This project will enable the National Director of Uganda Unites attend Notre Dame's Krocs Modes of Healing training, he will gain specialised tools in trauma-aware peacebuilding and reconciliation that will be transferred to all 65 of youth leaders and peace clubs through Uganda Unites' leadership programs. This investment multiplies impact: one trained peacebuilder returns to equip an entire network of youth changemakers who are healing communities torn by ethnic division and historical trauma.
Uganda has never experienced a democratic and peaceful transition of power; every new leader has been ushered in by war, costing over 500,000 lives. As the world's second youngest population, Ugandan youth are at the center of this violence, fueled by high unemployment rates that make them vulnerable to radicalization by extremist groups promising a better life. Without healing from historical trauma and tools for peaceful conflict resolution, this cycle of violence continues across generations.
The National Director will gain specialized training in trauma-aware peacebuilding and restorative healing approaches, then immediately apply these tools through Uganda Unites' programs that train 700 youth leaders across 7 regions to counter radicalization. By equipping the leader who trains these young peacebuilders, this investment multiplies impact: one person trained at Notre Dame becomes hundreds trained in communities, who then reach thousands more with skills for healing.
When 700 trained youth peacebuilders return to their communities equipped with healing and reconciliation tools, they become agents of transformation who break cycles of violence in their regions. Over time, these leaders will mentor the next generation, creating a ripple effect where trauma-informed peacebuilding becomes embedded in community leadership across Uganda. This builds the foundation for Uganda's first generation capable of achieving what has never happened before.
