Tag Archives: Gulu

A Return to School after Decades of War: Florence Modo Tells her Story

Florence Modo poses outside of the WAN shop in her school uniform. Photo Credit, Sophia Neiman.

Florence Modo and Sophia Neiman worked closely together in crafting this article, with Florence providing input throughout the process, and helping to shape the structure of the piece.

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Florence Modo was born in the Eastern Region of Uganda, the second of eleven children. She was a lively baby, and in good health. Life was not easy for the family, and four of her siblings died in childhood, because hospitals were far and the roads poor.

When Florence was five years old, she became very sick. She now assumes the illness was polio, but at the time she was treated for malaria. Having not received proper medicine, Florence spent three years bedridden, unable to walk, stand or do anything for herself. Even after she regained her health, one leg remained twisted and she could not put weight on it, making it difficult to move. She fell frequently.

Despite this, when Florence was eight years old, her parents decided she must attend primary school. Every day, her father placed her on his bicycle. They rode the two miles to school together in the mornings, and he would bring her home after her lessons in the afternoon. Florence was an eager reader, and her father helped her to learn, teaching her the difficult words. “I think my father really cared about my education. He wanted me to study. He wanted me to learn,” Florence said.

The war came to their village in 1989. The Lord’s Resistance Army burnt the family home to the ground, and they lost much of their property, including her father’s bicycle. They were forced to depart to another village, 14 miles away. Rebel bombardments were constant there as well.

The family returned home again in 1996, but there was no peace. LRA attacks became increasingly frequent in 2003, when the rebels invaded their district. Her family and many others would flee during these ambushes. Since Florence could not run, she was forced to stay behind, alone.

“On many occasions my family members would take off from home, when the rebels attacked and leave me alone at home. While in their hideouts they would worry about me and always return to check on me. During such days I would hide in a bush near our home, and survived on groundnuts and water until my family returned home, which usually took two days,” Florence said.  In that time, her greatest fear was for the lives of her family members. Florence worried that they would return to check on her before it was safe to do so, and be slaughtered by rebels on the road.

It was torment. “One day I decided to leave, so that my family did not have to go through this,” she said. Florence told her mother that she was going to the market to buy a dress. Her mother, ever protective, offered to go instead, but Florence insisted on being independent. Once at the market, she sold a chicken, and used some of the money to get transport to Mbale District.

She arrived at the doorstep of a Catholic Church there, and was eventually taken in by a man who gave her meals and a place to stay and paid her to harvest sunflowers and maize. Life was uncertain. After the harvest, she found a job sorting groundnuts in town, and later worked as a cook for nuns, remaining among the sisters from 2007 until 2011.

One of the sisters, who had been transferred to Mbale, was impressed by how well Florence cooked and managed to move, despite her disability, and encouraged her apply to St. Monica Girls’ Tailoring School in Gulu District. It was still hard for Florence to write in English, so a nun penned a letter for her to copy.

Florence was accepted. Before coming to Gulu, however, Florence journeyed to her family home. They had believed her dead, and were overjoyed to find that she had survived. Still, the family had suffered greatly and Uganda remained in a precarious period. “The guns had stopped, but people were still in the [Internally Displaced Persons’] camps, trying to get back,” Florence said. “I remember my mother just prayed and thanked God I am back.”

Florence began her education at St. Monica in earnest. She learned to cut and sew fabric, and took additional classes in craft tailoring, adult literacy and agriculture. Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe sent Florence to Kampala, where she got an operation to help heal her leg. Sister Nyirumbe also paid Florence for each bag she made, allowing Florence to support her younger sister in attending school.

Florence works at her sewing machine in the WAN shop. Photo Credit, Sophia Neiman.

While at St. Monica, Florence met Women’s Advocacy Network Chair, Evelyn Amony.  Mrs. Amony welcomed Florence into WAN, and Florence began working in the WAN shop, saving to pay her own school fees. Friends discouraged and even mocked her, telling her she was wasting time, but Florence was determined to return to school. She noticed that because she spoke English, many people expected her to read and write for them, but she did not know how to do so properly. She was desperate to learn, so she could aid those who came to her.

Mrs. Amony offered encouragement, telling Florence to registrar to study, and even buying her school uniform. Florence also received support from two University of Oklahoma instructors she met at St. Monica, called Professor Lunpe and Professor Sally.  In July of 2018, Florence enrolled in Holy Rosary Primary School, Primary Seven. Florence began school in the second term, and Professor Lunpe paid Florence’s school fees for that term, allowing Florence to put her savings from the WAN shop towards the third term.

