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Rotary Peace Center holds 5th Capstone Conference 2024 : Ugandans Called to Embrace Positive Peace for National Development

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The Rotary Peace Center at Makerere University on 21st February 2024, hosted the 5th Capstone conference where the 5th Cohort of  peace fellows presented their social change initiative reports. New Peace scholars (cohort 7) were brought on board to  understand the journey of collaboration  and to share a collective commitment to the idea that peace is an ongoing process.

The fellows responded to different challenges in their local communities and through their social change initiatives, have contributed to existing peace building and development initiatives using new approaches with one common goal of a more peaceful world.

Conference goers were implored to explore opportunities to embrace and engage in meaningful dialogue and ideas and strengthen their resolve to create a more peaceful and just world.

Participants were also challenged to uphold the values of compassion,empathy and cooperation as they work towards building bridges of understanding and reconciliation in their communities and beyond.

A section of participants attending the conference. Makerere University Rotary Peace Center 5th Capstone Conference, 21st February 2024, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering Conference Hall, CAES, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
A section of participants attending the conference.

The conference held under the theme, “Achieving peace through collaboration and community engagement”,  was graced by the Vice Chancellor Makerere University as Chief guest who was represented by his Vice in charge of Academic Affairs, Assoc. Prof. Umar Kakumba.

 Prof. Kakumba  hailed the Peace Rotary Centre  for  promoting  peace and development  in communities.

“Today, the Rotary Peace Fellows join a network of Makererians championing change and development nationally and globally. Your journey here at Makerere has been cultured, and through the Peace Center, we pride ourselves on having impacted 72 communities in 42 countries globally”, he reported

Prof. Kakumba called on all Ugandans to embrace different cultures, aspirations  and traditions of  the communities to promote peace. The professor noted that peace is not the absence of war on grounds that there can still be  a lack of tranquillity even when there is no war.

“As agents of change for peace and development, you need to understand the versatility that conflict resolution is not something one can master through textbooks; one must go there, engage with the community, and be prepared to get into the trenches. To understand people, you have to know their histories and grievances. Our approach at Makerere University through the Rotary Peace Center, focuses more on community involvement and development”. He asserted.

Assoc. Prof. Umar Kakumba making the official opening remarks. Makerere University Rotary Peace Center 5th Capstone Conference, 21st February 2024, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering Conference Hall, CAES, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Assoc. Prof. Umar Kakumba making the official opening remarks.

Describing youth as critical  pillars of society, Prof. Kakumba advised  them to play a  role through economic empowerment if sustainable peace and development is to be achieved. He stressed that underdevelopment in itself, is a threat to peace.

Through  peace projects, Kakumba  emphasized that  youth are part of the future that upholds community transformation.

“The projects implemented by Cohort 5 are a manifestation of the dynamic definition of peace. In this conference today, we will understand that peace can be achieved through basics like health, agriculture, education, climate change, and economic empowerment.

Let us continue to learn and live in a world where education and knowledge can be used in the pursuit of peace. As you stand on the threshold of a new chapter, remember that it is these individual contributions that will calculatedly and cumulatively build lasting positive Peace change in Africa and beyond”. Prof. Kakumba stated.

The Principal CHUSS represented by her Deputy Associate Prof. Eric Awich Ochen was drawn by the theme of conference, “Achieving peace through collaboration and community engagement”. He commended the peace scholars for the tremendous projects implemented in their respective countries.

 “Everything that we do is important. Our generation cannot solve all the problems but we must play our role to be able to make a difference in the communities and create a better humanity”. said Prof. Awich.

Prof. Awich welcomed the Cohort 7 peace fellows and encouraged them to follow keenly.

Assoc. Prof. Eric Awich (L) represented the Principal CHUSS. Makerere University Rotary Peace Center 5th Capstone Conference, 21st February 2024, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering Conference Hall, CAES, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Assoc. Prof. Eric Awich (L) represented the Principal CHUSS.

Makerere University Model replicated across the world- Rotary International

The representative of Rotary International and Rotary Uganda and District Governor, Dr. Mike Ssebalu welcomed new scholars of cohort 7. to Uganda.

Rotary, he explained is an international organization of universal appeal which believes in doing good in the world.

