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Annual Regional Parliamentary Forum on Environmental Security in Eastern Africa 13 and 14 October 2009 |
The Great Lakes Parliamentary Forum on Peace – AMANI Forum, Eastern African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) and Institute for Security Studies (ISS) organized for a Regional Parliamentary Forum on Environmental Security in Eastern Africa. The Forum was held from 13th – 14th October at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, Uganda.
The Forum among parliamentarians was designed as an awareness creation as well as a strategy building session. This was aimed at supporting concrete deliberations on pertinent issues that have implications on environmental security with the aim of generating key policy recommendations to address them. Specifically, the session were informed by the need for MPs to, a) maintain peace and security, b) support sustainable development and, c) take responsibility for ensuring appropriate legislation in regards to environmental security. The specific objectives included to:
1. Increase awareness of the environmental security concerns in the region and their link to
conflict.
2. Provide an opportunity for experience sharing on environmental security related issues
among lawmakers.
3. Address environmental security concerns in the region through enhanced collaboration
between lawmakers and other stakeholders
4. Share EAPCCO/ ISS major findings of studies conducted in the region on the extent of
environmental crimes
5. Foster solidarity among regional MPs as aimed at harmonizing policies and laws in the
region Read more... |
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Linking Sustainable Peace and Sustainable Development |
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Appreciating that the link between environmental security and conflict is hard to ignore, AMANI Forum, in collaboration with Eastern African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCO) and Institute for Security Studies (ISS) will host an Annual Regional Parliamentary Forum on Environmental Security in Eastern Africa on 13th and 14th October in Kampala. The forum will bring together Members of Parliament from nine Eastern African countries and the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). The countries are Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The regional approach has been informed by the trans-boundary nature of environmental security which therefore calls for a regional and multilateral approach so as to effectively deal with the ensuing challenges. The objectives of the forum are in line with AMANI Forum's objective of fostering peace, EAPCCO's efforts to combat environmental crimes and ISS' dialogue on the relationship between environment and human security. The forum will address environmental security in relation to: food security issues, security from exposure to hazardous waste, contestations over limited natural resources, impact of climate change on livelihoods, deforestation, water scarcity, environmental crimes, loss of biodiversity and environmental degradation among others. Incidentally, these are the major underlying and multiplier causes of conflicts in the region. Read more... |
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AMANI Forum Participates in FECCLAHA’s Regional Ecumenical Forum |
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The Regional Ecumenical Forum was attended by bishops, the clergy, the youth and church representatives from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, the Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. In addition we had representatives from the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), the Amani Forum: The Great Lakes Parliamentary Forum on Peace, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (IC/GLR), the World Council of Churches (WCC) as well as local and international ecumenical partners.
The Regional Ecumenical Forum has reviewed FECCLAHA’s history, experience, achievements and challenges since inception. The meeting sought to discern future work by anticipating possible scenarios in the peace and security developments in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa.
Papers were presented focusing on : challenges in post conflict peace building in Africa: essential interventions for the future; effective ecumenical accompaniment of electoral processes: best practices and lessons learnt; effective engagement with governance institutions towards greater public accountability: best practices and lessons learnt by the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK); towards an effective regional ecumenical advocacy on natural resource governance: lessons learnt from ecumenical advocacy on mining for life in Tanzania; managing the human security implications of migration: best practices in the management of internal displacement; and the nexus between sexual gender based violence and the illegal exploitation of natural resources: the role of the church.