The head teacher was skeptical upon seeing Florence, and wondered how she might fare in a classroom of children. She told him, “Sir I can study amidst the babies.” He was convinced and brought her to meet the class.

So, Florence began primary school again, sitting in the back of the room. The Social Studies teacher was particularly welcoming and encouraged the students to help Florence and teach her all she had missed in the first term. Help her they did. The children often gathered around Florence’s desk, guided her hand when she struggled to hold a pen properly, and taught her to form certain letters. “One of the children came to me and said to me, you see Florence, when we are writing we have what we call sky letters and we have ground letters,” she explained.  Sky letters go above the line on the paper, while ground letters reach below it.

The school is closed for the holidays now, but Florence is hopeful that she will pass her exams and return again next term. She remains close with the children, who are eager to greet her and even visit her at the WAN Shop. “We are really best friends,” she said.

She is now able to help her friends as she first intended; reading and writing messages for them. Florence is eager to continue learning in order to create a better world. “If I manage to study well, I can help the community,” Florence said. She is particularly passionate about issues of soil erosion due to over-grazing, which she learned about in school, in her home village. “Nobody can speak for those who are remaining in my village, who don’t know anything about these issues,” she said.  Florence asserts that many people in her village depend upon the land, so doing harm to the environment will have terrible repercussions. “If people don’t protect the environment it is really very dangerous,” she said. She hopes to use her newfound knowledge to be a voice for the voiceless in her community, certain her education is crucial not just for herself, but also for others.

Beads on display in the WAN Shop. Photo Credit, Sophia Neiman.

For now, Florence continues to work hard. When not in school, she runs the WAN shop each day and even sleeps in an attached room. Despite the challenges in her life, Florence is optimistic. “I thank God that he has given me life. Disability is not inability” Florence said. “I have arms. I must work. I must try to handle it like any other person.”

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You can find beautiful handmade products including dolls, skirts, bags and paper beads at the Women’s Advocacy Network Shop, located on Acholi Lane next to Makome Guest House. All of the proceeds benefit war affected women like Florence, allowing them to meet basic needs, and create new opportunities.

WAN Products and other stunning designs by Ugandan, female artisans can also be found at Lamaro Studio located in Gulu Crystal Hotel on Acholi Road.

This holiday season consider buying gifts at these locations. A simple purchase can have a tremendous impact on someone’s life.

 

 

 

Peace is Temporary: Highlights from the International Criminal Court Meeting in Gulu

Representatives from the International Criminal Court gave a detailed update on the trial late last month. Photo Credit, Yordanos Melake.

Cultural and religious leaders, representatives of civil society organisations and district officials and chiefs met with two officials from the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutions Office in Gulu on Tuesday, November 27. The meeting was organized by the ICC’s outreach team, based in Kampala.

The objective of this meeting was to provide updates to the relevant stakeholders on the on-going trial proceedings of alleged Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) Commander Dominic Ongwen and to discuss concerns. The ICC representatives of the Prosecutions Office also answered audience questions. This fits in with a many other outreach initiatives by the ICC, including rural screenings and discussions, to better link the affected community and the court.

The meeting was characterized by constructive and critical questions raised by the audience and with a high level of participation and engagement. Since Gulu has been heavily affected by the LRA insurgency, community leaders and members showed great interest in following the current trial and the national discourse surrounding it.

After a brief introduction from all participants, the ICC representatives summarized the key elements and points from the current state of the trial.

The trial against Ongwen began in December of 2016. Ongwen is accused of 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, allegedly committed in northern Uganda.

The Prosecution has completed its presentation of evidence and legal representatives of victims have called witnesses to testify before the chamber.  In September of 2018, the Defence made its opening statement and began presenting evidence on October 1.  So far, twelve out of 60 witnesses of the Defence have been heard. The remaining witnesses and testimonies are expected to be concluded in the end of 2019.

A judgement is estimated to be made in 2021.

Key issues of the Defence during the opening speech as well as witness presentation have included the following:

  • Provision of an understanding of the Acholi culture and the conflict in northern Uganda
  • The role of Spiritualism within the LRA and its impact on abductees
  • The relationship between Ongwen and LRA leader Joseph Kony.
  • The role of and crimes committed by the Government Forces
  • The coercive environment and the fact that Ongwen was himself a victim

The importance of traditional Acholi values and the destruction of these values due to attacks on and abductions of civilians have also been highlighted.

Additionally, Ongwen is charged with crimes on grounds of gender-based sexual violence. The defence has claimed that men also had no choice other than taking the women, due to the orders given. This view is not shared with the Prosecution since women were not only distributed to soldiers and combatants as wives, but were also victims of forced marriage and sex slaves.

