Archdiocese of Gulu J&P Commission

With help from SCIAF the Archdiocese of Gulu Justice and Peace Commission actively promotes peace building initiatives through its parishes and communities in northern Uganda.

Around 720 people across 14 parishes including refugees, returnees, and war affected communities, particularly children abducted by rebels benefit from their work. The aim of the JPC project is to bring about peaceful resolutions through sensitizing and training parish priests and members of the community in conflict resolution, protection of human rights, facilitation and mediation processes.

The JPC works with the local parishes to form “Justice & Peace committees” grassroots structures that can sustain people’s involvement and participation in handling conflict and undertaking peace building. The Justice of the Peace Committees also organize and conduct peace- workshops and cross border peace building meetings in Uganda and South Sudan.

The also produce a monthly newsletter for information sharing, giving chronology of incidences that impact on life and may be threats to peace or opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue. Several organizations rely on JPC’s incidence reports for up to date information, and the Archbishop used this information to explain to the UN Security Council the difficult living conditions in northern Uganda.