Former ICC prosecutor to visit next week to promote education

By Steven Candia                        

The former chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo is scheduled to visit Uganda next week on a fundraising drive to promote education in northern Uganda.

It’s hoped that the success of this campaign will contribute to the reversal of the negative trend of schools in northern Uganda lagging behind wherever national examination results are released.

Ocampo will be the chief guest at two events organized by Invisible Children– preside over a joint graduation party of students sponsored by Invisible Children and officiate at a fundraising dinner dubbed, ‘Dine with Ocampo, Educate a child event,’ all on the same day, March 22 in Gulu district, according to a statement issued by Invisible Children.

Invisible Children is a non-governmental organization dedicated to bringing a permanent end to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict and improving the quality of life of LRA-affected communities in east and central Africa.

While the graduation party for the students who have graduated from various universities and institution of higher learning will take place at the Sacred Heart School–the scene of the harrowing July 9, 1991 incident in which 43 school girls were abducted and 40 others raped by LRA rebels, and the dinner at the Bomah Hotel. 
 
While the graduation party will start at 1:30pm, the dinner will commence at 6:00pm. “All resources raised in this exercise will go towards supporting Invisible Children programs that support education programs in northern Uganda,” according to Michael Mubangizi, the Regional Public Relations and Advocacy Officer, Invisible Children.

Jolly Grace O. Andruvile, the Invisible Children Regional Ambassador, hailed the visit, saying Ocampo is committed to the cause of education in northern Uganda.

“When I shared with him the challenges of education in LRA-affected communities of northern Uganda which are presenting double jeopardy to the war victims especially war orphans, former abductees and traumatized children, Mr. Ocampo quickly picked interest and offered to support this cause” Andruvile is quoted as having said.