“Creating peace, sustaining peace and guaranteeing peace is one of those good things that every Ugandan should be proud of. Our vision statement states that together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe, in our community and in ourselves”, Dr. Ssebalu said

The conference he said, attests to the fact that they have come together as Rotary, as Makerere and as individuals and peace scholars to  create lasting change.

He implored peace scholars to be part of the process of creating lasting change across the globe communities and themselves.

Dr. Mike Ssebalu speaking during the conference. Makerere University Rotary Peace Center 5th Capstone Conference, 21st February 2024, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering Conference Hall, CAES, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Mike Ssebalu speaking during the conference.

He said,  Rotary is proud to be associated with Makerere University in this great initiative noting that, they had gotten the best they would have ever got.

Makerere has proved to be the best partner we chose to work with and Rotary International is indeed very appreciative and happy with the work you are doing to the extent that the Makerere model is being replicated in all the peace centers that have been created ever since.

A lot of lessons have been learnt in terms of commitment, initiatives, innovations and in terms of creativity and Rotary is picking those lessons and replicating across the world”. Ssebalu said.

Ssebalu thanked the university leadership at different levels of the value chain and all stakeholders stressing that Rotary appreciates and is satisfied with the performance.

Some of the participants attending the conference. Makerere University Rotary Peace Center 5th Capstone Conference, 21st February 2024, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering Conference Hall, CAES, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Some of the participants attending the conference.

To the peace scholars, Dr. Ssebalu implored them to take time to explore the tourism potential of Uganda, learn the culture and associate closely with Ugandan people adding that, Ugandans are very welcoming and should therefore feel at peace, enjoy their stay and meet their expectations.

He said, they came as individuals but should go back as a team, pledging that Rotary is available to support in all ways and that, homes of Rotarians are open for fellowship and interaction.

The Director of the Makerere University Rotary Peace Centre Assoc. Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala expressed pride in cohort 5 congratulating them on the job well done.

The Director thanked Rotary for accepting to work with Makerere University especially the Department of Religion and Peace Studies and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

“On the day like this, we continue to celebrate our partnership with the Rotary foundation. It is indeed an honor for us to run this joint program and,  it is one of the kind that is practically showing what experiential learning should be. Through this program, we have been able to influence changes becoming more practical”, she said

Center Director Assoc. Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala making her welcome remarks. Makerere University Rotary Peace Center 5th Capstone Conference, 21st February 2024, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering Conference Hall, CAES, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Center Director Assoc. Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala making her welcome remarks.

Prof. Nkabala welcomed cohort 7 to the conference expressing hope that they would be able to see and learn from what their colleagues in cohort 5 have been doing. The Director, recognized and appreciated the college leadership, coordinators, academic mentors, members of the advisory board, academic community, Makerere University community plus all stakeholders for their support to the program.

“We have done art and peace building, agriculture and peace building, we have had CoNAS come in for tree planting for peace and CHS taking care of health for peace fellows and they have received executive services”, Prof. Nkabala acknowledged.

“I can only assure you that the kind of projects that we are going to look at are impactful projects, that is why, we call our fellows change agents. They have been able to create change in different communities. Today we are celebrating 15 countries and 20 social initiatives”, Prof. Nkabala reported.

Cohort 5 embraced Performing Arts  as an intervention for social change

Speaking on behalf of the chair academic board committee, the deputy, Prof. Sylivia Antonia Nannyonga Tamusuza said, it is in cohort 5, where they have had a project using Performing Arts as an intervention to social change.

Board  Members Prof. Grace Bantebya (Left) and Prof. Sylvia Antonia Nannyonga Tamusuza during the meeting. Makerere University Rotary Peace Center 5th Capstone Conference, 21st February 2024, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering Conference Hall, CAES, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Board  Members Prof. Grace Bantebya (Left) and Prof. Sylvia Antonia Nannyonga Tamusuza during the meeting.

She described Makerere University as privileged to have this program. She thanked Rotary international as well as Rotary Uganda and all partners for allowing the university to have such a diverse program.

“This program is the only program that has such a wide representation from different countries. To date, we have 131 fellows that have gone through this program represented from various countries which shows that Makerere is a global and international university”. Prof. Tamusuza reported.

Prof. Sylvia Antonia Nannyonga Tamusuza addressing participants. Makerere University Rotary Peace Center 5th Capstone Conference, 21st February 2024, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering Conference Hall, CAES, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Sylvia Antonia Nannyonga Tamusuza addressing participants.

