Global fight against climate change shifts to Gulu
L-R: Music in Space chief executive officer, Mr Bjørn Vido, chief commercial officer, Ms Kgomotso Gobeni, and country director, Eng Tony Olanya Olenge speak during the launch of the climate change awareness festival that will take place in Gulu City from July 4 to 6. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Gulu was chosen as the host city for its “vibrancy, friendly English-speaking people, the Nile, waterfalls, nature, and safari,” according to Mr Bjørn Vido, the Chief Executive Officer of Music in Space, the organization spearheading the initiative.
The global fight against climate change has been taken to Gulu, which will see the Northern Ugandan city host a three-day $1 (about Shs3,600) awareness festival from July 4 to 6.
Gulu City was chosen for its “vibrancy, friendly English-speaking people, the Nile, waterfalls, nature, and safari”, according to Mr Bjørn Vido, the chief executive officer of Music in Space, which is spearheading the initiative.
“Gulu is amazing, has a diversity in nature, leadership with a clear vision, is committed to becoming a green hub, and is an area with a harsh environment that needs our help to stay green,” Mr Vido said on Saturday.
He added: “Time is not on our side; the desert is advancing 10 kilometers every year and we are witnessing climate change happen in real-time. A few days ago, Kampala was flooded and seven people were killed. In various ways this area is deeply affected by climate change.”
According to Mr Vido, they can’t send eight billion people to space, but can bring space to them. “We are sending a weather balloon equipped with loudspeakers, cameras and satellite connections 45 kilometres up in the air, carrying a clear signal from Gulu to the world about a green and sustainable future.”
During the three days, Gulu will welcome artistes from six continents, including Amapiano stars from South Africa like Zee Nxumalu, Boohle and KeyGee Bizizi, among others.
Music in Space chief commercial officer, Ms Kgomotso Gobeni, says singer Vampino will lead Ugandan artistes who will also include the Gulu-based quartet of Eezzy, Laxzy Mover, Eddy Wizzy, and Polite.
Ms Gobeni says they have endorsed musicians as drivers of climate change because “a good song sticks”.
“Lyrics change habits when the earth is on fire; so, we use lyrics to change the climate. All our music is exceptionally very clear, and says: ‘change your habits and look after your climate, not go drink alcohol and party’,” says Ms Gobeni.
Ticket sales start on March 31 and the first 20,000 of the 45,000 tickets only cost $1 (about Shs3,600), and the profit will go to planting at least one million trees in Gulu City.
The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict in Northern Uganda, and specifically Gulu City, had up to 2006 pushed residents into camps, making nature take its course as vast land lay idle and eventually became bushy.
As relative calm returned to the once restive Sub-region over the years, residents started returning to their homes to open up farmland, while charcoal burning gained traction and started picking up an ugly momentum.
It wasn’t long before a symbiotic relationship saw residents supply industries with truckloads of charcoal for smelting. “Trees on your land were the cheapest thing to sell, leading to degradation,” recalls Mr Micheal Tebere, the director for government and partner relations Kijani Forestry Limited.
Kijani Forestry Limited in 2018 carried out research after an East African Biomass Energy Survey Report that year revealed that the rate at which trees were being cut down was too high.
The study by Kijani Forestry Limited revealed that some tree species when cultivated and intercropped with crops makes good quality fuel wood.
