Dear
friends,
A
recent study examining child sacrifice and mutilations in Uganda—the first
ever—indicates that every week a child is either mutilated or sacrificed for
ritualistic purposes (http://www.whrin.org/uganda-child-sacrifice-and-the-mutilation-of-children-in-uganda/). Startling findings and personal accounts of
tragic stories are well documented in this report and yet, as usual, it hardly
made the news. For so many of us who are
removed from the tragedy, it’s just another report and another week at the
office. We may plan to “get to it” at some point, but life and time runs
away from us even when we are well intentioned. Many of us wonder what
can be done and have engaged in various campaigns to bring light to the issue.
This year, I feel more than ever, that our government can do so much more
to support efforts geared towards ending child sacrifice and other crimes
related to this practice in the country. To that end, I have initiated a
petition (you can sign it here: http://chn.ge/18l8Yih) urging
the government to draft and enact legislation specifically addressing the
practice of and crimes related to child sacrifice.
The
Witchcraft Act of 1957 (http://www.ulii.org/ug/legislation/consolidated-act/124), the only law that currently
addresses activities related to witchcraft, is insufficient and does not
clearly articulate crimes related to the practice of child sacrifice. Sadly, not many citizens or law enforcement officers
are aware of its existence and hardly is it ever enforced. Between 2006
to date, law enforcement officers and prosecutors have not been able to, where
substantive evidence exists, successfully and consistently prosecute and hold
accountable individuals who have been found guilty of these crimes. I
believe that a law that is much more clearer than the Witchcraft Act of 1957,
would serve the public better and would go a long way in establishing grounds
for prosecution—thus supporting the decision-making process of law enforcement
and other stakeholders.
George
Mukisa whose story appears in multiple news media publications (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu973ojJjSQ: http://www.newvision.co.ug/article/fullstory.aspx?story_id=314968&catid=1&mid=53) has almost become the face
of child survivors of sacrifice and mutilation crimes against children in
Uganda. My hope is that, through this campaign and petition, we can call
for something like a " George Mukisa Law/Bill" that clearly articulates the
practice and crimes related to child sacrifice without really muddling into
witchcraft and traditional beliefs.
Obviously,
I am open to more ideas on this and by the time we have a million signatures to
deliver to the State House and Speaker of Parliament, hopefully we would have
gained momentum and more knowledge about what it is the
government
needs to do to support our civic duties to our nation. Before the next
child gets mutilated or sacrificed, or buried under someone’s house/foundation,
lets add our voice, signature, and anything else we are able to do to prevent
it. We, as a nation, have collectively stalled on this issue long enough.
We must now sustainably engage our government in dialog designed to move
things along with tangible outcomes.
Every
Ugandan has a responsibility to do something about this before it gets out of
hand—even if all we can do is add our signature to a paper, or tell someone
(our family, friends of Uganda, our community and religious or cultural
leaders, our politicians etc.) to do what we just did. Your one signature will move us towards our
goal of a million!
Thank
you for joining the campaign, for spreading the word, for your partnership and
for just being one more Ugandan willing to make a difference. We will get
all our signatures to H.E President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the legislative
body (the house of parliament) once we reach our target. With one voice
of a million, we hope that we will be heard.
Folks,
we can do this,
Warmly
and with gratitude,
Rose
NOTE: If there are folks who
are unable to do this on line, email me at nanyongaclarke@gmail.com so I can send you signature template forms and
the petition itself. Please distribute these and help me scan and send
back when you reach 100 or more signatures. Please make sure we are not
getting double signatures for those who have already signed the petition online.
Love is a way of saying to another, "It's good that
you exist. It's good that you are in the world."'...Joseph Piper
"Lord, be the goal of my
pilgrimage, and my rest by the way." -St. Augustine