She said, the number of students applying for the program is overwhelming and they take on only 20 -21 students annually in two admissions. She congratulated all fellows that have gone through the program urging them to be good ambassadors of the university.

Prof. Tamusuza thanked the university for the opportunity accorded to be part of this program.

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Jane Anyango

Humanities & Social Sciences

Call For Abstracts: 2025 CHUSS Graduate Symposium

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Students walk into the Arts Quadrangle, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

With funding from Lisa Maskell, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Makerere University has held several symposia targeting PhD students and early career scholars of Historical Humanities and Humanistic Social Sciences from Makerere University. The CHUSS 2025 Graduate Symposium is now open to PhD students from Ugandan, regional and PANGeA affiliated universities.

This change in direction is cognisant of the achievements of the Graduate Schools in training the next generation of African scholars in Historical Humanities and Humanistic Social Sciences. The interventions have checked the existential threats that these disciplines faced because of the denigration of higher education, especially the Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines, under the aegis of the International Momentary Fund/World Bank Structural Adjustment Policies of the 1990s. Indeed, the Lisa Maskell grants to the universities of Stellenbosch, Makerere, and Ghana have reversed the crisis within these disciplines and ensured their sustainability on the continent. Nonetheless, an organic networked and viable community of continental Historical Humanities and Humanistic Social Sciences scholars and practitioners graduating from these universities has not been established. Therefore, CHUSS wishes to contribute towards building this community through this inaugural Graduate Symposium.

In this regard, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Makerere University, invites PhD fellows from Makerere University including those from Ugandan, regional and PANGeA affiliated universities of Yaoundé, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Malawi, Stellenbosch, Ghana at Legon and Botswana to the 2025 CHUSS Graduate Symposium. The 2025 Symposium will congregate PhD fellows into an interactive and networking collaboration besides presenting their work in progress and acquiring requisite scholarly/professional skills for 21st century Humanities and Social Sciences academics.

Participation and Submission of Abstracts

The CHUSS Graduate Symposium 2025 hereby calls for 250-word abstracts drawn from the fellows’ work in progress such as research proposals, draft theses or research articles for presentation at Makerere University, Kampala from 19 to 21 June 2025. The Symposium will be preceded by a writing workshop that will be curated by Prof. Grace A. Musila (University of Witwatersrand), Dr Peter Wafula Wekesa (Kenyatta University), Dr Amon Ashaba Mwine (Makerere University) and Dr Isaac Tibasiima (Makerere University). The Symposium will start with a keynote address by Prof. Grace A. Musila on “Life after the PhD: Building and Nourishing Supportive Scholarly Communities and Networks”. It will also include a panel discussion on the challenges of graduate studies and mental health.

Funding

The Symposium is fully supported by a Lisa Maskell grant at Makerere University; therefore, participants from Ugandan, regional and PANGeA affiliated universities will not pay conference fees. However, the participants will have to meet their travel and accommodation costs in Kampala.

The Symposium will be held in-person at Makerere University and fellows who plan to attend should submit their abstracts clearly stating their name, affiliation and contact details to: chusssymposium@mak.ac.ug by Friday May 23, 2025. Contributors will be notified of the decisions on their submissions by Friday June 6, 2025.

For further information and inquiry, please write to:

  1. Dr Edgar Nabutanyi: Symposium Convenor Email: edgar.nabutanyi@mak.ac.ug
  2. Dr Levis Mugumya: Symposium Convenor Email: levis.mugumya@mak.ac.ug
  3. Ms. Esther Namitala: Symposium Administrator Email: namitalaesther@gmail.com

Keynote Speaker

Prof. Grace A. Musila University of the Witwatersrand
Grace A. Musila is an Associate Professor of African Literature at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. She has taught African Literature at the University of Johannesburg, Stellenbosch University and University of the Witwatersrand. Her research focuses on Anglophone African literature and popular culture, primarily in East and Southern Africa. Her work interrogates how settler colonial history of East and Southern Africa and its twin legacies of epistemic injustice and selective apportionment of humanity continue to shape these regions’ formal institutions and socio-political practices.

Jane Anyango

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Humanities & Social Sciences

Special University Entry Examinations for the Diploma in Performing Arts 2025/26

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Students from the Department of Performing Arts and Film entertain guests at the APRC launch. Official launch of Agricultural Policy Research Centre (APRC), College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) by Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), represented by Mr. Steven Byantwale, the Commissioner for Crop Protection, 24th February 2025, Makerere University School of Public Health Auditorium, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Academic Registrar Makerere University invites applications for the Special University Entry Examinations for admission to the Diploma in Performing Arts.

