Towards a human rights culture in northern Uganda

Together with a number of domestic civil society organisations the SPA has developed a human rights programme in northern Uganda. The programme focuses on the Acholi subregion, notably the districts of Gulu, Amuru, Kitgum, Pader and Agago. These are among the most affected districts of a war between the rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan army, which lasted over 20 years. As a result of the conflict, over 90% of the population was forced to live in camps for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in conditions of extreme poverty.

The human rights situation has improved since fighting ceased in October 2006. Thereafter, people slowly returned from the IDP camps to their home villages. As a result of the war and the many years of camp life, violence is still rampant, in particular violence against women and land conflicts. The government is failing to provide proper access to justice, and despite a recovery plan (the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan, PRDP) public services are very poor. The land conflicts have emerged because the people returning to their home villages contest the boundaries of each others’ lands, with traditional elders having lost authority and becoming susceptible to manipulation by politicians and those searching for quick economic gain (land is becoming increasingly valuable, influenced by foreign and domestic investors and oil discoveries in nearby regions). These conflicts often result in death and destruction of property. Unemployed youth are easily mobilised to fuel the conflicts.

Northern Uganda Human Rights Partnership (NUHRP)

After a number of assessment visits, the SPA initiated a partnership of eight domestic organisations, which agreed on a Strategic Framework. The partnership is called the Northern Uganda Human Rights Partnership (NUHRP). It consists of the following organisations:

  • ACORD-Uganda (Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development)
  • GWED-G (Gulu Women Economic Development and Globalisation)
  • JPC-Gulu (Justice and Peace Commission, Archdiocese of Gulu)
  • Kitgum NGO Forum
  • Pader NGO Forum
  • WORUDET (Women in Rural Development Network)
  • FOKAPAWA (Forum for Kalongo Parish Women Associations)

The Partnership is assisted by a Secretariat, consisting of a Programme Coordinator and an Accounts Assistant, based at ACORD-Gulu.

The SPA acts as technical advisor and supporter of the coalition.

Current projects

The programme aims to contribute to a human rights culture and a life of dignity for people in northern Uganda, by providing support to existing and new human rights initiatives established by civil society organisations in the north. Currently, the Partnership implements three projects:

  • a Community Justice project, which facilitates and enhances the activities of community-based human rights volunteers, who sensitise communities on human rights issues and provide an avenue for bringing such issues to authorities;
  • a Women’s Rights project, for women’s groups in all the above-mentioned districts, facilitating them to undertake human rights education (incl. theatre), mediation of disputes, and engagement with authorities to address e.g. violence against women;
  • a Youth Project, for youth groups who are trained on human rights issues and conflict management, who engage in building their communities and their own livelihoods.

In addition to these community projects, the partners have written advocacy strategies on: land conflicts, domestic violence and alcohol abuse, child protection, and provision of public services. Currently, the partnership is working on a project to structurally address the many land conflicts, among others in collaboration with the Northern Uganda Land Platform. The Partnership is also considering to develop a project to address economic, social and cultural rights violations.

The partnership has also been supported with other capacity-building activities:

  • Exchange visits, among others to Kenya, and more recently the Burundian coalition visiting Northern Uganda;
  • Training on Monitoring and Documenting human rights violations (3 training workshops);
  • Training of Trainers’ workshops;
  • The participation of management staff in Organisation Development courses run by EASUN (Centre for Organisational Learning) in Arusha, Tanzania;
  • The participation of management and financial staff in a MANGO financial management training course;
  • Training on land rights and customary tenure.

The above projects are supported by a range of donors, some directly funding the Partnership through its administrative host organisation ACORD, and some through Amnesty International in its alliance with Pax.

In 2012, AI-SPA together with Pax also started to support a coalition of local organisations in the Karamoja subregion of north-eastern Uganda. For more information, see the MDR programme.