Judicial Officers Tipped On Rights of Indigenous People
Dr Peter Mutesasira one of the facilitators at the Rights of Indigenous People training at Kabira Country Club
A cross-section of Judicial officers on Monday, October 25, 2021 participated in a training on the human rights of the indigenous people of Uganda.
The one day workshop which was organized by the Judicial Training Institute in partnership with the African International Christian Ministries (AICM) and the Minority Rights Group International (MRG)took place at Kabira Country Club, Kampala.
Held under the theme, "Empowering Indigenous Land Rights Defenders To Prevent Climate Change," the training addressed human-rights of the indigenous people in Uganda, understanding the role of indigenous people in climate change and conservation.
In his remarks to the participants, the Deputy Registrar Training, Moses Gabriel Angualia, said the overall objective of the training was to raise awareness on minority and indigenous people's (IPs)situations and relevant standards to protect their rights.
HW Angualia noted that participants in this training, which is a first of its kind, were selected mainly from South West Uganda where Batwa communities come from and Kapchorwa in Eastern Uganda. He commended AICM, MRG and the European Union(EU) for funding the training and encouraged the participants to embrace it.
The Executive Director of AICM, Ms Faith Tushabe, said the aim of the workshop, was to partner with different stakeholders.
"I hope this is the beginning of a long and fruitful working relationship between not only the Judiciary, AICM and MRG but also Civil Society Organizations and Community Based Organizations mandated to protect the rights of indigenous peoples within our communities," she said.
In relation to this, Ms Eunice Olembe, the Africa Legal Rights Officer at MRG, added that through this project, community paralegals have been engaged as the first line of defense in safeguarding the rights of indigenous communities.
"The engagement has not only been centered on building the capacity of the community but also building the capacity and deepening the engagement with duty bearers," Eunice said.
The session was facilitated by among others, Senior Resident Judge of Fort Portal, Hon. Justice Vincent Emmy Mugabo who presented on the background of the Batwa and Benet communities in Uganda while highlighting the relevant national, regional and international legislation vis-a-vis the norms and standards on indigenous people. Hon. Justice David Batema of Mukono High Court, on the other hand, discussed the judicial duties and roles in ensuring inclusion and respect of those affected by multiple discriminatory factors.
Other facilitators were Ms. Patricia Nduru (Huma rights Consultant), Dr Peter Mutesasira (Dean Faculty of Law UCU) and Dr Kabumba Busingye (Lecturer School of Law Makerere University). Also in attendance was Mr Isaac Otim from the European Union.
Posted 25th, October 2021
