Report Roots Meeting
Nairobi Nov.2004
Tillbaks
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Foreword and Acknowledgements
Foreword
The International Roots Meeting of 15-20 November 2004 was the product
from 3 years of intensive preparatory work wherein a network of
children/youth, contacts in schools and NGOs in Sweden and East Africa
was established. Due to several external constraints that delayed and
hindered the timely release of funds, still 171 children and youth
managed to attend the International Roots Meeting. These children
carried home the positive spirit and results to their classmates in
more than 30 schools in at least 14 cities/municipalities. Their
continued concerns and needs serve as the strongest motivation for them
and the adults to continue to strengthen incentives and independent
initiatives for actions. The children have found friends with common
concerns who will champion their needs. Children from countries around
the Baltic Sea and Lake Victoria will now look forward to the Stockholm
Water Symposium (August 2005) and the World Championship in Cooperation
(June 2006) where they can demonstrate their cooperative work and
concerns.
At the International Roots Meeting children prepared questions and
presented them to a discussion panel of East African and Swedish Mayors
and representatives from 14 cities. The children will continue to meet
and voice their concerns on the future of their education and of their
classmates. They also want to be able to communicate with one another
by email and to report their activities in an e-newsletter. There are
concerns over child abuse and their classmates who are sick with
HIV/AIDS. They wish to have more trees in their school and a cleaner
environment where they can learn and also play.
Children also sat together preparing greetings and messages, in which
they narrated their concerns to the UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi
Annan, who in his earlier statements to the Children’s Meeting Place
showed that he understands their needs and share their concerns.
Globetree organizational structure of networks with schools, NGO/CBOs
and local authorities offers a platform for children and youth.
Children can now meet and talk to adults/decision makers at the
Children's Meeting Places in 7 cities in the Lake Victoria Region (Homa
Bay, Kisumu in Kenya; Mwanza in Tanzania; Busia, Entebbe, Kampala,
Mukono in Uganda) and 4 cities/municipalities in Sweden (Borlänge,
Sundsvall, Strängnäs and Värmdö), where two more will be inaugurated
this year. Local initiatives to establish Children’s Meeting Places
have been reported from the Kampala area.
Each one of the Children's Meeting Places has a tree under which they
meet in a similar way as that one at the grounds of the United Nations
Office Nairobi (UNON), where five bigger gatherings have been taken
place.
Activities from the
International Roots Meeting are reported along with flash-backs of the
1st and 2nd Preparatory Roots Meetings (April and November 2003).
Children have offered a collection of conclusions and recommendations
which will be used to prepare a strategic paper as the base of a
concrete Action Plan for 2005/2006 and the future. Project-leaders,
teachers, community workers, Mayors and their councillors have done the
same to take a joint action to ensure education, increase the awareness
of the Rights of the Child, reduce child abuse and harassment, HIV/Aids
and improve the environment for children.
Acknowledgements
I take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed in their
own ways to the process of preparing the International Roots Meetings
over the past 3 years. Mayors and councillors from many municipalities,
experts, project-leaders, and heads of schools, teachers, numerous
children, youth, friends and volunteers have supported the Globetree
staff with their materials for this report.
Globetree wish to thank all of you for your participation in the Roots
Meeting. We know the amount of work needed to prepare for the
participation, which also have been acknowledged in the reports of the
First and Second Preparatory Roots Meeting.
For the International Roots Meeting and Way Forward we wish to give a warm thank you to:
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The Swedish Ambassador Bo Göransson, Kenya for your participation in the Roots Meeting
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LVRLAC; The Chairman, H.W. the Mayor of Entebbe Mr. Stephen Kabuye for
the special support in making the Roots Meeting possible. The Board of
Directors H.W. Mayor Dr. Stephen Agullo Peter, Homa Bay and Mayor
Leonard B. Bihondo, Mwanza, Tanzania. Thank you for your support to the
vision of the Children’s Meeting Place. Ag. Secretary General Dr.
