GuluWalk

GuluWalk is an initiative started by two Canadians to highlight the plight of Acholi children in northern Uganda who used to trek each night to town centers in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader – for fear of being maimed, raped, abducted or even killed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel paramilitary group that has been operating in northern Uganda since 1987.

Each night, tens of thousands of children referred to as "night commuters", ranging between the ages of 3 and 17, walk up to 20 kilometres (12.45 miles) from Internally Displaced Person (IDP) Camps to larger towns, especially Gulu, in search of safety from the LRA. It is estimated that around 20,000 children have been abducted by the LRA since 1987 for use as soldiers and sex slaves.

History of GuluWalk

Adrian Bradbury and Kieran Hayward first heard the stories of the night commuters of northern Uganda in the spring of 2005. They read unbelievable accounts of children -- as many as 40,000 -- walking from their rural villages into the town of Gulu and other urban centres to sleep in relative safety and avoiding abduction by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) for use in the country's 21-year civil war.

In the midst of this conflict, over 1.7-million people have been displaced, on top of thousands of night commuters. These displaced persons have been forced into abhorrent conditions in camps where hundreds of people are dying every week because of a lack of clean water, food and medical care.

The plight of the children sparked the idea for GuluWalk, a 31-day night commute in support of these children. Every morning in July 2005, Adrian and Kieran walked 12.5 kilometres into downtown Toronto to sleep in front of city hall. At sunrise, after about four hours sleep, they made the trek home. Both men continued to work full-time and attempted to maintain their usual daily routine, to mimic the lifestyle endured by the Acholi children of northern Uganda.

Over the 31 days they walked 775km in 154 hours 18 minutes and 872,739 steps, and there was everything from front-page news to freezing cold nights to face-to-face rat encounters.

The intention of the GuluWalk was not to attempt to replicate the terror, fear and uncertainty of the real 'night commuters', who walk for their lives every single day. This was believed to be impossible because of the magnitude of the sitation faced by the children of northern Uganda. Instead, Adrian and Kieran walked to tell these children's story and draw attention to their plight.

What started as a 31-day attempt by two people to better understand the ordeal of the children of northern Uganda, has now grown into an impassioned worldwide movement for peace.

GuluWalk 2006 -- Year in Review

It was a memorable year for GuluWalk in 2006, as more than $500,000 was raised for the children of northern Uganda; a remarkable one-year increase of over 1,200%. On October 21, GuluWalk Day saw over 30,000 participants in 82 cities and 15 different countries lend their voice to the children of northern Uganda; again, a significant increase from 2005 (100%).

Incredibly, this feat was accomplished by a paid staff of just two people, along with a committed and passionate worldwide volunteer network. GuluWalk takes pride in being a 100% grassroots, volunteer-run event, and has truly grown into one of the world's most vocal and visible movements for peace and support in northern Uganda. GuluWalk capped off 2006 by being named one of the 'World's Best Fundraisers' by the New York-based "NonProfit Times".

Celebrity, Political and Corporate Support

The following individuals/organizations joined up in support of GuluWalk and the children of northern Uganda in 2006:

*Lloyd Axworthy, former Foreign Affairs Minister and current President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Winnipeg
*Gerry Caplan, activist & author, "Rwanda: The Preventable Genocide"
*Senator Lt-Gen. Romeo Dallaire, author, Shake Hands with the Devil
*Chantal Kreviazuk, Canadian musician and two-time Juno award winner
*Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa
*Sarah McLachlan, Canadian musician and three-time Grammy award winner
*Steve Nash, two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) MVP
*Dr. James Orbinski, former International President of Medecins Sans Frontieres
*Allan Rock, former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations
*CAW Canada
*DHL Express Canada
*Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation

Media Coverage

In Canada alone, GuluWalk was featured in over 150 different print, television and radio segments in 2006, translating to an overall audience reach of 15-million and an advertisement value of $350,000. This coverage included a feature on CBC's 'The National', as well as an interview with host George Stroumboulopoulos on 'The Hour'. GuluWalk founder Adrian Bradbury also penned two editorials for the National Post and was honoured in a year-end feature in The Toronto Star.

Impact in Ottawa

GuluWalk's success in 2006 also helped strengthen bipartisan political support and received the attention of both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. On December 8, 2006, the Honourable Peter MacKay announced that Canada would contribute $1.5-million to support the northern Ugandan peace process between the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army being held in Juba, South Sudan. For the first time, Canada made a clear public statement supporting these vital peace talks.

GuluWalk on the Ground

GuluWalk is committed to being accountable for all donations and for making certain that all of the money raised is making a difference.

As a rule, 25% of all funds raised go to continuing awareness and education initiatives, which includes a commitment to allocate no more than 10% to administrative costs; 75% of the funds go directly to children's programs on the ground in northern Uganda.

