Competition over natural resources, climate change, conflict arising from influxes of refugees, and tensions around local, regional and national elections all impact the long-term peace of communities in Uganda.
In 2020–21, Saferworld worked in partnership to support 12 community action groups in Northern Uganda to resolve land conflicts through mediations, dialogues, negotiations and reconciliation meetings in Adjumani and Nwoya districts. Twenty further community action groups were established in Karamoja and Northern Uganda to promote conflict-sensitive land-based investments. We also helped authorities in Amudat, Moroto and Nakapiripirit districts in Karamoja to develop district-level conflict-sensitive investment policies that protect the rights of communities, particularly the marginalised, and balance them with investors’ interests. This process in Karamoja sub-region was informed by Saferworld and partner’s technical support to Nwoya district, which led to the development of a gender- and conflictsensitive investment policy. Saferworld and our partners conducted one-on-one outreach sessions with 13 investors on conflict-sensitive land-based investment. More investors are now integrating conflict sensitivity in their activities, reporting to the authorities any conflict issues arising from their work and taking corporate social responsibility and environmental protection more seriously.
We worked with partners, local government and community action groups to run spots on radio talk shows discussing issues including how COVID-19 is affecting social dynamics, gender-based violence, violence against children, integrated conflict sensitivity and land conflict prevention. There were also sessions in which listeners could call in to speak to panelists about resolving family conflicts.
In early 2021 Saferworld and TPO Uganda began working with regional organisations – Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-G) in Northern Uganda, Karamoja Development Forum (KDF) in Karamoja, Rural Initiative for Community Empowerment West Nile (RICE-WN) in West Nile and Rwenzori Information Centres Network (RIC-NET) in Western Uganda – on a three-year project to support communities, formal and informal authorities, and civil society organisations to work together to build peace and resolve conflicts. Each organisation is rooted within communities, with diverse and significant expertise in peacebuilding, women’s political and economic empowerment, mental health and psychosocial support, and youth, peace and security.
