UGANDA: Catholic Church must do more in Protecting the Marginalized in the Extractive Industry

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.”