Addressing Armed Violence in East Africa.pdf - Project Ploughshares

Addressing Armed Violence in East AfricaAcknowledgementsThe authors wish to thank those people who agreed to beinterviewed for this report, people from communities in Kenya’sNorth Rift Valley, in Uganda’s Kitgum and Soroti districts,and in Southern Sudan’s Warrap State. These communitieswelcomed us and shared their insights, despite the shorttimeframe within which we conducted the research. Needless tosay, we were struck by the courage and resilience of the peoplewe met, and by their determination to work for peace in theircommunities despite the numerous challenges encountered.This report was written by John Siebert and Ken Epps fromProject Ploughshares. Project Ploughshares was ably assistedby Suzanne Cherry and Chris Derksen-Hiebert of WorldVision Canada, which funded the research. Suzanne Cherryworked closely with Project Ploughshares and WV East Africacolleagues as they collectively developed the plan, methods andlogistics for the field research and reviewed the results. She alsojoined the field research teams in Kenya and Uganda.The research teams travelled in the safety and security of thetrust established in the communities by World Vision. We cameto greatly admire the deep concern World Vision staff bring totheir work and their commitment despite the many risks theyface to carry it out.Travel within northern Kenya, northern and eastern Ugandaand Southern Sudan would not have been possible without theextensive preparation and resources of World Vision nationaland local staff in each country. In particular, we are gratefulto Tobias Oloo (WV Kenya), Sarina Hiribae (WV Kenya),Jackson Omona (WV Uganda) and Sarah Gerein (WV Sudan),for their role in developing the research design and plans, formaking the arrangements in-country, for their participationin the field research and for their comments on report drafts.The support of numerous other field-level colleagues wasindispensable. In this regard, we would like to recognize MosesMasinde (WV Kenya), Marko Madut Garang (WV Sudan),Henry Muganga (WV Sudan), Joel Mundua (WV Uganda),and Tobby Ojok (WV Uganda).Other World Vision staff from around the world contributedtheir expertise to the project design and the review of its results.Our sincere thanks are extended to the WV Africa RegionalOffice, in particular to Sue Mbaya and Valarie Vat Kamatsiko;to WV International Peacebuilding colleagues Bill Lowrey,James Odong and Krystel Porter; and to Denise Allen (WVInternational), Jonathan Papoulidis (WV Canada), Matt Scott(WV International) and Steffen Emrich (WV Germany).The content of the report has been reviewed by World Visionstaff in the three countries visited, in Canada and at theEast Africa regional and WV international levels – in part tominimise the risk that quotations can be attributed to andpossibly endanger people interviewed, who already daily facethe twin threats of armed violence and economic uncertainty.John SiebertExecutive DirectorProject Ploughshares57 Erb Street WestWaterloo ON N2L 6C2(519) 888-6541, ext. 702jsiebert@ploughshares.caProject Ploughshares is the ecumenical peace centre of The CanadianCouncil of Churches and affiliated with the Institute of Peace andConflict Studies, Conrad Grebel University College, University ofWaterloo, Canada.2