They allegedly justified their denial of entry of the child in their schools as follows: Fellow pupils might beat the child to which mother could blame the school; Fellow pupils could tease the child as she looks terrifying. To date Pauline has not yet been admitted to any school. There is one school which promised to admit Pauline in the first term of 2012, on condition that she first be operated on and look better.

Pauline had her first operation at CoRSU Rehabilitation Hospital, Kisubi in May 2011. Her second operation is scheduled for May 2012, yet the schools begin in February. This means all this time, Pauline will be home while watching other children go to school! Pauline has no other health problem to prohibit her from enrolling into school. These schools which rejected Pauline, advised her mother to try other schools in Makindye and Kabalagala, but these are far away from where the child stays in Nsambya. What happened to Pauline is unfortunate. Such is the plight of children with disability. Shame be on the head teachers of these four schools and to all those who

would do the same if they are approached.

What they did shows clear discrimination of children with disability and violation of their basic rights. If this happened in Kampala where such school heads are expected to be at least more informed and enlighten, what if it were in rural schools? Children with disabilities are also children like others, with full rights especially the right to education or to be admitted in school, no matter how they look. We should respect diversity in humanity. What if such a child belonged to you or to one of these head teachers? Statistics indicate that there are over 500,000 children with disability in Uganda. The most commonly observed disabilities are loss and limited use of limbs, spine injuries, hearing difficulties, seeing difficulties, difficulty in speech and conveying messages, mental retardation, and mental illness, among others. It is observed and reported that despite efforts put in place by Government and other actors, children with disability are still treated with low priority in society. Consequently, this discrimination and neglect further erodes these children’s self-esteem and confidence to the extent that they cannot voice their needs and freely socialize with others. In 2010, Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services Uganda (CoRSU) CBR program carried out a disability mapping exercise in Katabi Sub-county, Wakiso District. Findings revealed that among the many difficulties faced by children with disabilities (CWDs) and other vulnerable children is the right to health, food, love, education, play and parental care.

Some sections of the community feel that spending resources on disabled children is “useless and deserve no attention because they are regarded as non-productive”. In the same exercise, during the consultative meetings held with the councilors, community development officers, parents and the sub-county chief of Kasanje, it was noted that attitude towards CWDs is

very negative and as a result, such children are often denied basics of life like healthcare, education and protection. This therefore shows that rights of these children are neither respected nor protected. Children are innocent; whether they look normal or different (abnormal), they are

human beings. They should not be discriminated against. All members of society should strive to protect them from discrimination. Disabled People’s Organizations and Government should scale up efforts to educate the masses about disability and basic child rights in Uganda.

By Hamad Lubwama

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“The challenges and difficulties of these negotiations cannot be faced with dismay and must not lead us to give up without a fight,” said Ambassador Jorge Argüello the Chair of the G77 and China at the opening of the UN climate conference.

“We hope all Parties will come to Durban prepared to make the difficult political decisions that are indispensable to preserve the process and the Convention, which will mean to continue to give all of us a fighting chance to prevent temperature raises such as the science is warning us will have dire consequences.” The Ambassador said.

The Group of 77 and China met throughout the weekend to prepare for the coming two weeks of negotiations. From 28 November to 9 December, 2011,  the Seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 17) and the Seventh session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP7), as well as the resumed 14th sessions of the Ad hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA) and the Ad hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol, and the 35th session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) will be meeting in different formats, building towards the High Level Segment that will take place from 6 to 9 December.

In the extensive International Conference Center in Durban, South Africa, representatives from over 190 countries as well as civil society, academia and the media met today for the inauguration of the Climate Change Summit. The President of South Africa, H.E. Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, inaugurated the COP17 together with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico and former President of COP16, H.E. Patricia Espinosa Castellano, the newly-elected President of COP17 and Minister of International Relations of South Africa, H.E. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, and the Executive Secretary of UNFCCC, Ms. Christiana Figueres and other African leaders. All the major Groups taking part in these negotiations took the floor to pledge their support to the South African presidency and offer their perspective on the coming negotiations and on the possible paths to a successful outcome. A general feeling of deep concern and the need for greater and more decisive action, as well as higher ambition, prevailed in most speakers. Many Groups expressed their commitment to work to make Durban a new step forward towards the protection of the climate system. Some Developed Parties, nevertheless, insisted in inflexible positions that would make real progress in this session quite difficult.

During the past days, representatives from the 132 States members of the Group of 77 and China met to review and assess the situation after the progress made in Panama and the developments during the inter-sessional period.

A positive and active spirit was seen in the many consultations and the in-depth discussions that Group of 77 and China held on some of the possible scenarios for the coming days, taking into account positions expressed by several Parties as well as by experts, science and civil society. There was general agreement that we need to build on the current momentum to achieve in this meeting a comprehensive and balanced outcome with concrete decisions for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.

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