ACCESS INFORMATION AND CAUSE ACTION!

Information as opposed to strength has over time proven to be a more effective and necessary tool for causing action and facilitating positive change and development in the Community. In most cases when a person is well equipped with evidence based information, it’s easier for them challenge, influence, or effect change in the community. Geared at establishing a strong and empowered “army’ of social accountability activitists in the Rwenzori region, RWECO has organized a 3 days training at RACA Resort for her CPFs on Social Accountability.

The training that started today 22.11.11 will run till 24.11.11 and aims at deepening participants’ understanding on social accountability issues, and on how services are delivered in Local Governments.

Opening the workshop, the RDC Kabarole Mr. Biryabarema Elijah expressed gratitude to RWECO and the participants in particular for coming out bravely to facilitate positive change in Rwenzori region. He encouraged them to engage and also work closely with the leaders at both District and Sub County levels in all their work, saying these leaders too share the same objective of improving service delivery and fighting corruption in the region. He added that working closely with the leaders will make social accountability work a lot easier and fun for them.

During the training, participants will be taken through various topics, ranging from concepts and definitions like governance, accountability, service delivery, data and information, citizenship and constitutionalism among others, information sourcing and utilization, Good Governance in Local Government, Monitoring service delivery in Local Government, Civic engagement to mainstreaming of cross cutting issues.

Emphasizing the purpose of the training, the RWECO Coordinator Mr. James Mwirima noted that the training is intended at empowering the participants with practical skills on social accountability such that they can be able to monitor service delivery and to engage the leaders in their localities.

In his presentation on HOW TO USE INFORMATION TO CAUSE ACTION, the facilitator Benson Ekwe Ocen cautioned the participants to always source and share only verified/evidence based information, and to always be committed, and brave enough to challenge the duty bearers with the information gathered. Benson equally tasked the participants to pick interest in familiarizing themselves with the different laws and provisions that empower the citizens with the right to access information and to participate in social accountability, like the Access to Information Act and the Constitution of Uganda; Art. 1, 41, among others.

Over 100 participants (RWECO staff and CPFs) are attending this training.

To be continued! (Watch this space!)