News & Events

The Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland will attend the Non-Aligned Movement Heads of State Summit in Kampala, Uganda from January 19-20, 2024 as a Special Guest. The Non-Aligned Movement shares 44 of its 120 members with the Commonwealth and works to advance the shared interests of developing countries.

During the visit, Secretary-General Scotland will consult with Commonwealth country leaders on economic and environmental challenges and collaborate on tailored assistance strategies. She will brief leaders on preparations for the October 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.

Scotland thanked Uganda’s President Museveni for the invitation and commended his leadership as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement. The summit’s theme is ‘deepening cooperation for shared global affluence’. Many developing countries have made progress but now face crises like COVID-19, debt, inflation, and climate change.

Read the original article here: https://www.independent.co.ug/commonwealth-secretary-general-to-attend-nam-summit/

Pongal is a popular harvest festival that usually falls in the middle of January every year. ‘Pongal’ means ‘boiling over’ or ‘overflow’ in Tamil, signifying the overflow of prosperity and happiness.

The first day of Pongal is called Bhogi Pongal, where people discard old and unused household items and celebrate with bonfires. The second day, Surya Pongal, is dedicated to the Sun God. On this day, a sweet dish called Pongal, made from rice, milk and jaggery, is prepared and offered to the Sun along with other offerings. The third day, Mattu Pongal, celebrates cattle and other farm animals that help farmers in agriculture. On this day, cattle are bathed, decorated with flowers and worshipped. The fourth and final day, Kaanum Pongal, marks the end of Pongal festivities, where people visit relatives and friends to enjoy the festive season.