Do the right thing. Sign this petition and pass it on.

Uganda wants to introduce a new anti-gay bill. This bill allows for anyone who's been found HIV positive to be charged with the death penalty. I find this shocking coming from a country who's people have already suffered and have been tortured, enslaved, and persecuted in a 23 year long war with rebels.

This bill is being encouraged - pressured - to move forward by evangelical groups that are providing "aid":
http://www.defendthefamily.com/

'Human-rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have condemned the bill. They say it is a product of a campaign by evangelical churches and anti-gay groups that has led to death threats and physical assaults against Ugandans suspected of being gay.'

Caleb's Hope, along with countless other grassroots NGOs, works in Northern Uganda with women and children living with HIV/AIDS. This new bill could greatly impact the lives of those we are trying to assist.

Not only that, it's a fundamental human right to live free from persecution, violence and discrimination based on your sexual orientation.

To read more about the proposed bill: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gNOsUTPIL6zoTWAGRTzPqmx3__IgD9CFBHJ00

The bill is hateful, shocking, disgusting and appalling. Stephen Lewis, former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa & head of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, puts it best: http://www.stephenlewisfoundation.org/news_item.cfm?news=3212

In case anyone needs a refresher, here's the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (courtesy of the outstanding Human Rights Action Center). To read the declaration: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

An estimated 100 to 140 million girls and women in the world today have undergone some form of female genital mutilation, and 2 million girls are at risk from the practice each year. The great majority of affected women live in sub-Saharan Africa. It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children. The practice also violates a person's rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

The practice is mostly carried out by traditional circumcisers, who often play other central roles in communities, such as attending childbirths. However, more than 18% of all FGM is performed by health care providers, and this trend is increasing.

Background of FGM in East Africa
In Kenya, evidence from the Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys (KDHS) shows that, in 2008/9, 27% of women had undergone FGM. The practice has remained highest among the Somali (97%), Kisii (96%), Kuria (96%) and the Maasai (93
In Uganda, the Sabiny, Pokot and Tepeth communities continue to practice FGM which is deeply rooted in tradition.

In Tanzania Female Genital Mutilation is traditionally performed on women. The most affected areas include Arusha, Kilimamnjaro, Dodoma, Singida, Mara and Morogoro regions,other regions include Iringa, Mbeya, and Zanzibar. According to Tanzania health statistics, FGM affects 18 percent of the female population in Tanzania.

No health benefits, only harm

FGM has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways. It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue, and interferes with the natural functions of girls' and women's bodies.

Immediate complications can include severe pain, shock, hemorrhage (bleeding), tetanus or sepsis (bacterial infection), urine retention, open sores in the genital region and injury to nearby genital tissue.

Long-term consequences can include:
- Recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections;
- Cysts;
- Infertility;
- An increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths;
- The need for later surgeries.

For example, the FGM procedure that seals or narrows a vaginal opening (type 3 above) needs to be cut open later to allow for sexual intercourse and childbirth. Sometimes it is stitched again several times, including after childbirth, hence the woman goes through repeated opening and closing procedures, further increasing and repeated both immediate and long-term risks.

There is only about 600 of the species left in the wild and these magnificent gorillas are at the verge of extinction.

Their long-term survival continues to be threatened by natural changes and disasters, hunters and poachers, and the chronic political instability that swirls around the edge of their forest home.

The media and other reports have in the recent past exposed the practice of giving children as young as 10 contraceptives claiming that this would prevent teenage pregnancy, abortion and would keep girls in schools. It has also come to light that some clinics and organizations which are donor funded are distributing contraceptives to underage children and yet the age of consent according to the Constitution of Uganda is 18 years.

What is even more disturbing is that due to loopholes and weaknesses in policies/laws, a Germany national for example, who was running an orphanage in Kalangala and who was suspected of defiling over 30 underage girls; some of who were found to have implants (contraceptives) inserted in them, was acquitted! During Police interrogation which was widely covered in the media, the German man said that the implants were inserted in the 12-14 year old girls at Marie Stopes. The response from an official from Marie Stopes who denied knowledge of the girls was, “It is, however, likely that some of the girls could have got contraceptives from our health workers because it is not our work to find out where they come from. Our duty is to provide services,” [http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1335283/kalangala-sex-scam-investigation-deepens]

Giving children contraceptives is not only harmful to their health; it also has negative moral, social, psychological, spiritual and academic consequences. Furthermore availing such serious life-altering and life-threatening services to children below the age of consent, without the knowledge or consent of parents directly undermines the parental rights and authority, which the Constitution gives parents.
It should be understood that if underage children become sexually active and/or get pregnant or get sexually transmitted infections, it is the responsibility of parents and guardians to be at the forefront of determining how these matters are handled.
As parents, guardians and citizens, it is our moral obligation and responsibility to protect children and to create an enabling environment where children can be raised in such a manner that they attain their maximum potential in life. This should be achieved without exposing children to any form of abuse and without violating their rights, dignity and innocence. And whenever children are abused or if their rights, dignity or innocence are being violated, it is our duty to standout, speak out and defend them without fear or favor.

