Training of Refugee Women Leaders as Mediators in Advocacy for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding.

The Peace Centre trained 78 refugee women in December 2019 and they have participated in the formal and informal decision making forums for peace. To further strengthen their skills. The trainings enhanced the capacity of 90 peace mediators; 40 in Yumbe from 7th to 9th September 2020 and 35 in Adjumani from 10th to 12th September 2020 and 15 in Kotido from 19th to 21st August 2020.

During the training the 75 women peace mediators discussed what they did with the skills they obtained during the mediation training in December 2019, with demonstrations on how they handled the conflict cases and they were guided. The training also focused more on advocacy for conflict prevention and peace building, OPM community based service department took participants through the referral pathway, new action plans were developed and participants went out to implement.  The 15 participants in Kotido included community development officers whose involvement in peace building has been low since they had never been targeted with peace building initiatives yet are key if peace is to be realized.    

Training of Analysts to Examine Data and Produce Monthly Reports

The conflict early warning and early response system has been lacking an effective monitoring and reporting of conflict incidences right from the grassroots. To strengthen the early response and reporting system, The Peace Centre trained 46 Conflict Analysts (8 males and 38 females) that is 16 in Kotido from 16th to 18th August 2020, 15 in Adjumani from 24th to 26th August 2020 and 15 in Yumbe from 2nd to 4th September 2020.  Participants were equipped with knowledge and skills on Uganda’s conflict early warning and early response mechanism. Read More “Training of Analysts to Examine Data and Produce Monthly Reports”

Training of District Peace Committees

The Peace Centre this week trained 66 District Peace Committee members (46 males and 20 females) to play their peace building role more effectively while mainstreaming gender and embracing conflict early warning and early response mechanisms at District level. This was carried out through  three trainings sessions organized by the Peace Centre for 60 District Peace Committee members in Kotido, Adjumani  and in Yumbe where 2 days were allocated to each District with 20 participants each.

The Conflict Early Warning and Early Response system that Uganda is using provides for peace structures at National, District, Sub County, Parish and Village level but on ground the committees were not fully functional and lacked understanding on their mandate. The trainings focused on IGAD, Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN) background, mandate, activities and role of District peace committee, frameworks and methods of conflict early warning, formation of local peace structures, engendering the conflict early warning and early response system at District level. As the peace structure mandated to coordinate peace initiatives at District level, the committee now have a better understanding on their role, operations, mainstreaming gender in peace building, conflict early warning and early response system and pledged to utilise the skills gained in their peace building work.

Official opening by the RDC Adjumani

Transitional Justice In Northern Uganda; Citizen’s Perspectives

Between January and June Women’s International Peace Centre with and partners International Center for Transitional Justice-Uganda, African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET), Refugee Law Project (RLP), The Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Uganda) partnered with TRAC FM to collect real-time data from citizens using polls on the themes of the transitional justice policy. Through an interactive radio campaign, citizens discussed their conflict experiences, the lingering impact of human rights violations, efforts of government and other actors and appropriate measures for recovery, reconciliation and redress for victims and war-affected communities moving forward.

The purpose of this report is to share data and present citizens’ views and recommendations related to transitional justice to inform action by all stakeholders including government institutions, traditional and religious institutions and civil society.

Healing Through Rituals: A Guide for Sustaining Wellbeing and Activism

COVID-19 has introduced different ways of working, connecting, relating and being. How do we adjust to this new world order and still enjoy the work that we do? How do we avoid burning out caused by isolation and overload of social media? COVID-19 has made us realise that we need to build a new sense of practice. Read More “Healing Through Rituals: A Guide for Sustaining Wellbeing and Activism”

Women Changing the Face of HIV&AIDS and Building Peace.

In June, The Peace Centre concluded a 5-year project in partnership with Akwenyutu People Living with HIV/AIDS (APHAS) in conflict-affected North-eastern Uganda. The project aimed to build the resilience of women and enable them transfer the acquired skills and competences in livelihood boosting and peace building to the community.

