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BEYOND JUBA: Building Consensus on Sustainable Peace in Uganda
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TEENS TALKING PEACE
VOL. 2 ISSUE 3 JUNE 2009
Using MDD for Reconciliation
D
uring conflict there is a breakdown
of law and order and this allows
for violations of human rights. Freedom
from torture is one of the rights that is
severely violated during conflict. The
effects of torture are severe and can be
permanent.
As a result of grave violations of torture
around the world, the United Nations
(UN) set aside 26 June every year as
the UN day in remembrance of torture
victims. Activities around the world draw
attention to effects of torture and plight
of the victims. This year’s theme is Justice
for Torture Victims and Uganda will join
the rest of the world in commemorating
this day.
The African Centre for Treatment
and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims
(ACTV) is coordinating the celebrations
in Uganda. The activities to mark the day
will include the use of Music, Dance and
SU
S
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Drama (MDD) to spread the message on
stamping out torture in our country. To
achieve this, the organisers have chosen
the Bayimba Cultural Foundation to
stage performances about the history and
experiences of torture victims.
Also, as part of the celebrations, a few
secondary schools have been invited
to participate in an essay competition
under the theme: The most effective ways
of giving justice to victims of torture.
PeaceTalk will publish the winning essay
in the next issue that comes out on 26
July, 2009.
We at PeaceTalk encourage you to say
NO to torture and to always report any
acts of torture to the authorities.
Dancing for Peace, a craft
made by Apiyo Milly Grace
a peace club member of
Sacred Heart SS Gulu.
E:
by Samara Madhvani
Teen Editor
Music, Drama and Dance (MDD)
are activities that let one express
creativity and feelings in a peaceful
way. These activities create a
link between the performers
and the audience through social
and emotional bonding. The
performers learn skills such
as cooperation, tolerance and
therefore expressing their ideas in
a peaceful way.
Every entertainer needs to be dependable, engaging and
reliable, and the audience respectful and open minded to the
shows.
MDD brings together different people in a healthy and
entertaining way thus promoting reconciliation. It provides an
outlet for expressing experiences and feelings of fear, defeat,
separation and instability.
During the reconciliation process, MDD can provide a
platform for sharing experiences, offering possible solutions
and advice.
In this issue PeaceTalk brings you experiences of teenagers
involved in MDD for reconciliation.
S
“Drama is informative. Songs like ‘Peace Return to
Northern Uganda’ by Bosmic Otim have inspired
me to think about music and drama as reconciliation tools”.
N
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MDD and Reconciliation
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Ageno-Rwot Debrah
Y.Y Okot Memorial College, Kitgum
Call for Stories, Poems and Cartoons!
Are you a teenager? Do you have a story, poem or cartoon on peace,
justice and national reconciliation? Send your submission together
with your picture to PeaceTalk and you will stand a chance to appear
in our upcoming Peace Book. The deadline is 10 August, 2009.
Write to PeaceTalk:
The Editors, PeaceTalk
C/O Refugee Law Project
P.O.Box 33903, Kampala-Uganda
Email:[email protected]
www.beyondjuba.org/peace_talk.php
PeaceTalk
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In the search for reconciliation, especially in war
affected communities, people use all kinds of methbrings you
ods to restore broken relations.
views of teenagers about using MDD to promote
reconciliation in
PeaceTalk
HAVE YOUR SAY…
I am part of the MDD club at my school and we
use it to promote reconciliation by obeying rules
of human rights, copying good behaviors and forgiving each other when things go wrong. This is
all portrayed in the club.
Nakabiri Sharon
Sacred Heart Secondary School, Gulu
K
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G
IN
I am part of the MDD club and I am very good at cultural dances like ‘Lamuya’ and ‘Bwolla’. Drama promotes
reconciliation by portraying means of solving problems
in schools, families and in our communities.
Toorach Christopher
Kitgum High Schoo, Kitgum
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I joined the MDD club in
order to promote my culture. Cultural dances are
performed at reconciliation
activities staged after a conflict.
Mwaka John
JUNE 2009
Kitgum High School, Kitgum
Being part of the MDD club
has relieved me from traumatic stress. Music does
not discriminate; we are all
friendly and live together in
harmony.
Ageno Anna
YY Okot Memorial School,
Kitgum
www.beyondjuba.org/peace_talk.php
TEENS
PeaceTalk
JUNE 2009
3
PeaceTalk Tour to Kitgum High School, Kitgum
Kitgum High School
Peace Club has over 150
members. The club patron is Mr.
Akera Moses.
The club members produce drama
skits and mime songs on peace.
As part of their outreach activities, the peace club members do
charity work in Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) Camps and
Kitgum town. They also visit
neighbouring schools for debates
and peace dialogues.
Members of Kitgum High School Peace Club pose for a photo with their patron
Akera Moses in their school compound.
