Heading to Uganda: Josh Goldstein of GYPA
May 5, 2006 - 3:01pm

Host: Michael Silberman
Series: International Politics
Description:
It borders both Sudan and the DRC -- two of Africa's greatest hotspots -- and is in the middle of its own civil war. But that's where our guest will be leading two groups of college students and student ambassadors this summer.

In just a few days, Josh Goldstein, leaves the country for Uganda, where he'll be for the next 8 months. Josh is the Associate Director of Global Youth Partnership for Africa, an organization based in both in Washington DC and Kampala Uganda. In this episode, we talk about life in Uganda, cross-cultural awareness, and the ways in which GYP is using technology to cultivate youth as global citizens and partners in development and advocacy for Africa.

Listen to the PodCast »

GYPA TEAMS UP WITH KATALYST CONSULTANCY TO SUPPORT UGANDA PEACE AMBASSADORS FOR THE 4th ANNUAL HOMELESS WORLD CUP

WASHINGTON, DC – May 1, 2006

Global Youth Partnership for Africa (GYPA), a non-profit organization dedicated to fundamentally challenging the way Americans engage with and understand Africa, has teamed up with Katalyst Consultancy to help Ugandan youth affected by conflict, AIDS, and extreme poverty.

GYPA received a very generous $25,000 donation from the Katalyst Consultancy, which includes the donation of equipment and uniforms for the soccer players. GYPA strives to create partnerships between accomplished and emerging youth leaders in Africa and their talented American counterparts eager to bring fresh, pragmatic perspectives to Africa's challenges and to work together for innovative practical solutions. The Katalyst Consultancy's Founder, Kevin Carroll, is the author of the highly successful book, Rules of the Red Rubber Ball: Find and Sustain Your Life's Work, published by ESPN Books. His global work involves using the message and lessons of sport to enrich organizations, communities, and individuals.

From September 21 – October 1, 2006, Team Gomo Tong representing Uganda will travel to Cape Town, South Africa with the Global Youth Partnership for Africa and participate in the 4th Annual Homeless World Cup (HWC). This is more than a sporting event between nations and countries from around the globe. Rather, it is an opportunity for the marginalized and poverty-stricken to advocate on their own behalf to their communities, their country and the international stage.

The participants from Uganda will be selected through try-outs in May, and the player selection will be based on several factors that include athletic skill, leadership, and overall commitment to continued educational and social change upon returning to Uganda. The participants will return to Uganda as heroes and champions in the belief that sports are a tool for co-existence, peace and development in Uganda.

Team Gomo Tong will consist of four men and four women HWC players between 16-25 years old. Additionally, eight official Team Gomo Tong Peace Ambassadors will not play in the HWC, but will undertake pre-HWC advocacy, skills trainings, and practice with Team Gomo Tong. These Peace Ambassadors will meet with HWC delegations from 30 different countries while spreading the message of hope and commitment to eradicating poverty, conflict and AIDS in Uganda. Finally, four coaches from Namuwongo and Gulu will serve as project managers and trainers for the soccer players and peace ambassadors.

After the Homeless World Cup has ended, Team Gomo Tong will continue to work in Northern Uganda to serve as Peace Ambassadors for various GYPA partnered NGOs and CBOs; organize and expand opportunities for friendly matches (football, netball and basketball); organize and expand annual competitions in Uganda, East Africa, and throughout Africa; and promote peace building psychosocial support programs for vulnerable children and communities in Northern Uganda through soccer leagues and soccer teams.

Stay tuned for more details about the players during their try-outs, trainings, volunteers from the US working with the team, how you can help, and the countdown to the Homeless World Cup.

GYPA is thrilled to announce the June - August 2006 Community Fellows.
Stay tuned for updates from the field and information announcements about our Fall/Winter 2006 Community Fellows.

Michael Legg
Senior at the University of Kansas
Age: 22
Michael is the first "Team Gomo Tong" Homeless World Cup Community Fellow.
He will spend over 1 month practicing and working with the team that will represent Uganda at the Homeless World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa in September 2006.

