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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 "Speaking with locals and living in a country is the best way to learn about the real lives of citizens, not just the stories in the mainstream media. I will be more critical of what I read as a result of this experience. I also feel even more grateful for my education, and I feel a stronger responsibility to assist others who do not have resources or access to opportunities in their communities." Maria Skouras (New York University) volunteered in 2011 as a Peace Fellow for eHomemakers in Malaysia. For more 2011 feedback click here.

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United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda

UOBDU
United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda

Issue: Indigenous Rights
Region: Africa
Location: Kisoro, Uganda


Background
The United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda (UOBDU) focuses on land rights, education and literacy, income generation through sustainable livelihoods, forest access, and healthcare for the indigenous Batwa of southwestern Uganda.

UOBDU was organized and formed in 2000 by Batwa in southwestern Uganda after being forcibly evicted from their traditional forest homelands.  In 1991, the Mgahinga, Bwindi, and Echuya forests the Batwa had lived in and relied on for centuries were formally turned into national parks.  The majority of Batwa evicted were left landless, and remain so today.  They struggle with widespread social, political, and economic marginalization, and the erosion of their traditional cultural, spriritual, and social practices.



Telling The Story

Photographs:

Take a look at Peace Fellow Dina Buck's Flickr photos	Visit the UOBDU's photo gallery

Peace Fellow Blogs:

Read about Dina's experience working with UOBDU in 2011

Taken by Chris Kidd for the United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda, September, 2011.

News from the Partner::

July 7, 2011- Ugandan Batwa complete 3-D Model of their Bwindi Forest ancestral area

April 14, 2011- Endorois decision on indigenous peoples' rights informs high level regional meeting in Africa

January 14, 2011- International Union for the Conservation of Nature to review and advance implementation of the ‘new conservation paradigm’, focusing on rights of indigenous peoples.

January 10, 2011- Securing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Conservation: A Review of South West Uganda

January 10, 2011- Sharing Power- The end of 'fortress' conservation?

September 20, 2010- Batwa women in Uganda : disproportionate human rights violations. Alternative report to the Combined 4th to 7th periodic reports of Uganda

July 6, 2009- Request to the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples about the situation of the Batwa people of southwest Uganda

May 13, 2009- Alternative Report to the Second Periodic Report of Uganda to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights

Media Coverage:

August 6, 2011- Landless Batwa long for return to forests, Daily Monitor

July 28, 2011- Batwa ask govt for land, New Vision

July 17, 2010- Trail of hope for Uganda's lost Pygmy tribe, The Guardian



UOBDU's Work

Advocacy:

UOBDU Members look at a map of a forest during a Batwa mapping exchange.

• Since inception, UOBDU, with the support of the UK-based Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), has lobbied government, NGOs and donors in the region to include Batwa communities in their efforts.  This has resulted in various NGO and donor programs recognizing need to design and implement special measures to help Batwa overcome their landlessness and marginalization.
• An important aspect of UOBDU’s efforts is its emphasis on ensuring that Batwa communities across the region participate fully in the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of new initiatives meant to benefit them.  A key goal is to empower the Batwa to directly fight for their own rights at the local, regional, national, and international levels through capacity building, and information sharing.

Campaigns:

• Local Level:  FPP has supported UOBDU in lobbying local governments to provide land as compensation for evicting the Batwa from the forests, so that they may have a place to live on and farm.  UOBDU is also helping educate Batwa communities of their rights to enable them to present their situation to locally elected individuals at village and parish levels.
• National Level: UOBDU is continuing to lobby key government departments and Ministries with the aim of getting a direct government response to the Batwa’s circumstances since eviction.  Meetings have been held with government officials, and various media have been used to raise awareness within the wider public about the situation of the Batwa.
• Regional Level: UOBDU, in partnership with FPP, had submitted two reports to the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights, and has attended African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights on various occasions.
• International Level: UOBDU has represented the Batwa and their situation regularly in forums that include the CBD, IUCN, UN and others.  UOBDU hopes that, by opening up opportunities in policy, and supporting Batwa communities to take advantage of those opportunities, they will be more able to exercise agency over their lands and livelihoods.

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Contact UOBDU
Visit the United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda website

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 169
Kisoro, Uganda
Tel/Fax: +256(0) 486 4 30 140

Email: uobdubatwa@gmail.com

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