‘MDD can bring Healing to Victims’
Q&A with Faisal Kiweewa, Director Bayimba Cultural Foundation.
FAISAL KIWEEWA
Arts Promoter
PT: What is the Bayimba Cultural Foundation?
PT: What messages are you trying to communicate in this dance?
FK: It is a local initiative that uses arts to address issues that affect our society. We use
contemporary dance, visual arts, monologues
and poetry.
FK: The dance is about documenting the history and experiences of torture victims. It is a
form of acknowledging bad things that have
happened. It can also bring healing to victims.
PT: What are you doing for the UN International Day of Torture?
PT: How can we use MDD to reconcile communities?
FK: We are working with the African Centre for
Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims
(ACTV) to produce a torture dance. We have
engaged one of our members, the Keiga Dance
Troupe, to choreograph this dance. The dance
will be based on this year’s theme, which is
Justice for Torture Victims.
FK: Music and dance is experiential and people are moved by it. People may identify with
the messages in MDD thus creating space for
them to talk and acknowledge the things that
have happened to them. This can gradually
bring healing and reconcile victims, perpetrators and leaders.
Are you a teenager? What are you doing to promote peace in your school or community? Share your
views with PeaceTalk readers.
Write to PeaceTalk: The Editors PeaceTalk
C/O Refugee Law Project
P.O.Box 33903, Kampala-Uganda
Email:[email protected]
If we print your submission, then we will send you a free PeaceTalk T-Shirt.
www.beyondjuba.org/peace_talk.php
PeaceTalk
4
JUNE 2009
If the peace agreement is signed, is true that Kony will come
out of the bush and stop terrorizing innocent people?
Niwahereza Amos, St. Paul’s Seminary, Kabale
AN
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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
As a peace lover, I have settled conflicts between students,
counselled them on ways of living in harmony with each
other as well as the importance of reconciliation. I have
also advised fellow students to join the PeaceTalk club so
as to live in peace with one another.
Nandera Zauma Nantambi,
Dabani Girls’ S. S , Busia
QA
&
In case of any violence between two
parties, I don’t take sides by blaming
one party without a deeper understanding of the causes of the problem. If I identify the person at fault,
I do so with respect and with the
objective of promoting peace and
reconciliation.
Mereki Theopister,
Dabani Girls’ S. S, Busia
If the peace agreement is signed, that means both
sides are committed to peace. It would be one
more step to making sure that peace in Uganda is
permanent. Peace agreements can still break down
but the chances of peace are higher with a signed
agreement.
Coming Soon...
Issue 10 comes out on 26th July, 2009. The theme
for this issue will be using culture to promote
reconciliation. PeaceTalk would like to hear from
teenagers on the importance of cultural practices
in promoting reconciliation. Write to PeaceTalk and
share your views.
Write
to PeaceTalk:
The Editors
PeaceTalk
C/O Refugee Law Project
P.O.Box 33903,
Kampala-Uganda
Email:[email protected]
The Beyond Juba Project is a joint transitional
justice intiative of the Refugee Law Project (RLP),
Human Rights and Peace Centre (HURIPEC), and
Faculty of Law, Makerere University. Beyond Juba
is funded by SIDA & NORAD.
WITH A PEACE PROMOTER
PT: What inspired you to become a
peace promoter?
paign for peace and reconciliation
in war affected communities?
LL: I was inspired by the suffering caused by the war
in northern Uganda. I sing with all my heart as I feel
the pain and anguish of the people in northern Uganda
and south Sudan.
LL: Music can call on conflicting parties and the
victims to forgive one another.
PT: When did you start singing for
peace?
Loketo Lee has received peace
awards from the governments of
Uganda and south Sudan for using
his music to promote peace.
LL: I started singing in 2004. This is was before the
Juba peace talks between the government of Uganda
and the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebels began.
PT: What key messages would you
send out to the youth to nurture a
culture of peace?
LL: Without peace there will be no infrastructure,
children will not go to school thus no development.
The youth need to work hard and sing about peace and
also write books about peace.
PT: How can we use music to cam-
PUBLISHER: The Beyond Juba Project, c/o Refugee Law Project, Plot 9 Perryman Gardens (Opp. Old Kampala Primary School) PO Box 33903, Kampala, Uganda.
TEL: +256-414-232552/+256-414-343356 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.beyondjuba.org PRINTER: Monitor Publications Ltd.
EDITORS: Jackee Budesta Batanda & Angella Nabwowe Kasule TEEN EDITOR: Samara Madhvani PHOTOGRAPHY: Moses Alfred Nsubuga
DESIGN & LAYOUT: Jackee Budesta Batanda & Angella Nabwowe Kasule PROJECT COORDINATOR: Moses Chrispus Okello
PROJECT ADVISORS: Dr. Sylvia Tamale, Dr. Chris Dolan & Prof. Joe Oloka Onyango