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Participants were satisfied with the Conference as a whole although many people would have preferred more time to participate in discussions.  Conclusions and recommendations of the main thematic areas are summarized as follows:

Education

It has now been established that the standard of education in Lango sub-region is far below national standard. UPE is failing because of overcrowding in classrooms amid lack of qualified teachers. Therefore there is a need to reform UPE. USE has just been introduced and the impact is yet to be assessed.

There is a high need for a Lango University. While branches of other universities are welcomed in Lango, the people of Lango want their own a fully fledged Lango university funded by the government and possibly supported by donations from the Langi and their friends in the Diaspora and elsewhere. A possible site for the university has been identified by Won Nyaci Yosam Odur – Loro Core Teacher’s College in Apac District. A new site should therefore be located for the Teacher’s College.

Health

Hospitals and health centres in Lango sub-region are run down with no proper medical facilities, serious lack of medication and acute shortage of qualified staff. HIV/AIDS prevalence is still on the increase.  HIV drugs are not reaching the sub-region. There is a need to rehabilitate existing government hospitals and health centres and build new ones. Donors should continue providing medical aid to the region and Uganda as a whole but through. Lango Association would be in a better position to channel medical aid directly to the needy people in Lango and should therefore be supported by donors.

Environment

Abject poverty coupled with population explosion in the region has led to serious destruction of the environment because the main source of energy for domestic use is wood. Forests in the region have disappeared and this has contributed to climate change. Soil erosion following mass felling of trees is gradually creating arid zones in the region. Draughts are now so common. Wetlands are disappearing too. The unpredictable rain pattern coupled with war has given rise to food shortage. Land ownership is becoming a major issue that can also impact of the environment. 

The way forward is a comprehensive conservation policy that embraces reforestation, protection of endangered species of plants, animals and insects, and mass education. There is also a need to explore alternative sources of energy such as solar and wild power.

Poverty Alleviation

Poverty is widespread in Lango with a majority of people living below poverty line. People should be empowered to become self reliant rather than depending on handouts. The government should do more to reduce poverty in Lango.  “Wealth for all” and micro-finance should reach all corners of the sub-region. International donors also need to provide more income generating aid than consumables in order to empower the people to become self reliant. It is also recommended that land reform be looked into as a way of ensuring increased agricultural production and thus reduction of poverty.

Governance

It is now established that the people of Lango are disempowered and traumatized due to the prolonged periods of marginalization and conflict. There is therefore a need to empower them so that they become able to tackle matters relating to governance such as corruption, which is so widespread in the region and countrywide. The Government of Uganda should take a lead in fighting corruption by ensuring that suspected offenders are arrested, tried and if found guilty, punished accordingly. People who abuse public offices should be named and shamed.

There is also a need for the Government of Uganda to build trust and confidence with the people of Lango by for instance appointing more Langi to government or public positions as a way of catching up with the other regions that are overrepresented in government.

Communication channels between Uganda government and the people of Lango should be kept open. Elected leaders, regardless of their political affiliations are called upon to positively engage government regarding development. It is also recommended that people of Lango use various channels to lobby government and the international community and that the government permits lawful lobby.  People should unite behind their elected leaders, regardless of political affiliations, and collectively tackle developmental needs of the people once elections are over.

It is recommended that Lango Association be allowed to monitor projects funded by donors, and report to appropriate authorities. The Association should be supported to provide capacity building support to local NGOs with the view of promoting and ensuring transparency and accountability.

FOLLOW-UP

This was the first ever Lango Diaspora conference. In order to take forward the spirit of unity and zeal for development reflected at the conference, it is recommended that the organisers of the conference visit Uganda in the near future on the invitation of Won Nyaci to deliver the report & recommendations to the people in all the five districts.

It is also recommended that a mini follow-up conference takes place in 6 month’s time in the USA and that a main follow-up conference takes place towards the end next year in Lango. The conference in Lango can be organised under the auspices of Won Nyaci in order to ensure that it is non-partisan and inclusive of all the stakeholders in the development of Lango sub-region.