WELCOME TO ANOTHER YEAR OF BUILDING PEACE, 2024

 Dear Partner in Peacebuilding,

As we welcome this new year of 2024, I would like to personally thank you for your inspiring commitment to building peace and promotion of Humanitarian services to the most vulnerable. Despite the many challenges and much turmoil around the world in 2023, in every corner of the globe, we find examples of heroic men and women striving to uplift their communities, nations, and indeed the entire human family. Such examples remind us that when we join together for the greater good, and tap the power of the human spirit, we can overcome even the most daunting circumstances in our region characterized by some isolated incidences of ADF attacks in the districts of Kasese and Kamwenge.

At RHAPHUNET, we believe a shared future is within our reach, and that our shared identity and common aspirations as members of the human family establish the basis for sustainable peace. Our work in over 8  districts builds broad awareness of the central importance of universal principles and shared values as the basis for social cohesion and peacebuilding. We implement programs that apply this vision and demonstrate the efficacy of this values-based approach.  The following 2024 provides a brief synopsis of our recent programs and progress.

This year, let us strive to find the deeper basis of our interconnectedness, and to more deeply understand the meaning and application of “unity in diversity.” What can we do within our families, within our communities, to contribute to the greater good? What can we do together to advance a movement for peace in our region?

May 2024 bring many advances in our collective efforts to serve the greater good. Best wishes to you and your family for a peaceful and prosperous new year.

Sincerely,

Kwikiriza Wilson

Founder- RHAPHUNET

Reconciliation as a tool for Peace building and conflict transformation

Reconciliation is broadly considered by policymakers, practitioners, and academics alike as a process centrally needed in societies emerging from violent conflicts Because reconciliation is part of a long process, one should not necessarily expect it to be the end point of a conflict. But all analyses concur that no intractable conflict can really end without some kind of reconciliation process if the parties to the conflict are going to interact again in the future. "If they do not, the conflict is likely to recur, even after a settlement of a particular episode (or dispute) is reached.

Conversely, reconciliation requires that structural injustices in the political, social, judicial and economic domains be addressed. Indeed, "if the patterns from the past that produced and sustained violence remain unchanged, they will eventually produce the same outcome. Reconciliation must therefore be supported by a gradual sharing of power, an honouring of each other's political commitments, the creation of a climate conducive to economic justice and a willingness among the population at large to accept responsibility for the past and for the future. Political, social and economic justice is a foundation of durable reconciliation

John Paul Lederach in his book(Civil Society and Reconciliation In Turbulent Peace The Challenges of Managing International Conflict, 2001) a key scholar in the field of peace studies, speaks of conflict transformation as a holistic and multi-faceted approach to managing violent conflict in all its phases. The term signifies an ongoing process of transformation from negative to positive relations, behavior, attitudes and structures. This approach to peacebuilding not only tries to find solutions to the issues underlying the conflict but also works to alter the structural elements that underlie the conflict as well as the adversaries relationships, which is what reconciliation is about

In Lederach's own words, "A sustainable transformative approach suggests that the key lies in the relationship of the involved parties, with all that the term encompasses at the psychological, spiritual, social, economic, political and military levels. This generally entails reframing situations, i.e. "creating a new context in which people attack problems, rather than each other. NGOs that apply this approach explain that the objective is to shift the perception of a situation so that both sides can start working together on a common problem, rather than seeing each other as the problem

Reconciliation and building of trust

The issue of trust is central to the idea of transforming relationships. "In deep-rooted conflicts where the parties are not simply disputing over material interests but are suffering from deeply damaged social relationships, rebuilding trust is a key step towards resolution and transformation. For that reason, typically a series of initiatives will specifically aim at building and strengthening that trust for reconciliation to be effective. 

This is what I desire for Uganda, using a holistic and multi-faceted approach to managing conflicts and building peace as it tackles a key aspect of structural elements that underlie a conflict. I see it more relevant in Uganda situation and can perhaps create a significant impact in peace building. 

Some thing to know about Common Disasters in Uganda

 ABOUT DISASTERS IN UGANDA

Uganda has experienced a number of disasters throughout the year and in different parts of the country and at different occasions. The natural disasters most likely to occur in Uganda are: Epidemics, drought and famine, floods, landslides, earthquakes and hailstorms. The commonest man-made disasters are: Insurgency, environmental degradation, transport accidents, and fire. A brief description of the main problems is outlined below:

Natural Disasters common in Uganda

Droughts and Famine: Parts of the district are affected by famine due to prolonged periods of drought occurring in a cyclic pattern every 3 to 5 years. The area reaching the Ankole cattle corridor is most affected with significant food insecurity, often necessitating humanitarian assistance; there is a high prevalence of undernutrition especially in children.

Epidemics and diseases: They are the single most important public health emergency in the districts of Uganda and neighboring countries. Most threatening include; Ebola, Marburg, Cholera HIV/AIDS, and Malaria. While 90% of the country is hyper-endemic for malaria, some high altitude regions in Western Uganda are continually threatened by epidemics of un-stable malaria.

