Oli otya? How are you? I am spending my summer in Kampala, Uganda, working as an intern with the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative. Overall, my time in Uganda has been an amazing experience, due in large part to the welcoming attitude of most Ugandans. Everyone I’ve met, including boda-boda (motorcycle taxis) drivers, greets me with “Mzungu, how are you?” and enthusiastic questions about Barack Obama, who is treated like nothing less than royalty. FHRI is a national organization working to raise awareness and respect for human rights within the country through research and monitoring, human rights advocacy, and provision of legal services. As one of the prominent human rights organizations in the country, FHRI has programs addressing virtually every issue in Uganda. In my time at FHRI, I’ve been assigned to two program areas—the Right to Reparations and the Paralegal Advisory Services (PAS).
The Reparations program provides legal services for torture victims to assist them in bringing cases before courts and the Uganda Human Rights Commission. However, while these cases have frequently been successful, the Government of Uganda has been reluctant to pay reparations, citing budgetary restraint among other concerns. One of my first assignments was to conduct legal research on international precedents to legally enforce the reparations awards, to support a writ of mandamus against the Attorney General. While the research was interesting, it’s not clear how willing the court will be to apply international precedent, but we’re hoping for some success when the tribunal reconvenes in August.
The PAS program is a national service operating within police stations, courthouses and prisons to provide basic legal aid through paralegals and social workers. Started to address problems of congestion and delays within criminal justice institutions, PAS attempts to create linkages between the supply (institutional) and demand (users) side of criminal justice system. During my first week, I spent time with the paralegals within Kampala, observing their daily activities. Primarily, the paralegals work to educate suspects and prisoners on their rights—including basic lessons such as “innocent until proven guilty”—and to teach them how to advocate for those rights. In addition, the paralegals follow up with criminal justice actors to ensure that files are moving through the system efficiently. Armed with that background knowledge, we set out on a whirlwind tour of Uganda to officially launch PAS in 9 districts—hitting Western, Eastern, and finally Northern Uganda within 20 days. During this time, I crossed the equator twice, the Nile four times, and learned how to say a few words in approximately 9 different languages.
While most of my time was spent working on the launches, these trips provided me with the opportunity to explore parts of the county that I otherwise would not have seen. By far the most powerful was our trip to the north, which is still dealing with the effects of decades of conflict with the LRA rebel group, as well as the spillover effects from conflicts in the DRC and the Sudan. Although army convoys are no longer required, the road into Gulu is still lined by refugee and IDP camps, many of which remain occupied because the residents cannot or will not return to their villages. An entire generation—our generation—has grown up amidst this conflict with food, shelter, and basic necessities provided by various UN agencies. Even though there is relative peace, many of these people do not know their villages and lack the skills to provide for themselves even if they could return. Not to mention that the development efforts have focused primarily on a few larger towns, leaving the distant regions without infrastructure and often insecure. This being my first direct exposure to the aftermath of conflict, I came home overwhelmed with questions about transitional justice, development, and the role of international organizations. However, I was also struck by the intense pride that Northern Ugandans have for their home. In Kampala, I’ve heard a lot of cynicism about the government, democracy, corruption and development—some of which seems fairly understandable. In the North, despite the desolation and poverty, everyone wanted to introduce me to their culture and to tell me about their ideas to improve the region. Somehow despite everything they have been through, they remain hopeful.
I wanted to post some pictures, and add some reflections on an anti-homosexuality bill that is currently before Parliament, but the internet connection is spotty and I've already written a lot. I hope everyone's experiences are going as well as mine!
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