If you would like to come along it would be great to see you at our after-run drinks at Inn the Park in St. James’ Park.  We will all gather there around 11 am and enjoy some cold drinks and sunshine. And remember, there is plenty of time to go to both the Marathon and see the World Cup which starts at 7.30.

For more details please check the British 10 K website or out detailed earlier entry about IRT at the race.



by Christina zur Nedden

Saturday, 10^th of July

Where?                

Turnham Green in Chiswick, London (W4)

What time?

From 11 - 4

What is it about?

Chiswick Summer Fair is run by the local church Our Lady of Grace and St Edward and gives 100% of its profits to local charities. The event has been running in its current form for 5 years and has now distributed a total of £59,000 to local charities. Over 3000 people attended the Fair last year.

We will be there to sell our products from Wawoto Kacel Cooperative. A new delivery of colourful hand-made necklaces, bracelets and bags has just arrived. All of the proceeds will go towards IRT projects overseas. We will also promote the 2010 Barefoot Peace Walk, our event in September raising awareness about LRA violence.

If you fancy coming along you will get the chance to see other interesting exhibitors. You could check out Waitrose’s International Food Tent, test drive one of Volvo’s cars, join in a tennis competition, enjoy a massage in the Pamper Tent or have a drink in one of the various tents. Make sure to bring your kids along as there’s a Kids Corner running a ‘Science Fun Station’ and a bouncy castle.

Please check out the website for more information on the fair here

It would be great to see you there!

by Christina zur Nedden

Redeemer Childrens’ HomeThe new piggery is doing well

One of IRT’s projects is the Moyo Redeemer Children’s Home (RCH). The Home now has several income generating projects: a poultry unit, a dairy, a grinding mill and a shop. Recently, a farm and a piggery were set up. The piggery has started very well and currently four sows have between them forty-five piglets. Feeds are produced by Sr. Pasqua on the farm which works out 50% cheaper than buying readymade.

The farm is located 20 minutes from the Home in a particularly fertile valley. It consists of 30 acres which were cultivated with beans, maize, simsim, groundnuts, cassava and onions last year. Although bean and groundnut yields were modest due to rainfall, cassava is doing very well and is mature enough to survive prolonged drought conditions.

To further support the RCH, IRT will provide funds for six oxen, ploughs, supplementary seeds, training and drugs. IRT is also negotiating to supply the dairy project with another bull and to install a solar system for the borehole in order to reduce energy costs. To improve accountant systems and train staff at both the RCH and another of IRT’s projects, the Moyo Babies Home, IRT will send an Accountant volunteer to Moyo in September. Furthermore, it is planned to purchase two laptops together with printers for each Home.

The Comboni Samaritans of Gulu project ‘Access to Quality Education’Children in front of the new classrooms at Pawel Ayiga

The ‘Access to Quality Education’ project has come a long way. When visiting Pawel Ayiga school in March 2009, Adrian found only one old classroom and no people living in the area. Now, he was proud to officially open one block of three classrooms. Work has just started on another two blocks of classrooms and teachers accommodation. The area is now livelier with many households being re-established around the school.  IRT also agreed with local authorities to support the construction of classrooms and teachers accommodation at Orapwoyo primary school this year.

The project includes six schools which all run two income generating projects: Tree Nurseries and Bee Hives. Each of the six schools produced pine tree seedlings both for sale and also for planting of woodlots for the respective school. They raised considerable money through sale and planted over 3,000 seedlings themselves. Furthermore, a total of 35 bee hives at the six schools have been successfully colonised. Harvesting will begin in August this year.  

The Gulu and Amuru District ox ploughing projectFully trained and matured oxen working in Olwal zone

Adrian was particularly pleased with the performance of this project. Launched in 2007, the project targets 4 zones comprising 44 groups of nine families in total. Each group of nine families has one pair of oxen and a plough. In 2009, three of the four zones produced the impressive amount of 44.2 metric tonnes of food. This food comprised beans, maize, millet and groundnuts. In 2010, those three zones have ploughed and planted 729 acres. This equates to approximately three acres per family.  The fourth zone was established more recently and has ploughed around 153 acres (one acre per family as the oxen are still immature).

To sustain this successful project, IRT is planning to build storage buildings in each zone. The stores would allow groups to store their surplus produce (that which is not consumed by the families) until the best price can be obtained for it. Secondly, IRT would like to provide two ox carts per zone to move surplus produce to the storage buildings.  

All in all, Adrian was pleased with the progress made by IRT projects in the region. Yet, there is still more to be done. We will keep you updated about how things go.   

by Christina zur Nedden

Refugee Week is a unique opportunity to discover and celebrate the contributions refugees bring to the UK.

During Refugee Week loads of events take place all across the UK, all of which explore refugee experiences. Whatever you’re into - whether its arts, music, food or just meeting people in your local area - Refugee Week will have an event for you.

This year, they are asking everyone to do a Simple Act. By doing one small, everyday action that can change perceptions of refugees we can help create a society we all want to live in. Refugee Week aims to reach 20'000 Simple Acts completed by World Refugee Day, 20th June.

For more information, have a look at the official Refugee Week website.

TODAY!!! June 5th 2010

Where?

Turnham Green in Chiswick, London (W4)

What time?