Floods: Floods are relatively common in parts of Uganda, especially during the cycle of adverse weather that follows the El-Niño years. Recently, there was a large scale disaster of floods in the areas of Kasese and in the East.

Land-slides: In Uganda, areas prone to landslides include the mountainous areas of the East and the Rwenzori Region. Human activities like agriculture on these hilly places accelerate the effects.

Hail Storms: Parts of Uganda have frequent hail storms characterized by heavy rains and violent winds. Hailstorms and thunderstorms result in the destruction of crops, animals, public infrastructure and human settlements.

Others: 
Crop Pests and diseases: Pests and diseases are a major problem and may lead to food insecurity. Common pests iinclude weevils and caterpillars; diseases include coffee wilt, banana wilt, and cassava mosaic.

Earth Quakes: especially in the Western Rift Valley in the Rwenzori Region. Many parts of Western Uganda are prone to seismic activity. In 1994, an earthquake hit districts in Rwenzori region affecting over 50,000 people. There were numerous tremors in 2007.

Man-Made Disasters of Major Importance in Uganda

Conflict, wars and Internal Displacement: In the past Uganda has been affected by successive armed conflicts. Between 1980 and 1986, a civil conflict raged in Uganda had many activities going on in Uganda. The ADF armed conflict of 1994 to 2000 also left many people killed and many losing property. The LRA did many atrocities in Northern Uganda.

Fires: Fires are a common occurrence in Kamwenge including both bush fires and electricity fires caused by haphazard electrical wiring and poor construction standards.

Transport accidents: According to WHO, Uganda ranks 2nd only to Ethiopia in the magnitude of Road Traffic Accidents in Sub-Saharan Africa. These mainly occur in vehicles that transport larger numbers of people and are confounded by long distance trucks that transport agricultural produce from Uganda to the world markets.

Environmental Degradation: Over the last 3 decades, there has been significant damage to the environment, increasing the potential for major natural disasters. This is closely related to deforestation in the rural areas and encroachment into wetlands in the urban areas.

Vulnerability Assessment: Communities in Uganda are higly vulnerable to the hazardous effects of disasters. Factors most responsible for this are: Poverty, age, gender, disability, lack of information, lack of experience, inadequate health care, geographical isolation of some underserved areas, inadequate coordination, malnutrition, inappropriate development policies, food insecurity, societal stratification, poor water and food quality, limited district level resources, politics, graft, lack of social order, high burden of illness and inadequate disaster preparedness or mitigation.

ANALYSIS OF LAND POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL OF LAND CONFLICTS IN UGANDA

ANALYSIS OF LAND POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL OF LAND CONFLICTS IN UGANDA

A CASE STUDY OF KABAROLE DISTRICT

  

BY

KWIKIRIZA WILSON

2015/U/MMU/MPA/001

A Research Dissertation Submitted to the School of Business and Management Studies in partial fulfillment of the Requirements of the award of a Master in Public Administration and Management Degree of Mountains of the Moon University

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the relationship between land policy implementation and control of land conflicts in Uganda, a case study Kabarole district. It’s conceptual framework was based on the land policy implementation approaches (Dependent variable) characterized by Information dissemination on National land policy, functional justice systems, fight against corruption in land administration, role of policy implementing government Institutions, local council and Political leaders involvement, and monitoring and supervision of the policy implementation strategies.

On the other hand, control of land conflicts (independent variable) was measured through; Severity of land cases, settled land cases, reduced spread of land conflicts, reduced domestic violence cases, free and fair justice, informed citizens on land matters among others.

The objectives of the study were: to establish the relationship between political leaders’ involvement in land policy implementation and control of land conflicts, examine the correlation between land policy implementing government institutions and control of land conflicts and evaluate the impact of corruption on control of land conflicts in Kabarole District.

The research was based on both interpretivist and positivist Paradigms and a cross sectional survey design was used to assemble both explanatory research voices and quantifiable data whereby both qualitative and quantitative data were collected using questionnaires, Interviews and Focused Group Discussions from a sample and documentary review.

The target population of the study comprised the local community, representative from the police, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), the sub county and district Land board members, cultural leaders of the kingdom, and local community leaders (LCs).  The target population was a total of 300,212 people from Kabarole district (Population census, 2014) giving a sample size of 409 according to Krejcie and Morgans table of sample selection.

Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics supported by tables, frequency, and percentages. And both qualitative and quantitative data were mathematically analyzed using the open code and SPSS computer program.

The Pearson correlation coefficient of determination, as denoted by was used in the analysis and the research study found out that there was a moderate relationship between Political interference and control of Land conflicts in Kabarole District.

For objective two, the research findings showed a positive correlation between land policy implementing government institutions and control of land conflicts and a substantial association was realized.

The research finally established that corruption had a strong hand in obstructing the control of land conflicts. This was revealed by the 50.1% of the increased land conflicts which were as a result of corruption involved in land administration and management. Key actors in corruption were identified who included the rich members of the community, some government officials and majorly those responsible for administration of land.

