A Voice For the Voiceless
The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.
The Impact of Service
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Partner Campaigns
> Disability Rights...
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This campaign responds to the destruction caused by years of murderous warfare in Northern Uganda, following the rebellion of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which emerged in 1987 under the leadership of Joseph Kony.By the latest 1990s thousands of Ugandans had been wounded by land mines or mutilated. Over 90% of the population in the north had been forced into IDP camps, where poor living conditions opened the way to disabling illnesses such as spinal meningitis, preventable blindness, and polio.
Following a 2008 ceasefire, most IDPs have returned home and reconstruction is well under way, but disability is not at the forefront of priorities. In communities, disability is seen as an individual problem, and those affected are isolated and lacking in confidence. In towns, public services – health, education and legal services – remain largely inaccessible. Nationally, there is little government enthusiasm for a comprehensive approach to disability. The national reconstruction plan refers vaguely to people with disability as “vulnerable.” Even solid data about disability is lacking because the government is still working from the 2002 census.
The campaign will use five complementary approaches:
Milestones and Achievements
Since its launch in October 2008, the campaign has produced a series of important results:
Setting standards: The Uganda National Action on Physical Disability UNAPD drafts technical standards for modifying buildings
Acquiring skills: The international support program provides advocacy training for 25 GDPU activists in Gulu. Ten are selected to work as “accessibility auditors” and survey buildings (October 2008)
Community commitment: Representatives from 20 parish development committees in the Lalogi sub-county (Gulu district) sign a declaration committing them to modifying buildings (December 2008)
Identify buildings: A GDPU audit team surveys and identifies 34 public buildings in 3 sub-counties which require modification (spring 2009)
Legal standards: John-Francis Onyango (Survivor Corps-Uganda) drafts legal bylaws that will allow the technical standards to be enforced (Summer 2009)
IT support: GDPU receives computers and IT training through the international support program (August 2009)
Fundraising: GDPU raises $3,000 from 12 major Ugandan corporations on behalf of refugees with a disability, at a fundraiser in Kampala
Access to justice: The International Criminal Court (ICC) agrees to include to people with disability in outreach activities
Humanitarian aid: In response to a GDPU petition, the World Food Program increases emergency food aid for displaced families with a disability and sets up a special distribution process.
Participation: GDPU is invited to join the NGO disaster management committee, which meets regularly in Gulu to help coordinate humanitarian activities. Back
Campaign
This campaign helps Ugandans with disabilities to lobby for better access to public services in the districts of Gulu and Amuru. They are also seeking election to local government in their villages.
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This campaign responds to the destruction caused by years of murderous warfare in Northern Uganda, following the rebellion of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which emerged in 1987 under the leadership of Joseph Kony.By the latest 1990s thousands of Ugandans had been wounded by land mines or mutilated. Over 90% of the population in the north had been forced into IDP camps, where poor living conditions opened the way to disabling illnesses such as spinal meningitis, preventable blindness, and polio. Following a 2008 ceasefire, most IDPs have returned home and reconstruction is well under way, but disability is not at the forefront of priorities. In communities, disability is seen as an individual problem, and those affected are isolated and lacking in confidence. In towns, public services – health, education and legal services – remain largely inaccessible. Nationally, there is little government enthusiasm for a comprehensive approach to disability. The national reconstruction plan refers vaguely to people with disability as “vulnerable.” Even solid data about disability is lacking because the government is still working from the 2002 census.
The campaign will use five complementary approaches:
- Lobby for physical access to public buildings, and to services
- Lobby for election to parish development committees
- Strengthen information and advocacy for disability rights
- Build political support in the Uganda parliament, particularly among the disability caucus of MPs
- Build international support.
Milestones and Achievements
Since its launch in October 2008, the campaign has produced a series of important results:
Setting standards: The Uganda National Action on Physical Disability UNAPD drafts technical standards for modifying buildings
Acquiring skills: The international support program provides advocacy training for 25 GDPU activists in Gulu. Ten are selected to work as “accessibility auditors” and survey buildings (October 2008)
Community commitment: Representatives from 20 parish development committees in the Lalogi sub-county (Gulu district) sign a declaration committing them to modifying buildings (December 2008)
Identify buildings: A GDPU audit team surveys and identifies 34 public buildings in 3 sub-counties which require modification (spring 2009) Legal standards: John-Francis Onyango (Survivor Corps-Uganda) drafts legal bylaws that will allow the technical standards to be enforced (Summer 2009)
IT support: GDPU receives computers and IT training through the international support program (August 2009)
Fundraising: GDPU raises $3,000 from 12 major Ugandan corporations on behalf of refugees with a disability, at a fundraiser in Kampala
Access to justice: The International Criminal Court (ICC) agrees to include to people with disability in outreach activities
Humanitarian aid: In response to a GDPU petition, the World Food Program increases emergency food aid for displaced families with a disability and sets up a special distribution process.
Participation: GDPU is invited to join the NGO disaster management committee, which meets regularly in Gulu to help coordinate humanitarian activities. Back