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How War-affected Women Are Advocating for Change in Northern Uganda
an article by Evelyn Amony with Tamara Shaya for Open Canada.org (abridged)
My name is Evelyn Amony and I was abducted by the
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) when I was 12 years
old. I was in captivity for 11 and a half years, and
endured many hardships, including being forced to
marry the top LRA commander, Joseph Kony. [Editor's note: see the discussion for Evelyn's description of
these hardships.]. . .
The storytelling group performs an exercise to promote trust and unity.
click on photo to enlarge
This two-decade-old war (1987-2006) brought much
suffering to those living in northern Uganda:
Approximately 60,000 children and youth were
abducted, and more than 1.9 million people
(approximately 90 per cent of the population) were
displaced from their homes during the height of
the war. The exact death toll is unknown, but
thousands of Ugandan civilians are estimated to
have died. . .
When the UPDF captured me during a battle, I
returned to Gulu, where I was reunited with my
family. As with other young girls and women
returning from “the bush,” it was very difficult
for me to share my experience and explain to
people that Kony had forced me to become his wife
and that I had returned with his children. . . .
Shortly after my return from the LRA, I met Erin
Baines – a professor and co-founder of the Justice
and Reconciliation Project (JRP) in northern
Uganda. In 2009, Erin began working on “Ododa Wa”
– a project where women would share stories about
their experiences during the war. . . . .
In May 2011, to raise awareness of our many
challenges, we formed the Women’s Advocacy Network
(WAN) – a forum where war-affected women could
gather to advocate for justice, acknowledgement,
and accountability for gender-based violence and
human-rights violations inflicted upon us during
the war, and to support each other through
storytelling sessions. . . ..
We also speak to communities, reminding them it
was never our will to be abducted and married to
LRA commanders. We, too, suffered in the bush,
dreaming of our return home. We explain that it
was not the woman’s choice to be the wife of a LRA
commander or have these children, but that if we
are able to accept these children, the community
can, too. We are all victims of this war. . .
One of the most important lessons I learned during
and after captivity with the LRA is to let go of
bitter things that happened in my past. As I have
become active with the WAN, I have come to realize
that I still have a purpose in this world, that it
was not my fault that I was abducted, and that I
can help other women who went through similar
situations. Although the women in the WAN and I
continue to face challenges, we feel empowered to
promote peace and justice. Although some try to
deter us from our work, we know that when we
gather together for a cause, we are capable of
doing things we could never have imagined doing on
our own.
(This article is continued in the discussionboard. )
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DISCUSSION
Question(s) related to this article:
Can we help bring peace to Northern Uganda?,
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LATEST READER COMMENT:
CPNN has received the following request:
Dear Brethren,
Greetings. I am looking for resources on "Reconciliation, Tolerance & Forgiveness"e.g. Videos & DVD's. Working in the 19 years war ravaged Northern Uganda, we're faced with situation which demands Reconciliation, Tolerance and forgiveness between former Lords Resistance Army rebel and returnees and Civilians in communities where they have been resettled. They continue to call them killers, and all sorts of names they can find. Though superficially they confess reconciliation & forgiveness, they still ridicule, abuse & insult them of their past atrocities. Through the Uganda Amnesty Law, over 15,000 rebels have surrendered and through the Amnesty Commission they have been resettled and there former villages with packages comprising of a Hoe, seeds, blanket, Mattress and US$ 150 start up-capital.
The Resources requested here will be used for community based mass education on Reconciliation, Tolerance & Forgiveness (RTF). . ...more.
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