GULU– Between May 19 to 25 the Justice and Reconciliation Project, in partnership with the University of British Colombia, and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, will host the first International Transformative Memory exchange in Gulu.
The exchange will bring together scholars, artists, and community-based memory workers from Indonesia, Canada, Colombia, and Uganda to collaborate and exchange knowledge.
The theme of the international exchange is to deeply reflect on the transformative possibilities of memory. Through this exchange, we suggest that persons and collectives who endure, suffer and live through violence – and whose memory is often denied, erased or devalued by regimes of power – transform relations between each other, the living and the dead, through memory acts. Persons transform relations of oppression, dispossession and power, and raise questions about shared responsibility and ways of being together through memories.
Why an International Exchange?
Dr. Pilar Riaño-Alcalá, one of the principal investigators of the Transformative Memory Exchange, believes the exchange is a way to construct knowledge. She hopes the week-long exchange is going to enrich knowledge on what makes memory transformative.
‘I think that by learning and dialoguing with so many groups here in northern Uganda, all of us will enrich our ideas on what makes the work of memory transformative,” Riaño stated.
She holds the view that memory is transformative after a period of mass violence where people experienced profound loss.
The partners of the project further believe the exchange brings participants into dialogue with each other and in relation to Acholi ways of knowing, remembering, relating and being. The project will involve storytelling, art, music, walking tours, and orality.
Through the exchange, we hope to open a creative space for generating knowledge related to our themes and questions. During the seven days there will be an array of activities including field visits to sites and initiatives of memory, international roundtables, and public events.
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.org
PRESS RELEASE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019
GULU – On Friday, March 22, 2019, Justice and Reconciliation Project with Funding from Trust Africa, under the auspices of the International Criminal Justice Fund will hold a national dialogue on SGBV redress mechanism in the capital Kampala.
The event shall take place at the Parliamentary lounge (conference hall under the theme; “Ensuring that the appropriate strategies are used by the central government in meeting the needs of conflict-affected SGBV victims in northern Uganda’’
The objectives are as follows;
Inform the central government on the specific needs of the victims of conflict SGBV in Northern Uganda.
Strengthening policy and programs regarding re-construction, in order to address the transitional challenges affecting conflict SGBV victims.
Developing appropriate strategies tailored towards meeting the transitional justice needs of war-affected women and children in Northern Uganda.
The conference followed an earlier regional dialogue that was held in October 2018 between conflicts SGBV victims of local Government Officials from Greater Northern Uganda.
There were common positions that were agreed at in addressing the transitional gaps of war-affected women and their children.
In moving the debate to a national level and in concretizing the motion moved and adopted in parliament on 13th, the victim’s community from the four sub-regions; Acholi, Teso, Lango and West Nile who were affected by war together with leaders from greater northern Uganda will also be given opportunity to share their specific needs and strategies that the central government can adapt to ensure access to justice and reparation to the affected women and their children.
Building upon lessons learned from the regional dialogue, leaders from the local government will again be given a platform to share:-
Possible programs that can help in the reconstruction of the lives of victims of SGBV which central government can adopt
Challenges local government officials face in working with partners and the victims’ community which central government should support them with
Different strategies that can be adapted to meet the TJ needs of conflict-affected SGBV victims in Northern Uganda
The conference is expected to bring together a diversity of participants including local government leaders, the central government leaders, CSOs/ NGOs, members of parliament, the victim’s communities to discuss issues that are closed to their hearts.
To join the conversation at the National Conference, interested participants are asked to follow us on Facebook, facebook@justiceandreconciliation.com, twitter: @talk_ug
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 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.
“You could see people in the court room laughing and even Dominic Ongwen would fall behind his hands,” said Justice and Reconciliation Project Head of Office, Mr. Okwir Isaac Odiya. “[Ongwen] was genuinely happy with the testimony given.” As the defense team continued to mount its case, Mr. Odiya journeyed to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to monitor the trial on behalf of JRP.
The image of the accused in a fit of giggles seems almost incongruous with the case itself. Abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army as a young boy, Ongwen eventually commanded the Sinia brigade. He is accused of 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including abducting children to use as soldiers and sex slaves.
The defense argument is thoroughly unique. Lawyers, led by Counsel Krispus Ayena, assert that Joseph Kony had spiritual power over his army. Thus, Ongwen was not only indoctrinated. He was possessed by spirits. Ayena brought forward a number of witnesses, including a local chief and traditional Ajwaka or Witch Doctor. These witnesses explained the depth of the spiritual realm and, through it, the control Kony exerted over his followers. In other words, Ongwen’s actions were not his own.
