Peace Is Better Than War

The Human Right to Freedom from Fear and Want

While UUSC's emergency response program seeks to help people forgotten in traditional relief efforts, sometimes, entire crises are forgotten. There are at least 35 on-going conflicts in the world today. A few of those conflicts, like the genocide in Darfur and the Israel-Palestine conflict, receive media attention. The rest of the world's current conflicts are completely off the front pages, and many do not make the news at all.

The devastating war in Northern Uganda is one of those forgotten conflicts. UUSC's long-term Rights in Humanitarian Crises Program focuses on invisible conflicts where persistent violence causes mass fear and extreme need, and where whole communities are at risk.

Going Home in Northern Uganda

"We have been forced to live precariously in settlement camps, like foreigners in our own land. It is something we all want to forget."

— Joseph Ocan, elder from Amoko Lagwai

It is time to go home. After 19 years of a brutal war that has displaced 1.5 million people, communities in Northern Uganda are hopeful for peace, despite the fact that a recently negotiated peace accord has yet to be signed. They are eager to return to their homes and begin rebuilding their lives and their futures; a unique pilot project is helping communities do just that.

UUSC, with local partner Caritas Gulu Archdiocese, is strengthening people's ability to leave displaced persons camps, where they have survived for years, and return home to ten villages in Amoko Lagwai and Acuru townships, Pader District. Community members want to return home, but fears from years of brutal violence are very present. There is almost no help for them to return home, return sites are isolated, and no other organizations work in this area.

With the project's team's guidance, villagers are determining what they need to make their return a reality. The process includes community dialogue and reflection, traditional conflict resolution, and leadership building. It also involves psychosocial assistance and concrete, practical support.

UUSC's approach is unique because:

• The community participates deeply in all activities. This creates true ownership.
• The community is trusted to find the best ways to manage their challenges. This leads to empowerment and lasting solutions that are independent from the project itself.

One solution the community has identified is pooling resources for oxen and ploughs that a group of villagers then share. This helps villagers plough land, increase the size of their fields, and harvest more food. Sharing oxen and ploughs also allows vulnerable people in the community-including the elderly, widows, and orphans-to farm, and thereby feed their families and even save some money for school. Finally, sharing as a group encourages community cohesiveness and is a way to protect particularly vulnerable people like widows, the elderly and youth, and people living with HIV/AIDS.

Another community-led solution is to sponsor sports and dances for youth. In return, youth are volunteering to help build huts for the elderly and sick in their community. Women are also forming groups and pooling resources to use for income generation. Other community members are working together through engagement in cultural arts, dance therapy, and communal businesses.

Every step of UUSC's project in Northern Uganda focuses on building community. A strong community is essential for people to overcome their fears and find collective ways to address their many needs. Community members have expressed their appreciation for this approach:

"I like this project because it makes us think for ourselves and helps us decide what we want and need through collaboration. This is different from the other projects."

— Alex Ojera, from Acuru

"Living through war was stressful. I still relive some tragic events. These activities help me move raw emotions and painful memories out of my being."

— Esterina Latoo (widow), from Amoko Lagwai

Communities in Northern Uganda are dealing with many challenges-emotional and spiritual as well as the very tangible. Child motherhood, mental trauma, severe physical disabilities, poverty, and high HIV/AIDS infection rates all add up to a very heavy burden. UUSC is helping communities lighten and share that burden as they head home, looking toward a future free of fear and want.