Category Archives: Blog

Using radio to talk about reintegration of children born of war

Women participate in a radio talkshow in Kumi to talk about the reintegration of children born of war.
Women participate in a radio talkshow in Kumi to talk about the reintegration of children born of war.

On the 17th of July, two members of the Women’s Advocacy Network and two survivors of SGBV from Kumi district participated on a radio talk show at Continental FM. The talk show was organized by the representative of the Iteso Cultural Union and Teso Kumi Women’s Peace Initiative to create awareness of the challenges that children born of war are facing and lobby for support from the community about their reintegration. It was also used as a platform to engage the communities on the challenges that war affected women are facing in the community such as stigma, lack of access to land and the ongoing suffering they face in taking care of the children and break silence around these issues. This was aimed at ensuring communal acceptance of children born of war and their mothers.

Three months earlier, on the 28th of April, during a dialogue that was held in Kakanyero Hotel in Gulu between cultural leaders and war affecting women across the northern Uganda region, cultural leaders pledged to use radio as a tool to sensitize communities about issues affecting children born of war and their mothers. The dialogue provided a platform where war affected women engaged cultural leaders about the reintegration challenges they and the children are facing as a result of the conflict. The talk show was a fulfillment of an obligation by one of the cultural leaders.

The Women’s Advocacy Network continues radio talk shows as platform to engage communities on issues affecting war affected women and their children to support their smooth reintegration in the communities.

Parabongo to come together for forgiveness and reconciliation

The monument for the Parabongo massacre of 28 July 1996.
The monument for the Parabongo massacre of 28 July 1996.

On 28 July the community of Parabongo in Amuru district will be holding memorial prayers in remembrance of the LRA’s massacre there in 1996. On that day 20 years ago, the 22 people were killed at Parabongo Primary School.

To commemorate the massacre, the Parabongo 1996 Massacre Association is organising the annual prayers with the theme “forgiveness and reconciliation” and invite all well wishers and friends to join them as they remember their loved ones. The event takes place at Parabongo Primary School on Juba Road, 17 kilometres outside of Gulu.

For further information about attending or contributing to the event, please call JRP at +256471433008 or email info@justiceandreconciliation.com.

Contribute to ‘Voices’ on children born of war

Voices, Issue, 10 November 2015 Voices Issue 08 Cover Voices Issue 07 cover_sm Voices Issue 5, September 2013 - Victim participation in transitional justice

Voices is looking for contributors to its next issue. This issue is centred on children born of war whose needs, while important, are often ignored and overlooked.

In this issue we hope to explore opportunities and challenges for children of born of war by providing a space for previously unheard voices.

We welcome a variety of content for this issue including standard articles and essays, photographs and photo essays, poetry, drawings, paintings and any other creative contributions.

To contribute

If you want to contribute to this issue, please get in touch with the Voices editorial team via email at voices@justiceandreconciliation.com to share your ideas.

Please bear in mind that we use a three-stage process for accepting, reviewing and editing submissions:

  1. Submission of story ideas to the editorial team based on the given theme an issue is based on. This may be in the form of a brief (150-200 word) title and abstract, or simply in the form of a proposed title.
  2. Submission of a first draft after a story idea is approved by the editorial team.
  3. Liaising with editors and submission of final draft.

Full submission guidelines can be found here.

Voices Issue 02 Cover

About Voices

Voices is a publication of the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP) which provides a space for victim-centred views on transitional justice. It aims to be a regular, open platform for victims and key stakeholders to dialogue on local and national transitional justice developments. Past issues have dealt with thematic areas such as amnesty, reparations, truth-telling, accountability and sexual- and gender-based violence. We welcome the submission of articles from conflict-affected community members, academics, civil society and government representatives on each issues’ given theme.

We Accept Our Own Blood: Reintegrating Children Born of War through Family Reunions

In 2014 when members of the Women’s Advocacy Network petitioned the Ugandan Parliament for redress for harms caused by years of conflict in northern Uganda, the identity of children born war was a key issue they raised. The issue is not only important to mothers but to their children as well who find that not knowing their relatives is a painful void in their sense of identity.

During one of visit to a family, one mother, a member of WAN, told us: “My daughter kept on asking about her paternal relatives and I promised her I would get the home and grant her wish.”

Reuniting children born of war with their families, therefore, is in a way a form of redress since it contributes to rebuilding life and relations after the conflict.

In the past few years, the WAN has been approached by several women who were abducted, former commanders of the LRA, relatives of children born in captivity and survivors of sexual violence in camps to support them in mediation and tracing for the maternal or paternal families of the children. This year, its members with the support of JRP and Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice have conducted 10 dialogues and visits with families of children born of war. The objective has been to ensure mutual understanding of the reintegration process by both maternal and paternal families, reconcile families and ensuring acceptance of the children.

In some cases, lack of acceptance of children born of war in new marriages that their mothers are in has made mothers want to bring their children together with their paternal families. During one of the pre visits one of the mothers whose child had been suffering in her new marital home said, “My child is not wanted in my home.  She was bewitched and is now paralyzed.”

Children are also being reintegrated so that they can have access to land, have an identity and a sense of belonging as well as have family support. Some of the children have also now grown up and asking for whereabouts of their relatives.

In all the families where dialogues were carried out the idea of reintegrating children was welcomed. The children are also a source of closure in the families from the loss of their sons and daughters. During one of the dialogues a relative of a deceased former commander said, “… his children are his resurrection.”