For their part, witnesses of the Defence have concentrated on crimes and atrocities committed by other actors than the LRA, such as the Ugandan Government. The lack of a solid basis of evidence at the current moment for such claims led the Prosecution to not investigate the allegations.

The Prosecution is also aware that crimes have been committed against men during the conflict between the LRA and the Ugandan Government. It did not, however, perceive these crimes as systematic and widespread.

The introduction of spiritualism during the trial has caused the Prosecution to use careful tactics during to cross-examination. Spiritualism played a vital role for the LRA and more importantly for the abductees. The indoctrination of children into the armed group has included spiritual practices which reinforced the belief that Kony can predict the future. This made any attempts to escape impossible and severely punishable.

The complexity of bringing the spirit world to the court room caused the prosecution to use limited cross examination tactics when engaged with these witnesses, avoiding cross examination about spirits.

Several questions were raised by community members and stakeholders during the meeting. Those included the role of victims and affected communities, as well as reparations. One CSO has strongly questioned the Court’s effort on pursuing the arrest of Kony and highlighted Ongwen’s attachment to the sole decision-maker within the LRA. Furthermore, reconciliation and healing processes within communities are still on-going and many will not find peace until justice is served. It was emphasized that peace is temporary, leading to demands for redress for victims and calls to boost ICC’s strategy for state cooperation.

The meeting gave people a platform on which to share concerns, and provided crucial information about the trial. As always, JRP will continue to share all developments as information comes to light.

 

Victims lack Support due to Insufficient Funds in Thomas Kwoyelo Trial

The Trial of Thomas Kwoyelo continues with plea taking. Photo Credit, Sophia Neiman.

Eyes downcast and voice quiet, accused rebel Thomas Kwoyelo repeated the same phrase over and over; “I did not know about it and I did not do it.” The first of the Lord’s Resistance Army to be tried in a domestic court, Kwoyelo stands accused of 93 counts of murder, rape, kidnap, and torture, as well as violations of the Geneva Convention.  Plea taking occurred on November 12 and 13, 2018 at the High Court in Gulu.  Kwoyelo pleaded not-guilty to all charges.

Following plea-taking, the case was adjourned until next year, and will continue in February of 2019. This follows a previous adjournment in September, when defense attorneys argued that the accused had not been presented with a proper translation of his indictment. A bail hearing set to take place on November 15, 2018 has also been postponed until January. Kwoyelo will again return to prison, awaiting a trial that has taken nearly ten years to come.

In addition to these continued delays, Victim’s Counsel Komatech Kilima claims that survivors’ voices have not been properly represented. Speaking outside of the court, following the first day of plea-taking, he said, “The trial has not been fair to victims.” Specifically, Kilima asserts that he has not been given the necessary facilitation by the International Crimes Division of the High Court in Uganda (ICD) to visit impacted areas, and gather opinions and testimony. A lack of funding has made it virtually impossible to share the voices and needs of those affected by war.

Kilima called passionately for grassroots programs and non-profit intervention to bring more attention to the trial, encourage community participation and protect the rights of all those involved. He said, it is crucial to, “keep it on people’s lips throughout.”

Meanwhile, Lady Justice Kiggundu claimed that the ICD in Uganda should provide proper facilitation for the Victims Counsel to properly consult with affected persons ahead of the bail application.

The Justice and Reconciliation Project will continue to share news and information about the trial as the story develops.

Local Leaders Commit to Aiding Survivors of Conflict at JRP Hosted Regional Dialogue

Local leaders divide into smaller groups in order to best discuss strategies to support survivors of conflict. Photo Credit, Sophia Neiman.
Local leaders divide into smaller groups in order to best discuss strategies to support survivors of conflict. Photo Credit, Sophia Neiman.

The Mayor of Pader Town Council, Kilama Fearless Wodacholi, folded his hands and leaned across the table. “It touched me so much that my country has not yet done enough for [the survivors], he said. “It touched me that a lot of them say the war has not ended. It is only the silence of the guns.”

Mr. Wodacholi had just come from a regional dialogue, organized by the Justice and Reconciliation Project. The meeting took place on Wednesday, October 31st and brought together local leaders from across Northern Uganda, as well as victims’ representatives. Almost 90 people attended. It was sponsored by the Trust Africa Fund and hosted at Global Friendship Hotel in Gulu Town. The goal was to discuss the challenges victims currently face, and come up with comprehensive strategies to tackle those challenges, ahead of a national conference in January.

