Issues addressed during the conference include:
- Victims’ participation in the upcoming national Transitional Justice process;
- Solidarity with and between victims, national reconciliation and Uganda’s future;
- Physical and mental health of victims (covering what the issues are, how the Government plans to address victims’ needs, what civil society organizations can contribute);
- Missing relatives (explaining the situation in Uganda, including an international law perspective);
- Amnesty legislation (some clarifications and updates from Uganda Law Reform Commission); and
- Criminal prosecution of war criminals (including the international commitment to bring perpetrators to justice and practical issues of witnesses’ support and security by the International Crimes Division of the High Court)
The conference will be facilitated by the African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET), a national NGO based in Lira, Northern Uganda. Since its founding in 2005, AYINET has been working in the conflict-affected Northern Uganda on projects that seek response to and redress for serious crimes and harms resulting from armed violence.
AYINET was awarded a grant from TrustAfrica through its International Criminal Justice program, which aims to address challenges and opportunities in the realm of international criminal justice and improve its relations among actors. The three-year multi-donor fund seeks to ensure greater collaboration and accountability among African states to transform the field of international criminal justice. Its focus countries include: Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mali and Nigeria.
For more information on the conference, you can visit AYINET at www.africanyouthinitiative.org, as well as the TrustAfrica Website and Facebook pages.
