A thought-provoking blog piece written by Wokorach Mogi, our SGBVP Officer – Kampala Office. In his piece, titled “The Loud Silence: The plight of refugee male survivors of conflict-related sexual violence” Mogi brings out his extensive experience in the complex field of working with refugee male survivors of Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV) in Kampala, Gulu and Nakivale. He explicates key challenges male survivors grapple with, especially focusing on dilemmas in seeking and uptaking services so as to (re)gain their full functionality as well as lead dignified lives.
The international criminal law (ICL) system can only hear and describe a tiny fraction of what people experience, particularly when it comes to sexual violence. The ICL system not only makes it difficult for victims to disclose their experiences, but often misplaces, deprioritises and erases the sexual elements of violence under other headings such as ‘torture’ and ‘inhumane treatment’. This is what inspired ‘Call It What It Is’, a campaign designed to enable victims to freely testify in a system where sexual violence is better articulated.
On 23 October 2019, the UN Secretary-General announced the establishment of a High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement in an event organised to mark the 10-anniversary of the adoption of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Africa a.k.a Kampala Convention. Herein, I argue that the yet to be composed panel should look deeply into the vulnerabilities of refugees and focus on addressing the root causes of internal displacements.
Despite tremendous technological advancements, increase in number of ‘experts’ with spectacular insights on laws and policies to make this world a better place, international community still grapple with disturbing cases and statistics of human rights abuses including conflict-related sexual violence. Consequently, the need to empower national and international practitioners on documentation and investigation has suffused among humanitarian and development actors as one of the measures of tackling impunity and guaranteeing non-repetition of human rights abuses and violations.
This video is a compilation of photos taken during the commemoration of the UN Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June 2019 where the late Med Kaggwa was present and delivered a moving speech calling on all actors to fight torture. Mr. Med Kaggwa (RIP) fought a good fight in the promotion of and defending rights for all in and out of Uganda. May his soul rest in eternal peace!
After several years of work on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), this declaration is a demonstration that through rigorous advocacy, we can collectively realise progressive transformation towards better support for survivors/victims and gender inclusivity. However, herculean hurdles lie ahead of the journeys toward realising contexts where all survivors can access and uptake services without discrimination, and where survivors/victims are not only beneficiaries of services but also active partners in response to and prevention of sexual violence.
I have had an interesting photography journey thus far! With numerous interactions with ‘professional’ photographers, I have learnt to view the world in an entirely different way. That said, I have contributed to Refugee Law Project’s photo gallery with my ‘raw’ photos which 'professional' photographers refer to as amateur, but I brand them as ‘organic photos’ since they contain no artificial additives. For those who missed out on my photos shared via social media and/or struggle with the constant bustle and alerts of the 'new media', worry no more – the Photo Gallery on RLP’s website is up and running with carefully selected and stunning photos.
Following RLP’s contribution at the 49th Session of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture (UNFVT) on 3 April 2019 during which Aimé Moninga and David Onen Ongwech, Programme Manager Gender & Sexuality, represented Refugee Law Project and amplified the voices of male survivors of Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV), we are pleased to share the report of the Public Event and the Annual Expert Workshop produced by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner.
The article throws light on the contentious debates surrounding the question whether women are doing enough to support fellow women in the empowerment struggle to attain their full leadership potential. The article also explores some ways that may be used to address the challenges that hinder refugee women and girls from achieving their full leadership potential.
This briefing paper follows RLP's participation in the commemoration of the Day of the African Child (June 19) under the theme "Humanitarian Action in Africa: Children's Rights First" during which we organised two roundtable discussions - one with children and the other with adults caretakers to discuss key issues related to the theme of the day.