According to Mr. Odiya, There was little cross examination, and the judge asked questions only to clarify. Similarly, observers leaned in with rapt attention, at first listening only to understand. Ayena’s argument is certainly surprising and even tricky, but not without the possibility of success. “If the court allows there is a spirit world, the case may be dismissed,” Mr. Odiya said.
The defense team also strove to prove that the Uganda People’s Defense Forces were culpable in the insurgency. Blame has thus far fallen primarily on the rebels, and history has ignored government crimes. Ayena asserts that exposing these atrocities now may pave the way for future prosecution.
Meanwhile, Ongwen has been well cared for in The Hague. His condition stands in sharp contrast to the experiences of fellow rebel Thomas Kwoyelo, who has spent the past decade in the overcrowded Luzira prison. Ongwen is given a monthly allowance to buy food and clothes. This allows him a level of financial security that many Ugandans lack, particularly in conflict affected areas. He has also become an excellent cook, often preparing meals for his defense team, and learned to read and write in English and play the piano.
Gaps in knowledge about the court are striking. While many residents of the Acholi Sub-Region have followed the case through community screenings, run by the ICC, few understand its intricacies or the manifold arguments put forward by the defense. Some even fear for Ongwen’s life. During a JRP focus group last month, a resident of Pajule said, “Killing Ongwen will not raise up those who died.”
The clear next step is to bring information about the case and arguments made back to the communities. Specifically, Mr. Odiya hopes to make the court process and the rights of the accused clear going forward.
In addition to attending trial sessions, Mr. Odiya participated in a number of meetings with court officials. He spoke at length the victims’ council and the prosecution team as well as the Registrar of the court and Director of External Division, among other official and identified multiple programmatic areas to complement the court process.
Whether Ongwen is proved innocent or guilty, the society needs repair. Reconciliation is crucial and war-time wounds must be healed. Mr. Odiya will focus on leading JRP to advocate and contribute in fostering ‘beyond court room’ initiatives.
The trial of former LRA Commander Dominic Ongwen resumed on Tuesday, September 18, at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, with an opening statement from the defense. Miles and miles away, Ugandans gathered around televisions and hunched over radios, following each detail of the proceedings. Many attended screening events organized by the ICC itself. The court endeavored to make the trial accessible to those people whose lives were torn apart by conflict. The Justice and Reconciliation Project hosted one such screening in the organization offices at Koro-Pida.
Some one hundred participants arrived by bus from various locations. They crammed together on white, plastic chairs. Mothers brought small children, who sat in their laps or played on the floor. The screening was near silent. Attendees only spoke during the breaks, when they shared snacks and soda, or relaxed in a courtyard.
The ICC strove to create an open space, where the community could truly engage with the trial, however distant. Eric MP Odong, a field assistant, said, “We are here to execute the mandate of the registry of the court, and to serve the victim community.”
The screening at JRP was not the first of its kind nor was it the only event in the area. Another screening, this one at Gulu District Hall, was so packed that people spilled on to the ground outside. Engagement in the case is high. “We are responding to the interest and the demand of communities, who want to follow the trial,” said Jimmy Otim, another field assistant. In fact, the ICC has organized screening events since Ongwen’s trial began two years ago. Court representatives travel to areas with little electricity and bad roads in order to disseminate information.
Many of these locations were the sight of LRA attacks. Emotions run high and memories of war are fresh. “My better half of my life is the conflict,” said Otim. “That is why I studied conflict, to understand why people suffer.” His work is personal. Otim also vividly remembers trial screenings at which community members corroborated the information on screen, pointing to places where violence occurred. As a result, counselors and facilitators are always present.
Community members watch the Dominic Ongwen defnese at the JRP offices in Koro-Pida. Photo credit, Sophia Neiman.
Responses to these screenings have been overwhelmingly positive. According to Otim, “[The community] is happy that what happened to them is being heard in an independent court, they are happy that what happened to them is being recognized. They are happy that maybe, ultimately, they’ll get justice.”
Odong agrees. “I see justice being done,” he said. “The prosecution did its part and now it is the defense’s turn. I see justice by allowing different parties to express themselves.” Odong claims he will be satisfied regardless of the outcome. “The process of the trial will have cleansed the accused, even if he is set free,” he said.
The trial culminates a longer hunt for Ongwen and his fellow rebels. More than eleven years ago, the ICC issued a warrant for his arrest, along with warrants for Vincent Otti and enigmatic leader Joseph Kony. In 2014, Ongwen was captured along the border between South Sudan and the Central African Republic, and turned over to the court. His is a painful saga, and one that contains the complex history of the conflict itself.
