Will Millennium Development Goals Impact Uganda?
It has been reported that about 50,000 students from Northern Uganda have left school due to the prevailing conflict in the region. The impact of the war in Northern Uganda has led to displacement of thousands of people in the communities. Most of them now are staying in the Internally Displaced Person (IDP) Camp. Many, especially youth and women, have died from the war, been abducted, or have been infected by HIV/AIDS. Children are left orphans.
The areas where the war has had an effect on most are: Gulu, Lira, Apac, Pader and Kitgum. Among these regions, Kitgum, Gulu and Pader are the most serious. The number of students who have been reported registered for the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and then dropped out from the school in these five districts are:
- Lira: 12,000 students
- Apac: 11,000 students
- Gulu: 10,000 students
- Pader: 8,000 students
- Kitgum: 5000 students
The total figure of students who have dropped out of school is about 50.000 for the years 2003 and 2004. Even though primary education is promised under Universal Primary Education program, the war has not allowed the communities of these regions to benefit from the program. This figure might not be accurate; it may be more than 50,000.
Our beloved student Kilama Geoffrey Oyik was killed by the rebels in May 2003. Kilama was in his
second year in the secondary school. Today, we are organizing a prayer rememberance for our love ones
who have died in the 18 years of conflict in the Acholi sub-region.
With this war, the Millennium Development Goals will not make any positive influences in Uganda, particularly the northern part of the country where the conflict is uprooting many lives.
... the purpose of the Millennium Development is to improve people's lives by expanding their choices, freedom and dignity.
Poverty means much more than restrictions imposed by lack of income in the Northern regions. It also entails lack of basic capabilities to lead full, creative lives. Most of the communities are suffering from poor health, are excluded from participating in decision making, and have no rights to guide the course of their lives. Such deprivations distinguish human poverty from income poverty.
The Millennium Development Goals are intended to ease the constraints on people's abilities to make choices, but they do not cover all the crucial dimensions of human development. The human development in the Northern Uganda is very far from the point of view of the Millennium Development Goals. As articulated in the Millennium Declaration, the Millennium Development Goals are benchmarks for progress towards a vision of development, peace, and human rights guided by certain fundamental values essential to international relations in the twenty-first century. These include:
- Freedom. Men and women have rights to live their lives and raise their children in dignity, free from hunger and fear of violence, oppression or injustice.
- Equality
- Solidarity
- Tolerance. Human beings must respect one another in all their diversity of beliefs, culture and languages. Differences within and between societies should be neither feared nor repressed, but cherished as a precious asset on humanity. A culture of peace and dialogues among all civilizations should be actively promoted.
- Respect for Nature
- Shared responsibility
In Northern Uganda, there is no respect for human beings, nature, or sharing of responsibility.
How can 50,000 students drop out of school, 6% of the internally displaced population be affected with HIV/AIDS in 2003 and 12% in 2004, if all of the above fundamentals of human beings are guided by international communities? These do not include other parts such as lack of good health care, abduction, killing and many others.
All is a result of the use of arms that has spread to each corner of the world.
The use of weaponry has destroyed the beautiful face of my nation where communities are dying of hunger. Through the use of AK-47s comes displacement, HIV/AIDS, poverty, lack of good health care, killing, abduction, and lack of peace.
Please, please stop supply the deadly weapons but peace.
For GOD and my country