Nakapiripirit, Uganda | 9–13 September 2025—The Coalition of Pastoralist Civil Society Organisations (COPACSO) played a pivotal, five-day role in the annual Karamoja Cultural Event (KCE), a strategic gathering that successfully mobilized over 10,000 attendees from the wider Ateker cluster, including participants from Kenya, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. COPACSO, in close partnership with the Land and Equity Movement in Uganda (LEMU) and Karamoja Youth Efforts to Save Environment (KAYESE), utilized this critical platform to advance its mandate of securing the rights and sustainable livelihoods of pastoralist communities.
The cornerstone of COPACSO’s engagement was the co-hosting of the Annual Youth Dialogue on Climate Justice and Land Rights. This high-level dialogue successfully convened over 400 youth participants, focusing on building capacity in climate adaptation strategies and grassroots advocacy. The session culminated in the development and presentation of a formal Youth Communiqué, a landmark document articulating crucial youth resolutions for policy stakeholders. Key demands championed by COPACSO and the youth included advocating for dialogue-based disarmament, justice for affected youth, increased funding for the Parish Development Model (PDM) to enhance economic empowerment, and the establishment of climate-related loss and damage compensation schemes. Crucially, the youth committed to personal responsibility for peace and development, a significant step forward for the region.
Furthermore, COPACSO strategically managed an Information Hub dedicated to the “Keep Your Land, Keep Your Seed” campaign. The hub successfully raised awareness and mobilized grassroots action on indigenous seed sovereignty and biodiversity, directly contributing to the preservation of agroecological knowledge. COPACSO also leveraged the KCE’s massive reach to mobilize support for the forthcoming International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) in 2026. This extensive participation underscores COPACSO‘s decisive leadership in empowering youth and ensuring that pastoralist voices effectively influence national policy and international agendas on climate and land rights.
