It gives me pleasure and honor to introduce to you the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Creative Industries (UGAPAFOCI). UGAPAFOCI is a not-for-profit and non-partisan organization.
Membership is open to only members of Parliament and its main objective is to influence policy and mainstreaming of culture in the planning processes of the Country.
As you may be aware, our cultural and creative sector exists albeit with no real impact on our collective lives as a people, let alone to the country’s socio-economic fiber. It is our responsibility to make our industry work. When I joined Parliament, I set out to work with all stakeholders to ensure that together we make the industry work, hence the establishment of thisforum with the consent of the institution of Parliament.
This forum represents a unique opportunity for us to come together, share ideas, and work towards a common goal of supporting and promoting the cultural and creative industries.
The Cultural and Creative Industries are not only an important part of our economy, but they also play an important role in shaping our society and reflecting our values. It is through cultural and creative expressions that we can understand and connect with one another.
HON. RACHEL MAGOOLA
WOMAN M.P, BUGWERI DISTRICT
CHAIRPERSON
As practitioners, it is high time we realised the full economic potential of our products through commercialisation, both domestically and internationally. To succeed, we have to guide Government to formulate appropriate legal, policy, and institutional frameworks which include:
- Robust laws, policies, and institutions.
- Access to technology and digital infrastructure,
- Innovation and creativity.
- Access to diverse funding and investment opportunities.
- Support for education and training in the arts and related fields.
- Government policies and initiatives that promote cultural and creative industries.
- Diversification and inclusivity in terms of repesentation and participation in the sector.
- Strong networks and partnerships between industry, Government, and academia.
The overarching role of the Forum is to build a brighter future for the CCI, bring the community together, and building a strong and vibrant
sector. As a Forum of the Parliament of Uganda, UGAPAFOCI is set to lead the crusade to lobby Government to ensure that the above pillars of the CCIs are put in place. What we beseech of you is full support, cooperation,