Community Members call for an Expeditious Process to pass the NTJP Policy into law

By: Dacan Nobert

Foundation for Justice and Development Initiatives (FJDI) working together with Action Aid Uganda, Gulu team last week took part in a series of community outreach sessions across four districts of northern Uganda—Gulu, Omoro, Amuru and Nwoya with the view of creating awareness on the recently approved Uganda National Transitional Justice Policy (NTJP) to ensure that women and other vulnerable groups affected by the long term conflict in Northern Uganda are able to demand for the Transitional Justice (TJ) policy implementation in Uganda. “We are convinced that such awareness campaigns will contribute towards amplifying the victims’ voices towards the policy implementation, enhance human rights protection, peace and justice,” said Ocen a representative of Persons living With Disabilities (PWDs) in Gulu.

Following a history of conflicts, the Uganda government has made significant commitments towards addressing legacies of conflicts. These commitments and milestones are seen in the enactment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Act (2010), the establishment of the International Crimes Division (ICD) and the ongoing trials of former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commanders Thomas Kwoyelo at the ICD in Uganda and Dominic Ongwen at the ICC in The Hague, the establishment of a National Peace Building Platform at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), but most significantly the approval a National Transitional Justice policy by the cabinet in June 2019.

The policy provides an overarching framework for the implementation of various transitional justice processes: it is also an opportunity for Uganda to engage with key issues of impunity, accountability, amnesty, reparations, institutional reform, and national reconciliation. The policy in itself is not final, it calls for legislation by the parliament in order to be operational. Therefore, the current context provides an opportunity for community members to demand for the TJ policy implementation, advance their views to politicians vying for different elective positions in the forthcoming 2021 national elections.

From 20th to 23rd October, FJDI in partnership with Action Aid Uganda conducted a series of outreaches in the sub-counties of Awach, Lalogi, Pabbo, and Anaka located in Gulu, Omoro, Amuru and Nwoya districts respectively. A combined total of about 500 people attended the outreaches. The outreaches gave an opportunity for community members to know, digest and understand the policy. Although the communities were appreciative of the government’s commitments, they called for an expeditious process to pass the TJ policy into law. The community who are overwhelmed by negative impacts of the war insisted that a law guiding TJ processes would contribute towards addressing issues such as post-war land conflicts in northern Uganda, issues of formerly abducted persons, psycho-social and medical needs of victims, provide a framework for reparations, resettlement and integration of children born of war among others which should be treated with utmost urgency in order to sustain the existing peace. Another important outcome was the call by community members who are largely Luo/ Acoli speakers to have the policy document translated into local languages for easier reading and disseminated to grassroots.

Meanwhile, with the COVID-19 infections on the rise, the field team had to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures established by the authorities in order to ensure the safety of participants. SOPs were observed throughout the exercise and measures such as limiting the number of participants, use of approved face masks as a must by every participant, hand washing facilities, hand sanitizing and social distancing were applied.
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Foundation for Justice and Development Initiatives (FJDI) works with children, youths, women and communities to promote justice, development and economic recovery in northern Uganda. FJDI has been working on providing redress for conflict affected persons and communities and promoting Transitional Justice measures since 2015

Enough of the Violence, more of the Peace

By Nobert Dacan

International Day of Peace established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace, abandon all differences and to contribute to building a culture of peace. The Peace Day is observed around the world on 21 September yearly. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. This is a huge step by the Assembly as this period (if observed) should be able to show the world the obvious significance of non-violence and more than ever that we are not each other’s enemies given the COVID 19 experience.

Peace means many different things to different people. In the past, peace meant a time without wars, fighting, or the threat of violence—yet this ideal time for long has been in vain! Today, peace is used to refer to a state of harmony, quiet, or calm with no hostility, still, the world is yet to achieve this. Having experienced (and still experiencing) numerous violence, it is time for all of us, to not only think of a world we need but also to make an effort towards it, ordinary citizens, politicians, technocrats, all of us alike!

We want to achieve a state where everyone is physically, economically, mentally and spiritually at peace, where everyone truly knows themselves, can work to achieve their different aspirations, free from violence and torment. Humanity deserves a world where the family institution flourishes, where parents live to see their children grow up to achieve their dreams, a world without violence and broken dreams, humanity deserves a democratic world were politics is not a cause for bled shed, suffering and turmoil, a just world were meritocracy overrules corruption and greed, a world free from hate and racism, a world everyone can harmoniously survive in, black or white.

This day is for the world to come to terms with its past, to look back and say enough of the violence and more of peace, enough of the hate, more of the love, enough of corruption, greed and injustice, more of generosity, fairness and justice. Humanity needs to give a chance for the principles upon which the Peace Day was built to flourish.

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Foundation for Justice and Development Initiatives (FJDI) works with children, youths, women and communities to promote justice, development and economic recovery in northern Uganda. FJDI has been working on providing redress for conflict affected persons and communities and promoting transitional justice measures since 2015.

FJDI Annual Report 2019 can be found using this link: https://fjdi.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b7c5687942c6c79a64ffed940&id=eae22cd89f&e=cb10623dce