RESPECT has been incrementally successful in meeting its mandate and mission
month by month since its inception just over one year ago. This has been made
possible thanks to the incredible commitment of our volunteer country coordinators,
country liaisons, webmasters, researchers, and of course, all of the teachers who
have brought RESPECT into their classroom and into their lives! RESPECT is very
proud to announce that we have introduced 1200 refugee and non-refugee students
together from ten countries to date! More and more countries are sending in
letters and more and more schools are applying to be part of RESPECT. Please
check out RESPECT Ezine on the web for more details!
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Despite displacement and ongoing hardship, our RESPECT refugee communities are
cultures filled with young and expressive minds with generations in the making of
traditional crafts. In an effort to promote self-reliance, RESPECT is developing
an online store that will help communities help themselves through the worldwide
sale of their specialized crafts.
As this online store is still in the initial stages of development we need
your help for this push this project to fruition. Please visit the RESPECT
online store forum to help turn this idea into working reality.
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The RESPECT University is recruiting volunteers to give the gift of knowledge
to empower the refugee communities of the world. Already a group of six initial
students in Uganda are waiting to take advantage of RESPECT U. Qualified volunteer
instructors will provide instruction through reading and writing assignments to
students with a great thirst for knowledge. Other volunteers are needed to
distribute material and provide marketing material for wider recruitment. This is
perfect experience for graduate students.
All educational subjects are welcome and will be appreciated by our
international RESPECT partners and their students. Join this rapidly-progressing
project discussion and make your mark in these students' lives.
http://www.romero-online.com/respect/forum/
In Uganda, news of an attack by rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) came
to us from the Agoro Community Development Association (ACDA). Regrettably, this
ambush left two students deceased.
The first victim, Kilama Charles, was a second year student in the RESPECT
program. The second loss of life was a fourth year student by the name of Gulu
whole life was taken on his way home from school. They were both killed on
February 16, 2003, after Uganda's Holy Day. Both of these students were from
Agoro, in the northern Kitgum district.
The RESPECT program is still waiting further details on the attack. Our thoughts
and prayers remain with the victims and their families.