Julius Ayo Odongo for your efforts to find the funding for the Roots
Meeting.
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We wish to thank all Mayors and Councillors. We know your time is
limited; still you committed yourself to join for many days to listen
and learn from children. We also wish to thank you for your receiving
us in your cities, personal guidance, dialogues with councillors,
principal of schools, teachers and children. We will keep all these
days together as an inspiration for future efforts.
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LVRLAC Woman Network. Your encouragements and determination have been and still is such an inspiration.
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UBC, Mr. Risto Veivo, who together with Dr. Ayo, LVRLAC Secretariat
took the time to find possible ways to finance the Roots Meeting. We
know it required a lot of work.
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Sida, Mr. Per Karlsson and David Nilsson for your support in finding ways to bring the proposal into action.
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UNEP, Dir. of the Division of Communications and Public Information, Mr
Eric Falt and Mr. Theodore E.A. Oben, Program Officer Youth and Sports
Program. At the moment you knew the UN Security Council Meeting would
take place at the dates of the Roots Meeting you took personal actions
to support us to make the necessary changes. Thank you for your support
with an office at UNEP and all other support in these difficult days.
We also wish to thank you Mr. Falt for taking your time to participate
in the Mayor’s Meeting and meet with all children under their tree.
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UNON, Chief Buildings Management, Mr Jack Howard. You have been such a
support in the preparations for the 7 Stones Fireplace at the
Children’s Meeting Place.
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We thank all the experts. Thank you for coming and sharing your
professional skills and personal concern with both children and adults.
A special thank you to Ms. Elisabet Idermark, Information Officer,
GIWA, Kalmar and Prof. Ms. Gunnel Dalhammar, Royal Institute of
Technology, Stockholm.
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The National Museums of Kenya has been an important place of meeting
for all Globetree activities and with special focus on the heritage-the
roots. We wish to thank so many of you at the museum. Our special
thanks to Dr. Idle Omar Farah, Director General and Mr. Joseph
Cheruiyot, Chief Curator (now retired). You and your staff helped us
solve so many problems and you supported us at moments when we hardly
thought we would manage all necessary changes. Thank you also for
giving all premises for free as well as all other technical and
practical support.
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Bomas of Kenya is a must in the Globetree programs. We always receive a
lot of support and the programs remain in our memories. Special thanks
to Information Officer, Ms. Margaret W. Chege and her colleagues.
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Participants in the Seven Stones Ceremony from all the continents. You
travelled far and you took personal care of the inauguration ceremony.
Your discussions and concern to find a common way forward carried on
into the nights.
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All of you who received us all for the study visits in your schools and
centers. The visits help us understand the every day life of children
in need.
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The management of YMCA and the Olive Gardens. You helped us at all
hours to welcome all participants and give them a good home during the
Roots Meeting.
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All volunteers. The Roots Meeting would not be possible without your
help – at all hours. Without hesitation you took off to solve
unexpected problems at all hours.
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All participants. Children, youth, teachers, chaperons and parents.
Some of you travelled far and some of you walked some kilometers to
join the Roots Meeting. All of you made so many preparations at
schools, preschools, home and centers. Without you and all your
preparations and support the Roots Meeting would not take place.
Special thanks to all project-leaders and teachers supporting all
children to make their visions and wishes visible.
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Pillars of Hope; Jane Ruvaga, Moses N’dungu, Jane Ramu, Faith W. Mbote,
Joseph Cheruiyot and Margaret Mwaura. You are indeed the Pillars. Your
preparations and your support at all hours is the foundation for the
Roots Meeting.
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To all of you who have participated in the preparations, the event and
the follow up of the Roots Meeting. Special thanks for all your
writings and photos. Some of them are in this report. Forgive us for
not mentioning your names.
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A special thank you to Mr. Jacky Foo for your help in making this report and the Way Forward.