The idea of children being a ‘resurrection’ of their dead parents was common in all the families that dialogues took place. A clan leader in one of the families said, “We want the child, he will stand on behalf of our lost child.”

Children are also accepted in respect and honor of dead relatives. A family member in one of the homes said, “We accept our own blood and cannot refuse them. Perhaps the spirit of the dead will haunt us if we don’t.”

Tracing of the homes of the children has been difficult due to challenges because in LRA captivity people often used fake names and concealed true information about their families. Sometimes there is also lack of support from relatives who fear that they might lose the bond they have with the children once they get to know their other relatives. This is especially common with maternal relatives and in laws.

Despite these challenges, this is an opportunity for children who want to to fully reintegrate in their communities through family reunions. This year we plan to help 12 children reintegrated in their families.

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.

Living in unity and seeking justice – Lukodi massacre survivors to hold memorial prayers

Lukodi massacre memorial 2015-05-19 (38) 2

On 19 May 2016 survivors of the Lukodi massacre with the chiefdom of Patiko, Ker Kal Kwaro Patiko, members of the community and well wishers will host their annual prayers to commemorate the 2004 LRA massacre.

The theme of this years event is “living in unity and seeking justice” and it will take place at Lukodi P7 School in Bungatira sub-county just outside of Gulu.

 

TJ Monitor: Thomas Kwoyelo trial postponed to July

Thomas Kwoyelo Timeline

 

The trial of alleged Lord’s Resistance Army commander Thomas Kwoyelo, which was supposed to start today in Gulu, 2 May 2016, has been postponed to 18 July. Four weeks ago, the Registrar in charge of Special Projects and the ICD, Harriet Ssali Lule, alluded to the possibility that the trial may be postponed because planned outreach with victims had not been conducted by the prosecution team. According to reports, Kwoyelo has already been transferred from prison in Kampala to Gulu and will attend a “formal postponement of the trial”.

TJ Monitor: Thomas Kwoyelo trial, South Sudan prays for peace

Thomas Kwoyelo trial (possibly) delayed

On 4th April 2016, the pre-trial for Thomas Kwoyelo was held at the High Court in Kampala. The prosecution team led by Charles Kaamuli presented charges against Kwoyelo and planned to introduce 113 witnesses to the International Crimes Division of the High Court (the ICD) during trial proceedings. The presiding judge set forth May 2, 2016 as the date for the main trial but questions have, however, raised as to whether the May 2, 2016 will be able to take effect.

According to Registrar Court of Appeal & Registrar in charge of Special Projects, ICD, Mrs. Harriet Ssali Lule , during the ‘Kwoyelo Trial: CSO Outreach Strategy Workshop’ held in Gulu on 20 April by Refugee Law Project, the ICD has not been able to carry out outreach as planned due to lack of funds.

In her presentation, Registrar Ssali Lule said Kwoyelo’s case did not stall due to any fault on the side of the ICD nor the judges, but rather due to the constitutional question and interpretation of the Amnesty Act.

The workshop was also informed that there is need for collaboration with all the stakeholders including the Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) to support the ICD as well as the trial process.

 

South Sudanese hope for peace as Machar to return to Juba

On Sunday 24, South Sudanese held peace prayers in the capital Juba ahead of the arrival of Riek Machar, reports AFP a move that may see an end to two years of war.

This follows a step by the South Sudan government to issue clearance for Machar, under the UN chief Ban Ki-moon instructions that he (Machar) returns to Juba without delay.

Should the process go on successfully, Marchar will have to take up the post of first vice president alongside arch-rival President Salva Kiir. But most importantly, the move will possibly see an end to the conflict in South Sudan.

Read more

Background of the recent South Sudan conflict

From the time when violence broke out in South Sudan in mid-December 2013, the country experienced reignited ethnic divisions and gross human rights violations.

Under international pressure, there have been attempts to restore peace in the country to no avail. The two sides earlier signed a peace deal in the Ethiopian capital, which paves the way for a ceasefire followed by the formation of a transitional government, the drafting of a new constitution and, eventually, fresh elections.

Both side violated what was agreed which saw a swift resumption of hostilities in the country. (More information: BBC).

 

New internships at JRP

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JRP holds a capacity building workshop is held at Parabongo sub-county, Agago district in early 2015

JRP is looking for a vibrant and creative individuals to support our Gender Justice and Communications departments.

Communications Intern

We’re looking for creative current or recent university students with great writing skills and an interest in transitional justice and human rights in Uganda and Africa’s Great Lakes region to apply here. Read more about (and apply to) the position here.

Gender Justice Intern

Current or recent Master’s degree students in peace and conflict studies, law, development studies, social work or any related field are encouraged to apply to this six month internship with our Gender Justice department. Read more and apply here.

For future updates sign up to our Job’s & Internships mailing list. You can also find the Justice and Reconciliation Project on LinkedIn.

How can we improve our website?

 The chairlady of Amapara women’s group addressing the community in Aringapi subcounty on 8th October 2015 on the challenges that survivors of SGBV are facing in the community.
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JRP is conducting a survey to gauge views on how we can improve our website. We aim to build on it as a resource for information and discussion on justice and reconciliation in Uganda and Africa’s Great Lakes Region, and you play a part!

Let us know what you think in this very short (it’s only four questions!) survey here. All responses are anonymous!