Bräcklig fred i Uganda
Michael Zinkanell pluggar freds- och konfliktkunskap på Malmö högskola. Med hjälp av Visions internationella studentstipendium reste han till Uganda för att studera den bräckliga freden mellan norra och södra delen av landet. Här är en ögonblicksrapport från hans resa, på engelska.
I arrived in busy and chaotic Uganda one month ago. The aim of my research trip is to collect first hand data for my Bachelor’s thesis in Peace and Conflict Studies at Malmö University. In order to analyze the likelihood of a violent re-eruption of the conflict in north Uganda, starting from the hypothesis that there are still underlying and unsolved issues fueling the hostilities between the north and the south, I will interview different international, governmental and grassroots-level peace-actors; the National Organization of Trade Unions being one of the most important ones.
I spent the first month establishing contacts and doing intensive research on those peace-actors. Now I conduct interviews. However, adapting to the new culture and lifestyle has turned out to be more challenging than expected.
Two specific instances are worth mentioning. I have had the chance to join a grassroots-level non-governmental organization, engaged in financial empowering through micro-credits and child-sponsorship programs, on a ‘field-trip’. A new loan was allocated to a group of 13 businessmen in a rural community outside of the Ugandian capital Kampala. A meeting in a private home was set up and the money (the loans were raging between SEK 800 to SEK 10,000) was handed out to the small entrepreneurs after providing them with an informative lecture on business-strategies and the importance of sustainable savings.
I have also visited street-kids living in the slums of Kampala, supported by another grassroots-level organization. Founded by former street-kids, the organization is aiming to support the 8-18 year old children to be able to get shelter, food and education in order to receive better future opportunities. Those children and teenagers are either orphans, or were sent away from their parents because they were unable to provide for the children.
The vicious circle of poverty has to be tackled and such initiatives, financial empowering of small businesses and support of homeless street-kids, are vital for a more prosper and stable future.