Post -conflict restoration is an oft forgotten battle-ground.  Wars finish with an exodus. Weapons are laid away, journalists turn off their cameras and aid organizations depart. Yet, peacetime brings its own set of obstacles, and the world turns a blind eye. The exodus complete, national and international attention is diverted to problems considered more pressing.

Wednesday’s regional dialogue empowered survivors to be activists, as they illuminated post conflict issues and demanded action. A woman identified as Winnie spoke passionately about the trauma latent in her community. Many of her fellow abductees have never received counseling or medical care. They still carry the burdens of war. Daily torment rubs salt in these wounds. She described being taunted when she left her home; her movements restricted. She also claimed that there have been few initiatives to support survivors. “Our very leaders are fighting us. Do we still belong to the community, or have they rejected us?” Winnie asked. Her voice rose and her eyes were wet.

Another woman, called Lily, explained how stigma is passed on to the next generation. Children born in captivity are punished for the simple fact of their existence. Some are bullied by their classmates and teachers to the extent that they stop attending school. “They stay in fear,” she said.

Leaders were moved. “There has been a gap,” said Abia Sub-County Chief, Sylvia Ometo. “We have not been following up on our women and girls who have come back from captivity . . . when I go back [home] I will give special concern to them.”

Leaders spent the rest of the meeting developing blueprints for change. They discussed using existing structures, such as the radio, community gatherings and the church to promote acceptance, and implanting livelihood initiatives to alleviate poverty. They also spoke of gathering data on how many former abductees exist in their communities, in order to better understand the problem and allocate aid.

There were also calls to push for an act of parliament, and to support survivors of conflict via affirmative action. “The most painful thing on earth is the memory of what you saw,” said Mr. Wodacholi. “Being a slave in your own land is a very painful moment . . . to reduce the suffering of these young people, and to give them hope, there must be an act of parliament.”

Leaders took careful notes, while brainstorming new stratagies. Photo Credit, Sophia Neiman.
Leaders took careful notes, while brainstorming new strategies. Photo Credit, Sophia Neiman.

Rampant corruption, however, impedes change, particularly at the national level. “For long are we going to pretend that we are standing for the plight of vulnerable persons?” asked Chairmen LCV of Omoro, Peter Douglas Okello. He added, “We must make the parliament and government accountable to the citizens. We must have a government that is accountable to the people.” He spoke at the official close of the meeting and appealed to the collective audience.

Later, standing in the bright sun outside of the hotel, Mr. Okello recalled his time as the District Speaker of Gulu. He presided over a petition submitted to parliament by WAN. Parliament deliberated over the document, but there has been no action from the central government of Uganda. That was nearly five years ago. He indicated that in addition this stalemate, the state of corruption in Uganda is such that services are poorly delivered and money is misspent. Mr. Okello called ardently for action. “The government of Uganda and the development partners all over the world need to review the development agenda for Northern Uganda, to focus on post-conflict recovery, transformation and development,” he said.

On the whole, leaders considered the meeting a success, and remained optimistic about future proceedings. Lapono Sub-County Chief, Akullu Margaret Otto, claimed that leaders will now, “advocate so much that [survivors] should be treated as our own people.”

JRP will continue to work directly with vulnerable communities and with officials in order to develop the strategies discussed, and will bring those strategies to the national conference in January.

A previous version of this article stated that the WAN petition was submitted to parliament seven years ago, rather than five. JRP deeply regrets this error.

Making Transitional Justice work for Women in Northern Uganda

 

Participant speaks during a meeting held by Actionaid Uganda and the Greater North Parliamentary forum on 'Making Transitional Justice work for Women in Northern Uganda'. Photo by Alice Baker/JRP
Participant speaks during a meeting held by Actionaid Uganda and the Greater North Parliamentary forum on ‘Making Transitional Justice work for Women in Northern Uganda’. Photo by Alice Baker/JRP

On Friday 23rd March, some of the JRP team joined an informative and lively discussion on “Making Transitional Justice Work for Women” organised by Action Aid Uganda. The meeting brought together civil society organisations, Greater North Parliamentary representatives and cultural leaders from across Uganda to give transitional justice an all important spotlight!

Reflecting on their transitional justice study report gave space for discussions surrounding National Transitional Justice policy, gender mainstreaming and women’s experiences and perspectives on transitional justice in Northern Uganda. It is important that we continue to come together and discuss such important issues! As one of the great speakers said today, “let’s not normalise an abnormal situation.”

