Spirituality, Community Mobilisation and Mindset Change Program

“Bearing Fruits that Last”

The Community Mobilisation and Mindset Change (CMMC) program seeks to mobilise families, communities and religious leaders to take part in national development programs. At the interreligious Council of Uganda, the program is ensconced in the use of religious leaders and their structures as entry points to communities and individuals in a bid to influence their behaviour patterns and support national development. The program is also designed to instil value systems among Ugandans using faith and religion as drivers for positive change. It is premised on the use of religious leaders and their structures especially places of worship as centres of information and service delivery.

Nationally, the program contributes directly towards the National Development Plan III’s overall objective of increasing incomes as well as the quality of their lives of Ugandans. The key objectives of the CMMC program include among others

1. (1) Mobilising the population for social-economic development
2. (2) Strengthening collaboration with government towards realisation of the NDP III
3. (3) Promotion of social accountability and anti-corruption among the population so that duty bearers and citizens take on their rights and responsibilities
4. (4) Promoting national values and the role of the family
5. (5) Encouraging interreligious dialogue amongst the population for the promotion of peace and harmony in the country

To date, IRCU has worked and supported the government of Uganda in addressing mindset change firstly through and during religious events so that citizens are conscious of their rights and duties. In addition, IRCU partners with government ministries departments and agencies (MDAs) to foster mindset change and economic transformation.

IRCU works with MDAs such as the National Planning Authority (NPA), the Micro Finance Support Centre (SC), the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS), the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development (MDL&SD) as well as the directorate of Ethics and Integrity among others. IRCU has used the church, mosques and synagogues as centers for tackling these problems using religious leaders as the “foot soldiers in this jihad.

Across the board socio economic challenges are tackled and intergraded in the day today work of religious the leaders so that there is an on-going indigenous source of knowledge even when the NDPIII is concluded. To enable them understand and comprehend the solutions needed, IRCU has carried out an ambitious capacity building exercise for religious leaders across the country in different areas. These include; prevention of diseases such as the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccination for other diseases, information on HIV/AIDS, TB and Leprosy, detection and prevention of gender-based violence, conflict mediation and resolution among others. In addition, IRCU has set up a learning center for youth in Buikwe district where youth go through a mindset change program and after are given skills in brick laying, hair dressing, life skills, animal husbandry.

IRCU has encouraged and set up SACCOs based at places of worship to link them in the new initiative of the Parish Development Model (PDM) so that congregants benefit and are part of the money economy. Faith based SACCOs totaling 37 of more than 120 individuals are also being supported through the MSC.

To ensure that IRCU’s mindset chance program takes root and mass mobilization is easily undertaken, IRCU is in the process of revitalizing and important structure of the District Interfaith Committees in all the 146 districts of Uganda so as work closely with district local authorities to bridge the gap between faith communities and local governments with particular emphasis on the Parish development Model. IRCU continues to promote interreligious dialogue and togetherness as one way of prompting mindset change.

IRCU also implements activities on anti-corruption and social accountability whose aim is to raise the voices of youth, women, and girls that are often excluded from local development processes. These are accompanied by key influencers of   cultural and religious leaders   to reduce on the increasing gap of exclusion that exists both at the district and national level.  It is done by creating and strengthening district, subcounty and parish platforms that promote the involvement of these marginalised sections of the population in social accountability and anti-corruption. IRCU undertakes continuous capacity building of these groups to identify gaps in service delivery, engage with duty bearers and ultimately improve pubic service delivery.