opening remarks Dr. Mark Collins, Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, speaking on behalf of Professor Guido de Marco, Chairman of the Commonwealth Foundation

welcomed participants to the 2007 Commonwealth People’s Forum (CPF). He said that the Commonwealth is unique among ultilateral organisations as it has a separate intergovernmental body, the Commonwealth Foundation, established specifically to support and strengthen civil society’s work in the Commonwealth. He highlighted that the Commonwealth’s commitment to civil society is nowhere more evident than at the CPF which is the biggest civil society event on the Commonwealth calendar. Underscoring the objectives of the CPF, he stressed the importance of learning from each other, and influencing the outcomes of the CHOGM to ensure that they reflect the views of Commonwealth citizens.

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CPF 2007 marked the tenth year of the People’s Forum, and welcomed the boldness and vision of the Forum. Noting that the programme addressed issues ranging from environment, trade, education, health and culture, he said the CPF was ‘painting a large canvas.’ He underscored the need to celebrate civil society at large and welcomed civil society as a direct and authentic voice of the people and a vehicle for conveying their most real, most immediate and most local interests. He said there was a need to celebrate civil society’s capacity to protest, cajole, criticise and hold accountable, lend support to government initiatives, and take part in them and to be objective and apolitical. He urged civil society to find a balance and to be responsible, informed and accountable in doing so.

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His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic Uganda and Incoming Chairman in Office of the Commonwealth, welcomed participants to Uganda, and officially declared the CPF open. He noted that many NGOs are humanitarian groups, which champion causes aimed at ameliorating human suffering, work for the interests of the sick, disabled, orphaned, impoverished, displaced, and exiled. Among the other causes supported by NGOs are advocacy causes for marginalised groups: women, children, and the elderly.

Other NGOs, he noted, deal with environmental issues, such as forest protection, protecting the wetlands, wildlife conservation, and protecting the water-bodies. He stressed, that they strive to raise consciousness about the damage man is doing to these resources, and noted that these are all worthy causes and interventions.

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The opening plenary took place on Monday, 19 November, and included statements from
Honourable Matia Kasaija, Uganda’s Minister of State for Internal Affairs, and Terry Waite,
CBE. The session was chaired by Dr. Mark Collins

Honourable Matia Kasaija, Uganda’s Minister of State for Internal Affairs addressed the role of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in supporting civil society, in particular non-governmental organisations, to fulfil their mandates. He said civil society covers a wide area of actors, such as trade unions, farmers, professional organisations, charity organisations, community- based organisations, as well as non-governmental organisations.
He said, CSOs therefore embrace many walks of life, but are basically defined as voluntary, self-generating, autonomous from the state, and established through a legal arrangement, often based on asset of shared values. Under Act 29 of Uganda’s Constitution, every citizen has the freedom of conscience, expression, movement, religion, assembly, and association, he said. The Constitution also provides for freedom of accessions, which, he said includes the freedom to form or join associations, or trade unions, including political and/or civic organisations. He underscored that, therefore the existence of NGOs and other associations is guaranteed under the Constitution, and is provided for under the law.

Minister Kasaija said that civil society plays a very important role in national development.
Regarding the CPF theme Realising People’s Potential, he emphasised the importance of the role of NGOs in awakening the giant among the communities and the general population at large. He further welcomed the role played by NGOs in sensitising or awakening communities to tackle poverty. In conclusion, Minister Kasaija stressed that NGOs serve a complementary role to that of government in trying to develop this country, and that the Ministry will continue to facilitate the role of civil society and ensure the dialogue between NGOs and the Minister is open, and contributed to awakening the giant in each and every Uganda so that economic and social development can be met.

Terry Waite, CBE, said the CPF was an important and decisive conference, not only for the participants, but also for the entire Commonwealth. He paid tribute to the late Janani Luwum, former Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, who stood for truth and justice and who paid the price for that with his life, a shining beacon for one who stood for what is just and true in this world. He said the CPF must face some difficult questions. He said that we are here today as part of the Commonwealth, we have a wealth of culture, traditions, and therefore we are rich, but we also share a common poverty and in today’s world this is a disgrace. It is a disgrace that more 800 million people live on less than US$ 1 a day, he stressed.

Highlighting the importance of directing civil society efforts towards wealth creation, he said the wealth that comes from people working together enables good governance. He further stressed the necessity of wealth creation at the local level and urged participants to be innovative and to develop measures to support the transformation of poor communities and enable them to become ‘agents of their own development.’ In conclusion, Waite said a common spirit and a greater understanding of human compassion should form the basis of ‘our Commonwealth.’ He urged members of the Commonwealth to understanding ‘our common problems’, draw on ‘our common wealth’, and ‘invent common solutions.’

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From Monday to Tuesday 19-20 November, CPF participants met in 20 workshops cluster under the six CPF sub-themes: economic development; governance, participation and human rights; culture, creativity and identity; environment and natural resources; education for transformation; and health at home and at work.

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