PLEASE SIGN TO BACK THE PETITION

As citizens, we have a constitutional right to make our voices made known to our leaders and legislators through a petition. To this end we call on you as a parent, guardian or concerned adult citizens (18 and above) to IMMEDIATELY append your signature which will accompany the petition to Parliament. The petition will be asking Parliament to prohibit the distribution of contraceptives to underage children and to rectify the loopholes and weaknesses in the current policies/laws, so that there is adequate protection for the children of Uganda.

MOBILIZE OTHERS

As a concerned citizen and for the sake of our precious children, please send this information to as many other people as possible and encourage them to also sign and mobilize others to do the same. If you have already signed the hard copy signature sheet, you do not need to sign this online signature arrangement. You can however forward it to others in your sphere of influence. The deadline is fast approaching. Your prompt handling of this matter will be highly appreciated.

Stephen Langa
Executive Director
FAMILY LIFE NETWORK

"We've not see anything like this in the last 20 years," said gorilla researcher Amy Vedder of the Wildlife Conservation Society, based at the Bronx Zoo in New York.

Vedder has spent her life studying mountain gorillas and has played a major role in the campaign to save them. Despite prolonged and often bloody civil unrest in the region But poachers could still twist the conservation success story into tragedy. "The world's total of all mountain gorillas is approximately 660 animals. It can't afford this kind of loss," Vedder said.

In the first two decades after their discovery, European and American scientists and trophy hunters killed over 50 mountain gorillas. To this day, poaching continues to jeopardize the gorillas' survival. Poaching of mountain gorillas for food is extremely rare. It is now largely the result of unselective hunting with snares, which are set to catch antelope, bush pigs and other wildlife but occasionally kill or injure gorillas.

In the '60s and '70s gorillas were poached for sale to foreigners as trophies and captive specimens. None survived in captivity. Recent events have shown that hunting of mountain gorillas in order to capture babies 'commissioned' by unscrupulous dealers remains a very real threat.

In 2002 in Rwanda, two adult females in Susa Group were killed and one baby stolen. A second infant, Ubuzima, was found next to its dead mother.

The development and proper implementation of an electronic waste management system in Uganda will solve the problem we are currently facing with regards to the end-of-life computers in our country. Banning importation of used computers is not a permanent fix to this problem and will only serve to postpone this problem. Not to mention the fact that many low income earners will not be able to afford the high priced computers.

Many charity organizations who are donating computers to schools, have to disappoint the schools now who can not afford to buy new computers. Even the individuals,students, businesspeople who want to start-up a business are not able to afford new computers.

Every where you walk in Kampala you see smoke up in the air. There is open burning of rubbish everywhere. This smoke is a health hazard and adversely affects all people but individuals with with respiratory problems and allergies suffer immediate effects. Rubbish burning increases during the dry season. A World Health Organization report states that burning rubbish and use of firewood were found to be the leading cause of air pollution in Kampala. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iqafl_JQOE.

Combined with other pollutants like old vehicle fumes, dust and industrial pollution, rubbish smoke has negatively affected the air quality in the city. A study conducted in 2015 on air quality in Kampala and Jinja city councils proved that air quality in both cities was way below the recommended WHO levels and one of the major contributors is the open burning of rubbish https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4515709/

A recent article in Monitor News paper called Quality of Kampala air a death trap. http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Quality-Kampala-air-deathtrap/688342-4310794-11eynt/index.html 'Kampala City tops the list for cities with the most polluted air in East, Central and Southern Africa.'

Exposure to air hazards is dangerous especially for people with health sensitivities. While other forms of pollution may take long to address, I believe that with proper legislation, open burning of rubbish in the city is something that can be addressed much quicker. #BanRubbishBurning

The proposal suggests the demolition of the Uganda National Museum building and plans to install the artifacts of the Museum on either one or two floors of the new complex.

National Museums the world over are stand alone buildings rather than a floor or two in a building, thus giving due regard to their importance in respect to national identity. The movement of our cultural treasures (artifacts) without a clear plan for their preservation is likely to expose them to harsh elements that are likely to affect their preservation. In a culturally diverse country like Uganda, we need a point of reference for common national identity. The Uganda National Museum plays this unique role and is the only operational national museum. The proposed East Africa Trade Centre/Tower has no cultural significance, both in terms of design and purpose and will be an environmental hazard because of the limited space.

Besides, the Demolition of the Uganda National Museum contravenes Uganda’s Historical Monuments Act of 1967, Uganda’s Cultural Policy of 2006, the UNESCO Convention of 1972 as well as the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda of 1995. Moreover, “an environmental impact assessment has not been done, nor has any heritage impact assessment been carried out.

It is on this basis that HRCI together with other civil society organizations such as the Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU), Jenga Africa, Historic Buildings Conservation Trust (HBCT), and Arterial Network- Uganda Chapter among others initiated a campaign code named “Save the Uganda National Museum Campaign” whose aim is to stop the demolition of the Uganda National Museum building. We are arguing our government to relocate the East Africa Trade Centre/Tower somewhere else. We filed a case in court but the court process is taking long!

