I have now been in school, at ASU, for five weeks. I am taking two classes, one a comprehensive overview of Social Justice and Human Rights and the other a seminar on Economic Crime, Political Evil and Alternative Forms of Incarceration. So what have I learned so far and has that critical eye changed the way I viewed my time in Uganda? Hmmmm, I have learned a lot, thought a lot, and yes my view of my time in Uganda has changed. Not in the way you might imagine. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about the NGO I worked with. They are wonderful people who care about the work they are doing and the people they serve. This post has NOTHING to do with them, but rather is a larger view of social justice work in Uganda and the role I played while there.
Social justice and human rights work is concerned in making sure that all human beings are treated with respect, honor and true justice. The work also can give a voice and power to the disenfranchised, and advocate for strong vibrant communities. Tall order. Is that work taking place in Uganda?. A mixed bag for sure. Uganda, just this month, celebrated 50 years of independence from Britain. Colonialism and its effects are still everywhere and I have to be careful that I don't approach the struggles of Ugandans through only western eyes. When I look at Uganda's human rights record, I find a mixed bag. Without the personal, first-hand testimony of Ugandans striving for dignity and a better life, I might think Uganda's record was pretty good. This is because any government (not just Uganda) or large institution can easily hide behind misleading statistics. Are women and men treated equally in Uganda with equal access to the same services? Not always. Are children living on the street or families living in slums treated with compassion and dignity, receive justice, or are their voices even heard? Not always. Are HIV infected individuals given access to quality medical care? Again, not always. No easy answer here. Can the United Nations address this? I don't think so, because there are laws on the books that give equal access, provide community development funds, micro-loans and free healthcare . The difficulty comes in the implementation. Social Justice has two fronts for me: the political and the personal. Activists involved in the political side seek to affect the "law making and enforcing" part of Social Justice and Human Rights. Without them, we would be in real trouble. The activists that work in the personal strive to alleviate suffering and advocate for individuals, families, and communities and work to empower them. The two are absolutely dependent on each other. I am at this point unsure whether an activist can truly wear both hats.
My last year in Uganda I spent in training and empowering HIV infected women. I worked to listen to the women, become their friends and empower them to become change agents in their communities. But I suffered from the "I am an Island" syndrome. I can now recognize it as a lack of perspective of all the tools that an activist should have; namely the community leader empowerment piece and the political side. I did not do enough to connect with natural supports and place myself in a place of accountability to them. Yes, I really cared for the women and children that I worked with, but I ignored the political. I would never want to sacrifice the personal for the political, but the political is so critical to effect long term change. I listened to the women, but I think I could have listened more. I sought to understand, but I think I could have understood more. I read books and newspapers, but I think I could have learned more. I connected with a few well established change makers in Uganda, but I could have connected with more. I had little contact with other NGOs, or governmental authorities, and none with International bodies like the UN, and I certainly should have done at least some of that too. This is what I have learned: Activism means connection and empowerment for indigenous based change. If I can be a part of that...count me in! Now let's see if I can do it!
