‘The disarmament brought us peace, but it has also brought us poverty.’ An uncompromising conclusion to a hard-hitting report, these words emerged from an inspirational youth-led research project into youth strength, creativity and livelihoods in Karamoja Sub-Region, Uganda. Conducted by thirteen Karimojong researchers in November and December 2011, this study demonstrates the power and potential of participatory, youth-led research…
‘The disarmament brought us peace, but it has also brought us poverty.’
An uncompromising conclusion to a hard-hitting report, these words emerged from an inspirational youth-led research project into youth strength, creativity and livelihoods in Karamoja Sub-Region,Uganda.
‘We, the research team, chose the words and stories for this book.We took the photographs and selected which ones to use’
Conducted by thirteen Karimojong researchers in November and December 2011, this study demonstrates the power and potential of participatory, youth-led research. The report also sheds a new light on how Karamoja should be understood.
‘We feel that people who come from the outside think that theyknow more about Karamoja than those who live here.’
Set against the back drop of historic conflict, newly established peace, and unequal disarmament in Uganda, the report highlights the Karimojong youth as the experts of their own development context, framing them as essential partners in a collective struggle to overcome ‘old problems of insecurity, poor treatment and lack of opportunity’. The young researchers gained access to people, knowledge and ideas that would not have been possible otherwise.
‘I’m busy! I used to be a killer.Now I’ve decided to earn my living by this.We need you people to help us!’
Directed by local youths, the report tackles incredibly difficult questions head on, recounting stories of young miners who risk their lives on a daily basis to generate a livelihood; ex-cattle owners ‘reduced to catching and selling rats for a living’; and former urban migrants returning from Kampala having found no other income than begging there.
‘Behind the mountain, different tribes, Jie,Mathaniko, are quarrying together, united.They have courage’
However, despite these challenges, the report exists as a celebration of those existing strengths and capacities too often overlooked by outside development agencies. In particular, the report identifies the five main strengths of the Karimojong youth as flexibility, open-mindedness, respect, care & knowledge, and law; whilst, the findings present evidence of creative collective action as a tool for generating/securing livelihoods; supporting education; and even securing the peace by transcending tribal differences.
‘There has been so much rain this year, and the strengthof soil and rain has combined with our own strengthto give us hope for the future.’
The message from this report is clear, to all those truly committed to standing in solidarity with the youth of Karamoja, development must build on existing capacities identified via the process of grassroots research, and respect the Karimojong Youth themselves as highly effective agents in their own development.
Restless Development worked with thePastoralist Communication Initiative (PCI)and theUK Institute of Development Studies (IDS)on this research. PCI trained the research team and facilitated the process with advisory support from IDS. UNFPA and DFID funded the research.
The Report:
http://www.restlessdevelopment.org/file/strength-creativity-and-livelihoods-of-karimojong-youth-low-pdf
The Research Summary:
http://www.restlessdevelopment.org/file/strength-creativity-and-livelihoods-of-karimojong-youth-summary-low-pdf
The Method:
http://www.restlessdevelopment.org/file/strength-creativity-and-livelihoods-of-karimojong-youth-method-paper-low-pdf