May 9, 2012 in Africa Women's Decade, Empowerment, Featured, Icon, iCON, Inspirational Quotes, MDG, Newsletter, Policy advocacy, social enterpreneur, UNWE, WLN, Women empowerment, YLN
Warm greetings from iCON. It has been a while since you received our newsletter. This edition of the newsletter is bigger and better!
March 22, 2012 in Climate Chnage, Empowerment, Environmental sustainability, Featured, Icon, iCON, Policy advocacy, UNWE, WLN, Women empowerment, YLN
The reality of the changing climate and its threat on life and sustainable development of communities has become more apparent in Uganda and around the world. There is an increase in extreme weather conditions including droughts, floods, storms that needs the special attention of all people. Many people in emerging economies like Uganda are highly dependent on local natural resources for their livelihood, because it is their source of water, food and energy for cooking and heating.
iCON recognizes the need to prevent further damage but also address effects of climate change on people and communities because it limits their potential to grow into visionary leaders as their entrepreneurial capacity is greatly affected. Under one of its core thematic areas of Gender, Environmental Sustainability and Leadership, iCON aims to build leadership capacities to address challenges and harness opportunities associated with the environment including finding lasting solutions to the climate change problem.
iCON is a member of a working group of CSOs in Uganda led by the Development Network of Indigenous Voluntary Associations (DENIVA) Read the rest of this entry →
February 28, 2012 in Africa Women's Decade, Beijing +15 review, CSW, Empowerment, Featured, Icon, iCON, Policy advocacy, WLN, Women empowerment
UN Headquarters in New York. The African Shadow report was launched at one of the Pararell events during the 54th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2/24/2012
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK – The Global Network for Global Peacebuilders (GNWP), a program partner of the International Civil society Action Network announces upcoming events – organized in conjunction with the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW) – that highlight some of the important issues we strive to make a difference on! GNWP bridges the gap between policy discussions and implementation and action on the ground on women and peace and security issues.
February 28, 2:30-4pm at the UN Church Center, 2nd floor (1st Avenue and 44th street) Investing in Peace, Investing in Women, a panel discussion that will examine the impact of current financing for UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and women and peace and security programming at the national level. Co-sponsored by GNWP, Cordaid, the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations and the United Nations Development Program
March 1, 4:30-6pm at the UN Church Center Chapel (1st Avenue and 44th street) Violence against Women, Economic Empowerment and Rural Women in Conflict-Affected Situations, an event which will analyze Read the rest of this entry →
February 28, 2012 in Africa Women's Decade, Beijing +15 review, BPfA, Children's Leadership Program, CSW, Empowerment, Featured, Icon, iCON, Women empowerment
Poverty and Hunger February 2, 2012 in Africa Women's Decade, Blog, building leadership, CSW, Empowerment, Icon, iCON, Women empowerment
iCON reminds you to confirm your attendance to the Uganda CSW working group meeting with the Director, Ministry of Gender, to be held on Friday February 3rd 2012.
iCON will be taking the debate on the 56th theme of the CSW live on air. So tune in to the talk show “Manya Eddembe Lyo” on CBS FM on Sunday, February 5th 2012 from 9pm-10pm to be part of this advocacy platform.
iCON shall be convening the CSW Working group for a planning meeting for working group representatives to the 56th CSW meeting.
iCON shall be bringing daily updates from the 56th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting from 27th February to 7th March 2012 to the mailing lists.
Join the Metro NY Chapter of the US National Committee for UN Women at their Annual Luncheon at the United Nations March 2, 2012, noon to 2:30 PM Delegates’ Dining Room at United Nations Headquarters United Nations Plaza, New York City on the theme: “Peace and Equality”
Keynote Speaker: Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury
Honorary Speaker: Jeni Klugman, World Bank
Early Bird Ticket Prices $130 (Members), $150 (General Admission), $300 (VIP). ) Early bird discount expires 1/31/12).
RSVP http://unluncheon.eventbrite.com.
Please note you can pay by credit card or check
Sessions
“Women’s Role in Advancing the Culture of Peace” by Anwarul K. Chowdhury: Ambassador at Large for Women, Peace and Development.
In a long and distinguished diplomatic career, Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury of Bangladesh has been a tireless advocate for the culture of peace, women, children, and the most vulnerable countries of the world. His initiative in March 2000 as the President of the Security Council achieved the political and conceptual breakthrough that led to the adoption of the ground breaking *UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women and peace and security. From 2002 to 2007, he served as Under-Secretary-General and High representative of the UN.
“Getting Equal” by Jeni Klugman Director, Gender and Development for the World Bank.
Worldwide, women make up the majority of unpaid workers. Only 15% of landowners and one in five lawmakers n the world are women. One out of every 10 births are by mothers ages 15-19, almost all of them in developing countries. Violence against women is still widespread. Jeni Klugman will discuss the World Bank’s “Think Equal” initiative to increase
women’s economic opportunity and their voice in decision making. It’s time to think EQUAL.
RSVP http://unluncheon.eventbrite.com. Please note you can pay by credit card or check .