Ongwen was abducted by the LRA when he was nine years old. He was walking to primary school near Gulu. Like many other young boys, he was forced to watch and later commit heinous acts, and was brutally inducted into the army. Unlike many, however, Ongwen ascended the ranks. He reached the LRA control alter and came to command the notorious Sinia Brigade. This wing of the LRA attacked internally displaced person’s camps, specifically Abok, Odek, Lukodi and Pajule. Ongwen himself is charged with 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including abducting children to use as soldiers and sex slaves.
Thus, Ongwen can be cast as both victim and perpetrator; a man whose life was altered by the conflict, and a man who altered the lives of others. He is also the first and lowest ranking member of the LRA to be tried internationally. Kony is still at large. Otti is presumed dead.
Seeing such a man stand trial can be divisive and upsetting. Some want him in jail, punished for years of havoc, while others believe he was boy brainwashed, and so deserves amnesty. Many community members are former abductees themselves, and do not understand why they have been forgiven and Ongwen has not.
Andrew Simbo has worked in transitional justice in both Uganda and Sierra Leone. He is currently the executive director of Uganda Women’s Action Program. The organization helps to bring more women and children to the ICC screenings. He claims that communities have now become fully reintegrated, “Those who actually carried out the atrocities are in the communities now. They have been given amnesty. They are the boda boda riders; some are musicians. They are there. They have been integrated into the community,” He added, passionately, “people have moved on.” While UWAP remains a neutral body, Simbo asserts it can be difficult to explain the mere fact of Ongwen’s charges to community members.
Justin Ocan, a community representative from Lukodi, believes that the screenings themselves will lead to a better future. “We tell these populations that this is also a learning environment, because we need to learn this time, so that you transfer the knowledge you gained from this screening to your children, so that in the future they don’t engage themselves in such kinds of practices,” he said.
Regardless of what the court decides, or even of divided opinions, one thing is certain. Sharing information, and making that information accessible, is crucial. It brings people together. It binds them in knowledge and informed conversation. It cements community. Justice itself is a long and twisting process, and its outcomes can never be universally satisfying. Yet, Ocan puts it beautifully, if simply: “Justice is a collective effort to attain a peaceful life.”
As the trial continues, people of many different opinions, can come together and watch it unfold.
A man participates in a ‘Let’s Talk, Uganda’ dialogue in Gulu on 3 September 2016. Claire Kahunde/Justice and Reconciliation Project.
PRESS RELEASE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
BARLONYO, LIRA- Following three previous public dialogues in Acholi, Let’s Talk, Uganda is heading to Lango sub-region this September to hold conversations about justice and reconciliation in post-conflict Uganda.
The first dialogue in Lango will be held on Thursday, 22 September 2016, in Barlonyo village in Lira district. A similar event will be held the following day, 23 September, in Lira town at Lira Municipal Council Hall.
Let’s Talk, Uganda dialogues aim to give space for these communities to engage in discussion on peace, truth-telling and reconciliation. It combines the innovative use of social media and traditional forms of dialogue to allow Ugandans, with a focus on the youth, to access different viewpoints on transitional justice.
The discussions during both dialogues will be relayed on the internet through a Let’s Talk, UgandaFacebook and Twitter pages, as well as the Let’s Talk, Uganda website, letstalk.ug. A special WhatsApp number has also been created to allow people from across Uganda to interface.
The dialogues in Barlonyo and Lira follow similar events in Lukodi on 2 June, 2016, Odek on 28 July and in Gulu on 3 September. In each area, the innovative approaches by the initiative to facilitate conversation has been welcomed.
Ojok Michael, a sub-county chief in Odek, said: “We embrace this new approach to disseminating information about what happened and the experiences of communities after war through the emphasis of the youth and the internet. The word is now a global village.”
Justin Ocan, a community member of Lukodi who participated in dialogues in Lukodi and Gulu: “[Let’s Talk, Uganda] will help people know what happened during the war,” he says, “The world will become aware of what should have been done.”
To join the conversation, people can follow the Let’s Talk, Uganda Facebook page at fb.me/letstalkuganda, twitter handle @talk_ug, use the hashtag #LetsTalkUganda or send comments or questions to a WhatsApp number at +256 782 112 002.
About Let’s Talk, Uganda
Let’s talk Uganda is a project being run jointly by the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP) and RNW Media with the aim of engaging people in northern Uganda and Kampala in dialogue, with a focus on the youth, on issues faced by the post conflict societies in order to promote understanding and reconciliation, furthering the transitional justice process in Uganda.
Contact: Oryem Nyeko, Communications and Advocacy Team Leader, JRP onyeko@justiceandreconciliation.com
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 inLira, 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.
