In an inspiring move to promote peace and conflict resolution across Africa, Rotary Uganda has officially launched the fourth edition of the Africa Peace Concert set for January 10, 2025.
This annual musical concert aims to raise $500,000( approximately shs1.8 billion ) to support peace-building initiatives and the sustainability of the Makerere Rotary Peace Centre, the first of its kind on the continent.
The Africa Peace Concert not only showcases African culture and talent but also serves as a powerful platform for advocating peace.
The concert will feature a dynamic lineup of live performances combined with messages of peace, hope and unity from renowned artists across Africa broadcasting to a global audience in real-time.
The funds raised from the concert will directly benefit the Makerere Rotary Peace Centre, which has been pivotal in training leaders in peace and conflict transformation.
At the launch, Joe Nuwamanya, Chairman and Team Leader of the Africa Peace Concert, emphasized that the concert aims to harness the power of music to strengthen, promote, and preserve peace, while also raising funds for the Makerere Rotary Peace Centre.
“We will use the power of music to strengthen the spirit of unity and relentlessness pursuit of peace through the fourth edition of the Africa peace concert, which is a colorful and vibrant hybrid concert with live performances that broadcast to the worldwide audience. While the concert allows artists to connect with funs beyond their performance, performance venue and real time, we will also maximize exposure and revenue opportunities to help raise funds For the Makerere Peace Center in Makerere,” Nuwamanya said.
He noted that the concert is aimed at raising awareness and resources to support conflict resolution and peace building efforts, particularly through programs like the Makerere Peace Center which cultivates future leaders.
“Africa has long faced devastating impact of war and conflict which has led to destruction of lives, displacement of communities and long term economic setbacks from civil wars, insurgencies to continent faces challenges fueled by political instability, poor resources, poor, resource allocation, tourism, these conflicts have deepened poverty, hinder development and eroded society structures.”
Nuwamanya announced that tickets for the peace concert are priced at $100 and encouraged companies and individuals to support the cause of promoting peace in Africa.
The Africa Peace Concert will bring together artists, peace advocates and the global community to support the transformative initiatives.
Hellen Nambalirwa from the Makerere Peace Centre stated that their focus extends beyond addressing existing conflicts to include prevention efforts.
She emphasized that the centre actively engages with overlooked conflicts as well.
“You realize that the world right now discusses Gaza, it discusses Ukraine, but no one is talking about South Sudan anymore, and this is our continent. It happens that we have very many forgotten conflicts and through this Rotary Peace Center, we are able to raise our voice on the issues that are really affecting us,” She said.
Nambalirwa added that the centre also addresses issues related to refugee communities and their host communities, as well as matters affecting youth.
“So we also look at social initiatives which are tackling matters that are affecting the youth, and those include the drugs, those include the hate speech, mention all those things that not only deal with the armed conflict, but also emotional, psychological and that’s why we use the different tools to make sure that we touch so the continent is really a healing not only from armed conflict, but also other internal conflicts that need to be addressed through the different ways of nurturing the peace,” she added.
Ken Wycliffe Mugisha, the past Governor district 9214 announced the Rotary International President, Dr Stephanie Urchick visit to Uganda from the 7th to the 12th of january 2025.
He invited all Ugandans to raise funds and support the Peace Centre under the theme”Healing in a Divided World,”
“We are inviting all Ugandans and members of the world community to come together to contribute and participate physically, to raise funds to support these peace centers, to support that theme of healing in a divided world.”
The Makerere Rotary Peace Centre, Africa’s first peace center, was established in 2020.
Since its inception, it has welcomed 110 peace fellows from 43 countries. The seventh cohort currently includes 21 fellows from 11 different countries.
