Acholi form organisation

By Opiyo Oloya A LITTLE goodwill can go a long way into rallying people with different agenda for the common good. That was precisely what happened last weekend in Kansas City, Missouri where Acholi delegates from United States and Canada met in a marathon 24-hour meeting to seek solution to the on-going problem in northern Uganda. At a Sunday afternoon press conference called at the Country Hearth Inc., and Suite Hotel, a very exhausted but elated Dr. Ochan Otim announced the formation of Friends For Peace in Africa (FPIA). According to the resident of Pasadena, California, the non-profit organisation will play a crucial role in highlighting the problems in northern Uganda, specially the issues of internally displaced persons, lobbying for resources from world governments and non-governmental organisations that will be directed to the areas of need. Though it meant very little to the American media assembled in the conference room, Dr. Otim took special care to drive home the point that FPIA will work with Kacokke Madit (KM) and the government of Uganda. His point was in fact aimed to squash speculations that the Kansas gathering was a disguised coup to get rid of KM officials. And indeed, judging from the hot exchanges on cholinet Internet Forum in the days prior to Kansas, it could be concluded that dumping KM officials was the primary motive for the summit. Emotions were running high among those who believed that since its inception in 1996, KM had done absolutely nothing to ameliorate the condition of the people of Acholi. Accusations of nepotism and mismanagement exploded freely like cotton-balls on a hot summer day. "Such errors (addressing useful messages to non-existent bodies) occur because some of you KM officials think that titles like KM International Coordinator or KM Regional Coordinator give you wisdom and power to speak for the Acholi community in diaspora without bothering to consult them," wrote Dr. George Otto of Toronto. However, in a remarkable show of unity of purpose, delegates solidly supported the idea of working together with KM and other NGOs in order to bring about positive change in northern Uganda. As Charles Lakony from Seattle, Washington put it, "There was no need to expend energy fighting one another when the very house we are trying to save is burning to the ground." What Lakony did not say was that had Kansas turned into an acrimonious soul-searching, dog-eat-dog conference, Acholi diaspora would have lost all credibility in the eyes of those they are trying to help. The failure would have been all the more catastrophic because, individually, each delegate at Kansas has the wherewithal to contribute to the overall development of northern Uganda and Uganda as a country. But, collectively, they had threatened to scuttle the day with petty quarrels and inflated egos. As it happened, common sense prevailed in Kansas City this past weekend, giving rise to an organisation with the potential to make a huge difference in Acholiland and beyond. By deliberately choosing broader objectives aimed at the African continent rather than just northern Uganda, the Kansas Conference opened a door for world governments to become involved. The Canadian government, for instance, will be more inclined to fund an organisation whose mandate is continental Africa rather than an association with a very narrow focus on Acholi problems. In fact, Friends of Peace in Africa has the potential to grow into a world body similar to doctors without Borders with powerful friends in important places, and the ability to respond effectively to dire situations all over Africa. Perhaps the biggest breakthrough for the Kansas gathering was the recognition that to bring about change, one must be prepared to work with the government f the day. It would have been very easy to adopt a hard anti-government and anti-Museveni stance, none of which would have achieved anything except promote personal political ambitions. By pledging to work with authorities, FPIA will gain the stature it needs in order to grow into a world organisation. Dr. Otim put it best when he said, "Like any new born child, FPIA will go through growing pains including the hurdle of making itself known internationally," he said. "Yes, it is a huge job, but when you face the problem that our people have faced for the past fifteen years, this is not much of an obstacle." ends