In the last 7 years, Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum (UMYDF) with support from Finn Church Aid and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland has reached 20,700 young people in public and private schools in Central Uganda and West Nile through high school-based peace clubs and peace education initiatives.
Through these Peace Clubs UMYDF introduces youth and teachers to concepts and skills in peacebuilding, non-violent conflict resolution, and Participatory Action Research (PAR). The schools selected to host the Peace Clubs usually have a history of inter-school student violence, school strikes, or have learners that come from communities with a high prevalence of violent crime.
The impact has been broad and varied. Some of the High School Peace Clubs we work with have supported other schools in their neighborhoods to also establish their own peace clubs; Headteachers in schools hosting Peace Clubs have reported reduced incidences of student violence; partner schools are embracing non- violent ways of correcting students, slowly phasing out the cane; some of the teachers engaged through Peace Clubs have been so inspired that they decided to pursue higher education in Peace & Conflict Studies, among other results.
Now this wealth of experience built through running school-based peace clubs has been taken to the local communities where youth live through the establishment of our pioneer Community Peace Club.
Initiated in 2023, the Community Peace Clubs are our new way to empower and equip communities with knowledge and skills in peacebuilding and conflict resolution. The pilot Community Peace Club is currently based in Kisenyi III, Kampala Central Division, Kampala District and has a diverse membership of 50 community members. In addition to community volunteer services geared toward building trust and unity among community members, the peace club members are also working together to analyse the most troubling conflicts in their communities and testing out solutions to resolve them.
It is also pertinent to share that the Community Peace Clubs are well linked to UMYDF and Finn Church Aid’s Livelihood for Peace agenda as some of the most active Community Peace Club members are also alumni of the UMYDF Katwe Skills Center where young people are equipped with vocational and business skills as a positive livelihood alternative to violence.
As the birth date for the pioneer Community Peace Club approaches, we are proud to say that we have done well for the people, for the community, and the country.
Below is some of the feedback shared by local community leaders about the Community Peace Club;
“On numerous occasions, I have had the honor to witness young women and men that have experienced lives filled with violence step more deeply into leadership roles to bring about nonviolent change in their communities and schools. I have seen young people that lost friends to violence transform the desire for revenge into a passion for teaching their peers about nonviolence and encouraging them to fight for economic and social justice in their communities. I have seen adults that carry the pain of having lost a close loved one to gang violence regain a sense of hope by teaching younger children how to constructively engage with conflict. These are the kinds of moments in community-based peace-building that inspire peace among youth”
-Zainab Kagoro, LCI Chairperson Kisenyi III
