“Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are.”—Hafsat Abiola, Nigerian human rights activist
On the 17th of April 2023, we successfully held a meeting with the alumni of the Peace Learning Centre together with some community members, these included the Youth and some local council leaders, during this meeting we briefed the club members on the next Peace-building activities, Lailah Zubairi our Senior Programs Officer emphasised that the club will be able to inform the communities on the role of dialogues as a means of preventing violent conflicts, and also ensuring that communities adopt to the non-violent ways of resolving conflicts. We also managed to help the club members to select a committee that will be in charge of coordinating Peace-building activities in the local communities of Kampala.
PHOTO: The new elected Community Peace club Committee members after a Meeting at UMYDF Centre For Peace Practice
The Peace Learning Centre which we now call CENTRE FOR PEACE PRACTICE provides foundational and specialised training in topical issues in the fields of Peace-building, Conflict Management & Transformation, Prevention of Violent Extremism, Countering of Violent Extremism, and Islam, Justice, Peace & Security. The centre’s training programs usually take 3 days to 4 weeks, and are delivered by leading subject experts across a wide range of peace & security related specialisations. The centre will also open an E-Campus soon where it will continuously share educational and informational resources to further advance the professional and personal development of its alumni. All classes are highly interactive, experiential, and learner centred.
With three years in operation, the Peace Learning centre has trained over 100 people on some major topical lessons regarding Peace, we have received tremendous testimonies from people who have been trained at the centre. Mubiru Musa who is the leader of the newly formed community peace club committee had this to say“Before I connected with UMYDF, I used to get disturbed by the local leaders from different institutions like police, prisons and counter terrorist police. But through the Peace club, UMYDF has helped me to link up with all these institutions - Recently I went to the airport because there was a youth who had been arrested being suspected of getting involved in violent extremism activities, I called Mr Waswa a member of Counter Terrorism Police Unit who I was introduced to through the Peace Club, Mr Waswa was very helpful, he guided me and introduced me to other leaders and I was able to get the suspected youth out”. Mubiru has not only got network, he has also gained skills and experience in using dialogue to resolve conflicts and now he is helping the young people in Kampala.
Araf Ahmed a club member and committee member said “a peace club helps us to solve problems at the grassroots, violence that starts at the community grassroots is very common, especially among the youth who have grown up in the slums, these youth usually have so many conflicts, they are always fighting. Through these Peace clubs we engage with them and show them the right way, we impart discipline, we guide them by showing them the dangers of the actions they are taking.”
This year we have received a commitment from FCA on Equipping the Peace Learning Centre, through the Strengthening Youth Voice and Civic action for Peace-building in Uganda project, they are willing to support the centre by purchasing basic learning equipment for the newly established UMYDF Peace Learning Centre which will sustainably host trainings for youth and public servants such as security officers, CSOs, peace practitioners etc interested in pursuing trainings and short peace building courses both online and physical beyond the project life. Basic learning equipment to be purchased include; projector and projector screens, sound speakers and book shelves.
FCA has not only stopped at supporting the Peace learning centre, together we are implementing the Strengthening Youth Voice and Civic action for Peace-building in Uganda project in Kampala and Yumbe districts of Uganda which we shall be carrying out a series of youth empowerment projects, we are grateful to the generous funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Finland.