The researcher finally recommended the government to establish consensual approaches in control of land conflicts, provide free legal aid to vulnerable individuals and incentives to civil society organizations to dealing with land litigation, sensitization of community members on land policy matters and establish stringent measures to deter the exploitation and mistreatment of the poor by the rich land grabbers.

If interested in this research and many more related, Please contact me on wilsonkwiki@mmu.ac.ug 

Why has conflict Persisted in the Rwenzori Region? What can be done?

Rwenzori region has so far experienced the most painful moments in the previous two years and now being worsened by the 26-27/11/2016 attacks of the Kings Palace which left 15 Police officers and over 40 Royal guards dead. One reading this could be wondering about; what is causing all this? and what can be done to solve the Rwenzori region Question? How can the blood shed be stopped? However, to answer the above questions, one should be in position to tell about the history of this region. As postgraduate students at Mountains of the Moon University, the community University in the area of conflict, we have had several discussions on the same issue; scratching our heads and wondering what can be done, some issues have been put forward which I felt should be shared via this blog.


I do believe that putting the following to note especially for those who wish to go on with research about this conflict, can get some highlight of what could be the cause and  perhaps what can be done be done.

Although inter-ethnic conflicts in the Rwenzori region appear diverse in their causes and manifestations, they generally revolve around a sense of marginalization with regard to political representation within state and traditional governance systems; recognition and respect of diverse cultural identities within the same space; and unequal ownership and access to resources, especially land.

While these conflicts may, in part, be attributed to historical factors, their perpetuation is due to a continuous manipulation of this sentiment of injustice by different players and results in a ’kettle on the boil’  situation, where any spark can lead to violence, especially carried out by poorly informed youth. 

The 1995 Constitution and the 2011 Traditional and Cultural Leaders Act recognize Uganda’s cultural diversity and the traditional frameworks within which this diversity could be effectively managed.

The unclear process of recognizing cultural institutions and the poor management of the consequences of this action, especially in heterogeneous communities, also provides a source of uncertainty and conflict. While the limitations of the mandate of cultural leaders in terms of executive and administrative functions are clearly stipulated in law, their limitations of authority with regard to people’s cultural rights are not, hence creating conflicts.

While these legal instruments represent a conducive framework for cultural institutions, the operationalization of these laws has resulted in a number of important unintended outcomes.

First is the increased insecurity of ethnic groups that have not been recognized by the state and a quest for recognition that is not primarily driven by a desire for cultural heritage preservation. Second is the increased tension stemming from assertion and suppression of cultural expression and identity; and third is the tendency to create territorial boundaries, thereby further fragmenting any sense of cohesion and common identity.

The appeal of State recognition by cultural institutions and the perceived financial and material benefits this comes with - as well as, in some cases, district status - has created new dynamics between the executive, administrative and cultural spheres of authority, as some individuals hold dual roles and pay allegiance to common authorities. The prominence gained from a combination of political, administrative and traditional authority has contributed in part to increased demands for cultural institutions and subsequent demands for associated districts. This not only reinforces the territorial tendencies of particular ethnic groups, but also leads to the oppression of emerging cultural institutions which are also driven by the same appeal.

The diversity of the interventions that have been made to address the conflicts in Kasese district by the state, development workers, cultural and religious institutions, and the media to a great extent reflect a cross cutting desire to resolve them, although central government is not seen to play an important conflict prevention and resolution role. The depth of interventions, the credibility and perceived motivation of institutions implementing different initiatives and the follow through of any commitments made however influence their effectiveness. 
All the interventions mentioned have registered a degree of success which gives hope for strengthening existing initiatives and forging partnerships between actors who aim at enhancing peaceful co-existence in the region.
In conclusion therefore, as Christians we can say;  more prayers are needed and God's intervention to the matter is of great paramount.

Making Our World Peaceful

Three things: planting the peace-inspiring seeds where there is war; finding and supporting the next generation of Youths, and sparking and catapulting new philanthropic causes into reality.

It may take up to 1000 years for planet earth to become a peaceful place. It may take that long for us to wake up and realize that the miracle of life is something that we as a species have taken for granted, wasted, and destroyed; and is something that we now need to treasure. Among other things, it will take determination, new genius, and new initiatives to change the world. You and me can be advocates for Change and make our World Peaceful.

Along with Gifts, we all should also go on sharing Merry Christmas Messages with all our friends and family. No doubt sharing Christmas Gifts has been a tradition but sharing Merry Christmas Messages is also fun as well as we get to know more about people.

By wishing Merry Christmas with Merry Christmas Messages, is great thing. Just “Merry Christmas” is not enough. That is the most common phrase during Christmas. So, you should do something more than that.

To make a difference, we need to wish Merry Christmas with great Merry Christmas Messages. It shows our love as well as feelings for our loved ones.

By such great wishes, all our family members will be over whelmed with our feelings and love. They will know their importance in your life and you will be even more close to all of your loved ones.

Christmas celebrations are the happiest of all the celebrations and hence we need to celebrate all of the things related to Christmas.


Merry Christmas to you all my beloved friends, God Bless you