The role of the Norwegian Refugee Council in peace building in Gulu District Northern Uganda

Abstract

This study examines the role played by the civil society in peace-building in northern Uganda. The main focus of the study was the Norwegian Refuges Council, the work that it carries out in the area in a bid to build peace. The study advocates for effective and efficient resource mobilization and utilization. The study was conducted in Gulu districts, where the organization has its headquarters. Interviews and focused group discussions were used to collect data from a random sample drawn from the target population. The objectives of the research were:To establish the opportunities and challenges of the Norwegian Refugee Council in peace building activities. To recommend the inclusion of more Non-governmental organizations in carrying out peace building work in the region.To assess the impact and role of the organization in peace building. Results show that the work carried out by the Norwegian Refugee Council is appreciated by the people at the grassroots because it ensures that the local people who are most affected by the conflict have services brought to them which they would not have had access too. Services such as education, legal counseling and provision of assistance through non-food items. Furthermore it enables close interaction between the people and the organizations that are put in place to assist them. This in effect ensures a proper feed back system which encourages constant improvement in the provision of services. The research postulates that the Norwegian Refugee Council in its peace building efforts in northern Uganda has both embraced a human rights approach to build permanent peace which provides the drive for an examination of their operations, successes and challenges in peace building. The general objective of the study is to analyze the contribution of the civil society in peace building in Uganda. The fact that Norwegian Refugee Council has taken center stage in addressing human rights concerns as a peace building approach has been the basis for the study. The research however uncovered loopholes that undermine the work of the organization in building peace. The research concludes that permanent peace -can't be built only on military victory by any of the two combatants but by looking at the ingredients that give way to military confrontation. Further the research aims to show that the provision of humanitarian services and activities such as what the Norwegian Refugee Council does are the bed rock for other peace building components like the rule of law, transitional justice and human rights. Therefore the work of the NRC builds peace in Gulu district and the other districts in which it operates through the provision of services.