Update from Kevv

Hello IPMPers! All is well in Kampala, and here's the update I've been meaning to post for a while now. On 29-30 September the Africa Conference on the Convention on Cluster Munitions happened here in town, put on by the UNDP, Govt of Uganda and the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC). From AFP:

Six new African countries pledged support for banning cluster bombs during a conference in Uganda, organisers said Wednesday, bringing to 40 the number of nations on the continent set to ratify a treaty.
"Many governments that have not previously declared support came on board here in Kampala," Mary Wareham of Human Rights Watch, one of the groups leading the campaign, told AFP.
Wareham identified Rwanda, Liberia, Angola, Madagascar, the Seychelles and Benin as the newly-recruited countries. She said the number of countries committed to the treaty now numbered at 40 out 53 in Africa.

The conference was held in order to keep up the momentum and pressure for African states to sign onto the cluster ban treaty, which will open for signing in Oslo in December. I helped out with logistics and keeping track of per diems/travel reimbursements for CMC delegates. It was a great experience. More press coverage here and here.

For most of the past 7 weeks I've been occupied with coordinating GuluWalk in Kampala. CPAR decided to take things in an innovative direction this year, working with a minimal budget and tight timeframe. We had the 2008 GuluWalk Charity Golf Tournament, and also did a live music event at a local club in town that is popular with students. We focused efforts on the actual march towards the one in Gulu Town. I've been doing a lot of partnership forming with corporates, soliciting corporates to donate GIKs towards the cause, cover our costs, etc. Both events happened this past weekend and everthing seems to have gone over quite successfully. I will add some pics to this post as soon as I can.

As fond as I am of event management type work, I am now very much looking forward to sinking my teeth into the programming side of things. This month I will spend time up-country and visit some (maybe all) of our field offices, and I will be plunging head first into some of the many proposals that seem to pop up on a moments notice. I'll be investigating opportunities for CPAR to renew funding for its landmine survivor assistance and mine risk education programming, which has fallen by the wayside as CIDAs mine action funding dried up earlier this year (and is not being renewed).

In leisure news, recent highlights include watching the Uganda Cranes beat Benin live at Mandela Stadium, attending the Kampala Jazz Festival, and enjoying frequent meals with fellow IPMPers Laura, Tyler and Monty. Laura is a great roommate and we're getting on splendidly of course. The IPMP Summit Of Fun is set to unfold in Zanzibar Dec 22-Jan 2, at Baraka Guesthouse, Kendwa Beach, north Zanzibar. Six of us onboard as of right now. Spots still available!

General Uganda Pics HERE.

GuluWalk Pics HERE.