A Voice For the Voiceless
The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change.
We are currently recruiting graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.
The Impact of Service
|
Translate this page:
Partner Campaigns
> Gulu Disabled Per...
> The Campaign
The rebellion by the Lord’s Resistance Army, under the leadership of Joseph Kony, has unleashed enormous misery in the north of Uganda. Life has slowly begun to return to normal, but the wounds remain raw and open. The Gulu Disabled Persons Union (GDPU) is leading an inspiring campaign to insist that the rights of people with disability are respected and integrated into reconstruction.
Between October and December 2008 The Advocacy Project, Survivor Corps and 25 disability advocates worked together to develop five campaign goals:
Accessibility
Increase accessibility for survivors with disabilities in the reconstruction process:
Reconcilation
Ensure that the cycle of violence is broken by building strong and inclusive reconciliation and justice mechanisms:
Capacity Building
By end 2009, ensure that Ugandan partners have the means to undertake sustained and effective advocacy in Uganda and internationally.
International Networking and Outreach
By end 2009, ensure that Ugandan partners have the means to undertake sustained and effective advocacy in Uganda and internationally.
Back
The Campaign
 |
The rebellion by the Lord’s Resistance Army, under the leadership of Joseph Kony, has unleashed enormous misery in the north of Uganda. Life has slowly begun to return to normal, but the wounds remain raw and open. The Gulu Disabled Persons Union (GDPU) is leading an inspiring campaign to insist that the rights of people with disability are respected and integrated into reconstruction.
Between October and December 2008 The Advocacy Project, Survivor Corps and 25 disability advocates worked together to develop five campaign goals:
Accessibility
Increase accessibility for survivors with disabilities in the reconstruction process:
 |
- Modify 37 government structures, including health centers, in Gulu and Amuru districts for accessibility.
- Make 12 key district offices in Gulu and Amuru physically accessible.
- Train “disability advocates” to represent the needs of the disabled before parish district councils, and provide training.
- Ensure that sign language interpreters are available to deaf persons in the police and court.
- Help develop by-laws/ordinances that promote accessibility in Gulu and Amuru Districts.
Advocacy for the government’s "Peace Recovery and Development Plan"
Ensure that the PRDP addresses the needs and rights of Survivors with Disabilities, including reconciliation, return, resettlement and access to structures and services.
 |
- Understand the needs of survivors with disabilities and advocate for their inclusion in the PRDP.
- Design an advocacy strategy with the help of the national coalition.
Reconcilation
Ensure that the cycle of violence is broken by building strong and inclusive reconciliation and justice mechanisms:
 |
- Increase participation of Survivors with Disabilities in the peace, justice and reconciliation mechanisms.
- Ensure that the needs of Survivors with Disabilities are covered by the Uganda programs of the International criminal Court (ICC).
- Include the needs and interests of Survivors with Disabilities in national reconciliation policies and programs.
Capacity Building
By end 2009, ensure that Ugandan partners have the means to undertake sustained and effective advocacy in Uganda and internationally.
 |
- Strengthen the ICT and information capacity of GDPU to campaign and provide services to People with Disability.
- Enable advocates for the disabled to train local officials in Parish District Council (PDCs).
- Train 24 disability advocates.
- Train up to 6 media officers from GDPU and member.
- Develop a web presence for the campaign and train media officer(s) on how to maintain it, including a GDPU wiki site and website
International Networking and Outreach
By end 2009, ensure that Ugandan partners have the means to undertake sustained and effective advocacy in Uganda and internationally.
 |
- Bring the message of the Africa campaign back to the US and lobby for support.
- Visit the US and lobby for the campaign, with diaspora communities, universities, government agencies, international agencies, NGOs and policy-makers.
 |
 |