Our work for sustainable Peace in Uganda

Service delivery
Empowerment
Advocacy and lobbying

FOR Uganda has taken very important action after the presidential and parliamentary elections in March 2007. We wrote a letter the President stating our fears for the implications of the results of the election pattern in which different parts of the country got painted in different colours according to political parties, which led in the number of votes cast in each region. This election result was creating more tension and further divides to the already divided country, which is yearning for national unity. Our recommendation to the President therefore was for him to call upon all the political party leaders, Parliamentarian elects, including candidates who lost, in order to strategise together on how to best reconcile the different opinions and ideas for the sake and sustainable peace and development of the country.

To our great relieve, the President called upon all political party leaders for a strategic planning meeting which majority responded to positively except for a few who had reservations and explained their situations.

In the same letter, we also called upon The President to seek for a peaceful and non-violent end to a 2-decade rebellion, which has been going on in the northern region. We are grateful that he has also responded positively by initiating the on-going peace talks in Juba between the Government and the LRA rebels. To this regard, our founder and patron is playing an important role in the peace talks.

The times of conflict has marginalized and excluded the majority population of the Acholi land, having over 1.7 million people in IDP camps, from the wider development process of the country and the current peace process is seen as a new window for normalization. However, in our view, a successful and sustainable peace process will have to include the victims in designing a peace strategy targeting the particulars of the conflict.

Post-Conflict healing: Community based Reintegration of formerly abducted youth/youth engaged in armed conflicts to their communities. (15-25years)

This program involves youth (15-25 years) who were forcefully abducted and became active in armed conflicts but have now renounced rebellion and violence as a way of life and are willing to be reunited with their communities. The programme contributes towards peace in northern Uganda by moving these formerly Abducted persons (Ex-LRA) from a state of apathy, guilt, isolation, trauma and violent response to provocation to being reconciled with themselves, family and community, initiating self development activities and being responsible, and human rights observant.

The main activities include: establishment and strengthening of groups for economic activities; peace and self-help training; psychosocial support; Public engagement; advocacy and networking. In brief the activities are summarised under service delivery, empowerment and advocacy and lobbying.

Empowerment
Empowerment will: enable the Reporters who were seen as causes of community misery to be at the centre of rebuilding the lives of the community by being exemplary through peaceful existence, hence contributing to attainment of PEAP (Poverty Alleviation Action Plan) pillar III; skills development in peace, self help projects and human rights for social cohesion.

Advocacy and lobbying
To raise awareness about the importance of reintegration in development activities; research on economic reintegration to get better understanding of economic status of reporters and describe realistic targets for economic reintegration; improved delivery of amnesty through advocating for unlimited extension and put emphasis on reintegration and reconciliation at the community level; and enabling Reporters advocate for issues that affect their reintegration.

The needs of the “Reporters” (formerly abducted youth):
Long term reintegration beyond reception centres. Support from reception centres limited leading to apathy about status in community. Reception centres can only follow up a few Reporters for a period of nine month only after return from captivity. However not all reporters pass through reception centres. \most of reporters in Kitgum and Pader do not pass through reception centres.

The Amnesty Commission can provide amnesty certificates and a one off resettlement package in their Gulu Office. Access to service of the Amnesty commission from Pader is very difficult because of travel to Gulu for the poor Reporters
Awareness, respect and redress for rights of Reporters especially for peace, life, health, property ownership, self-determination. Risk of re-abduction or killing if found by rebels.

Sense of belonging and coexistence with communities because the Reporters are stigmatised hence marginalised. The reconciliation with community is obstructed because of fear of vengeance and lack of self-confidence and image. They need receptive home communities.

Improvement in economic status by knowing practical ways they can improve their well being
Health services especially HIV, primary health care and access to medical services.

Psychosocial support to deal with effects of trauma. Many Reporters say they still experience posttraumatic stress disorder even after reception centres and traditional cleansing ceremonies. The methods used have not been tested for their relevance to the situation in Northern Uganda. The traditional methods need alternate methods of trauma treatment to make the therapy work. Some councillors use methods like drama about the past experience that in most cases worsen the condition of the trauma victim.

Skilled leaders able to provide support community reintegration mechanisms
Participation in governance in their community and having a say in their well-being.
Gender equity especially for female Reporters on issues of inheritance, care for children, health needs, access to education and economic opportunities. The female gender has difficulty because of perceived impurity since many of them were forcefully turned into wives of LRA rebels.