10:00 - 16:00

And why?

We're joining other charities such as Stop the War Coalition to promote peace all over the world. As you may already know, IRT's specific focus is campaigning against the violence caused by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Central Africa.

We will be promoting the 2010 Barefoot Peace Walk, our event in September which protests against LRA violence.

We will also be selling our products from Wawoto Kacel Cooperative.

The proceeds go towards IRT's projects overseas.

If you're around and want to come say hi on this lovely sunny day, do pop by! There'll be lots of fun stalls with things to buy and many interesting people to talk to from all sorts of charities and campaigning organisations!

The Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act reinforces American commitment “to work towards a comprehensive and lasting resolution” in northern Uganda as well as neighbouring affected areas, including north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, southern Sudan, and the Central African Republic.

In a statement issued after signing the bill, the president said: “The legislation crystallizes the commitment of the United States to help bring an end to the brutality and destruction that have been a hallmark of the LRA across several countries for two decades, and to pursue a future of greater security and hope for the people of central Africa”.

He added that the LRA’s actions were an “affront to human dignity” and that the US would strengthen its ability to “protect and assist civilians caught in the LRA’s wake, to receive those that surrender, and to support efforts to bring the LRA leadership to justice”. 

Following the statement, forty-nine human rights, faith-based, humanitarian and advocacy organisations issued a joint declaration to call on the President to implement legislation swiftly.

The Act represents the most widely co-sponsored Africa-specific legislation in U.S. history, as dozens of activists contributed to the president’s decision to sign the bill.

Watch Congressman Mc Govern comment on the bill signing here

christina zur nedden (czurnedden@irt.org.uk)

The ambulance funded by IRT on its way to deliver a patient to the local hospital. Without the ambulance, there is no way this patient could have made it through this sort of terra

IRT is very proud to be funding this off-road ambulance. Three years ago we funded the purchase of the ambulance. Before that, a lot of visits took place by bicycle and unreliable old cars. Now the 4x4 ambulance can take people to and from the local hospital, no matter how remote they live, no matter how bad the road is. IRT has been paying each year for its running costs. The ambulance is much used, as it is the only one in the district.

The entire community has benifitted from the ambulance. The Gulu Samaritans reported to us that is has contributed significantly towards death reduction, especially for bedridden clients who are now able to go for check-ups and treatment in the hospital.

This is an inspiring example of how IRT with the loyal support of our donors can really make a difference to people's lives.

Senator Inhofe as he urges Senate support to defeat the LRA (Jan, 2010)

U.S. Congress has passed a bill that calls upon the U.S. to officially lead multilateral efforts to end LRA violence. The bill will be signed into law by President Obama within the next eight days.

The LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act passed Wednesday night after over a year of lobbying. It represents the most significant step the U.S. has taken so far to end LRA violence and bring peace to affected central African communities.

The act requires the US to develop a comprehensive regional strategy for dealing with the LRA and protecting civilians in cooperation with local governments. This includes the removal of Joseph Kony and his top commanders if negotiation efforts continue to fail. The legislation will also provide humanitarian assistance as well as support for reconstruction and the promotion of justice in areas recovering from decades of violence. The strategy should be finalised within six months.

Congressman Ed Royce, who was among those who introduced the bill in 2009, said: “The LRA’s objectives are threefold: kill, capture and resupply for its next pillage. There is no other reason for its being. The removal of Kony and his top leadership would decapitate this group. This legislation ensures U.S. leadership in making that happen. The day can’t come soon enough”.

The bill’s passage is also significant as only 3% of bills introduced in the last session of Congress were passed into law.

Videos related to the bill:

Congressman Ed Royce supports bill to end LRA atrocities, 12 May, 2010:

Senator Jim Inhofe urges Senate support to defeat the LRA, 26 Jan, 2010:

Other voices:

Invisible Children

Resolve Uganda

Enough Project

Please join IRT's Barefoot PeaceWalk 2010 to raise awareness of the LRA's violent actions in London this September. More information will be following shortly. You are also welcome to sign our petition if you cannot make it or in addition to attending the walk. Thank you.

christina zur nedden (czurnedden@irt.org.uk)

The three-day festival will include films, interactive workshops and discussions to explore issues of displacement, refugees and migration. The festival is produced by young Londoners originating from over 25 different countries who come together to curate, make films, lead discussions and host creative workshops. Alongside the key feature films, Refuge in Films will be presenting a programme of thematic films at BFI Southbank.

Among the major feature films will be the controversial 'District 9', based on the events concerning South Africa's township District 6 during the Apartheid era.

Festival Facts:

The Refuge in Films programme booklet will be available from the BFI Southbank Centre nearer the time of the festival.
 
The festival runs between 18-20 June.
 
Refuge in Films will open with a talk where a panel of filmmakers will look back on the reality and portrayal of exile in film over the years. Entry: £5.
 
Three very different films will then be shown documenting issues around migration. These are District 9, Ajami and Last Train Home.

District 9: 19 Jun 13:30

Ajami: 19 Jun 15:50

Last Train Home: 20 Jun 16:00

Ticket prices:

• Adult - £9.00
• Registered disabled, unwaged, senior citizens and students - £6.65

Visit Refuge in Films for more information about their work and previous festivals.