Working Paper: Why Being Able to Return Home Should be Part of Transitional Justice: Urban IDPs in Kampala and their quest for a Durable Solution

The Refugee Law Project is pleased to announce publication of the second Beyond Juba Project working paper, entitled "Why Being Able to Return Home Should be Part of Transitional Justice: Urban IDPs in Kampala and their quest for a Durable Solution."

The paper was produced as part of the Beyond Juba Project (www.beyondjuba.org) , which is a three-year joint transitional justice project of the Faculty of Law at Makerere University, the Refugee Law Project, and the Human Rights & Peace Centre, all located in Kampala, Uganda. The aim of the Beyond Juba Project is to advocate for a comprehensive transitional justice process in Uganda through in-depth consultation and training with key stakeholders including different branches of government, through research on critical issues relating to transitional justice in Uganda, and through a multi-layered public information campaign that reaches all sectors of society.

The current paper seeks to explore the relationship between urban IDPs' experiences of conflict-related violence, and their attitudes towards transitional justice processes, including reconciliation. Among the most pertinent findings is that the community's ability to heal from war is directly connected to being able to return home, which in turn hinges partly on being able to reconcile with former combatants, including those who committed atrocities against their neighbours and family members. The full paper discusses issues arising from the high degree of overlap between victims and perpetrators, transgenerational trauma, and the necessity of sequencing any transitional justice process to match the community's psycho-social needs.

We hope you will find the attached paper informative. It can also be accessed on our website at http://www.beyondjuba.org/working_papers/BJP.WP2.pdf

Sincerely,

Paulina Wyrzykowski

Senior Research and Advocacy Officer

Refugee Law Project