EDWARD'S STORY

To follow is the story of our Dreamworker Project Manager in Uganda, the gentle man who initially brought us this idea, and who is now overseeing and coordinating the building of the first DREAM ONE WORLD Global Centre for Education - Uganda...

Mpagi Edward Edmary.

Please be forewarned that the following may be disturbing for some who read it...yet it is an important story of one man's life, and to learn what Edward endured and ultimately forgave is truly inspiring.

In October of 2007, Amnesty International invited Edward to speak at the United Nations about his ordeal. Here is the link to two videos created from that day:

http://www.youtube.comresults?search_query=Mpagi%20Edward%20Edmary&search_category=25

Under Dictator Idi Amin's rule in Uganda, Mpagi Edward Edmary ("Edward") was imprisoned on death row for over 18 years for killing a man who was later found to be alive. He and his brother, also falsely accused, could not believe that a legal system would convict innocent people.

As Edward says, "In Uganda, conditions for death row prisoners are cruel, degrading, and inhumane. We were always denied medicines. There were lice, flies, and other vermin in the prison, and this resulted in many illnesses - and many prisoners died from these illnesses.

In 1984 my brother developed malaria and stomach complications because of inadequate food and skin conditions. I pleaded with the prison authorities to give my brother medication and treatment.

However, they told me that we were brought to death row to face death, that it was a waste of taxpayer's money to treat him. My brother died in 1985. This really scared me.

Life is terrible on death row in Uganda, Africa. No one was ever given any notice that they would be executed. Each time we were taken by complete surprise. We lived in complete fear of any unusual activity from the wardens.

During my stay in prison there were five rounds of executions. The last one was in 1999 in which the state executed 28 prisoners.

The coffins for the prisoners to be executed were made in the prison. During the three days before executions, we could all hear the making of the coffins. The black hoods and clothes for prisoners to be executed were made by other prisoners. We knew how many people were to be executed by counting the number of hoods being made."

There is much more to this part of the story, but it is truly too gruesome to share on a site devoted to uplifting human nature...

Edward's family never stopped trying to save his life, and successfully campaigned for Edward's release through Amnesty International, providing evidence that the alleged victim was indeed still alive.

Sentenced to death for murder in 1982, the Attorney General proved that the man Edward was accused of murdering was still alive in 1989.

However, it was not until 2000, 11 years later, when a nine member presidential committee released Edward, deciding he was innocent.

Held in the Luzira Upper Prison, Edward taught his fellow inmates to read and write. He became one of the longest serving inmates and a prison elder.

Edward is an advocate for the abolition of the death penalty and a committed religious leader. A graduate from a Catholic Diocese, he regularly tours prisons providing inspiration and hope to prisoners.

Now a farmer, Edward is also devoting his life to helping the disadvantaged children of Uganda, particularly the AIDS orphans, the children of death row inmates, and the children of northern Uganda who are victims of conflicts.

Edward's first wife died and two of his four children with her are still missing due to the 1985 guerilla war in Uganda.

Edward, seen here with his second wife Nakazi Alice and their children Kalibala Roche (5), Nakajjubi Alice (2), and Sendawula Charles (3 mos.), says, "Unfortunately, the remaining two children from my first family had no support to go to school in my absence while imprisoned, so they are now illiterate, which hurts me so much."

Yet another reason for his dream to build a school for the children.

We are honored to be working in the creation of a building that will be home to Edward's dream of helping to save the children of Uganda through education.

Edward has worked in the past with Lisa Rea, President and Founder of the former Justice & Reconciliation Project, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that brought restoration and healing to crime victims, offenders, and communities torn by crime.

Their mission was to restore the lives of those harmed by crime by advocating for reforms that encourage offender accountability, promote healing in the lives of victims, and lead to fewer repeat offenders and safer communities.

The JRP closed its doors in late 2008 after many years of wonderful work, and Lisa continues to do restorative justice work through both her consulting firm and as a strategic consultant to Prison Fellowship International and its Centre for Justice & Reconciliation. (Check out her blog at www.restorativejustice.org.)

Edward met Lisa through JRP because JRP fought injustice, and took a strong policy position against wrongful convictions in the U.S. and around the world.

Among many other life works, Lisa has been featured on "Talk of the Nation" on NPR, has run for Congress, and has spoken about restorative justice in places as varied as Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and Bulgaria.

She is interested in supporting our school project through visiting Edward in Uganda and getting a first hand look at the difficulties the orphans face. Lisa will continue to work with Edward to explore how to address the need for justice reform in Uganda.

"There are people of awareness, and there are people who are fast asleep. The energy is in the hands of the awakened people, and one awakened person can awaken the whole world." - Osho