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.
A woman speaks during a dialogue in Lukodi village, Bungatira sub-county.
PRESS RELEASE THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2016
GULU – Today Let’s Talk, Uganda will hold its second community dialogue in Odek, a sub-county in Omoro district, combining the innovative use of social media with offline discussion.
The dialogue aims to give space for the community of Odek to engage in a discussion and hear different viewpoints on transitional justice, peace, truth-telling and reconciliation. The opinions expressed in Odek and online will be shared through dedicated social media pages on Facebook and Twitter to facilitate conversation. A special WhatsApp number has also been created to allow people from across Uganda to take part.
This is the second Let’s Talk, Uganda dialogue, following one in the village of Lukodi in Gulu on 2 June. Like in Lukodi, the people of Odek have welcomed the initiative and expressed their commitment to support it.
Odek sub-county chief Ojok Michael said: “We embrace this new approach to disseminating information about what happened and the experiences of communities after war through the emphasis of the youth and the internet. The word is now a global village.”
The chair of Kica Ber, a survivors group in Odek, Lakwo Nyero Partick Sila, also said: “[The dialogue] will help people outside to know of Odek and the LRA war. Awareness will be created and the minds of people will be changed.”
“It will give time to people to express their opinion. People have no platforms and avenues to express their opinions,” he said.
The dialogue in Odek itself will centre around four topics chosen by people from Odek:
Is there peace in the community?
How can the voices of the community be heard?
Can truth telling bring change?
How can we challenge the negative perceptions of Odek?
To join the conversation at Odek, interested participants are asked to follow the Let’s Talk, Uganda Facebook page at fb.me/letstalkuganda, twitter: @talk_ug or send comments or questions to the WhatsApp number at +256 782 112 002.
About Let’s Talk, Uganda
Let’s talk Uganda is a project run jointly by the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP) and RNW Media with the aim of engaging people in northern Uganda and Kampala in a dialogue, with a focus on the youth and issues faced by post-conflict societies. The aim is to promote understanding, reconciliation and the transitional justice process in Uganda.
‘Let’s Talk, Uganda’ gives space to community voices
Justin Ocan, a community leader in Lukodi, Bungatira sub-county, speaks during a press conference to launch Let’s Talk, Uganda at Northern Uganda Media Club in Gulu, 1 June 2016.
Today the Justice and Reconciliation project and RNW Media are happy to announce the official launch of Let’s Talk, Uganda. The project wants to become a space for Ugandans to discuss issues close to their hearts and the hearts of their families.
We want to create and facilitate conversations about a wide variety of topics by combining the innovative use of new media with offline events. The online platforms will cover a wide range of topics relating to transitional justice, including international and national processes. Let’s Talk, Uganda aims to engage, inform and provide a safe space for respectful dialogue across Uganda.
Through a series of online platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and the Let’s Talk website, Ugandans will be able to access each other’s viewpoints and discuss your own thoughts in a safe space. In the coming months, the project will also visit several locations in northern Uganda, including Lira, Gulu, Lukodi and Odek, as well as Kampala to initiate discussions with local communities. The voices of grass-roots communities will be shared and discussed online, with that discussion feeding back into the community dialogues.
Providing a voice for marginalised communities is very important says Justin Ocan, a community member of Lukodi: “It will help people know what happened during the war,” he says, “The world will become aware of what should have been done.”
Oryem Nyeko, project team leader at the Justice and Reconciliation Project, believes the project will give a space for a more balanced narrative: “The narrative after war is usually shaped by one side, but we all know that history is more complicated. So it’s very important that all Ugandans have their opportunities to have their voices heard.”
Niklas Jakobsson, project coordinator for RNW Media, highlights the importance of respectful dialogue: “Let’s Talk, Uganda is not an information-sharing project. It’s a space for Ugandans to talk with each other, share experiences and find common ground.”
Tanja IJzer, senior program manager at RNW Media: “These issues are very close to the hearts of people in Uganda. Therefore we’re confident that these platforms will allow communities to amplify their voices across the country, creating greater understanding.”
Nancy Apiyo, project officer at JRP, believes this is a unique opportunity for communities: “For the first time the communities we’ve worked with will have their voices heard around the world through media and social media.”
The Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP) in Gulu, Uganda, has played a key role in transitional justice (TJ) in Uganda since 2005 by seeking to understand and explain the interests, needs, concerns and views of communities affected by conflict.
RNW Media is a Dutch NGO media organisation that wants to achieve social change in communities. In parts of the world where change is difficult because freedom of speech is restricted, RNW uses media for social change, empowering young people to make informed choices through dialogue.
