Mile 19 Community
4th Leadership Retreat Follow-up Meeting
Tuesday to Friday, November 18-21, 2008
News Updates
- Hard Copy Invitations are out
- Preparatory Events Launched
- Project Committees in place
- New Internal Rules Drafted
- The Mile 19 Example at PCF5
- Videos of Meetings Available
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The invitations are out and being distributed. The full pack consists of a cover invitation letter, the draft programme, general information and registration form. Much the same information is available on this site, and is updated as necessary, for your use. If, however, you would like the hard copy invitation pack sent to you, perhaps for your visa application and other travel arrangements, please let us know. Call (237) 7795-9438/7766-2395 or email mile19@eitdr.org.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mile 19, Friday September 12, 2008, saw the launching of preparatory activities for the November 18-21, 2008 Leadership Retreat Follow-up Meeting. The deputy District Officer (D.O.), the Mayor of Tombel, the Zonal Representative of Rumpi and the sub-Divisional Delegate of Agriculture were in the heavily attended gathering that included pupils and teachers of the Mile 19 Community Government School. The event began with a prayer, libation and other traditional rites, followed by singing of the National Anthem led by the choir of the Mile 19 school. Meeting rationale and programme presentations were made, explaining why the regular Mile 19 Follow-up Meetings, what has been achieved to date, what challenges are emerging, and what has been programmed for November. Various project committees that have been put in place were presented and heartened. A lot of singing and more words of encouragement followed.
Then, in a surprise move, the Mayor of Tombel, Madam Ngassa Rose, drove to visit the community school with an entourage, and promised to put up two classrooms before the end of the year. She also promised and took as many invitations to bring all quarter heads and community leaders in Tombel to the Mile 19 Meeting in November, to come and learn from the Mile 19 experience - which gave the launching a fantastic boost! Everybody in Mile 19 is geared up and working for a hectic November.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Committees have been put in place to help accomplish tasks assigned in the July Meeting to be followed-up in November. The designated and heartened Committees are:
- Street/Path Lighting village-wide
- Street/Path Extension and Drainage village-wide
- Trees and Flower Planting and Decorations village-wide
- Cable TV Network Extension village-wide
- Computer and Internet in homes promotion
- Library for the Community and School
- Council Rules Development
- Central Banking Propositions
- Achievement Recognition Awards
------------------------------------------------------------------------
An important aspect of the Mile 19 initiative is that of securing justice and predictability in community affairs. This entails ensuring that policies, laws or regulations and practices in local and wider governance are continually assessed critically to reveal their consistency in application or reform needs. (See D. M. Mbwoge, 2008). To this end, the Mile 19 Community Council Rules Development Committee has been at work and benefiting from the Seeking Justice in the Community Special Events organized during their Leadership Retreat Follow-up Meetings to review and revise community internal rules. The new draft rules cover governance, community work, water, hygiene and sanitation, selling of produce, theft, violations, filing and punishment procedures and fines. Click here, to read the new draft internal rules document.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Mile 19 story was told at the Fifth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF5) that held in London July 13-17, 2008, by Director of EITD Research, Mr. Mbwoge Daniel Mbong. He used the Mile 19 example, its development paradigm significance and reform implications in governance, economic development and education, to show how people all over the world can do more than achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eradicate poverty, and live-up to the mandate of their community or local and country Constitutions. Click here, to read Mr. Mbwoge's paper.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The video of the 3rd Mile 19 Community Leadership Retreat follow-up Meeting that held from Tuesday July 29 to Friday August 1, 2008 is now available in CD-ROM format. Videos of the initial Leadership Retreat Meeting and its 1st Follow-up Meeting are also available. Copies can be obtained from the Organising Committee. Call (237) 7795-9438/7766-2395 or email mile19@eitdr.org.