Projects

The Ugandan Coalition for Peace, Democracy and Development

"The heart of democracy, I finally came to understand, is voice―the capacity of citizens to have a say in those critical choices shaping their lives and their futures." Francis Moore Lappé

Voices for Global Change was in Uganda in October, 2005, assisting in a project to develop an issue-driven, good-governance coalition in the Northern Region of the country. As a sub-contractor on this U.S. State Department funded project, Voices provided training in community and media relations to the 155 participants in the project, primarily local government and civic leaders. The project was the first of its kind in the country. The "Ugandan Coalition for Peace, Democracy and Development" will advocate for improved social, political and economic conditions for the communities in this important and underserved area of the country. Traditionally marginalized from the rest of Uganda, two decades of rebel activity by the Lord's Resistance Army have served to further disempower the people of the Northern Region, displacing up to 1.5 million people in internal refugee camps.

This project can be considered a first step toward an examination of how a well-organized coalition can be designed, developed and implemented, even though many of its representatives come from a wide variety of religious, cultural and philosophical backgrounds, and may sharply disagree on political issues. The Coalition leadership is hard at work designing and implementing initiatives to ensure that this fledgling organization plays a major role as a "voice" for the Northern Region.

Voices President, Barbara Moller, works with Hellen Edimu of FIDA-U (The Ugandan Association of Women Lawyers) and Elizabeth Ayot of Gulu University on materials for the Coalition training.

Jane Musoke, Executive Director of the Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA-U) addresses the training participants.	A participant in the Coalition training practices his group presentation skills.

The Takeo Orphanage An hour outside of Phnom Penh, Cambodia in the village of Takeo, an initiative involving over 125 children has proven an inspiring example of what vision and compassion can achieve.

Voices' Ron Abney has been a guiding force behind the evolution of the Takeo Orphanage from a barely functioning, rundown hostel for a few children to a vibrant, well-equipped home and education center for scores of homeless children. Ron's involvement with the orphanage spans more than a dozen years, and many of the children now call him "Daddy".

Takeo is an exemplar, a work of love and dedication that can serve as a model for the entire region. We thought often of Takeo after the Tsunami of 2004, and reflected on how that tragedy created the pressing need for similar "safe havens" for so many thousands of orphaned children. Takeo, which is supported entirely by donations, provides not only a home and refuge, but an opportunity for full and meaningful lives. Children are educated through the university level, if they desire; many who have graduated are returning to the orphanage to "give back" to the place that gave them a second chance.

Ron brought Takeo to the attention of Voices, and we immediately knew it was a perfect fit for our mission. The smiling faces of Takeo's children are a perfect counterpoint to the grim reality of child trafficking that is pandemic in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia. With that in mind, Voices will be producing a documentary on the orphanage in 2006, as an inspiring story of what is possible.

Girls at Takeo perform a traditional Khmer dance, wearing costumes they made themselves. Their dance troupe is considered the best in the area for the traditional dances, and participation is considered an honor.