The Gulu Project
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Restorative Justice ~ Peace & Reconciliation ~ Forgiveness ~
Last year, the Mission Office was recently given an amazing opportunity to join a new partnership led by two Maryknoll Lay Missioners, Marj Humphrey & Joanne Blaney in the Archdiocese of Gulu Uganda. “The Acholi are a Nilotic tribe and other lay missioners working in East Africa
may recognize that they are a subset of the Luo people who have large populations in Tanzania, Kenya, and areas of South Sudan as well. The Acholi of Northern Uganda have historically been the victims of unspeakable brutality and violence –going back to the time of Idi Amin through the reign of terror of the Lord’s Resistance Army and are currently the targets of cattle raiding and land grabbing by Ugandan clans and tribes as well. The area is very near the border with South Sudan, particularly near the area where lay missioners Susan Nagele, Marj Humphrey, and Liz Mach worked in the 1990’s. The atrocities happening just over the border in Uganda (the LRA’s brutalization, kidnapping, raping, murdering, and torturing of the local populations) were being carried out during their time working in camps for displaced people there.
We have come into this setting and background to offer training to parish leaders and teachers on trauma healing, nonviolence and restorative justice, at the invitation of The Archdiocese of Gulu. These groups were identified by the Archdiocese as ‘crucial members of their communities and critical yeast for transformation of their communities. Their ability to listen, dialogue and help heal divisions and conflicts is an essential part of their leadership in building right relationships and bridges among diverse people.’
We had visited this area two years ago, and at that time, Joanne was invited to begin working online with Restorative Justice to train four team members of the Archdiocesan Justice and Peace Team. From early on they were very interested in the concept of Restorative Justice as they had been working for years on offering ways of conflict resolution and peace building in the region and together, we all began trying to plan for continued training for them, but also to begin working with community leaders in a new way of healing and justice for severely traumatized and victimized people. We have now finished a course training to 60 participants in two different cities: the more urban city of Gulu and the rural town of Kitgum. This course is training in Trauma Healing. On International Women’s Day, we were invited by Sr. Giovanna Calabria CMS, to
share and listen to the stories of 30 women whom she has accompanied for years. Sr. Giovanna arrived in Uganda from Italy in 1971. During the worst years of the insurgency when many fled, she remained to serve those in need. These women were abducted as girls, some as young as 9 years old, by the LRA rebels. Almost all were sexually and physically abused and many spent more than 10 years in captivity in these conditions. After only 3 weeks here, we have been humbled and touched by the many very hospitable victims of atrocities and injustice.
Through expressions of grief and depression, anger and bitterness, faith and hope, they told us their stories and continued fears. The abducted
women rendered us silent as they told not only of their ordeals but of their resultant stigmatization and societal rejection as they escaped, one by one over time, bringing their children fathered by the LRA soldiers. They did not meet welcoming embraces when they tried to return to their families but instead, they were greeted by total rejection and judgement. They brought their children who were born in the bush during their captivity when they escaped, but the children also have never been welcomed into their families and clans, because they were fathered by ‘Satan’. The children do not attend school and are very isolated. Several said this has been one of the hardest parts as what they crave most is human connectedness and belonging.
Some 20+ years later they remain isolated and rebuffed members of society and given no land for settling and raising food. Just recently, we also did some trauma-healing exercises and restorative circles with 200 formerly abducted women who shared their stories, hopes and fears. They expressed their joy at coming together again, belonging to the group, praying and learning new skills. Multiple times they expressed their gratitude to us and especially to Sr. Giovanna, who ‘has accompanied us and given us hope’. They were so grateful for our listening hearts. We were so privileged and honored to hear and honor their stories. United in our peace-building work and commitment to Gospel values!
Joanne and Marj