000 by H.E Kofi Annan-then UN Secretary General. The UN Global Compact defined 10 principles for which business and Civil Society Organizations must integrate in their business plans, promote and uphold from time to time.
The 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact are;
- Support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights
- Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses
- Uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining at workplace
- Eliminate all forms of forced and compulsory labour
- Abolish child labour
- Eliminate discrimination in respect of employment and occupation
- Support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges
- Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility
- Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies
- Work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
Under this program, Public Opinions will implement the following projects as indicated below;
- Publishing and Disseminating Publication titled “Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility” which will contain CSR statements from selected heads of government and private sector agencies in Uganda and well researched information on CSR.
- Organizing the 1st United Nations Global Compact Dialogue in Uganda to create awareness, appreciation and localization of the UN Global Compact and its principles.
- CSR Training for individual corporates or conducting CSR training workshops/consultancies for companies.
- Corporate Watch. Public Opinions will monitor and assess the CSR activities of corporates in Uganda with the UN Global Compact principles acting as the benchmarks for assessment. Annually, Public Opinions will organize a Corporate Noble Platform in which corporate Watch Report will be presented to the public and Corporate Noble Awards awarded to best CSR Companies.
Youth Mentorship Program
There is need and urgency for holistic and well coordinated approach to promote and uphold the UN-United Nations declaration on the promotion among the youth of the ideals of peace, mutual respect and understating between people as a potential and systematic contribution to attain the goals of the United Nations Charter.
The Youth Mentorship Program is intended to strengthen and uphold the cause for awareness of the world program of action for the youth to the year 2000 and Beyond which is a UN international strategy adopted in 1995 on the tenth anniversary of international youth year with mandate to address more effectively the problems of young men and women and to increase opportunities for youth participation in society, seek governments to be more responsive to the aspirations of the youth for a better world as well as to ask youths to be part of the solution rather than the problems and to enable youth to be problem solver rather than critics.
The Youth in Uganda are faced with a number of issues i.e. HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, hooliganism, poverty, un-employment, reproductive health challenges, etc. In Uganda, youth constitute an estimate of 70% of the 27 millions Ugandans and 90% of the mentioned youth live in rural settings and in very poor conditions. The youths also constitute both Uganda’s productive and non productive workforce. They therefore play a lead role in political-economical transformation of Uganda. It is in this spirit that the Youth Mentorship Program will be implemented as a strategic and holistic intervention to mentor youth into better citizens who can work as agents for development, peace, human rights, environmental protection and preservation, conflict mitigation, etc.
Public Opinions will implement the following projects as part of its Youth Mentorship campaign;
- Karamoja Youth Mentorship Initiative (KAYOMI)
- Youth Mentorship Program in Buganda Region with focus on capacity building of youth leaders, publishing profiles for youth leaders, organising youth mentorship dialogues, etc.
- Youth in Marriage Initiative (YIM) which will be implemented in Busoga sub region (Eastern Uganda), Rural Areas of Buganda and Ankole Sub Region. The project focus will be on awareness and sensitization of youth in marriage on HIV/ADS and other reproductive health issues/STDs, capacity building and training as peer educators, literacy and helping them to access and benefit from available government programs, access to family planning, etc.
- Northern Uganda Youth Initiative (NUYI) as a recovery, rehabilitation, integration, re-integration and development of youth in Northern Uganda. The project will be implemented in selected districts of Acholi, Lango and Westnile sub regions of Uganda which were highly affected by the 22 years rebellion of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The project is intended to mentor youth into responsible citizens, peace activists, change agents, public Monitors, etc. The project will include among others; youth training, literacy sessions, youth dialogues on sustainable peace building, youth exchange programs, youth access to government facility, ensuring youth access to information, ensure ICT training and accessibility, ensure access and management of Micro-finance services, and build their entrepreneurship capacity to enable them start-up individual or group income generating projects,etc.
- Organize Inter-Political Parties Youth Leaders Dialogue on free and fair election, electoral reforms, democracy and good governance, employment and wealth creation, etc.
- Organize Public Dialogues in Northern Uganda on Peace, Reconciliation and Development with youth as target group
- Organize Sub Regional Youth Conferences targeting Local Government Youth Leaders and five Executive Committee members from each registered political party, and youth leaders from youth associations in those areas.
