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The participants at the study workshop on extractives held in Tororo Archdiocese (UGANDA), from 16-17 June 2015, have asked the Church and society to do more in order to protect the marginalized people in the extractive industry business as well as protect the environment.
In their recommendations at the end of the Conference, the participants are calling on the Church to play a bigger role on this issue because the magnitude of the problem is growing day by day.
“Some people think that poverty is the biggest enemy, but while fighting poverty has also become the reason for deforestation and desertification,” said one of the participants. He added that “the Church must sensitize people on these effects; however, too many meetings with no action will not help make people change the attitudes.”
During the opening remarks, the Secretary General of the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) Msgr John Kauta said in the whole issue of Extractives you find that very few people benefit from the resources leaving the bigger group of people marginalized. “The developers come to extract minerals but the people around don’t profit anything from the activities going on around the area,” he said.
Msgr Kauta said that issues of major concerns on extractives are land grabbing, displacement and exploitation of poor people. “There is land grabbing in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania in the name of development. The people who depend on their land for farming and sustenance lose their source of livelihood,” he said.
Citing an example in the Diocese of Hoima where there is an extraction of oil, Msgr Kauta said, “there is no payment and compensation for people whose land was grabbed despite of the protest.” He said, “the Church has to appeal to the parliamentarians who represent the people to implement the programs that are helpful to the people.”
By AMECEA Online News Staff reporter