This reflective report titled ‘Women Changing the Face of HIV&AIDS and Building Peace’ highlights the project impact, lessons learnt and the future plans for the group.

COVID-19 and Funding Local WROs Policy Brief

Local women-led organisations (WLO) and women’s rights organisations (WRO) play critically important roles in crisis response, but their efforts often lack both political and financial support. On 16th July, the UN launched an updated Global Humanitarian Response Plan (GHRP) for COVID-19. Women’s International Peace Centre took part in this survey led by CAFOD, CARE International UK, ActionAid, Danish Church Aid and Oxfam who partnered with local WLO and WRO partners in Lebanon, Jordan, Bangladesh, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Nigeria, Occupied Palestinian Territories and South Sudan to gather a snap-shot of the Covid19 response to date in terms of access to funding, partnerships and decision-making for WLO/WROs.

The joint policy brief summarises findings and recommendations on direct funding to these groups, indirect funding via international intermediary organisations (including UN agencies and INGOs), their participation in humanitarian coordination processes and post-COVID19 recovery. 

Monthly District Peace Committee Meetings in Kotido, Yumbe and Adjumani

From 19th to 25th June 2020, The Peace Centre facilitated the meeting of District Peace Committee meetings that had a total of 142 (42 females and 100 males) participants. The meetings provided platforms where Women Peace Mediators presented women peace and security concerns including; the impact of COVID 19 on women, increasing conflicts in the project districts that called for the safety of women and girls, spaces for women’s participation in peacebuilding, peace meetings and complete disarmament, protection of the unprotected kraals, tracking and recovery of stolen animals, need to resume peace initiatives since the Warriors took advantage of the lockdown and conflicts escalated.

Read More “Monthly District Peace Committee Meetings in Kotido, Yumbe and Adjumani”

Tracking Trained Women Leaders in Bukavu, DRC

In June, women leaders who were trained by the Peace Centre, Karibu Jeunesse Nouvelle (KJN) and Association des Femmes des Medias (AFEM) on practical strategies to promote women’s participation in post-conflict governance in 2019 were interviewed to track their progress. The training aimed at strengthening the capacity of women leaders to engage in and influence post-conflict decision-making and governance as well as demand accountability from policymakers towards actualizing the meaningful inclusion of women in governance and decision making in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since 2019 the trained women leaders, have held community awareness sessions and dialogues on the need for women’s participation at all decision-making levels; the rights and responsibilities for women and girls, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and also mitigated land conflicts. The awareness sessions also targeted schools and Universities, encouraging young women to join politics, to position themselves in leadership structures and the political system in preparation for the 2023 legislative elections. As a result, 5 young women joined the communication unit of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress Party (UDPS).

Thanks to Bukavu’s training, I feel very equipped and reassured. When my UDPS Party was coming to implant up in my community, I used all the strategies learnt to position myself. I grab a strategic position in this party, I am now the President of the party’s women’s league in my locality. Now it is me who will be identifying and recruiting other women to join and advocate for their interests. Bora – Elysée

Although women constitute the highest statistic demographically compared to men (52%), this has not been influential in terms of their political participation. Several factors justify this including; traditional and cultural barriers with their consequences on women’s perceptions and self-esteem
and gender-based violence; poverty and illiteracy, insufficient resources allocated to women’s leadership structures and weak coordination of
women’s organizations, Persistent discrimination against women in the legal framework and non-compliance, instability, political tensions and the existence of conflict zones (Kasai, Tanganyika, South Kivu, North Kivu, Ituri). In light of this situation, the training contributed to the awareness of women leaders in South Kivu on this situation and build their capacities and skills to improve on their representation.

The women leaders at the June 2019 training institute not only learnt more about transformation leadership, women’s political leadership and UNSCR 1325 but they also shared their experiences as women’s rights activists, the lessons from their work in their communities as well the benefit of their leadership experiences both good and bad. During this institute, they strengthened their network of women leaders in the province.

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