CHOGM in schools
Sep 24, 2007
STUDENTS from selected secondary schools countrywide will participate in a mock Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
By Vision Reporter
STUDENTS from selected secondary schools countrywide will participate in a mock Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The exercise, sponsored by The New Vision and BIDCO is designed to help the youth understand the real CHOGM that Uganda is hosting in November. The activities, that kicked off in the 50 participating schools this week, are already generating excitement among students.
The activities supposed to mirror the CHOGM actual programme, roles and processes will continue for six weeks, culminating into a mock CHOGM in each of the 50 schools mid-October.
Barbra Kaija, The New Vision deputy editor-in-chief, encourages schools to value the exercise greatly because it is a rare opportunity for students to understand what CHOGM is about. “It is desirable that this is taken as a civic education activity rather than just a mock exercise so that students as well as the whole community can benefit from it,†Kaija told teachers during a training exercise recently.
The exercise, part of the company’s Newspapers in Education (NiE) project, is aimed at making students and members of the surrounding local communities aware of what the Commonwealth is and the deliberations and processes that take place during CHOGM.
The most hardworking teachers shall receive a token of appreciation and that judgment will be based on successful implementation of the programme to completion, creativity in implementation and the frequency of the CHOGM education activities conducted.
The selected schools who did not send their teachers for the training can still participate in the exercise if they wish.
Emmanuel Ngerageze, The New Vision NIE manager, who is coordinating the exercise, said many schools have started on schedule with “enthusiasm and excitement†even in the north where floods have obstructed transport.
To facilitate the exercise, The New Vision will publish a CHOGM pullout every Tuesday. Each participating school shall receive copies of the paper every Tuesday.
The schools are expected to:
-Appoint a coordinator who will help to form a CHOGM steering committee comprising students and volunteer teachers.
-The steering committee will put in place a mechanism to get students to represent the following: Commonwealth Secretary General, Her Majesty the Queen, the Chair-Uganda and heads-of-states for all the commonwealth countries with their delegations.
-The Commonwealth Secretary General with the school CHOGM steering committee will prepare a declaration that will be discussed by the country delegates and finally by the heads of states in a summit.
-The host president will prepare a speech to present during the heads of government retreat.
-The Queen will prepare a welcome speech
-All deliberations and documents will culminate into one final document — the Kampala declaration or communique for each school.
-Mock CHOGM in schools on October 19 and 20 will put in place the protocol and ambience of the meeting.
The exercise will give students an opportunity to carry out extensive research and read widely in the newspapers, the internet and text books about the countries they represent. The best declarations and communiqués will be published in The New Vision on November 2 and placed on our website, www.newvision.co.ug.
For any clarifications contact Ngerageze on 0772466867.
STUDENTS from selected secondary schools countrywide will participate in a mock Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The exercise, sponsored by The New Vision and BIDCO is designed to help the youth understand the real CHOGM that Uganda is hosting in November. The activities, that kicked off in the 50 participating schools this week, are already generating excitement among students.
The activities supposed to mirror the CHOGM actual programme, roles and processes will continue for six weeks, culminating into a mock CHOGM in each of the 50 schools mid-October.
Barbra Kaija, The New Vision deputy editor-in-chief, encourages schools to value the exercise greatly because it is a rare opportunity for students to understand what CHOGM is about. “It is desirable that this is taken as a civic education activity rather than just a mock exercise so that students as well as the whole community can benefit from it,†Kaija told teachers during a training exercise recently.
The exercise, part of the company’s Newspapers in Education (NiE) project, is aimed at making students and members of the surrounding local communities aware of what the Commonwealth is and the deliberations and processes that take place during CHOGM.
The most hardworking teachers shall receive a token of appreciation and that judgment will be based on successful implementation of the programme to completion, creativity in implementation and the frequency of the CHOGM education activities conducted.
The selected schools who did not send their teachers for the training can still participate in the exercise if they wish.
Emmanuel Ngerageze, The New Vision NIE manager, who is coordinating the exercise, said many schools have started on schedule with “enthusiasm and excitement†even in the north where floods have obstructed transport.
To facilitate the exercise, The New Vision will publish a CHOGM pullout every Tuesday. Each participating school shall receive copies of the paper every Tuesday.
The schools are expected to:
-Appoint a coordinator who will help to form a CHOGM steering committee comprising students and volunteer teachers.
-The steering committee will put in place a mechanism to get students to represent the following: Commonwealth Secretary General, Her Majesty the Queen, the Chair-Uganda and heads-of-states for all the commonwealth countries with their delegations.
-The Commonwealth Secretary General with the school CHOGM steering committee will prepare a declaration that will be discussed by the country delegates and finally by the heads of states in a summit.
-The host president will prepare a speech to present during the heads of government retreat.
-The Queen will prepare a welcome speech
-All deliberations and documents will culminate into one final document — the Kampala declaration or communique for each school.
-Mock CHOGM in schools on October 19 and 20 will put in place the protocol and ambience of the meeting.
The exercise will give students an opportunity to carry out extensive research and read widely in the newspapers, the internet and text books about the countries they represent. The best declarations and communiqués will be published in The New Vision on November 2 and placed on our website, www.newvision.co.ug.
For any clarifications contact Ngerageze on 0772466867.