Partner
ACFODE (Action for Development)
Action for Development (ACFODE) is a national, non-governmental women’s interest and development organization founded in 1985. It was formed by Ugandan women who had been denied access to attend the United Nations Third World Conference on Women (UNWCW), held in Nairobi in July 1985. After this conference, these women felt that Uganda needed a platform for debating women concerns and advocating for changes that address such concerns. ACFODE was therefore founded to provide this forum. ACFODE envisions a just society where there is gender equality of opportunities in all spheres of life. Its mission is to promote women’s empowerment, gender equality and equity through advocacy, networking and enhancing the capacities of both women and men. ACFODE’s thematic areas are good governance and democracy, women’s rights and inclusion, women’s economic empowerment and institutional development. In partnership with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, ACFODE has successfully conducted civic and voter education for women during electoral processes as well as implementing capacity enhancement activities for potential women leaders with the aim of increasing women’s participation in decision-making. In addition, KAS supports a significant part of ACFODE’s Media Strategy under the good governance and women’s rights programmes. KAS also supports the publication of ACFODE’s Arise Magazine - a women’s development magazine. ACFODE is guided by the values of learning, openness, voluntarism, self determination, commitment, caring, respect, integrity, participation and teamwork. Just like KAS, ACFODE espouses the principle of democracy and participation. It is there fore this shared value that has enabled the partnership with KAS in promoting women’s participation in democratic processes in Uganda.
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DNG (Directorate of National Guidance)
The Directorate of National Guidance (DNG) is a department under the Ministry of Information and National Guidance of the Republic of Uganda charged with the responsibility of: promoting an ideal national character; democratization; steering the population towards national objectives; and, setting and coordinating guidelines for the political and socio-economic transformation. The department spearheads the propagation of national values and social education for developing people’s attitudes and behavior towards national development. DNG is the lead agency in consolidating a national service program, political education, and national symbols for the propagation of national values. Hitherto, in a bid to enhance cohesion and good governance, DNG in conjunction with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung has been conducting countrywide civic education capacity building programmes. The programme targets both elected and appointed district leaders and aims to: promote cohesion in the current multiparty political dispensation; enhance governments’ efforts to raise people’s social, political and economic awareness; and, to strengthen multiparty democracy and the common values for national development. This programme has been successful in reaching a multiplicity of stakeholders including Resident District Commissioners, Members of Parliament, District Local Council Chairpersons and Councilors, leaders of political parties including the ruling National Resistance Movement and Opposition political parties, Chief Administrative Officers and technical teams at the district and sub county levels. DNG programs focus on promoting reconciliation, understanding and unity for sustainable development. We equip leaders with mobilization skills and provide a platform for free, open and honest discussions to facilitate responsible citizenship and enhance the connection of all stakeholders with government in a bid to facilitate democratization and good governance.
FAD (Foundation for African Development)
The Foundation for African Development (FAD) was started in 1979 as an indigenous non-governmental organization with an aim of contributing to the establishment of democratic governance in Uganda. FAD envisions building a democratic culture based on dialogue, social justice, respect for human rights and freedoms and democratic governance. FAD’s mission is to develop an informed and empowered citizenry through provision of continuous civic education and facilitating mechanisms for meaningful citizenship participation in the political, social and economic development of Uganda. FAD further undertakes initiatives to uplift people’s incomes and livelihoods and provides a framework for collaboration with stakeholders working on peace and conflict resolution. Special emphasis is drawn on mobilizing, and strengthening women, youth and other marginalized groups. FAD is guided by the values of fairness, respect for human dignity, tolerance, pluralism and democracy, truthfulness, integrity, equality, love for mankind, good leadership, and solidarity. In partnership with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, FAD undertakes a number of programmmes covering a wide range of activities at different levels. These span from capacity building for local government institutions, judicial reform programs, civil society issues and the rule of law, to economic policy and value oriented dialogues. Our partnership is strengthened by the fact that FAD and KAS have much in common; we share the values of democracy, pluralism, human rights, respect of law and the ideals of freedom and commitment to civil liberties. Currently KAS supports a number of FAD activities including: a series of seminars and public dialogues on multi-party politics; legal and constitutional reforms; research and regular publications on topical issues such as the state of democratic governance and the rule of law in Uganda.
MUC (Makerere University Convocation)
Makerere University convocation (MUC) is an association of the alumni and current staff of Makerere University which is constituted and mandated by the Universities and Other Tertiary Institution Act of the Parliament of Uganda. MUC’s membership includes all Makerere graduates and staff. The Convocation aims to mobilize the alumni and community of Makerere University to harness their potentials to contribute effectively towards the university’s development while at the same time playing an active role in national and international development processes. For this reason, MUC undertakes a range of crosscutting programmes that aim to facilitate the social, political and economic transformations with the University community and the nation at large. In cooperation with and with support of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, MUC organizes regular debates/dialogues/symposia on issues that are pertinent to democratic governance and development in Uganda. The dialogues address critical aspects in regard to democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights. Special emphasis is drawn towards facilitating political education and civic awareness within the university. The debates contribute towards policy development and generate alternative modules and best practices for strengthening multiparty democracy as well as promoting effective service delivery and good governance. The MUC – KAS debates present a unique opportunity for a cross-section of stakeholders to engage in genuine and honest dialogue as a way of building consensus; it is a platform for intellectual discourse where academicians, politicians, civil society and students interface to share opinions and generate ideas and best practices on different aspects of development. In addition to the desire to facilitate intellectualism at the University, free debate and guided discussions are employed as a cornerstone for promoting peace, unity and reconciliation in Uganda.
UMDF (Uganda Media Development Foundation)
UMDF was founded in 1994 to address the professional, structural and industry challenges in the media sector. The founding of UMDF was based on the thinking that any democratic society needs an independent, pluralistic, free and informed media to act as a platform for democratic discourse among its citizens. The common element among all members is that they were all beneficiaries of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) scholarship scheme. Hence part of the objectives of UMDF is to promote the values and ideals of democracy, human rights and good governance through the media, which are the same values that are espoused by KAS. UMDF membership is characterised by experienced professionals working in the media and corporate communications sector with a common desire to strengthen the media’s role as a forum for democratic exchange of ideas in society. Today the objectives of UMDF include developing professional skills for journalists to effectively engage in governance processes, as well as monitor and engage media policy and legislative developments in order to advocate for a fair operating environment for the media. Specific focus to UMDF has been the need for media practitioners to be empowered with professional skills and consciousness to enable them act effectively as a link between the different centres of power and the citizens, as the citizens’ watchdog. This is done through training workshops on topics of relevance to democracy and good governance such as investigative reporting, elections reporting, local government reporting and human rights reporting. The primary beneficiaries are journalists from upcountry posting. Equally the need to scrutinise the structural environment in which the media industry is embedded such as the legal and policy dynamics is of particular focus for UMDF. Policy dialogues between policy makers, journalists and civil society are organised by UMDF as a means of broadening the understanding of press freedom.
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