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Uganda: 'Northern Children Are Not Rebels'
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New Vision (Kampala)
3 July 2008
Posted to the web 4 July 2008
Flavia Nakagwa
Kampala
THE perception that all children from the war-torn northern Uganda are former rebels and outcasts is erroneous and must stop, the education and sports minister has warned.
Geraldine Bitamazire said children in northern Uganda had rights just like any other child.
"Not only are children from war-affected areas able to make a contribution as productive members of society, but also to surpass our expectations. These children will be tomorrow's leaders."
The minister was on Tuesday night speaking during the premiere of the Oscar-nominated movie, War Dance, at Garden City in Kampala.
War Dance was filmed in Patongo, Pader district in northern Uganda. It was sponsored by the Africa Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) and will be showing soon at Cineplex Cinema at Garden City.
Bitamazire commended AMREF for focusing on the most vulnerable and marginalised communities and empowering them to take control of their health.
"It is important to establish a link between income, health and education because when children suffer from malnutrition and perform poorly in class, they lose out a lot."
The movie highlights the importance of music and dance in the physical, social and emotional rehabilitation of children, who have lived through the war.
Directed and written by American-based journalist Sean Fine and Andrea Nix in 2005, War Dance was acted by children from Patongo Primary School.
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Dominic Akena, 16, one of the actors, said: "When we came to Kampala for the music festival, children from other regions insulted us, calling us all sorts of bad names, but when we performed the Bwola traditional dance, I was proud of my ancestors."
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