"Such a limitation is not demonstrably justified in a free and democratic country like ours"

Just so nobody pretends we didn't see this, I'm putting it in a long link.

The Constitutional Court yesterday nullified a law that made it mandatory for Ugandans to seek written permission from the Inspector General of Police before holding an assembly or forming a procession in any public place.

Voilà! Read the story in its entirety at the Monitor. Basically, we can expect more demonstrations, now.
The only real trouble, now, is that there may be too many impromptu demos that have the easy capacity to turn into bad things. Since Police will not know about which demos are going to be where, any case of distracting public peace can be passed off, when prompted, as a demonstration.
I'm hoping this won't happen, hoping that we will be responsible with the power to demonstrate as soon as the urge hits by not demonstrating whenever any urge hits. But if it does happen, I guess we would slide back to requiring the state to be notified, which will have been a failure of this particular freedom; an experiment that didn't work.

I like the judge's words: "Such a limitation is not demonstrably justified in a free and democratic country like ours, therefore that provision of the Police Act is null and void."
Cool. Now, friends, let that closeted anarchist within you fly! Get on the street and demonstrate against something! :o) Kidding. Notify me first, okay?

Book Club - TUESDAY, 27 MAY (ie, tomorrow)

The long awaited book club arrives.

The onus is on me to pick the location, I guess, and I was thinking Iguana, but that's so not central. So I have to fall back on the default Mateo's. We can discuss a different place for next time....

Tuesday, 27 May, at 7 pm, at Mateo's

Come. Invite friends. Bring books.

I'm guessing there will be a blogger or two there, since the only way this has been discussed is via blog, so maybe we can also talk about meeting during a different part of the month next time, not so close to BHH. (I'll miss it, again, next month. Is the media establishment at large conspiring to make me constantly go up country on assignment during BHH?)

27th Comrade - this is on the day of the month dedicated to you. I think this means you should come.

Blogger's Happy Hour

It is upon us again, another BHH.

Date: 29th May

Place: Mateos (we really need to find a new hangout)

Time: 6.30pm

See y'all there.

Nagenda Art School Opening

Just wanted to plug an event taking place this weekend...

La Fontaine, Kisementi, Saturday, 24 May

Nagenda

This one-night-only event will act as a fund raising event to help Nagenda International Academy of Art and Design (www.nagenda.org) open its doors in September 2008. Our featured artist is Kizito Maria Kasule, Makerere University Professor and Founding Director of NIAAD.

NIAAD will be the first of its kind in East Africa! Slated for official opening in September 2008, NIAAD will be a self-sustaining institution where local and international artists will hone their creative and entrepreneurial skills. Located on the edge of Lake Victoria, NIAAD will provide a lush backdrop for students, instructors and volunteers to gather at a top-notch facility. Artists will be inspired to promote local arts and crafts techniques; learn cutting edge design technology and encourage one another through a network of alumnae and international artists. NIAAD is a fully registered community-based organization within Ssisa sub-county Wakiso District in Central Uganda.

NIAAD's mission is to establish a continuous and self-sustaining center where mediums of artistic expression will be learned and appreciated. Their objectives include:

1) to establish a local and international arts training center for people of Uganda and beyond;

2) to preserve, promote and utilize indigenous art and craft skills through training and research, fostering a sense of community pride and shared history;

3) to create employment in the arts by training school dropouts, orphans and other disadvantaged people;

4) to provide art training in a high-caliber academy setting to students whose primary and secondary schools cannot employ art teachers;

5) to provide and equip ordinary people with art and designing entrepreneurship skills which they can use to market their art and craft products.


NIAAD will not open its doors without the help of art lovers like you! Please join us for this special event and schedule your tour of the NIAAD center with us!

Book Club

But, I promised a book club/book swap, and I intend to keep that promise. I propose:

Tuesday, May 27, at 7 pm, location TBA

We will all bring a book, and then swap. We can discuss the possibility of all reading the same text for subsequent meetings. If you've already told me you want to attend, then I have you on a list. If you are hearing about this for the first time or suddenly have the desire to part with an Aristoc purchase, feel free to let me know and I'll add you to the list.