Corruption and Accountability Program (CAP)
Corruption has immensely contributed to inequality and as bedeviled social economical development. The evil has increased costs of public sector projects hence direct shift to the common man in which majority live in poor conditions and cannot afford basic needs. It has led to public funding to fail to achieve its set objectivies. Corruption has also led to distortion in policy decisions leading to misallocation of resources and erosion of public confidence. Public Opinions will implement the following projects to ensure transparency, accountability and corruption free society;
- Public Funds Monitoring (PFM) with interest on Road Funds, National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Universal Primary Education, Universal Secondary Education, Peace, Recovery and Development Program (PRDP), Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF),etc.
- Performance Assessment and Monitoring of Public Accounting Officers i.e. Permanent Secretaries, Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks, etc.
- A Glance of the Programs and projects of the Government of the Republic of Uganda since 1986
- Training Public Monitors (PM) in selected districts
- Organizing Ethics and Integrity Training Workshops targeting police officers, prisons officers, local government officials and civil society organizations on fighting corruption and ensuring transparency and accountability in local government in South Western Uganda, Eastern Uganda and Karamoja sub region of Uganda
- Shooting, producing and disseminating documentary/films on corruption i.e. areas or projects that have been affected or effected by the evil acts of corruption i.e. hospitals, schools, roads, police cells, prisons wards, etc.
Students Mentorship Program
The project will be implemented to mentor students into better citizens of Uganda. It will be implemented in primary and secondary schools and higher institutions of learning with focus on promoting sisterhood and brotherhood, spirit of nationalism amongst the students and this will help in shaping the young and new generation into socially responsible citizens of Uganda to steer Uganda to greater heights.
Public Opinions will therefore implement the following projects;
- Reproductive Health Sessions and dialogues in Schools with focus on HIV/AIDS and other STDs whose prevalence is high in schools
- Establishing and promoting students mentorship clubs in primary, secondary and higher institutions of learning. The clubs will focus on among others partriotism,cultural exchange,drama,debates,reproductive heath issues,peace,etc
Community Literacy Program
In the period 2008-2017, Public Opinions will conduct literacy activities in remote and slum areas with focus on;
- Resources mobilization
- Accessibility of government programs
- Generating Public views on key issues of national and local importance
- Community training-Functional Adult Education
- Sensitization on government programs
Policy Research and Development (PORD)
Social-economical policy research is vital in social-economical development of Uganda. Public dialogues, consultative meetings, field review will be conducted to realize the program effectively. Public Opinions will therefore invest in policy research and development initiatives in the country with focus on; Decentralization Policy Research (DPR),Good Governance Research (GGR),Land Policy Research (LPR),Public Service Reform (PSR),Social Issues Research (SIR),Trade Policy Research (TPR),Wealth Creation Research (WCR)
- Policy Research and Tracking Initiative (PORTI) will in the next 10 years focus on research on key policy issues, policy tracking, etc.
- Public Opinions will organize quarterly “Executive Policy Discourse” in which Chief Executives, political party leaders, NGOs/CSOs officials, development partners, diplomats, government officials, scholars will meet to discuss on key issues of national importance and require urgent attention.
- Public Opinions will organize and promote Public-Private Sector caucusing in districts (PRISCAD) in Uganda. A number of activities i.e. Public Private Sector dialogues/caucuses, consultative meetings, workshops, training will be conducted to promote and strengthen public-private sector partnership at lower levels.
Public Watch
Public Opinions will publish and widely disseminate public views/opinions, cases of human rights abuses, private sector issues,corruption,public funds releases from central government to local government lower levels, local government budgetary misallocations,constraints,success stories, progress on implementation of government and donor funded projects, community issues, issues of national importance,etc. The publication will be the voice of the voiceless, the vulnerable and those whose rights are at stake or have been abused. It will further contain informed opinions on governance, family, health, security, development and will be distributed to among others;
- Members of Parliament
- The Judiciary of Uganda
- The Office of the President/State House
- Diplomatic Missions
- Local Governments
- NGOs/CSOs
- Public Servants
- Religious and Cultural Leaders
- Development Partners
- Business Community
- Public places
- Media Houses
- General Public, etc.
Funding and Partnership
To effectively implement the projects as enshrined in this document, Public Opinions will require financial, technical and networking partners. Public Opinions is therefore calling upon development partners, civil society organizations, academic institutions, government, individuals to establish partnership for sustainable development of Uganda/Africa.
PUBLIC OPINIONS
Plot 65, Bukoto Street
P.o Box 36733
Kampala-Uganda
Tel: +256 312 283 776, +256 712 936 206
Email:publicopinions@yahoo.com
Website: www.pubopinions.org
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