Featuring Research, Capacity Training Workshops, Public Dialogues, and Micro-grants, the goal of this project is to increase the capacity and collaboration of key stakeholders in government and civil society to reduce extremist recruitment and radicalisation. The project was implemented with support from the US Department of State.

Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum has conducted trainings in non-violent communication for boda boda riders drawn from different parts of Kampala district in response to the growing hooliganism and cases of mob violence among boda boda riders.

Implemented in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Djibouti, and Somalia, this programme aimed to increase awareness of violent extremism issues among various professionals who work with disillusioned youth on a daily basis and to boost their capacity to respond and to contribute to P/CVE. 200 professionals and community change agents from across East Africa and the Horn benefited from the programme. The project was implemented with support from the US Department of State.

In partnership with the Islamic Call University College, UMYDF has so far trained and graduated 166 Sheikhs and Madrasa Tutors from across the different Muslim Districts in the new and improved Madrasa curriculum. In addition, the training incorporates concepts of peace, conflict resolution, and participatory approaches to education to help the Madrasa Tutors design safe classroom spaces that promote belonging.

70 Imams took part in a series of local workshops where they were taught how to make the most of social media sites like Facebook in order to share religious knowledge, take questions, and reach out to a younger audience. The move was framed as a “preventative measure” to counteract those who are using the internet to recruit youngsters into VE activities.

Implemented in partnership with the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), the programme identified hardline Imams and enrolled them on a six-month programme of religious pluralism, diversity, tolerance, conflict resolution, entrepreneurship, human rights and English language learning. 100 Imams, 25 of whom were Somali, from the cities of Kampala, Wakiso, Mbale and Tororo benefitted from this program.

Aimed at contributing to a peaceful Ugandan society where young men and women actively contribute to transformation of conflicts, maintenance of peace, and socio-economic development of their communities, the Strengthening Youth Voice and Civic action for Peacebuilding in Uganda project is an initiative of the Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum funded by Finn Church Aid and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

The project specifically focuses on improving capacity of Youth to lead actions against the root causes of conflict and violence in their communities; strengthening capacity of networks and youth-led organisations to participate in decision making and influence policy discourse, and enhancing capacity of Local duty bearers in state and non-state institutions to engage actively with the youth and play a more active role in enabling youth aspirations.

It is anchored in the theory that IF youth capacities and their networks are strengthened to lead actions against the root causes of conflict and violence in their communities and to participate in decision making and policy influence AND the capacities of local duty bearers to engage actively with youth enhanced through peace education , peace building and trust building activities THEN youth will actively contribute to transformation of conflicts, maintenance of peace and socio-economic development of their communities BECAUSE limited capacities of youth and their networks to lead action against the root causes of violent conflicts, to participate in decision making and policy influence and low capacity of local duty bearers to engage actively with youth lead to youth exclusion and frustrations that drive violence in communities.

With participants drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Somalia, the programme brought together religious and cultural leaders from different faith denominations and cultural backgrounds to share best practices, expertise, resources, and develop new effective strategies and programs to enhance their constituents’ resistance to violent ideologies.

Implemented in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in partnership with Akougook Initiative, the project sought to localise UNSCR 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security through building the capacity of national and local level institutions to engage refugee community youth in peacebuilding.

This 3-year multi-faceted project featured a number of core activities among which included; Vocational Skills Training for at-risk youth, Business Skills training and Coaching, Civic Education and Mentorship, Public Dialogues, Preventing Violent Extremism Clinics, among others. The project benefited over 36,010 youth including refugees from Bidibidi Refugee Settlement. It was implemented with support from Finn Church Aid and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Extremely Together-Uganda Chapter in partnership with Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum introduced 60 young people in peace clubs to art and theatre as unconventional tools through which they can challenge hate speech, and address violent extremism.

Focused on promoting peace, delegitimising hate speech and providing peaceful alternatives to the problems that inflame violence in Uganda through social media, Amani Leo has reached over 250,000 online views through its different posts and engagements. The initiative started as part of the global peer-to-peer challenge that engages young people around the world to counter online hate speech while creating awareness against violence and violent extremism.

Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum trains youth in Participatory Action Research (PAR) skills. Rather than look to outside influences for solutions, PAR projects put youth at the centre of leading change.

They are mentored to practically gather research information, analyse it, and generate practical and applied solutions which are driven by their community needs and aspirations

Amidst the surge in extremist violence in Uganda, the Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum (UMYDF) and the Kofi Annan Foundation with support from the EU (European Union) joined forces to design and implement the Bridges to Peace Project.

Bridges to Peace is a multi-faceted Preventing / Countering Violent Extremism action working with victims of terrorism, civil society actors, media professionals, influencers, community members, and at-risk communities to strengthen local capacities for peace, and address the root causes of violent extremism.

This 2-year multifaceted project aimed to increase access to quality and relevant conflict-sensitive information and education that contributes to peace in Kampala District. The project reached over 150,000 youth through its physical and online engagements. It was implemented with support from Finn Church Aid and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

UMYDF in partnership with Uganda Muslim Teachers Associations designed and delivered workshops aimed at building the capacity of Muslim teachers and Head teachers to mainstream peacebuilding themes across their school curricular and help build a new generation of young peace builders.

UMYDF in partnership with the Education Department of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council developed and launched a new primary curriculum for Madrasa schools in Uganda. The new curriculum is set to be the standard one for all Madrasas in the country ending the application and usage of other curricular that have been reportedly been manipulated to instill extremist beliefs among students. UMYDF has further supported the printing and distribution of the new curriculum countrywide.

We work with local people who live in violence-prone areas that have better access to the best and most reliable information and understanding of the dynamics of conflict and violence to advance understanding of conflict dynamics, inform early warning and early response, and facilitate evidenced-based programming.

The African Institute for Applied Peacebuilding in partnership with German based non-profit 180 Grad Wende is currently running a scholarship program aimed at empowering young individuals who are facing challenging circumstances by providing them with vocational training. The initiative also creates opportunities for them to integrate into the labour market, for their personal growth and for the long-term improvement of their living conditions. The scholarship initiative is currently being piloted in Kampala (Uganda) and Rabat (Morocco)

Implemented in partnership with Kenya-based network Sisters Without Boarders, this 3-year project was aimed at building the capacity of women-led organisations in preventing and responding to violent extremism. The project also sought to increase the influence of women on local and national level policies aimed at reducing the threat of violent extremism and helped create new channels of engagement for women leaders contributing to peace and the National Technical Committee on Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism. The project also contributed to building the capacity of the members of the National Technical Committee on Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism in mainstreaming gender in P/CVE policy and programming. The Women Preventing Violent Extremism Project was implemented with support from the United States Institute of Peace.