Appreciating the imperative for having clarity on the niche of peace building and conflict transformation and to be cognizant of the dynamism of peace and security developments in the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa. The participants were challenged to embrace creativity and new ideas in addressing the problems in the region. Further to this, it was proposed that efforts should be intensified in peace building with particular emphasis on post conflict peace building; network with other like-minded stakeholders for effective policy advocacy on peace and security issues in the region. read more... |
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AMANI FORUM Participates in the United Nations Regional Meeting for States from Southern Africa, the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States on the Programme of Action on Small Arms |
States from Southern Africa, the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States came together on 8th -9th July 2009 in Kigali, Rwanda to discuss subregional implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (Programme of Action) and the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace in a Timely and Reliable Manner Illicit Small arms and Light Weapons (International Tracing Instrument), including the outcome document of the Biennial meeting of States on these instruments (2008). The meeting, organised by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), in cooperation with the Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), was made possible through contributions by Austria and Norway. The meeting was also attended by the African Union (AU), the Amani Forum, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the PanAfrican Parliament (PAP), and the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation
(SARPCCO) and representatives from civil society. Read more... |
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Contributing to a Peace Economy in Northern Uganda: A Guide for Investors
International Alert has developed Contributing to a Peace Economy in Northern Uganda: A Guide for Investors with the input of business leaders from Northern Uganda gathered at several workshops and events during 2008-09. War remains a fundamental problem of our contemporary world. Armed violence exacts a terrible human, economic and social cost - and the 22-year long conflict in Northern Uganda has been particularly painful. As societies descend into war, peace can seem ever more elusive. Mistrust, revenge, short-term self-interest, chaos and destruction become the order of the day. Promoting and sustaining peace is a formidable challenge for the 21st century. Strikingly, more peace agreements have been signed since the end of the Cold War than were agreed in the entire two centuries prior. But peace is complicated - about half of all peace agreements fail within five years of being signed. A sustainable peace is much more than just an agreement - indispensable though the written agreement may be. Peace requires long-term commitment by political and military leaders and the broad population alike. All social groups have a role to play: the media and academics, citizens' organisations, and the private sector. It is often assumed that economic development led by the private sector will alleviate conflict and assure peaceful development. There is evidence to support this argument, but there is also evidence that shows how misjudged private sector development can exacerbate the potential for conflict. In some places, specific businesses have played particularly negative roles. Good business can be good for peace, but in practice the mechanisms for achieving this are complicated. read more... |
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AMANI FORUM RWANDA CHAPTER HOLDS A REGIONAL PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE ON SECURITY IN GREAT LAKES REGION. (10th-12th July 2009). |
In Dar-Es-Salaam Declaration of 19-20 November 2004, on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development within the Great Lakes Region, the Heads of State and Government of the Great Lakes Region decided to establish a regional security framework for the prevention, management and peaceful settlement of conflicts and, to that end, evaluate regularly relevant sub-regional initiatives and mechanisms and adapt them while encouraging appropriate traditional structures. The Heads of State also committed themselves to strengthen cooperation in the area of defence and security and promote confidence building by establishing policies, measures and mechanisms aimed at enhancing good neighbourliness and multi-sectoral cooperation
The same recommendation was formulated by Parliamentarians of the Great Lakes Region during the Conference on Ethnocentrism in the Great Lakes
Region: Responses of AMANI Forum held in Rwanda from 05 to 06 December 2008. At the end of the conference, participants recommended that AMANI Forum gather all Parliamentarians of the Great Lakes Region.
Inter-parliamentary exchanges of this kind are encouraged because they enable a shared awareness in safeguarding peace and continuous finding of sustainable solutions to problems of the Region. Read more in English or French |
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The Great Lakes Parliamentary Forum on Peace - AMANI Forum 2009 General Assembly June 15 – 17, 2009, Laico Regency, Nairobi |
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Theme: “Interrogating the Lessons Learned from Internal Displacement in the Great Lakes Region: Are We Achieving Sustainable Peace?” The 2009 General Assembly of AMANI Forum is hosted by the Kenya Chapter and slated for 16 – 17 June 2009, in Nairobi, Kenya. Members of Parliament will focus on current policy trends with regards to the resolution of internal displacement (conflict-induced) and their contribution towards sustainable peace in the Great Lakes region. This year’s program will be filled with panel discussions, round-table conversations, plenary sessions, music and poetry.
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