“Abandoning our rituals, weakening institutions, weak language threatening the extinction of our culture.” Clan leaders.

Clan leaders from Empaako communities in Western Uganda have identified a weakening language, weakening institutions at both family and clan levels and abandoning our traditional rituals as some of the main threats which threatens the extinction of our culture especially the Empaako intangible tradition during a clan leaders meeting held in Fort Portal.

Clan Meeting in Fort Portal, Uganda

Abandoning our traditional wear, deteriorating cultural morals especially among the youth, abandoning our traditional meals were also identified as some of the threats to our culture.

The one day clan leaders meeting held on Saturday April 7^th, 2018 at Engabu Za Tooro main offices located in Fort Portal attracted over 80 clan leaders or representatives from the Empaako communities of Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda, Banyaruguru, Banyabindi, Basongora and Ba Nyamboga from Uganda and the DR Congo respectively.

Stephen Rwagweri, Executive Director Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action) while addressing the clan leaders meeting indicated that the main objectives of the meeting is to strengthen the safeguarding of Empaako naming system especially using clan systems and ratifying the Empaako inscription and safeguarding by the Empaako communities.

“To revitalise our culture, we need to focus on documentation, capacity building especially for clan leaders, community self documentation of rituals and traditions and dissemination of documented materials.” Said Rwagweri.

Rwagweri further emphasised that the documented cultural traditions in books, music, photos and videos among others should not just be kept in museums but used for the revitalisation of their cultural traditions like Empaako.

Engabu Za Tooro Director (standing), stressing a point

The clan leader of the Basiita clan and head of the Empaako safeguarding committee further appealed to the clan leaders not to get tired of safeguarding our culture like Empaako heritage since they contributed immensely to the inscription of Empaako on the UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.

This clan meeting follows a decision by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) which was adopted during the 12^th session of the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage which was held in December, 2017 at the International Convention Centre located in Jeju Island in the Republic of South Korea to co-fund a two year project for the safeguarding of Empaako naming system .

One of the clan leaders (standing) in traditional attire 

Empaako is naming system whereby in addition to a family and given name, a child is given a special name called Empaako selected from a fixed and closed list of 12 Empaako names shared by the entire society and used as a declaration of respect, endearment or affection.

This practice has been shared and transmitted from generation to generation in communities located in Western Uganda, Eastern DR Congo and Northern Tanzania.

Empaako clan leaders to officially endorse the UNESCO co-funded Empaako safeguarding

Clan leaders from the Empaako communities of the Batuku, Batagwenda, Banyabindi, Basongora, Banyoro, Banyaruguru, Banyamboga have been invited by the head of the Empaako safeguarding committee Msgr Peter Kumaraki on Saturday April, 2018 at Engabu Za Tooro main offices in Fort Portal, Western Uganda.

The 12 fixed Empaako names

During this event, the Executive Director of Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action), Stephen Rwagweri will also present a report on the detailed plans for the safeguarding of Empaako. In addition, the clan leaders will also work out strategies’ for the sustainable safeguarding of the Empaako intangible cultural heritage among the Empaako communities in both Uganda and DR Congo.

The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) adopted a decision to co-fund a two year project for the safeguarding of Empaako naming system during the 12^th session of the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage which was held in December, 2017 at the International Convention Centre located in Jeju Island in the Republic of South Korea.

Empaako is naming system whereby in addition to a family and given name, a child is given a special name called Empaako selected from a fixed and closed list of 12 Empaako names shared by the entire society and used as a declaration of respect, endearment or affection.

Who can get what Empaako name

This practice has been shared and transmitted from generation to generation in communities located in Western Uganda, Eastern DR Congo and Northern Tanzania.

However, the Empaako naming practice is facing threats of extinction mostly due to decline of its mother language (Runyoro - Rutooro), modernization and attack from modern religious extremist denominations.  

EZT invited to attend a UNESCO meeting (ICH) in April, 2018

A cultural clan meeting at Engabu Za Tooro Offices

The Assistant Director-General for Culture has invited Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action) to attend the information and exchange session on the overall results framework for the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The meeting will take place on 20 April 2018, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m at UNESCO Headquarters (7, place de Fontenoy, Paris, Room II).

Report on the WIPO's IGC 35 held in Geneva, Switzerland

WIPO’s Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) concluded a week-long session on March 23, 2018. Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action was represented by the Executive Director, Stephen Rwagweri) Participants at WIPO in Geneva (EZT ED in green suit) This was the first session to address genetic resources under the 2018-2019 mandate. Delegates discussed and revised the Consolidated Document Relating to Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources (“Rev. 2”), which will be submitted to the Thirty-Sixth Session of the IGC, taking place from June 25 to 29, 2018. It was also agreed that an ad hoc expert group on genetic resources be organized on June 24, 2018, prior to the Thirty-Sixth Session of the IGC. The decisions and a more detailed summary of the Thirty-Fifth Session of the IGC are available online. In the margins of the session, WIPO unveiled two new public resources: Documenting Traditional Knowledge – A Toolkit:  A publication presenting a range of easy-to-use checklists and other resources to help identify and manage intellectual property issues and risks related to documenting traditional knowledge; Adventures of the Yakuanoi – Navigating Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property:  An animation telling the story of the Yakuanoi people – a fictitious indigenous community – as they navigate through the key issues regarding intellectual property and traditional knowledge. More information about WIPO’s work on traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions and genetic resources.

Engabu Za Tooro invited by UNESCO for the seventh session

Engabu Za Tooro invited for the Seventh session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, 4 to 6 June 2018)

Engabu Za Tooro to observe a UN meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on protection of Traditional Knowledge

The United Nations on Intellectual property called World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is developing an international law for the copyright protection of traditional knowledge, genetic resources and cultural expressions. Engabu Za Tooro was accredited and now sponsored to sit on the Indigenous Consultative Forum which represents the views of the traditional communities who are the owners of the traditional knowledge, genetic resources and cultural expressions.

Stephen Rwagweri, EZT Executive Director (in green suit) at the conference in Geneva

The WIPO current session on the matter is taking place at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and Engabu Za Tooro is participating in the conference so as to inform and observe the deliberations of the state parties.

Click on this link to get the official press release!  

Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action) a handbook of action for 2017

A vintage exhibition by Engabu Za Tooro

Follow the link to download of the whole book or click here! or https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pVJ-rzVf1Z8kzILRgWDXteOYMqIAG-GV/view?usp=sharing