AFRICA CENTER FOR PEACE
         AND DEMOCRACY

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             Conflict Management & Peace Building Program

Peace is the first step towards building a country.  Without peace, countries do not have a chance in building a sound infrastructure and promotion of economic growth and development.  Our Conflict Management and Peace Building Program focuses on those areas in Central, East, and Southern Africa where there is potential for conflict.  By using preventive diplomacy, we attempt to prevent crises from occurring.Our approach is to learn about the conflicting interests in an area and work with the involved parties to come to a non-violent solution. 


With the support of our field staff, we are able to closely follow developments in Africa.  Africa Center for Peace and Democracy does not take sides, but instead provides a neutral ground for mediation for all stakeholders in the conflict.  Through this program, we are working to help the people of Africa in their quest for peace and democracy. 

Africa Center for Peace and Democracy is focusing on countries in Central, East, and Southern Africa with our primary focus being on the Great Lakes Region.  This includes Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, and Kenya.  When we look at the Great Lakes Region, we see severe instability and bloodshed, and much of this could have been prevented by the international community.

For example, although many people knew about the gravity of the situation, we did not see anyone attempting to get involved in Rwanda before the genocide occurred in 1994.  During a three month span, over 800,000 lives were lost.  The genocide was a catalyst for the invasion of the Democratic Republic of Congo by Rwanda and Uganda, which has currently displaced hundreds of thousands of people, killed over 2 million, and has assisted in making thousands of children orphans.

In Uganda, the situation has been extremely tense under the regime of President Museveni.  Since his military coup in 1986, the government army has declared war on the Acholi people in the North.  Over the last 16 years, the Acholi people have been dehumanized and forced into internment camps.  Widespread human rights violations have taken place in these camps due to lack of protection by the government army.  Thousands have died and many children have been abducted into both the government army and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

Through a military education and political science course, the Ugandan government has been teaching the ideology that Uganda's past regimes were able to commit injustices and atrocities due to the allowance of political freedom in the country.  Because of this, all citizens are required to belong to the "Movement" system of governance.  In the 1995 Constitution, the government proceeded to include Article 269.  This article suppresses all political freedom in the country.  Ugandans do not have the right to association or assembly, they cannot hold conferences outside of Kampala, and cannot campaign for any political candidate.

At Africa Center for Peace and Democracy, we are working to prevent another Rwanda from taking place.  The dire situation in Uganda cannot go on much longer without it exploding.  We strive to bring all involved parties to a peaceful solution, rather than using military means.  Without democracy, there can be no freedom of choice, observance of human rights, or peace and security.



Africa Center for Peace and Democracy
2499 Rice Street, Suite #230
St. Paul, Minnesota 55113
Phone: (651) 765-2656, (651) 765-6345
           Fax: (651) 484-8983
Email: africacenterpd@aol.com