For more information on ActionAid Uganda’s work on this subject and the current debate, take a look at the link below:
http://www.actionaid.org/australia/making-transitional-justice-work-women-rights-resilience-and-responses-violence-against

Gender Equality for All: A Report Based on a Consultative Dialogue with Stakeholders in Northern Uganda on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Gender Equality For All

This report is a result of a consultative dialogue between JRP, its partners and stakeholders. It focuses on the complex spectrum of conflict-related violence that continues to affect marginalised victims and survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Uganda.

We acknowledge that, albeit its importance,the dearth of initiatives on SGBV calls for an increase in interventions on conflict related SGBV in northern Uganda. The report argues that violence in general is intertwined with structural impediments that continue to pervasively affect societies in Northern Uganda long after the conflict ended. Inherently the continued prevalence of SGBV is a result of inequality that exists due to unequal power relations between men and women in matters such as land ownership, decision-making and community leadership, among others. Added to this is the importance of acknowledging that the widespread effects of rape and other forms of sexual violence such as forced marriage often result into unwanted pregnancies and children which leaves the majority of women suffering. Among young women who have returned from LRA captivity, the report also looks at the phenomenon of Children Born of War (CBW) whose needs and aspirations are often rarely factored into research and policy.

This report is a result of a series of consultations with stakeholders to disseminate the results of research findings based on fieldwork that JRP undertook over the past two years with funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. It incorporates the workshop deliberations in Lira, Gulu and Adjumani, outlining some of the critical steps necessary in SGBV programming for women, men and CBW as a result of the LRA conflict in Northern Uganda. Part of the vision that is critical for renewed programming is laid out at the end of the report that largely points out that women, men and children should co-exist in mutually empowering relationships; where all are valued as equal and active players in transformative gender relations emanating from social, cultural and economical barriers in society.

Key areas for programming

After engaging participants over three separate days, the following key areas for programming on SGBV were identified:

Embracing new dimensions on victimhood: Participants noted that everyone irrespective of sex or age can become a victim of SGBV. During conflict times, men too have become targets of SGBV, although the incidence remains prevalent among women and girls in Northern Uganda. More often than not, the mention of SGBV during conflict evokes images of women raped, but not the child born as a result of that rape. In terms of programming, children too must be seen as primary victims of rape, there is a chance that they shall be left out.

Coordination among stakeholders: It is vital to build synergies with other stakeholders, as this would eliminate the disconnect between the various aspects of programming. In particular, coordination is crucial between aspects such as redress for SGBV and others like humanitarian assistance and national/regional development; education; and health. In this way it is possible to identify linkages that are important for subsequent programming and how one programme can make a contribution to others.

Multi-sectoral response: There is need to embark on a multi-sectoral approach by ensuring that all partners play a role in prevention and response of SGBV in order to address unequal power relations that exacerbate violence and entrenches aspects of vulnerability for women, men and children. The multi-sectoral model calls for a holistic inter-organisational and inter-agency effort that promotes participation of all persons concerned and coordination across sectors, including (but not limited to) health, psychosocial, legal/justice and security.

Comprehensive and long-term response to violence: The importance of looking at the bigger picture of violence in Uganda and capturing its entire spectrum was emphasised. This would ensure that the exclusive focus on SGBV does not reinforce the perspective of women as victims, but also looks at the history, dimensions and manifestations of the conflict that spanned from pre-colonial times and was entrenched along racial and regional lines by successive regimes during periods following independence. This therefore calls for prioritising long-term approaches to address the root causes of conflict through a gendered lens.

Capacity building, empowerment and sensitisation: These are crucial avenues to ensure that the right human resources and expertise in dealing with SGBV are available; the local population is well informed to be able to challenge unequal power relations; and that crimes related to gender are openly acknowledged and taken on by society in order to avoid re-victimisation. This would go a long way in ensuring there is collective action at the community level as opposed to continuous dependence on outside support.

Participation and local ownership: It is important to realise that violence usually occurs within a cultural space. It is within these spaces that we need to articulate the needs of victims and survivors. Redress for SGBV should therefore avoid top-down models of programming such that planning, design and implementation resonate with local communities, ensuring that their practices and perceptions are taken into account without reinforcing the cultural identities of men as superior beings. It is also important to integrate programming in ways that are more inclusive and broader taking into consideration the gender perspective of the roles of men and women.

Download this report here (pdf).

