Advancing peaceful co-existence and respect for human rights among Refugees and host communities in northern Uganda
The sub-region of Acholi in northern Uganda (now comprised of eight districts, namely: Kitgum, Pader, Lamwo, Agago, Amuru, Nwoya, Gulu and Omoro) experienced probably its worst modern-time political history in the last thirty years. In 1986, a military conflict erupted between the Government of Uganda (GoU) and the various local rebel groups that have emerged from time to time, most notably Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and its predecessor, Alice Lakwena’s Holy Spirit Movement (HSM), which caused thousands of deaths and untold physical and psychological trauma on survivors.
At the peak of the military contestation, which spread to over 80% of the region, thousands died or disappeared and more were forced into crowded and squalid internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Researchers have found that, due to the insurgency, one in three women in northern Uganda report having suffered from conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), including forced marriage and rape, and the resultant long-term negative social and health challenges.
Women, girls, and children bore a disproportionate burden of the various forms and magnitude of conflicts that the sub-region was engulfed in. Women, girls and children bore a disproportionate burden of the various forms and magnitude of conflicts that the sub-region was engulfed in. The burden of caregiving on the women in homes grew drastically as men’s role dwindled due to death, disappearance, injury and displacement. The women, poor as they have always been, became the focal points of the livelihoods of hundreds of households in the rural areas of Acholi districts, especially Pader, Agago and Kitgum.
WORUDET is implementing a three-year project in Partnership with Kabarole Research Centre (KRC Uganda) and Centre for economic social cultural rights in Africa (Cescra). The project’s overall objective is to increase well-being and promote a peaceful, safe, resilient & secure environment for the women, girls, youth & families of refugees & host communities, and support them in realizing their human rights. While focusing on four key specific objectives;
- Increasing knowledge & local capacities on legal, human rights, peace, resiliency & response to psychosocial stress among refugee & host community leaders
- Increasing documentation and litigation for human rights violations and abuse cases among refugees and host communities.
- Increasing access & use of mediation & local/traditional conflict resolution strategies for community-based resource conflicts among refugee & host communities.
- Strengthening local structures, collective voices & response, leading to increased participation of leadership in decision-making & policy engagement.
Over 20 paralegals from both the settlement and host communities have been trained and are now actively documenting cases of human right abuses to enhance access to justice in the community.
Joint dialogue meetings have ensured peaceful relationship between the host and refugee community. Where as in the past tension over natural resources were high, feedback from leaders show improved understanding between the two communities and issues are now being resolved amicably.
