Transitioning Northern Uganda - One Year of OTI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KAMPALA 000629

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT PASS TO USAID AND OFDA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREF ASEC EAID UG
SUBJECT: Transitioning Northern Uganda - One Year of OTI
Activities


1. Summary: In June of 2008 USAIDs Office of Transition
Initiatives (OTI) opened the Northern Uganda Transition Initiative
(NUTI) program in support of U.S. Government objectives to
facilitate the transition from relief to humanitarian recovery in
the North. Managed out of the USAID mission but operationally based
in Gulu, OTIs program has focused on assisting local government,
traditional and civil society leaders in their efforts to build
public confidence in the peace that has returned to Northern Uganda.
Moreover, OTI activities, which provided a kick-start to many
recovery efforts are being reinforced by larger reconstruction
initiatives coming online. End Summary.

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Seeing, Hearing and Feeling the Transition
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2. The Northern Uganda Transition Initiative was started to fill a
gap in programming that often occurs at the beginning of a peace
process, democratic change or other transitional windows of
opportunity. OTI decided to open a program to support the USG in
promoting lasting stability in Northern Central Uganda (Gulu, Amuru,
Kitgum and Pader Districts). The program, which quickly awards
small in-kind grants to active local partners on the ground, focuses
on three objectives:

-- Increase the visibility of and confidence in the government of
Uganda
-- Increase access to information on peace, recovery and
development
-- Support truth and reconciliation processes

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Painting by Numbers
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3. Since the program began in June 2008, USAID/OTI has funded 94
small grants totaling $4,140,000. These grants involved as many
people as possible in reconstruction, rehabilitation and peace and
reconciliation activities.


4. In a nutshell, OTI activities included:

97,000 direct beneficiaries; rehabilitated 262 infrastructure items
in return areas; supported 533 government engagements with their
communities to resolve issues or consult on priorities; and
sponsored 1136 radio spots on returns, peace, recovery, and
reconciliation.

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Seeing is Believing
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5. OTI supports the sub-county leaders in areas of high returns
through a participatory approach, sitting with government and
deciding together their needs and priorities. This demonstrates to
the population that the government is in control and is striving to
deliver services. Reconstruction is focused on markets, schools,
health centers, water sources, and government offices.


6. An example of this is the Odek Primary 7 school. This was the
school LRA leader Josephy Kony attended. The rehabilitation
includes classroom blocks, teacher housing, latrines, and a kitchen
in a very visible and symbolic statement that recovery has arrived
even to the heart of where the rebellion started.

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The More You Know...
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7. OTI is helping to deliver the message that the conflict is over
in Northern Uganda through support to media and strategic
communications initiatives. Residents of northern Uganda receive
their information from radio. OTI is therefore providing both
institutional support to ten radio stations and working with them to
communicate messages on peace, reconciliation and recovery to a wide
audience.


8. As an example, OTI is funding a soap opera series with 16
episodes that is playing over 400 times across various radio
stations. This series provides a creative format for returnees to
interact on serious social issues, including domestic violence, drug
and alcohol abuse, conflict resolution at the village level, and
re-establishment of cultural norms.

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Let Us Heal, Learn and Celebrate
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9. The returnees have increasingly expressed a need for cultural
solutions to social issues such as conflict resolution, cleansing
and healing, and the celebration of peace. OTI is supporting the
Acholi Paramount Chief and other respected cultural organizations to
breathe life back into the cultural practices, many of which were
eroded when residents were moved into IDP camps.


10. An example of this occurred as returnees found bodies of those
killed during the conflict on their land. Traditional leaders must
cleanse the land and re-bury the bones to allow the returnees to be
free from the trauma of the conflict that they often describe as
ghosts of those killed. To date, OTI has supported local
traditional leaders in this process in over 80 ceremonies. Another
example is OTIs support for the traditional way of passing on oral
tradition from elder to youth. It is done fireside at night. OTI
is supporting 12 of these events.