The examination will take place on Saturday 17th May, 2025.

Application process is online for those intending to sit the examination. Kindly note that there is payment of a non-refundable application fee of Shs. 110,000/- excluding bank charges in any (Stanbic Bank Branch, Dfcu Post Bank, UBA and Centenary Bank). The application fee includes 2 Past Papers availed to you on completion of the online process.

TO BE ELIGIBLE TO SIT THE EXAMINATIONS, THE CANDIDATE MUST POSSESS AN O’LEVEL CERTIFICATE (UCE) WITH AT LEAST 5 PASSES.

The deadline for receiving the online applications is Tuesday 13th May 2025.

How to Apply

  • Application is online for ALL applicants.
  • Other relevant information can be obtained from Undergraduate Mature Age Office, Level 5, Room 505, Senate Building, Makerere University or can be acceessed from https://see.mak.ac.ug
  • A non refundable application fee of Shs. 110,000= for Ugandans, East Africans Applicants (Including S. Sudan & DRC) OR US $ 75 or equivalent for international applicants plus bank charges should be paid in any of the banks used by Uganda Revenue Authority.
  • Apply through the application portal https://see.mak.ac.ug

Please see download below for the application portal user guide.

Further inquiries may be sent to email: see@mak.ac.ug

Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza
ACADEMIC REGISTRAR

Mak Editor

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Call for Abstracts: International Social Work and Social Development Conference

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An aerial view of Left to Right: Mitchell Hall, Senate, CoCIS Blocks B and A, Lincoln Flats, Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility and School of Social Sciences (white) Buildings, Makerere University, with Kampala City in the background, October 2018. Uganda.

International Social Work and Social Development Conference

Call for Abstracts

Extended Deadline for abstract submission | Conference registration now open!!

Theme:  Building Resilient Communities to Promote Equity and Social Inclusion for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 

16th to 18th June 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda

Makerere University’s Department of Social Work, in partnership with the East African Social Work Regional Resource Centre (EASWRRC) and the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA) will host an International Conference on social work and social development from 16th – 18th June 2025 at Makerere University, Kampala. The Conference seeks to galvanise academic knowledge, debate and critical inquiry and engagements on the topical issues of equity, social justice and inclusion within the framework of attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while foregrounding practice knowledge as experienced by development actors across the globe.  This conference is organised under the auspices of the NORAD-supported RESILIENT Project, implemented since January 2021 by a consortium comprising  Makerere University, the University of Rwanda,  the Institute of Social Work, Tanzania and the University of Agder Norway. The project seeks to enhance the participation of the vulnerable and marginalized members of society in the south in the development process itself. For more details on the conference and the ongoing project please visit the following website: https://resilient.uia.no/about-resilient/.

The Conference further seeks to enhance local content and scholarship through the applicability of generated knowledge to addressing local and regional development problems, within the confluence of the greater agenda for social work and social development and its emphasis on social change. This no doubt has ramifications for the application of good practices in social development interventions in other contexts within Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas and contributes to the evolution of global social work/social development practice which promotes contextual specificity and relevance without removing the need for international networking and collaborative engagement. 

We are now pleased to invite you to submit abstracts to be presented at the International Social Work and Social Development Conference.  We are particularly interested in presentations and contributions that reflect perspectives on social justice, equity, and inclusion within the framework of attaining the SDGs within developing countries.

Conference Justification 

The proposed conference is conceptualised within the indigenisation and decolonisation model of social work which seeks to promote social development through culturally and contextually relevant interventions from the grassroots. The major thrust of the indigenisation and decolonisation perspective is based on the notion that the process of social development can only be meaningful and effective if it provides context-specific and tangible responses to the given social problems in a particular local or regional context (whether it be Africa, Asia, Latin America or any other setting). These responses must be related to the socio-cultural realities in that region (Twikirize and Spitzer, 2019[1]).  The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (United Nations, 2007[2]) unequivocally recognises that respect for indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices contributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment.

