Stories of Terror: Returning To Peace

bridges to Peace

This Online Community Stories Exhibition “Stories of Terror” is implemented under the Bridges to Peace Project and uses the power of storytelling to shift minds, enhance vigilance against violent extremism, and accelerate public engagement in shaping lasting solutions to address conditions conducive to violent extremism and terrorism.

Bridges to Peace is a multi-faceted Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) action implemented led by the Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum and Kofi Annan Foundation with funding from the European Union. The action is complementing the government’s actions to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism and Terrorism in Uganda in the following ways:

  1. Broadening community awareness, vigilance and preparedness against violent extremism.
  2. Strengthening the capacity of at-risk individuals and communities to work for peace.
  3. Enhancing the interest and capacity of CSOs to design and implement effective P/CVE interventions.
  4. Strengthening the country’s capacity to reintegrate returning combatants.

Impact

At the height of the LRA violence, According the United Nations, the LRA was responsible for more than 100,000 deaths, the abduction of between 60,000 to 100,000 children, and the displacement of as many as 2.5 million civilians between 1987 and 2012. The group frequently forced children to kill or maim their own families, while abducting women and girls to often become the wives of LRA leaders, suffering repeated rapes and sexual assaults.

At the European Union level, the action builds on the Council Conclusions on EU External Action on PCVE (2020) which stresses the need to involve civil society organizations in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism, and recommends a whole-of-society approach including consistent outreach to vulnerable populations. The project addresses these inclusivity concerns by having a special focus on vulnerable groups such as women and young people, strengthening the P/CVE capacities of civil society and influential stakeholders, and fostering dialogues with a wide variety of actors. It also aligns with the specific objective 2 of the Multiannual Indicative Programme for Sub-Saharan countries, which aims to contribute to the protection against and response to transnational security threats such as fight against terrorism and violent extremism, and supporting capacity building activities. 

Lastly, it fits within priority 2 of the Thematic Multiannual Indicative Programme for Peace, Stability and Conflict Prevention by encouraging civic engagement for peace, promoting conflict prevention and building capacity in leading dialogue processes.