Description

The combination of a colonial legacy and post-colonial politics contributed to wide divisions in many African nation-states, including Uganda. Colonial policies created significant discrepancies between northern and southern Uganda that have continued to fuel ethnic tensions.

This program examines the origins of the conflict in northern Uganda; issues of identity construction in the Ugandan context; and ongoing efforts by Ugandans to advance peace, community building, and reconciliation.

A major focus of the program is on the challenges associated with displacement: estimates suggest that the number of internally displaced Ugandans reached 1.7 million people, amounting to roughly 80 percent of the regional population.

Students learn from Ugandan academics, community leaders and international professionals working in the areas of post-conflict transformation, peace building, sustainable reconciliation and community development.

The program's two-week excursion to Rwanda gives students the opportunity to study post-genocide restoration and peace building in a different content while considering post-conflict transformation efforts in the broader Great Lakes region.

Students are strongly encouraged to become fully immersed in the local culture. They receive intensive instruction in the Acholi language and spend six weeks living with a Ugandan family.

Highlights

The program is based in the northern Ugandan city of Gulu, commonly referred to as Gulu town. Students live with a host family in Gulu for six weeks and attend lectures and have excursions. In Gulu, students observe the cross-border dynamics between northern Uganda and southern Sudan as well as the work of the UN and other international humanitarian NGOs.

For more than two decades, Gulu was at the epicenter of conflict in northern Uganda. During this period, thousands of Ugandans were displaced from their ancestral land and forced to settle in camps for internally displaced peoples, causing the area's population to swell from 20,000 to around 150,000. Thousands of Ugandans became dependent on local and international NGOs and humanitarian agencies such as the UN, the World Food Program, Oxfam, and Caritas for food, shelter, water, and clothing. Following the Juba Peace Talks, which brought relative peace to the area, many people returned to their villages and have begun recovering from the effects of war by rebuilding their homes and fields, sending their children to school, and receiving psychosocial support.

Students will witness the damage the conflict inflicted on property, infrastructure, and in the lives of the area's people. Today, Gulu town is rapidly developing, evident through the city's construction of new residential and commercial buildings, banks, schools, and trade with Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

Cost in US$:

contact sponsor

Experience Required

yes

Although there are no prerequisites, students should have an understanding of conflict theories and exhibit the sensitivity and maturity required to deal with these difficult and intense subjects. An interview may be required prior to acceptance.

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living
• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 10-15

Scholarships are Available

About one-third of scholarship applicants receive financial assistance to participate in our programs. Only SIT Study Abroad participants can be considered for SIT Study Abroad scholarships. Awards generally range from USD500 to USD5,000.

Application Process Involves

• Essay
• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Physical Exam/Health Records

Typically The Application Process Time is

3 weeks

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network

SIT Study Abroad's Mission Statement

A pioneer in experiential, field-based study abroad, SIT offers semester, summer, and academic year programs for undergraduate students in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs in multiple locations.

Programs focus on critical global issues in specific geographical and cultural contexts using an interdisciplinary approach. Studying with host country faculty and living with families, students gain a deep appreciation for local cultures and become immersed in diverse topics ranging from the politics of identity to post-conflict transformation, from global health to environmental policy. 

Year Founded

1932