Bridges to Peace Uganda

“Bridges to Peace” was designed in response to the recent surge in violence and extremist activity in Uganda. After an extended lull in terror attacks, the country was the target of back-to-back bombings by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) between August and November 2021. Recent reports have also confirmed the presence of sleeper cells.

This recent uptick in violent activity has earned Uganda the title of ‘country with the largest deterioration’ in peace and stability by the Global Terrorism Index 2021.

Several factors make the country vulnerable to violence, including the lack of meaningful socio-economic opportunities among at-risk communities contributing to both voluntary and involuntary recruitment into armed groups; minority groups’ perceptions of social, economic, and political marginalization; human rights abuses perpetrated in the context of the government’s counter-terrorism response; and lack of civil society’s capacity to prevent violence

This calls for an intensification of efforts to strengthen local capacities for peace in the areas most affected by violence.

Working alongside at-risk women and youth, civil society organizations, local government entities, community influencers and media professionals, we will:

• Raise awareness and increase communities’ preparedness to violent extremism in districts and cities particularly affected by it.
• Build the capacity of community members and at-risk individuals to positively engage with other groups and worldviews and to promote social cohesion.
• Help civil society organizations design and implement their own effective P/CVE interventions.
• Contribute to the peaceful reintegration of former combatants.

Different approaches are used to work towards these goals. These include training workshops, community stories exhibitions, participatory radio drama programmes, knowledge exchange opportunities, community dialogues, and inter-faith exhibits.

This initiative is designed to complement the government’s efforts. In just 18-months, we aim to contribute to advancing 6 of the 13 pillars that make up Uganda’s recently approved National P/CVE Strategy and Action plan.