Engaging Men and Boys in Redress for Conflict-SGBV in Northern Uganda

 

Engaging Men and Boys in Redress for Conflict-SGBV in Northern Uganda, JRP Field Note 25, March 2017
Engaging Men and Boys in Redress for Conflict-SGBV in Northern Uganda, JRP Field Note 25, March 2017

This report presents the findings and recommendations from widespread consultations by the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP) on the conflict experiences of men and boys in northern Uganda and how to effectively engage them in redress for conflict sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

In the last 10 years in which JRP empowered conflict-affected communities in Uganda to participate in processes of justice, healing and reconciliation, especially through the Women’s Advocacy Network (WAN), most interventions explicitly targeted women and girls. This was largely because women and girls disproportionately suffered from conflict SGBV. Consequently, men and boys were minimally engaged in redress.

Preliminary discussions that JRP held with the communities in which it works revealed that men and boys often felt neglected in recovery interventions by civil society and government institutions. This led to their resentment and even hostility towards women and girls who were beneficiaries of post-conflict programmes and services.

In August 2015, JRP set out to better understand how men and boys could be engaged in redress for conflict SGBV in northern Uganda. The consultations explored the gendered experiences of men and boys during and as a result of the armed conflict; how it affected gender relations in communities and homes and how men and boys have been and could in future be engaged in redress.

A total of 161 respondents in Dzaipi sub-county in Adjumani district, Atanga sub-county in Pader district, Agweng sub-county in Lira district, and Gulu Municipality in Gulu District were consulted. A desk review was also done to assess comparative models for engaging men in gender-based violence prevention and response.

Key findings revealed that members of the community recognised men’s indispensable role in promoting gender equality and supported male engagement in redress for gendered conflict experiences as well as their involvement in the discourses for TJ, healing and reconciliation.

The recommendations focused on four key areas of improving relationships between women and men in the community; providing greater acknowledgment and redress; engaging men in redress for their experiences; and for engaging men in redress for women’s gendered experiences. The specific recommendations are summarised below under each are of focus.

Improving relationships between women and men in the community

  • Create safe spaces for men and women to discuss issues together such as meetings and gatherings where they would face each other and learn lessons together.
  • Organise community dialogue on gender and dealing with the past.
  • Provide mixed-sex trainings on conflict resolution and gender equality whereby the men and women would be educated together to reduce on the level of conflict in the homes.
  • Promote group sensitisation and peer support for members in the community.
  • Form initiatives for conflict mediation, healing and reconciliation through, for instance, peace building groups of duty bearers, communal meals and prayers for reconciliation and forgiveness.
  • Attend religious associations.
  • Provide support towards economic empowerment through livelihood projects to uplift people from abject poverty.
  • Enforce laws strictly especially those prohibiting alcoholism.
  • Establish rehabilitation centres to offer psychosocial support, counselling, grassroots information and education.
  • Advocate for behavioural change to address moral decadence across all the communities attributed to encampment and urbanisation.
  • Provide reparations and/or assistance to victims of conflict.
  • Create community projects to bring people together and provide information.

Providing greater acknowledgment and redress

  • Create community projects in a way that will not only acknowledge the pain of the war but also bring people together.
  • Form groups for collective advocacy especially in seeking material support for recovery; for training; truth telling and reconciliation,
  • Identify and engage male activists to understand their rights and responsibilities as well as create a better understanding of men’s problems in order to get solutions.
  • Integrate men’s empowerment into programmes of development partners and stakeholders by involving them in community meetings and WAN groups.
  • Put in place peer support forums for men to speak out and share their problems and concerns.
  • Implement community and family projects as a means of providing acknowledgement and redress.
  • Increase support towards formal and vocational education/training.
  • Implement affirmative action targeting men and boys in development and reintegration projects.
  • Provide reparation in terms of social services by government as well as awareness creation and legal aid services by NGOs.
  • Collect information on numbers and current status of conflict survivors to inform project design and funding support to enable them to receive appropriate support and redress.
  • Set up rehabilitation centres for psychosocial support to children and adults with mental health issues.

Engaging men in redress for their experiences

  • Form male groups for them to get counselling, gather and share opinions on issues concerning them, with influential or role models leading advocacy for the groups and mentoring members.
  • Form mixed groups of men and women so that they can share experiences.
  • Involve men and boys in training, workshops and other experience-sharing activities of WAN and other stakeholders.
  • Engage role models to educate fellow men about the importance of groups; inspire and encourage them to air out their concerns and demand their right to receive recovery support.

