The Role of Rotary Clubs in Post-Conflict Peace Building: A Case of Northern Uganda (2006-2010)

Abstract

This paper presents the Peace building experience of Rotary Clubs in Northern Uganda between 2006 and 2010, so as to identify their contributions in post-conflict peace building processes. Through the Reflective Peace Practice (RPP) analytical framework, the paper presents an insight into Rotary clubs’ post-conflict Peace building interventions in the Northern Ugandan districts of Gulu, Kitgum, Lira and Pader. The paper is premised on the theoretical framework of Rotary’s outline of international service that identifies the paths to peace as: patriotism, conciliation, freedom, progress, justice, sacrifice, and loyalty. The paper discusses Rotary clubs’ peace building projects in Northern Uganda as clustered along three generic lines: the improvement of health, alleviation of poverty, and education support. The effectiveness of the “paths to peace” principles was hampered by challenges such as: the eroded core values of the people owing to life in Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camps, the beneficiary non-ownership of Rotary projects, the difficulty in recruitment and maintenance of Rotary clubs’ membership as well as limited funding. The paper acknowledges that Rotary clubs’ approaches to peace building especially the peaceplus ‘model’ has potential if adapted to the local context, to contribute to conflict transformation efforts in post conflict Northern Uganda