The Declaration of the United Nations World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995 and the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000, and their successor SDGs in 2015[3] all call out the need for role players such as social work and social development practitioners to review their strategies in addressing social injustices, poverty, social exclusion and inequalities. Within this context, social work is well positioned to explore more innovative ways to reach out to the poor and vulnerable and in doing so contribute more efficiently to addressing social exclusion and social inequality and to directly contribute to the realization of several SDGs (3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 13, 16 and 17).  Moreover, SDG progress monitoring reports seem to suggest that much work needs to be done to attain these targets by 2030 (Halkos and Gkampura, 2021[4]).

Conference objectives

The conference aims to:

  1. Bring together social work and social development practitioners, researchers, students, educators and policy makers in order to interact, learn and share each other’ experiences on pertinent social development issues.
  2. Generate topical resolutions that can be utilised by local and central governments and institutions in the global South and North to further advance the debate/efforts regarding the attainments of SDGs.

Conference Themes

We welcome submissions on any of the following themes, broadly conceived:

  1. Child Wellbeing and Child Protection
  2. Youth Participation and Inclusion
  3. Older Persons, Social Protection and Socio-economic Participation 
  4. North-South and South-South Partnership and Collaborations in Social Development
  5. Green Social Work and Environment 
  6. University and Community Engagement/ Role of Universities in Community Transformation
  7. Migration, Refugees and Development
  8. Civil Society, NGOs, Social Work and Development Practice
  9. The role of Social Work in Emergencies, Pandemic Crises and Conflict
  10. Climate change
  11. Rights Equity and Social Justice
  12. Technology and social development
  13. Mental Health
  14. Creative features, languages literature and social transformation

Conference level

This is an International Conference targeting academics, development practitioners, policy makers, students, researchers and the general public from all continents across the global North and South. We however strongly encourage participants from the global South and the Africa region to submit abstracts and papers for the conference.

Specific instructions to authors: 

  • The abstract submitted should not be more than 250 words
  • Nature of presentation:Poster presentations, oral presentations, panels and workshop formats
  • All abstracts should be submitted in Microsoft word format
  • The font type should be Times New Roman 12pt, 1.5 spacing
  • The presenting author should be presented first and underlined
  • Indicate the institutional affiliation and the country
  • Indicate the email address of the presenting/corresponding author
  • All abstracts should be submitted in English
  • Themes of the submission should also be indicated.  
  • Abstracts can be sent via Email to: resilientconference2025@mak.ac.ug copied to ainembabazi.dorynn@gmail.com or submitted online at https://resilientconference.mak.ac.ug/submit-abstracts

Potential benefits and impacts of the conference

  • International networking and benchmarking on social development issues generally
  • Opportunity to influence social agendas within the global development landscape and social programming through impacting the regional and international social work associations and the United Nations agencies .

Conference Keynote Speakers

  1. Prof. Antoinette Lombard, IASSW President and Professor of Social Work at University of Pretoria.
  2. Prof. Jeannette Bayisenge, former Minister of Gender and Family Protection in Rwanda and Professor of Gender Studies, University of |Rwanda.
  3. Prof. Ann Christin E. Nilsen, PI of the RESILIENT project and Professor of Sociology at the University of Agder, Norway.
  4. Dr. Zena Mnasi Mabeyo, Head of the Department of Psychology at the Institute of Social Work, Tanzania.

Registration

Online: https://resilientconference.mak.ac.ug/conference-registration

Or in person: With $100 registration fees for non-Africa-based participants; Students $10 or UGX 30,000; National applicants $30 or UGX 100,000.

For Registration

Extended Deadline for abstract submission: 30th April 2025

Date for confirmation of acceptance of abstracts: Given on a rolling basis effective 15th of March 2025. This will continue up to the 15th of May 2025.

Chair Local Organizing Committee
Prof. Eric Awich Ochen
Tel: +256 772 352 887
Email: eric.ochen@mak.ac.ug

Conference Secretariat
Ms Doreen Ainembabazi
Tel: +256 774 468 902
Email: ainembabazi.dorynn@gmail.com and

Ms Prisciline Aciro
Tel: +256 778 549 669
Email: resilientconference2025@mak.ac.ug


[1] Twikirize, Janestic and Spitzer, Helmut (2019) Social work practice in Africa: indigenous and innovative approaches. Kampala: Fountain Publishers

[2] https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf

[3] See https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda

[4] Halkos, George & Gkampoura, Eleni-Christina, 2021. “Where do we stand on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals? An overview on progress,” Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier,  70(C), pages 94-122.

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