Engaging men in redress for women’s gendered experiences

  • Engage men in their spouses’ group activities so that they are informed and their understanding is enhanced on women’s redress issues in order for them to advocate for women’s rights; curb domestic violence and give views on how to support women.
  • Train men and build their capacity on peace building.
  • Initiate group projects of men and women for them to understand women’s rights; have a common understanding of goals; and share how to collectively achieve them.
  • Advocate for behavioural change to refrain from gossip and instead get involved in meetings where women share their stories, experiences and issues.
  • Involve men and women in joint Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) as a way to achieve economic independence and in order to allow them to prepare well for their future and that of their children.
  • It is hoped that through the report, future interventions that mainstream gender equality would address not only women’s gendered experiences, but also that of men and boys, ensuring that efforts for recovery and rehabilitation do not exclude or undermine men’s and boys’ gendered experiences.

Improving relationships between women and men in the community

  • Create safe spaces for men and women to discuss issues together such as meetings and gatherings where they would face each other and learn lessons together.
  • Organise community dialogue on gender and dealing with the past.
  • Provide mixed-sex trainings on conflict resolution and gender equality whereby the men and women would be educated together to reduce on the level of conflict in the homes.
  • Promote group sensitisation and peer support for members in the community.
  • Form initiatives for conflict mediation, healing and reconciliation through, for instance, peace building groups of duty bearers, communal meals and prayers for reconciliation and forgiveness.
  • Attend religious associations.
  • Provide support towards economic empowerment through livelihood projects to uplift people from abject poverty.
  • Enforce laws strictly especially those prohibiting alcoholism.
  • Establish rehabilitation centres to offer psychosocial support, counselling, grassroots information and education.
  • Advocate for behavioural change to address moral decadence across all the communities attributed to encampment and urbanisation.
  • Provide reparations and/or assistance to victims of conflict.
  • Create community projects to bring people together and provide information.

Download this field note here (pdf)

Stakeholders in northern Uganda developing a road map to redress for SGBV

Judith Awari, the chairperson of Kuc Odwogo Women's Group in Agweng and a member of the Women's Advocacy Network, speaks during a consultative dialogue with stakeholders on conflict-related SGBV in northern Uganda in Lira, 8 September 2016. Oryem Nyeko/Justice and Reconciliation Project.
Judith Awari, the chairperson of Kuc Odwogo Women’s Group in Agweng and a member of the Women’s Advocacy Network, speaks during a consultative dialogue with stakeholders on conflict-related SGBV in northern Uganda in Lira, 8 September 2016. Oryem Nyeko/Justice and Reconciliation Project.

PRESS RELEASE 8 September 2016

LIRA – Urgent policy change is needed to provide redress to conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), say civil society and survivors in northern Uganda.

Through three consultative dialogues between 8 and 13 September 2016, a variety of stakeholders across northern Uganda are working to develop a roadmap to redress conflict-related SGBV.

Organised by the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP), the events bring government officials, civil society organizations, victim representatives, academia, cultural and religious leaders in Lira, Adjumani and Gulu.

“We need to step up the advocacy,” says Michael Otim, the former head of office for the International Center for Transitional Justice in Uganda, “We’ve made strides and we’ve had several meetings in the past, but there is rarely any follow through. These consultative dialogues, however, are very important because they allow us to design strategies to push for real redress for SGBV crimes.”

Since 2014, JRP has implemented a project called ‘‘Redress for Sexual-and Gender-Based Violence on Conflict Related Wrongs’’ aimed at supporting transitional justice (TJ) efforts of female survivors of SGBV in the northern Ugandan districts of Adjumani, Lira and Pader with funding of John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The consultative meetings aim to discuss key issues that emerged from research under the project, including establishing the extent of SGBV revictimisation among female survivors of conflict SGBV, reintegration challenges facing children born of war and their mothers, engaging men in redress for conflict SGBV as well as redress for conflict SGBV.

The dialogues provide an opportunity for officials to learn perspectives of survivors to inform policy and implementation.

“I want the local government and other authorities to know that they should channel government programmes to women so they can support children born of war,” said Judith Awari, a member of the Women’s Advocacy Network based in Agweng, Lira, during the meeting. “When [government programmes] are brought to men alone, their benefits of the do not reach women and children.”

Following these meetings, a roadmap for policy recommendations will be developed and a report published to inform the Ugandan government and other actors in TJ to address the unredressed needs of war-affected women and particularly survivors of conflict-SGBV.

