Class Year
2016
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Fall 2014
Department 1
Center for Global Education
Abstract
This research project explores perceptions of peace and reconciliation among female members of the Lokokwo Peyot Women’s Group in Paidwe Parish, Bobi Sub-County, Gulu District. It aims to understand how women define the concepts of peace and reconciliation and how women currently perceive peace and reconciliation within their community. It also attempts to further understand these perceptions through examining the women’s past experiences and current challenges. The project displays the impact of women’s involvement in peacebuilding and conflict mediation in a region that is desperately trying to recover from decades of destruction and violence.
Research was carried out at two separate but related locations in Gulu District: the home of the Lokokwo Peyot group’s Chairperson in Paidwe Parish within Bobi Sub-County, and the main office of Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-G) in Gulu Municipality. Eleven individual interviews and two group discussions form the foundation of this project. The focus on the Lokokwo Peyot Women’s Group was made possible through the assistance and cooperation of GWED-G staff members, and the interested group members who so generously donated their time and experiences.
This study discovered that women in the Lokokwo Peyot group have witnessed significant changes personally and locally since the group’s founding in 2009, and they feel that an environment of relative peace has developed in the community. Although traditionally women do not speak publicly or actively participate in community meetings, the women’s involvement in the group challenges such cultural norms and allows them to feel empowered and respected. By promoting a peaceful environment from within their individual homes and villages, group members have succeeded in decreasing the level of conflict and violence present.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Kaste, Amanda R., "Perceptions of Peace and Reconciliation: Case of Lokokwo Peyot Women’s Group in Paidwe Parish, Bobi Sub-County" (2014). Student Publications. 355.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/355
Included in
African Languages and Societies Commons, African Studies Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, Women's Studies Commons
Comments
This Independent Study Project was published by the SIT Study Abroad Program in Uganda following the author's study abroad experience in the Fall of 2014. Click here for further information about this program.