We are extremely saddened by the trend in Uganda where buildings are randomly and rampantly destroyed without any thought of their historical and cultural significance. As you may be aware, the Uganda National Museum building was constructed in 1945 and was officially opened in 1954. It houses artifacts which were collected since 1902 and were initially stored at Fort Lugard in Old Kampala founded in 1908 and Makerere University under Margret Trowel as a curator.

As activists against social Injustice, we cannot sit and watch this happening to our Children. Media media reports from Tanzania, both local and International have reported several schools, with atleast seven of them in one district near the capital, Dodoma, where children are forced to publicly declare their status with a ribbon sewn on to their uniforms.

This is a gross abuse of Childrens' Rights as one's sickness is confidential unless one decides to share it with others. The act of making children wear a special uniform because of their Hiv Status is not only discriminatory but also highly likely to stigmatise these children. We commend the work of organisations on the ground such as TAMASHA, Kibaha Association of People Living with HIV/Aids, and Partners such as UNICEF and UNFPA in Tanzania, but we want the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to take action against this inhuman practice against children.

Quoting the voice of one headmaster - Probably from Kibaha Primary School, on BBC Radio, Mr. Said Mohammed Lukema, claimed that parents of the HIV-positive pupils had asked for their status be highlighted so they could be excused from strenuous activity. "Our school has pupils who are suffering from various diseases. The school and the society at large have decided to label pupils' uniforms." Mr. Said was also Quoted by the BBC saying that the students were excused from tasks such as sweeping and fetching water.

We the undersigned here bellow, strongly condemn this act with the stongest terms possible as a gross abuse of children's rights and under no circumstances could this approach be sanctioned. This act subjects children with Hiv to stigma and discrimination, which is already a challenge for people with HIV in Africa.

The suggestion that children who are HIV positive cannot undertake school activities is wrong and unwelcome, unless the children themselves ask to be excused (without being Labelled). Children who are HIV positive can live healthy and productive lives with the right care, treatment and respect. Under no circumstances should any child be subjected to heavy workloads - as work for children is supposed to be enjoyed, fun and participatory by all.

The Unitarian Universalist Association of Uganda is preparing to take a strong and courageous stand against the Ugandan government's proposed Anti Homosexuality Bill. This legislation, proposed in the Ugandan Parliament, would criminalize homosexuality and enforce penalties of life imprisonment and capital punishment against gays and lesbians. Their allies would also face drastic punishments.

The UU Church of Kampala is one of the few religious organizations in Uganda that is welcoming and supportive of the LGBT community. In 2008 Unitarian Universalist representatives from America met with both gay and straight Ugandans who offered powerful accounts of the terror that the Ugandan LGBT community faces, and the importance of the congregation's support. This visit occurred many months before the current legislation was proposed.

Ugandan UUs plan to hold a conference on February 14, 2010, to highlight the need for an end to discriminatory treatment of the LGBT population—and their allies—in the country. The Conference also has the following goals:

• To achieve permanent, fundamental, real equality for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people by affecting fundamental changes in the attitudes of society.

• To defeat discriminatory legislation and exclusionary policies and practices.

• To build a strong social movement of LGBT people with a fully representative and activist base.
The conference will include programs about Promoting Equality and Access to Justice, Research, and Lobbying/Advocacy. More than 200 Ugandans from various faith traditions are expected to attend.

UUA President Peter Morales recently wrote,
“Rarely, if ever, has the UU tradition of living our faith been more crucial than it is at this moment. Right now in Uganda we have seen an alarming rise in violence and prejudice toward people who are even assumed to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). Right now, Ugandan citizens, including members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Uganda, fear they will be killed because of this growing culture of oppression against LGBT people.”

Two days after this announcement activist David Kato (pictured) was beaten to death. Before his death, he had recently warned that the lives of LGBT people in Uganda were in danger. A newspaper in Uganda had published the names and addresses of people suspected of being LGBT prominently on its front page. An accompanying article with the headline “Hang Them,” called for the death of the people listed.

Kato and several other Ugandan activists sued the paper and won. The Ugandan High Court ordered the newspaper to pay damages and to cease publishing the names of people it believed were gay or lesbian.
Kato was a Ugandan high school teacher who moved to South Africa in the 1990s after coming out. He returned to Uganda to advocate for gay rights, organizing the first gay rights news conference in Kampala. In his mid-40s, Kato had recently installed an alarm system in his house for protection.

The Ugandan Parliament is considering a bill that would condemn some homosexuals to life in prison or death. It has created a new level of fear for the country’s gay population. “The situation remains too dangerous for us to stand idly by,” Morales said.

Members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Uganda in Kampala are working to protect LGBT people in Uganda, led by the Rev. Mark Kiyimba. “We cannot, in good conscience, allow them to struggle alone,” Morales said. “Even recent anti-bigotry legislation in Uganda will not stop the hatred and violence aimed at the LGBT community.”

I invite you to sign this petition condemning the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill and the current spate of persecution being endured by the LBGT Community in Uganda and urging the Ugandan Government to seek to institute laws which will bring about justice and equality to all its people regardless of race, gender or sexuality.