Pardon my lack of blog posts. So much has been happening with so much to process in addition to schoolwork and being present in the moment. But I hope to slowly finish some of the post drafts and schedule their publishing through the last month and a half I am here, if not then using this space to reflect on the semester once I am back home. Anyways, off to Northern Uganda!
After the first week of all things orientation (all the way back, about two months ago... yeah, I know I am quite behind), we began our pilgrimage to Northern Uganda, specifically Gulu. I do not use the word "pilgrimage" lightly. Rather, this trip was based in the purpose of pilgrimage. Pilgrimage is defined as hearing a story or event and going on a journey to search for evidence to not only prove its truth but to become a witness to the story or event that has occurred. We move from a spectator to a participant in the story we initially sought after in confirmation and ultimately leaving changed by the experience of the pilgrimage. This trip was made as a collective group, but all of us have changed personally upon our return from Gulu. Even now, the pilgrimage continues throughout this semester.
I did not know this was a trip we were going to be making. I thought we were going to hit the ground running in our academics. Instead, I embarked on this pilgrimage in good company to be transformed through participation of hearing the stories of men and women, seeing the restorative work of those in Northern Uganda, and experiencing the strength and hope of these individuals. The history of Uganda is not a simple one. A recent part of Uganda's history is the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). This was a rebel group who organized themselves against the Ugandan government in the late 1980s. The LRA particularly affected Northern Uganda and its people, and it was only in August of 2006 a truce was reached between this group and the Ugandan government. I am in no way qualified to brief others on a grand scale of the history of the LRA, though I am open to having more one-on-one conversations about what I have learned. I highly encourage you to learn more and to not let this story to end here. History is important as it is the past, affecting the present, and truly informing the future. While Uganda may be far from our own home contexts, that does not disregard the shared humanity between nations and their peoples.
We were in Northern Uganda for 9 days and stayed with a convent for most of these nine days. It was a beautiful compound that lent itself as a haven where we could process and find peace in the midst of all that we were learning. This was no simple trip but truly a pilgrimage as we were constantly seeking out the truths of this land and its people. We heard from many speakers and went to a several locations focused on healing from the past while looking towards the future with hope flowing from their hands and out of their hearts.
On our first full day in Gulu, we went to an organization called Through Art Keep Smiling (TAKS). This center is founded by David. He is a burst of joy and a breath of fresh air. You cannot forget David as his passion for ceramics and the arts for restoration of the culture and the healing of peoples motivates all he does. Here, art is used as a way to express oneself and embrace the cultural traditions and values of this land, which for Northern Uganda, has been eroded through years of warring and lack of peace. This place resonated in me as I love art in all forms. Some colleagues sculpted face masks while others used paint and made prints of silhouettes of women dancing and carrying baskets and warriors with spears. We all had the opportunity to watch some traditional dances performed by people of all ages. They were absolutely beautiful to watch- to see the pride of their culture in their movements and faces, and to partake in a dance that has transcended through generations of people. TAKS was focused on healing through creation, in whatever form that looks like.
Another organization we visited and collaborated with was The Recreation Project (TRP). Imagine a large area filled with structures for rock climbing and ziplining with many trees filling the space in between- this was the landscape of TRP. And while these are fun activities to participate in, there is more than meets the eye. TRP's mission and vision is this: "We envision a world in which every child fulfills their limitless potential. Our mission is to prepare young people to thrive through outdoor adventure and transformative play." They focus on transformative and restorative play rooted in play-based resilience education and other evidence-based approaches. This resonated with me with my background of my course/major back home. Evidence-based approaches and tools are encouraged and emphasized when considering social work. As a USP team, we got more comfortable with one another and bonded through the various activities and games we played. One in particular was notable. I cannot remember its name, but it went like this: Everyone was given a sticker somewhere on their face. We could not see our own sticker. The goal of the game was to find where your home is- where you belong. We were not allowed to talk to each other but could use hand motions and facial expressions. Through using teamwork and the help of others to be our mirrors, we separated into where we thought we belonged. We got into groups based on where the sticker was placed on our faces, the colours, the shapes, and more. Each time we were told this is not where we belonged. Eventually, our Student Life Director Emily made gestures to signal all of us to be one big group. We explained we all belonged together because no matter where our sticker was, or what our sticker was, we all had a sticker therefore we all belonged together. This was where we belonged. Regardless of the various backgrounds and pasts people come into TRP with, the issues of life will come out through the interactive games. This is the work of transformative and restorative play.
While we met with and talked with many other organizations, I want to invite you, the reader, to explore these organizations for yourself. I want to invite you in to participate in the learning I have been through on my pilgrimage. Let the stories I have heard not stop here but begin anew with you and your participation in the work in the wake of the LRA. Be present with the heaviness of Northern Uganda's reality while being open to what God may be calling you to do in response.
Other organizations we met with in addition to several speakers who addressed their personal experience with the LRA, Ugandan history, and traditional Acholi culture (descriptions from my reading packet on Northern Uganda):
Watye ki Gen (a part of the Women's Advocacy Network (WAN)) - WAN is a forum where war-affected women come together to advocate for justice, acknowledgement, and accountability for sexual- and gender-based violations inflicted upon them during conflicts in Northern Uganda. Their mission is to seek reintegration, reconciliation, and justice for war-affect women. Watye ki Gen is an off shoot of WAN, and is a forum run by formerly abducted women to advocate for their children born in captivity.
GWED-G (Gulu Women's Economic Development & Globalization) - Their vision is to create a gender just society, build a world where women & mean, girls & boys realize their full potential, and enjoy their human rights and live in total peace.
Amani Uganda - a women's cooperative/initiative, building peace at the grass roots level as women have to learn to live and work together in order to be successful. Provides training and a venue for the sale of their products so the women can support themselves and their family.