By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
Renowned Teso civil advocate who came to the limeght with successful defense of Iteso illegally evicted by UWA in Abim has been awarded an International Leadership Award by Jacobs-Abbey Global Institute for Leadership Studies of America.
Vincent Ocen of formerly SUGUR agency now AJEF (Access to Justice and Equity Foundation) got the award this week in recognition for his unwavering fight for over 2000 vulnerable persons in Teso especially those that were evicted from their land in Abim.
Below is the Institute’s statement in full:
It is with great pleasure that the Jacobs-Abbey Global Institute for Leadership Studies announces that Vincent Ocen will be one of the recipients of the 2022 Dr. Nina L Meyerhof Leadership Award. Vincent Ocen is a self-driven, result oriented lawyer with proven ability to work under multidisciplinary settings. He is the founder and Executive Director for Access to Justice and Equity Foundation (AJEF) formerly Sugur Development Agency (SDA) a Ugandan NGO.
His work mainly entails research, legal advocacy, facilitation, coordination, and project management focused on development, governance, and human rights policies. He is engaged also in networking and cooperation with national and global civil society organizations and other development actors.
Through the AJEF interventions, Vincent has helped over 20,000 mostly poor and vulnerable women and men to access Justice through the provision of legal aid services, empowered over 5,000 youth through mentorship, and trained over 10,000 local council court officials on administration of Justice in Uganda.
Vincent holds a master’s degree in Human rights, Globalization and Justice at Keele University -UK. He has participated and been recognized in various regional and international events. For instance, The 2022 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, The 2020 Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, The 2019 United Nations High Level Political Forum on sustainable development and UN General Assembly in New York, USA, The 2018 UN Global Festival of Action for Sustainable Development in Bonn Germany among others.
Vincent has chosen the work he does because he feels that fighting injustice and promoting human rights is a common theme in the lawyer’s life. “It’s a passion, promoting human rights is not something he has chosen to do for a living or as a career opportunity. It’s more of a calling for him.” Congratulations!
Join Vincent Ocen and others at the Jagils annual fundraiser and charity dinner gala to be held at Hilton Alexandria, Mark Center 5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria Virginia on Sat Nov 12, 2022.
We are also thrilled to announce that H.E Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, Vice President of the Republic Liberia and Mayor Cashenna Cross, Mayor of GlenArden, Maryland will co receive Jagils Lifetime Achievement Award 2022.
Thanks
Dr. Samuel Jacobs-Abbey
Executive Director
www.jaglobalinstitute.org