February 2, 2012 in Blog, building leadership, Empowerment, Icon, iCON, social enterpreneur, Women empowerment
Over 500 Children From Northern Uganda Oriented on Day of the African Child
Over 500 children from three schools in Gulu ( Gulu Police Primary School, Alliance High School and Comprehensive College Gulu) were oriented on the Day of the African child. Under the theme “Together for Urgent Action in Favour of Street Children”, over 100 primary and secondary school children drew pictures depicting the causes of the issue of street kids and giving recommendations to address the problem. Over 100 children participated in the drawing competition and 6 children (two from every school) were awarded with scholastic material for having the best paintings.
Streamlining iCON Clubs into a Children’s Fellowship Program
In 2011 iCON set out to streamline all iCON clubs in schools into the Fellowship Program, which is the key product of iCON. The Child Leadership Program ran two children’s fellowship programs in November and December at Katuuso Community S.S.S and Gloryland Christian college in Jinja where 50 children were taken through Leadership Enhancement Seminars on the theme “Building a cadre of children and young people who are passionate and committed in advancing environmental sustainability in Uganda.”
20 SHELA Groups Created, Women’s Leadership, Entrepreneurial and Peace Building Capacity Strengthened
iCON through the Women Leaders Network created 20 SHELA groups in northern Uganda. 10 groups were started in Ongako subcounty, with5 groups in Abwoch Parish and 5 others in Kal Parish. 10 more SHELA groups launched operations in Alero subcounty, where 06 groups opened operations in Panok rac Parish and 04 more, in Bwobonam Parish, Nwoya district. 16 Community Based Facilitators were also identified to monitor the SHELA groups.
25 Male Leaders to Fight GBV in Northern Uganda
25 men from northern Uganda were part of a Leadership Enhancement Seminar as iCON launched the Northern Uganda Masculinity and Transformational Leadership Fellowship in November. This Fellowship was formed to equip male leaders with skills to engage both men and women in transforming masculinities to end gender inequity and violence against women.
Creativity for Peace Building in Gulu
The Creative Youth Entrepreneurial Development Group was developed by Claudia Kakanyero, an iCON Fellow, at the end of 2011. The group aims to eradicate poverty among the youth in Gulu through the creation of projects that engage idle youth in capacity building activities for the positive use of their youthful energy.
The 30-strong team, which is in the early stages of its development, focuses on promotion of creative activities such as crafts, bakery and bee keeping in communities, in order to ensure that the youth spend their hours making peace, and fighting war.
Night Ayo: Inspiration in Plight
Night Ayo is an iCON Fellow. She attended an iCON Leadership Enhancement Seminar where she was inspired through a self discovery session to pursue her dream of starting up a poultry project. As a volunteer with Red Cross in Gulu, Night’s small allowance seemed insufficient to begin her business.
However, after the SWOT analysis, Night was able to use her allowance to purchase 50 chicks at 1500/- each. Although Night was left without any money to fund the construction of a poultry house, she kept the chicks in her bedroom while she literally built a brick poultry house by herself for the birds.
Although society and circumstances were against Night, she persevered and by end of 2011, her poultry project was flourishing with each of her hens being sold for more than twice the initial cost of purchase.
Night is an inspiration to her community, where she is known as a hard working, successful woman entrepreneur. She runs regular free training sessions for individuals interested in poultry farming. By the end of 2011, under Night’s mentorship, two people in her community had started up poultry projects of their own.
February 1, 2012 in Africa Women's Decade, Blog, Empowerment, Icon, iCON, social enterpreneur, Women empowerment, YLN
The Creative Youth Entrepreneurial Development Group was developed by Claudia Kakanyero, an iCON Fellow, at the end of 2011. The group aims to eradicate poverty among the youth in Gulu through the creation of projects that engage idle youth in capacity building activities for the positive use of their youthful energy .
The 30-strong team, which is in the early stages of its development, focuses on promotion of creative activities such as crafts, bakery and bee keeping in communities, in order to ensure that the youth spend their hours making peace, and fighting war.
January 19, 2012 in Africa Women's Decade, BPfA, CSW, Empowerment, Featured, WLN
Some of the iCON Fellows from Northern Uganda
CSW Updates: iCON invites you to a meeting with government on Friday 03-02-2012 at 9:30am at the offices of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development offices to present the Civil Society Statement on the role of rural women in poverty eradication, development and challenges
Some of the iCON Fellows from Northern Uganda
December 15, 2011 in Blog, building leadership, Empowerment, Icon, iCON, social enterpreneur
The late Rev Canon Bartholomew Musoke Zimbe is one of the most generous yet little known philanthropists of his generation. He gave up the privileged lifestyle of a Chieftain in the Buganda Kingdom for Christianity before devoting the rest of his life to advocating for the abolition of slave trade in the 19th Century.
Rev Bartholemew donated land for the building of the first Protestant Cathedral – Namirembe. He was also a family man who spread the gospel, invested in the development of formal education by building numerous schools and upheld his heritage. His valiant efforts helped to usher in the era of Christianity in Uganda.
