Acholi Beads Glimpse: Stepping Stones from James Pearson on Vimeo.

It was an unexpected statistic in our research.  Twenty sounded high, but the numbers were right there, double-checked.  Each displaced Ugandan we employed spread the benefits of their income to approximately 20 people around them – children, spouses, nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, parents and grandchildren; all of them benefitted from a single, well-earned income.

I was working with a nonprofit called Invisible Children, running part of their operation in northern Uganda.  We had just finished conducting a round of research among the beneficiaries of my program, trying to plumb the details of how our work was helping, and where it might be falling short.

This was arguably the single most important finding in shaping my work and understanding.  These impoverished, war stricken Acholi people, most of whom had never made a fair day’s wage in their lives, took the money they earned, which was still low by American standards, and essentially gave it away to 20 people around them.  They used it where it was needed most, filling needs that we never would have seen.

Acholi Beads now partners with 16 similarly displaced Acholi women.  It’s safe to assume that these women also spread their earnings to 20 people each – about 320 people total.  That’s an impact.

And we want to do more.  A lot more.

This idea of “Times 20” inspires us.  We know that if we can partner with enough women, a whole community can be changed.  They will use their earnings to make sure their families are cared for, and to raise up a new generation of Acholi leaders.  So we have set a goal.  We want to partner with 100 women by 2010.  Does your mind immediately do the math?  That’s 2,000 people benefiting from the sale of this beautiful jewelry.

How will Acholi Quarters change when this is a reality?  How many more kids will be in school?  How big will the smiles be on the faces of the 100 women?  And their children?

We’re excited to find out.  Help us get there.

Contact us to find out about distributing Acholi Beads in your area.  The more we can work to expand the market, the more women we can partner with, and the more people benefit.

Here’s a link to a great article about divisions in Ugandan society.  The writer points out the geopolitical rivalries between north and south, and touches upon the tumultuous history of regime change that has led to the current situation in northern Uganda.  She does not, however, trace these forces back to their roots, most of which can be found in the policies that the British colonial government used.

It’s important to remember that “tribal tensions” are not some sort of endemic disease of African culture.  Imagine what might happen if you were to erase all the borders in Europe and let those countries figure out how to govern themselves as a whole.  It would not be pretty.  This is what it was like for Uganda in the early 1900s, when many tribes were grouped together under one flag and then employed according to stereotype.

The process of unification and reconciliation will be a historical one, just as the unity between the Union and the Confederates has taken time, and cultural differences remain to this day.  But Uganda must unify if it is to thrive.

Last week the peace talks between the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army began again in Juba, Southern Sudan. These talks are the closest the Acholi people have been in over 20 years to finding peace, and last week marks a significant renewal of commitment to their positive conclusion, and to peace for a hurting people.

A friend of mine was recently in Juba to observe the talks. He brings good news. He says that rhetoric between the two negotiating sides has softened considerably since the talks began last year. And whereas they once required separate tables for meals, they now eat and talk together.

Most importantly, both sides are confident that a comprehensive peace agreement will be signed within the next month!

There is a faint but brightening glow of peace on the horizon. We’ll keep you updated.

The secretive leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, Joseph Kony, said yesterday on a northern Uganda radio station that he is ready and waiting to sign a final peace agreement. This is a very positive step. Kony had been silent since the LRA’s second in command and chief communicator, Vincent Otti, was executed by Kony last November.

By calling for a peace agreement now, Kony may be trying to avoid a military offensive threatened by the Ugandan government in conjunction with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The two governments agreed earlier this month that if progress was not made on the peace talks by January 31, they would coordinate to flush the LRA out of their secluded base in the jungles of Congo.

To ensure that all parties involved refrain from dangerous military action that could further devastate northern Uganda and the Acholi people, please go to the Resolve Uganda site and send an email to your Congressperson.

WAR/DANCE, an inspiring film about children affected by the war in northern Uganda, is nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar! We hope that this publicity will lead to an influx of interest and involvement in northern Uganda, and in the ongoing story of the Acholi people.

Speaking with Voice of America, a senior consultant to the LRA said that the International Criminal Court’s warrants against Joseph Kony and three other top LRA leadership are the rebel group’s biggest obstacle to successfully concluding the ongoing peace talks.

The International Criminal Court, or ICC, is a fledging organization charged with prosecuting violators of international law - including perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity.  It’s first-ever arrest warrants were issued two years ago against five LRA leaders, one of whom has since died.  Those warrants have played a pivotal role in the search for peace in northern Uganda.

Kony and other LRA leaders fear that if they surrender as terms of the peace deal, they will be prosecuted by the ICC.  Although the ICC’s mandate allows for local justice systems to supersede its own prosecutions, if those local mechanisms do not meet certain standards of justice the ICC reserves the right to step in.  So even if the warranted leaders are put through some sort of justice process in Uganda, whether formal or traditional, as long as the warrants are in place the ICC can step in at any time to prosecute them from The Hague.

LRA leadership maintains that it will not sign a peace agreement until the warrants are withdrawn, and the ICC prosecutor maintains that the warrants must remain in place.

It’s said here in northern Uganda that everyone has lost someone to the war. I just stumbled upon this story from the BBC from May of this year. It has a great graphic of an actual village, highlighting the pervasiveness of the devastation there. And that village was chosen not because it was exceptional in its loss, but because it was average.

Story and graphic here.

For the first time since the beginning of the war in northern Uganda in 1986, leaders of the Lord’s Resistance Army have agreed to meet with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni. The historic meeting will begin tomorrow, November 1st, and will pave the way for the LRA to hold nationwide community consultations aimed at finding a strategy to achieve lasting peace.

The LRA’s reclusive leader, Joseph Kony, has refused to leave his base in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Garamba National Park until the the International Criminal Court drops its arrest warrants against him. In his place, the LRA’s chief negotiator will attend the meeting.

More at the BBC

According to a South African news site, a UN official has confirmed that the $7.7 million budget for the stalled peace talks between the LRA and the government of Uganda has been raised by international donors. This is a major step towards moving the peace talks forward.

However there remain major impediments to the talks recommencing. The LRA has made its continued involvement contingent on $800,000 to fund public consultations, only $600,000 of which has been raised. Moreover, with the recent news of infighting at the LRA base in DR Congo it is not known if or when the LRA will be prepared to continue the talks.

Stay tuned.