GuluWalk supports the following programs in northern Uganda:

Working with AMREF Canada, GuluWalk has funded two major youth health initiatives in northern Uganda. Last year, the ‘Health for Night Commuters Program’ helped contribute to the reduction of the risk of transmission of STD’s/HIV/AIDS, sexual and other forms of child abuse, and the negative psychosocial impact of the situation among night commuters who, because of insecurity, seek shelter outside of their homes. GuluWalk also supports Promoting Girls Education for Better Health in Kitgum District, which focuses on training in health and nutrition, personal and community hygiene, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS prevention and education. The goal is to provide opportunities for girls and support for an understaffed health care system in the region. In 2006, GuluWalk contributed over $75,000 to AMREF Canada.

In partnership with CPAR (Candadian Physicians Aid and Relief), GuluWalk is involved in providing activities that empower youth and foster a culture of peace in the war-torn region of northern Uganda. Specifically, GuluWalk has contributed funds to a peacebuilding project in Gulu and Pader districts entitled By Youth for Youth, which has been designed to strengthen community support structures and promote community peacebuilding among youth. By carrying out effective community-level conflict resolution, peer counseling and recreation-based activities (music, dance, drama, and sports tournaments), the project provides opportunities for children to deal with past traumas, as well as providing forums for positive interaction. As part of the program, GuluWalk supports a youth-focused radio show on Choice FM in Gulu. The show airs every Wednesday night and offers a platform for youth to discuss peace and conflict mediation in the community. In 2006, GuluWalk contributed over $75,000 to CPAR.

GuluWalk has also teamed up with the Liu Institute and the Gulu District NGO Forum to fund the building of the first-ever Youth Cultural Centre in northern Uganda. The aim of this expanded program is to empower the local community, specifically youth, and provide an unbreakable link to Acholi history and culture, and be a beacon for social justice in the region. Ideally, the cultural centre will promote locally owned approaches to reintegration, justice and reconciliation through action research, cultural activities and youth-led advocacy by empowering local leaders, youth, children and marginalized women through the centre’s activities. In 2006, GuluWalk contributed over $100,000 to the Liu Institute.

In partnership with War Child Canada, GuluWalk supports the Girls Education Initiative Project, which involves the funding of a program that provides educational opportunities to families in Kitgum, Gulu and Pader districts. The focus is on girls aged 13-26 who are heads of households and/or child mothers, who are unable to meet the cost of formal education themselves. GuluWalk also funds the Northern Uganda Child Legal Defence Project that provides direct legal aid to conflict-affected youth. It also involves the training of local legal structures in Gulu, including the police, probation and welfare officers, and local courts on their roles and responsibilities to protect these rights. In 2006, GuluWalk contributed over $75,000 to War Child Canada.

GuluWalk Gala 2007

A sold-out crowd of over 300 attended the first ever GuluWalk Gala on February 22, 2007. Aside from helping raise awareness, the event brought in over $50,000 to help support programs on the ground in the war-torn region of northern Uganda.

Hosted by CBC Radio’s Matt Galloway and held at the spectacular Barbara Frum Atrium (CBC Building) in downtown Toronto, the Gala featured a keynote speech by former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations Allan Rock, a performance by Juno Award-winning artist Donné Roberts, and an extensive live and silent auction.

Several other distinguished guests were in attendance to provide a voice for the children of northern Uganda, including Halifax MP Alexa McDonough, Ugandan-born Edmonton MP Rahim Jaffer, former Olympic swimmers Jen Button and Liz Warden, TSN soccer analyst Dick Howard, and GuluWalk co-founders Adrian Bradbury and Kieran Hayward.

The silent and live auctions included such items as a Chantal Kreviazuk concert experience, signed jerseys from the Toronto Raptors’ Chris Bosh and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Bryan McCabe, a full week pass for two people to attend the 2007 Bell Canadian Open, and a pair of signed basketball jerseys donated by two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, a continued supporter of GuluWalk and Athletes for Africa.

In his keynote address at the Gala, Rock applauded GuluWalk for its significant success over the last two years. “GuluWalk has given tens of thousands of us a way to stand up, step forward and speak out about the catastrophe in northern Uganda, with a message that’s loud and clear: protect the civilians. Save the children. Stop the war.”

External links

* [http://www.guluwalk.com/ GuluWalk website]
* [http://www.ugandacan.org/ Uganda Conflict Action Network]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_night_commuters/html/1.stm In pictures: Night commuters (BBC)]
* [http://www.myspace.com/guluwalk GuluWalk Myspace Page]
* [http://www.ugpulse.com/collections/2006-gulu-walk-washington-dc.asp GuluWalk Photo Galleries on UGPulse.com]
* [http://www.athletesforafrica.com/ Athletes for Africa website]