People’s SDGs Festival thrills Kampala

The fun filled Kampala People’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Festival 2023 under the theme "Harnessing Citizens' Potential: Fostering Ownership, Expression, Enjoyment, and Innovation for SDGs" was held on 10 and 11 August 2023.

The festival was organised by the SDG Secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister in partnership with the Uganda National NGO Forum, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and  Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) with funding from the Royal Danish Embassy. The event was graced by the participation of the Minister of General Duties responsible for SDGs, Rt. Hon. Justine Kasule Lumumba; UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Susan Namondo; Ambassador of Denmark to Uganda, H.E. Ms. Signe Winding Albjerg; Executive Director, Uganda National NGO Forum, Dr. Moses Isooba; Executive Director, KCCA, Ms. Dorothy Kisaka.

The festival began with a marching procession with the police band from Kololo Ceremonial Grounds to KCCA Grounds in Lugogo. Led by the skaters,  the aim of the procession which marched a distance of three kilometres, was to raise awareness about the SDGs.

The festival presented Kampala residents with the opportunity to learn more about the SDGs and to contribute views on how to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.  The festival was also a lead-up activity to the SDGs Summit, which will be held ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York in September. The summit will be attended by World Leaders will focus on reviewing progress made towards the achievement of the SDGs at the halfway point.

The Agenda 2030 and the SDGs are a blueprint for a better world, where poverty is eradicated, inequalities are diminished, and environmental sustainability is safeguarded. The SDGs are incorporated in the commitments of Uganda’s third National Development Plan (NDPIII). Achieving these ambitious goals cannot rest solely on the shoulders of governments, and partners institutions. It is the collective effort by everyone that holds the key to unlocking the true power of the SDGs. A critical step in achieving this is through raising awareness about the SDGs, and that is why the Kampala SDGs Festival was particularly important.

In her remarks UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Susan Namondo noted that, “while the Government has various initiatives supporting job creation and livelihoods especially for the youth, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), the Youth Livelihood programmes and ‘Emyooga’, more efforts and innovations are needed to overcome the challenges. The lack of access to decent jobs is a global problem, and therefore solutions proposed by young people in Uganda can contribute to global solutions.”

During the festival members of the public of all walks of life showed cased innovations and shared views through public dialogues aimed at accelerating the achievement of the SDGs. The public dialogues conversations continued simultaneously online #TondekaMabega #Act Now #GlobalGoals.

 The festival had interludes during with variety of entertainment was presented to the public including cultural music and dance, poetry and contemporary music. Leading music artists who performed included Pallaso and Butcherman, Ghetto President.

The festival aimed at fostering ownership of the SDGs within the community to inculcate the notion that everyone has a role to play in making a positive impact, regardless of gender or age.  So that citizens would commit themselves to promoting sustainable practices in their daily lives, supporting local initiatives, and holding each other accountable on the collective agenda. Everyone’s efforts are needed to see the change we want.

The views obtained through the dialogues at the SDGs festivals in Mbarara, Mubende, Jinja, Lira and Kampala; the online discussions and other consultative processes including the Second Annual National SDGs Conference contributed to formulation of Uganda’s commitment paper and rescue plan that will be presented at the SDG Summit New York in September. The commitment will be actualized through future high impact initiatives under auspices of the Government National development plans and programmes.

The SDG festivals will continue to harness citizens' potential for the SDGs. Collaboration and partnership are key. All stakeholders in the country need to join hands and combine efforts to successfully accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.