URDT’s Good Governance programme is rooted in the belief that

  1. People are key to their own development and
  2. A shared societal vision and values are key to attaining democratic governance at home, community, district, national and global levels. URDT uses its community action planning method to facilitate self-generating rural economies and communites.

Implementation strategies

  1. The Community Cooperation Programme: Aims to improve public sector management: URDT’s 16 epicentre managers work with local government to promote the visionary and human rights based approach to programming and demand transparency and accountability. Health, Food Security, Education, Peace and Freedom are promoted as rights. Communities and local leaders are trained in the 3 Masteries (sustainable development, systems thinking and creative life orientation) and community action planning for selfreliance and self-generating economic development.
  2. The mini-estates project: Aims at developing a competitive private sector through farmers’ cooperatives and establishment of mini estates for grain processing. URDT is key implementer in this project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, FAO and NAADs.
  3. The Community Radio: KKCR 91.7 FM, is a tool to demand transparency and accountability of all development actors. It provides voice to all stakeholders to ensure democratic governance. The radio also is a platfrom for dialogues and enhances understanding what good governance means in the Ugandan context. The radio fosters shared vision and peace in the Bunyoro region.
  4. Peace dialogues: to bring together different ethnic and age groups in the region to unite around a common desired future and develop energy to collective attain the situation they want.
  5. Capacity development of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) like NGOs, CBOs, social movements and communities to know and demand their individual and collective rights and be sustainable development agents.
  6. Governance, Accountability, Participation and Performance (GAPP) programme: to increase participation of at least 20.0000 men and women and demand for accountability of local governance for effective service delivery in Kibaale District.
  7. Training in visionary leadership, human rights based approach to programming and community action planning
  8. Policy advocacy on:
    • Women’s right to ownership and access to land
    • environmental management in the upcoming oil and gas industry,
    • education that is linked to development and enhances students’ and parents’ changemaker skills (visionary leadership, entrepreneurship, empathy, team learning) and family cooperation

Achievements

  • Community Driven Developed promoted in 16 sub-counties. The local governments use the visionary and rights based approach to programming.
  • URDT, through its African Rural University, has educated 16 rural transformation specialists as Epicenter Managers to build capacities and further deepen decentralization and community driven development in 16 subcounties.
  • Leaders of 8 Districts trained in the principles of human rights based approach to programming.
  • First mini-estate for grain processing constructed and managed in Kibaale district.
  • 10 primary schools in Kibaale District work together to promote and practice of the changemaker school concept with support from URDT.
  • 16 primary schools have pupil led school farms that act as demonstration sites for commercial farming and feed pupils with nutritious meals
  • Health services have improved in Mabaale health center III, Kyamasega health center II, Kasambya health center III and Mugalama health center III,
  • Attendance of teacher in schools of Kabamba, Bwanswa, and Mugalama sub counties have improved considerably and effort are being done by sub counties to attain full enrolment of all school going children in schools.
  • Draft National Land Policy prepared and presented to the Ministry of Lands. URDT’s Land rights office, the Uganda Land Alliance (ULA) and VEDCO, worked closely with the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development and presented the 4th draft of the National Land Policy.
  • Peace and greater transparency achieved. URDT organised dialogues between leaders and the rural communities on sustainable development. As a result the participants gained confidence to demand for transparency and accountability from local government institutions. There is a great improvement in peaceful coexistence of multiple tribes and religious groups in the Bunyoro region.The Bunyoro Kingdom has a more holistic approach to its role and programmes.
  • Women’s aspirations on land and land matters unveiled. URDT used the Visionary Approach in finding “Women’s Aspirations on Land and Land Matters in Kibaale District. It was presented on a symposium organised by the International Development Research Center and International Land Coalition in Nairobi in September 2010. Recommendations of the symposium were part of various policy advocacy strategies in the efforts for Women’s Land rights in Africa. A similar strategy is now being piloted in post Conflict situation of Northern Uganda in Securing Women’s’ rights to land in partnership with Rural Development Initiative (RDI) and CHAFORD.
  • Girl Education Movement (GEM) spearheaded by the URDT Girls’ School in Kibaale District has seen parents send drop out girls back to school. The retention level at primary cycle has increased by 10%.
  • DENIVA. URDT is a founding member of the Development Network of Indigenous Voluntary Organisations (DENIVA). It has over 400 member organisations.
  • 160 Civil Society Organisations understand are capable to demand their individual and collective rights.
  • 12 District NGO Networks established with a clear vision of good governance and action plans to attain it.
  • KCSON. URDT is patron and founding member of the Kitara Civil Society Network (KCSON). It has over 70 member organisations
Kiiza Nobert
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