Date: Monday, May 21 - Friday, May 25, 2007
Times: See time slots for videoconferences below
Grades: 8- 12
Topics: Current Events, Social Studies, World Issues
Cost (2 videoconferences):  non members - $240 | members - $180

Uganda is one of Eastern Africa’s most beautiful countries, renowned for its traditional tribal cultures and for having some of the most exotic wildlife in the world. Despite all the beauty Uganda possesses, the people in the northern part of this country have suffered for the past 20 years as a result of a simmering conflict.

Global Nomads Group proposes a 10-part series involving 30 schools throughout the U.S. to explore Ugandan culture and examine the challenges youth face living in a conflict zone. This program will not only engage and educate American youth on Uganda, but also provide them with opportunities to be “Agents of Change.” Throughout the course of this program, which will include preparatory lesson plans, GNG will prepare students to support their counterparts in Uganda through donating goods and funds to leading non-governmental agencies working to support relief efforts.

	Monday, March 21: Cultural Overview During this 60-minute conference we will introduce American students to the country of Uganda and the Acholi tribe of northern Uganda. Students will learn about Acholi culture, observe the famous “warrior dance” and learn about the challenges their peers have been facing living in a conflict zone. Session I: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (EST) Session II: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EST)
	Tuesday, May 22: African Village Life During this 60-minute conference students in America will have the chance to visit the African village of Unyama outside the town of Gulu. This village consists of hundreds of mud huts with thatched roofs that house thousands of Acholi people. From the outside, this village looks like any typical African village yet participating students will learn that this is actually an IDP Camp (Internally Displaced Peoples) that houses families that have had to flee their homes and land for the safety of these government villages. Session I: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (EST) Session II: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EST)
	Wednesday, May 23: Child Rights During this 60-minute conference students in America and Uganda will discuss the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights for children signed at the UN in 1989. There is a very special group of students in Gulu who have studied this convention and have created a debate team to raise awareness of the risks children face in worn-torn countries. This group will lead the discussion. Session I: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (EST) Session II: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EST)
	Thursday, May 24: Acholi Women During this 60-minute conference students will be introduced to the role of Women in the Acholi culture. Acholi women are often leaders of households and are responsible for passing on cultural traditions to their offspring. We will also explore how girls and women have been affected by the conflict. Session I: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (EST) Session II: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EST)
	Friday, May 25: Night Commuters This program will be dedicated to learning about the thousands of children that walk for miles each evening from their villages to the center of the city of Gulu to seek protection. These children take on these walks because they are vulnerable to abductions by the rebel LRA guerillas in order to become child soldiers. Students in the U.S. will have the chance to meet directly with their counterparts in Uganda to learn intimately the challenges these youth face. Session I: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (EST) Session II: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EST)

Agents of Change:
The “Agents of Change” initiative will be introduced to participating classes prior to the videoconferences and will be an integral part of this program’s curriculum. The “Agents of Change” initiative will give students the opportunity to send goods to their counterparts in Uganda or take part in a fundraising campaign to support community projects in the region. GNG has reached out to Gulu Walk, arguably the most respected organization working in the region, to help identify and facilitate fundraising activities.

Ideally we would choose one of the below initiatives offered by Gulu Walk to be the focus of the “Agents of Change” program:

	Project: Soccer Field Amount needed: $5,000 USD Community: Padiba Secondary School
	Project: Youth Center Amount needed: $7,000 USD Community: Gulu Center
	Project: Science Center Amount needed: $30,000 USD Community: Padiba Secondary School
	Project: Internet Center Amount needed: TBD Community: Gulu Police Primary School
	Project: School Fence Amount needed: $200 USD Community: Gulu Police Primary School