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Media Contact. Oryem Nyeko, Communications and Advocacy Team Leader, onyeko@justiceandreconciliation.com, 0471 433008

About the Justice and Reconciliation Project. The Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP) promotes locally sensitive and sustainable peace in Africa’s Great Lakes region by focusing on the active involvement of grassroots communities in local-level transitional justice. Formerly a partnership of the Gulu District NGO Forum and the Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia, Canada, JRP has played a key role in transitional justice in Uganda since 2005, through seeking to understand and explain the interests, needs, concerns and views of the communities affected by war between the Lord‟s Resistance Army (LRA) and Government of Uganda (GOU). For more information please visit http://www.justiceandreconciliation.com.

Let’s Talk, Gulu

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Join the conversation on justice and reconciliation in Gulu.

On Saturday, 3 September 2016, Let’s Talk, Uganda will be holding a dialogue in Gulu to talk about peace, justice and reconciliation in post-conflict Uganda. This dialogue follows similar events in Lukodi and Odek, where people talked about issues that face them to further the transitional justice process in Uganda.

The discussion this Saturday will highlight some of the previous discussions, while including voices from outside of Gulu using our social media platforms and radio.

How you can join the conversation:

  • If you’re in Gulu, join us at Gulu District Council Hall opposite Bank of Uganda at 10 AM.
  • Listen to Radio Rupiny (95.7 FM in Gulu and 98.1 FM in Lira) for a live broadcast of the dialogue
  • Share your views on the Let’s Talk, Uganda Facebook page – me/LetsTalkUganda or on twitter @talk_ug
  • We’ll also be giving live updates on the Let’s Talk, Uganda website letstalk.ug, so check back here for details.

We hope to see you there!

Lukodi: justice and reparation can bring healing and reconciliation

A man speaks during a dialogue in Lukodi village, Gulu on 2 June 2016. Credit: Niklas Jakobsson/Let's Talk, Uganda
A man speaks during a dialogue in Lukodi village, Gulu on 2 June 2016. Credit: Niklas Jakobsson/Let’s Talk, Uganda

On the 19 May 2004, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) raided the village of Lukodi, and carried out a massacre that led to the deaths of over sixty people. Lukodi village is located seventeen kilometres north of Gulu,. It is one of the many villages in northern Uganda that suffered from persistent LRA attacks.

On 2 June, Let’s Talk, Uganda – a platform for conversations about justice and reconciliation – organised a dialogue with the people of Lukodi. The message from the 160 attendees was clear: “When gross human rights violations occur, then justice and reparation can bring healing and reconciliation”. The objective of the dialogue was to gather community perceptions and stories from the community. Ahead of the dialogue, the community members suggested a list of topics they wanted to discuss:

  1. Do you think it is important to repair the lives of people after the conflict?
  2. Can justice bring healing?
  3. Is it right for forgiveness to take place after a conflict or problem has occurred?
  4. Is the government thinking about the people in Lukodi?
  5. Is it right to provide counselling for people in war-affected areas?

 

Some of the issues that arose during the dialogue were that for forgiveness and reconciliation to take place, there is need for justice to prevail and reparations to occur.  A community member said ‘where killings have taken place and there is so much sorrow then justice must first prevail. Then the heart of forgiveness can be there. Justice brings about healing. The government should pay families that lost their people to bring about healing.’

Community Voices

Another said ‘forgiveness is very difficult when there has been a mass killing.  In my opinion, there should be forgiveness for justice to occur.  I can forgive if someone accepts the wrong they did and justice has prevailed. When killings take place and there is so much sorrow, then justice must prevail for the heart of forgiveness to be there.’

Another said ‘if your life is repaired, you can heal. Those who committed crimes should be punished’. Members cried out that these steps should not be delayed. A woman said ‘many people are dying. More than 50 people who filled in the form have died’.

Communities also said that psycho-social support is an important aspect of reparations. However, they also said that counselling and psycho-social support should be coupled with economic support. One participant said ‘even if you are counselled, as soon as the counselling is finished and you cross the road, you will be reminded that you have no wealth, your child is being chased from school. She/he may sleep hungry’. They also attributed the use of traditional justice mechanisms to support people in rebuilding life after violations occur.

A long and painful conflict

Northern Uganda has experienced conflict for over twenty years, the result of a civil war waged mainly between the rebels of the LRA and the government of Uganda (GoU). The impact of the conflict has been devastating, with over 1.8 million people forced into IDP camps. There has been tremendous loss of lives and the abduction of over 38,000 children by the LRA to serve as child soldiers and sex slaves. Lukodi, like many other villages in northern Uganda, was severely affected by the conflict.

Today, the community is still facing the brunt of the conflict and this dialogue is designed to highlight the challenges they continue to face. The goal is to generate a conversation throughout the country in order to create awareness and a lobbying mechanism for support.

This article was originally published on Let’s Talk, Uganda.