Life for Angee Silvia used to be unbearable. Living in a camp for people displaced by the ongoing conflict in northern Uganda was difficult enough, especially with six children to care for. But as much as 50-year-old Angee disliked being in the camp instead of her home village, she could barely stand living with her husband in their temporary shelter.
Depressed and angry about their displacement, Angee's husband was drinking a lot. He would come home reeling and chase his family out of the house. Arguments and violence became a daily part of life, along with Angee pleading for money to buy food or to pay school fees – and being refused.
Angee took her case to the local government council, but each visit cost precious shillings she couldn't afford. When she came across the paralegal project supported by Catholic Relief Services, she found the free social support she desperately needed.
Peace Through Mediation
Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the CRS paralegal project has trained 140 volunteers in three districts of northern Uganda in human rights, land rights and conflict resolution skills. These dedicated volunteers, called "paralegals," work with the Justice and Peace Commissions of local Catholic parishes in camps across Gulu, Amuru and Kitgum districts to help displaced communities resolve their conflicts.
Coordinating their work with the local councils and tribal elders, the paralegals help fill gaps resulting from the deterioration of social structures and law enforcement after two decades of war. The paralegal volunteers mediate cases – primarily domestic disputes, fights between neighbors and land disputes – by providing direct counseling to involved parties. More difficult cases, such as reparations for civilian injuries sustained during the war, are forwarded as appropriate to the Human Rights Commission, legal aid, probation office or police.
"Many people don't know where to turn when they suffer abuse, whether it is domestic abuse, land encroachment or a violation of their human rights," explains Sr. Pauline Silver Acayo, CRS Uganda's peacebuilding project officer. "Because the paralegal volunteers are credible members of society who command respect and often live in the same camps as their clients, community members are willing to refer cases to them and listen to the advice given."
Human Rights Education
Community education is also a critical part of the project. The paralegals conduct workshops in camps to increase awareness on such issues as land rights and child protection. They also provide counseling support to abducted children who were forced to serve in the rebel ranks of the Lord's Resistance Army and now have difficulty reintegrating into society. A group of returnees trained by CRS in conflict management and HIV and AIDS prevention travels from camp to camp using drama, songs and traditional dance to promote reconciliation and forgiveness.
"Most of the current disputes settled by the paralegals are land disputes," Sr. Pauline notes. "As security allows people to return to their land – even if to farm for just a few hours each day – conflicts are arising over ownership." Traditionally, families proved ownership by continuously living on and farming pieces of land. But after 20 years of displacement, land boundaries are no longer clearly demarcated.
"Two clans were recently fighting over a piece of land and were almost killing each other," Sr. Pauline adds. "The paralegals brought the people together for four to five dialogue and mediation meetings. Then they went and measured the land and divided it equally. These people are now reconciled and living together amicably." Hopefully the trust built in the paralegal system over the past few years will continue when people are able to return home, with communities referring cases to their local paralegals to settle disputes well into the future.
Positive Change
The support offered by the paralegal project has been a godsend for Angee's family. A paralegal volunteer counseled Angee and her husband, encouraging the couple to work together to create a supportive home environment for their children. Angee says that over time her husband stopped despising her and began to appreciate the help she offered in the home.
"My husband isn't drinking as before, and he has started to give me money to buy food," Angee explains. "Before, when our children would see him coming, they would run away. Now when they see him, they go to him. I'm grateful for what the paralegals have done and the change they've brought into my home."