11. OTI supported a dance competition between all the sub-counties
in Gulu district to revive Acholi dance customs and bring
communities together. Over 40 different groups vied for the title
of best dancers. The events brought together thousands of people in
a celebration of peace and cultural revitalization. This event will
be repeated in Amuru, Kitgum and Pader soon.


12. OTI has also been supporting the GoUs Justice, Law and Order
Sector (JLOS) in their process toward fulfilling Annexure III of the
Juba peace agreements. We have funded the US Based Public
International Law and Policy Group (PILPG) to carry out
sensitization of the new War Crimes law in four regions of the
country. We are also supporting the JLOS study tour of Northern
Uganda focusing on gathering information for traditional justice
mechanisms to be incorporated into the Ugandan legal framework.
This project is receiving a majority of funding from Sweden, Finland
and the Netherlands, with logistics and coordination carried out by
OTI. OTI also funded the Northern Uganda Transitional Justice
Working Group (NUTJWG) as they carry out their annual meeting
focusing on the role of civil society in the truth and
reconciliation process. Finally, OTI supported a meeting between
cultural and political leadership focusing on solving land
disputes.

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Music, Theater and Sports
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13. At request from the District offices OTI funded sporting
events, music events and theater productions to provide opportunity
for the youth to engage in cathartic entertainment activities and
bring a sense of normalcy back in the daily lives of the returnees.


14. OTI supported a series of 20 concerts. These concerts titled
Peace and Love at Home brought together rock and rap bands from
Acholi to deliver entertainment and messages of peace. They were
attended by thousands of residents. According to one concertgoer: I
have never seen this many people together outside of a food
distribution.


15. At the request of Gulu District Sports Office, OTI
rehabilitated 11 soccer fields for District-sponsored soccer matches
among the youth - purchasing balls, uniforms, shoes and medals. The
Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) held a tournament
in the north and a sub-sequent celebration for the victors in Kitgum
with OTI support.

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Breaking the Ground
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16. Our programs have kick started/led the way for other donor
activities that are soon to come online and continued USG
development initiatives that have totaled 160 million dollars a year
since FY07. These new activities include: DFIDs new 100 million
pounds programming for the north; a $100 million World Bank
reconstruction program (NUSAF II) set to start later this year; a
promised $200 million GoU funded initiative as part of their
commitment to the Peace Recovery and Development Program (PRDP),and
a large Japanese Government (JICA) reconstruction program.

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Coordination with Other USAID Programs
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17. OTI partners with many other USAID programs, adding value and
serving as an opportunity to learn and try out new ideas. These
mission programs include: NUDEIL - focusing on northern
reconstruction; NUWSSP - focusing on water for Kitgum and Pader

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districts; UNITY - the flagship education program; and SPRING - the
mission's social transition program, among others.


18. One significant and symbolic project is the building of the
Amuru district engineers office and government staff housing in the
newly created Amuru District. Currently much of Amuru business is
conducted in Gulu due to a lack of government facilities.
Supporting Amuru government infrastructure has helped make returnees
more comfortable with returning to the area and gives provides
better access to services.


19. At the request of Gulu and Amuru Chief Administrative Officers
(CAO),OTI supported the Districts needs for technological expertise
for engineering activities through the purchased 20 computers and is
offering specialized training in AUTOCAD (sophisticated engineering
software) and other engineering software to the Gulu and Amuru
district engineering staff.


20. The Gulu and Amuru District Engineers expressed the need for
additional staff to allow time to plan reconstruction efforts and
alleviate a severe workload backlog. OTI supported this request
through the hiring of two additional engineers per district.

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Comment
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21. With support from OTIs quick impact and highly participatory
activities, the norths transition from conflict to stability is
marching forward. The 80% return rate of IDPs to or near their
homes, provided by the UN and the local government, indicates that
returnees confidence in peace and government efforts is high. We
expect that with larger reconstruction activities coming online, the
progress made by OTIs quick transition activities will be cemented
and reinforced.

BROWNING