Joanna Bibby-Scullion
3rd year at the University of Edinburgh and Institute d’Etudes Politiques
Age: 21
Joanna is from the north of England, and studies in Scotland She has spent the past two and a half years working for the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) as the Youth Representative on the Global Board. Joanna will join the GYPA Family as a Community Fellow with the Project Namuwongo Zone B Women's Group.

Jennifer Caito
Geography Teacher
National Cathedral School, Washington, DC

Valerie Berezner
Senior, Indiana University-South Bend

Jennifer and Valerie will be the first Community Fellows Teaching at Kiwuliriza COU Boarding and Primary School based in Namuwongo. They will teach children in Primary School (1st - 6th grade) in the faculties of Geography, Health and English.

Anna Phillips
Senior, George Washington University
GYPA Girls Kick It! Coordinator

Rebecca Littman
Senior, Wesleyan University
Received Grant from WU to research and assess the pre and post psychological results of the Girls Kick It! program.

Anna and Rebecca will work closely with GYPA colleagues and staff based in Gulu District, Northern Uganda. They will initiate the Girls Kick It! (GKI) program and see that encompasses cultural sensitivity, education and leadership skills building, and greater awareness of the plight and conditions of the people of Northern Uganda.

On Friday, May 5 Jeremy Goldberg, GYPA Founder and Director, and Meredith Street, GYPA Public Affairs Coordinator met with H.E. Dr. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewnika, Zambian Ambassador to the United States. Ambassador Lewnika has a long history of supporting and representing the youth of her country Zambia, and across the African continent. We are thrilled that Ambassador Lewnika invited us to the Embassy.

From 1980 to 1990, she worked with UNICEF in key leadership roles in Africa. Then, in Zambia, she became one of the few female founding members of the movement for Multiparty Democracy in 1991 but later resigned and was elected as the founding president of the National Party. In 1995, she led a United Nations delegation to Burundi and Rwanda to assess the effects of the genocide. Lewanika holds a doctorate in early childhood and primary education from New York University. She was a founding board member of the International Youth Foundation.

The meeting is the precursor to GYPAs interest to explore opportunities for collaboration with Zambian youth. As a result of the meeting, GYPA looks forward to developing programs with the Zambian Embassy in Washington, DC and supporting youth programs, particularly those led by young women, in Zambia.

Thank you Ambassador Lewnika!

In Celebration of the Rally to end the Darfur Genocide, GYPA teamed up with local student groups in Washington, DC to host young people from across the country together for an evening of celebration and awareness.

Over 100 people attended the "Party for Darfur" which raised $500 for GYPA supported programs in Sudan.

A special thank you to Karma, GI-NET, STAND GWU, Anna Phillips and Meredith Street for their help in making this event a success.

More than 140 people attended SLAM AIDS in Lawrence, KS on April 28. The event raised $500 for ARV medication for the people of Namuwongo, Zone B. SLAM AIDS was put on by the University of Kansas student organization KU for Uganda
(www.ku.edu/~ku4u) and co-sponsored by the Jackpot, the Douglas County AIDS Project and the Global Youth Partnership for Africa. It featured local artists Michael Garfield, Farewell to Ashlyn, Emperor Stan, Death and Flowers and the Kinetiks.

At SLAM AIDS, KU for Uganda also released their Emirembe Now! benefit CD for the Hope Integrity Orphanage (www.hopeintegrity.org).

All profits from the CD, which features songs from the Killers, Faithless, Go! Team, Black Lab and seven other artists, will go to buy textbooks and school supplies for the children at the orphanage.

Special thanks to Jenn Farewell, Jessica Plummer, Terri Pohl, Nathan Mack, David Stevens and Caitlin Davies for helping to organize the event, to the Jackpot for hosting it, and to the artists who donated their time and talent to make SLAM AIDS a success.