YOUTH PERSPECTIVES ON IDENTITY AND NATIONAL UNITY IN UGANDA Understanding conflict. Building peace. About International Alert International Alert helps people find peaceful solutions to conflict. We are one of the world’s leading peacebuilding organisations, with nearly 30 years of experience laying the foundations for peace. We work with local people around the world to help them build peace. And we advise governments, organisations and companies on how to support peace. We focus on issues which influence peace, including governance, economics, gender relations, social development, climate change, and the role of businesses and international organisations in high-risk places. www.international-alert.org © International Alert 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without full attribution. Layout by D. R. ink Front cover image: © International Alert/SWORD Images YOUTH PERSPECTIVES ON IDENTITY AND NATIONAL UNITY IN UGANDA November 2013 2 International Alert Acknowledgements This report was written by Robert Senath Esuruku, with substantial input from Levis Mugumya, Joshua B. Rubongoya and Harriet Namisi, along with Olawale Ismail and Jessie Benfield. A number of International Alert staff have also made significant contributions to the drafting and editing of this report. We would particularly like to thank David Okidi, Bernard Atuhaire, Richard Businge and many others. We are grateful to all participants who shared their views as part of the research. Thanks to Associates Research for providing the additional data analysis needed to finalise this report. We would like to extend our particular thanks to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) for the financial support for this work. International Alert is also grateful for the support from our strategic donors: the UK Department for International Development UKAID; the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency; the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland. The opinions expressed in this report are solely those of International Alert and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of our donors. Youth perspectives on identity and national unity in Uganda 3 Contents Abbreviations 4 Executive summary 5 1. Introduction 8 1.1 Rationale for youth perspectives on identity and national unity 8 1.2 Methodology 9 1.3 Purpose and outline of the report 9 2. National and youth identity 11 2.1 National identity 11 2.2 Tracing youth identity in Uganda 12 2.3 Youth policies and institutional frameworks 13 3. Factors shaping youth identity and youth perceptions of national symbols and unity 15 3.1 Ethnicity 15 3.2 Religion 17 3.3 National language 19 3.4 Nationality 20 3.5 Region of origin 22 3.6 Cultural institutions 23 3.7 National symbols and unity 25 4. Youth and public governance 28 4.1 Background to youth organisations and politics in Uganda 28 4.2 Youth participation in decision making 30 4.3 Involvement in development programming 31 4.4 Local government programming for youth activities 33 4.5 Youth association with political parties 35 4.6 National youth associations 38 5. Conclusion and priority action areas 41 Priority action areas 42 Appendices 44 Appendix 1: Methodology 44 Appendix 2: Sampled regions, districts and selection criteria 45 Appendix 3: Number of youths interviewed, by district and gender 47 Appendix 4: Age groups of youths interviewed, by region and gender 47 Appendix 5: Data 48 4 International Alert Abbreviations ADF Allied Democratic Forces ADRA Adventist Development Relief Agency BTVET Business, Technical and Vocational Education and Training CRS Catholic Relief Services CSO Civil society organisation CSOPNU Civil Society Organisations for Peace in Northern Uganda DP Democratic Party FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FDC Forum for Democratic Change FGD Focus group discussion HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome IDP Internally displaced person IRCU Inter-Religious Council of Uganda KII Key informant interview LRA Lord’s Resistance Army MoGLSD Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development NAADS National Agricultural Advisory Services NDP National Development Plan NRA National Resistance Army NRM National Resistance Movement NUSU National Union of Students of Uganda NUYO National Union of Youth Organisation PDR Planning, Development and Rehabilitation Department PRDP Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (for Northern Uganda) UBOS Uganda Bureau of Statistics UIYN Uganda Inter-Faith Youth Network UMSC Uganda Muslim Supreme Council UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNSA Uganda National Students’ Association UPC Uganda People’s Congress UPCYL Uganda People’s Congress Youth League UYDO Uganda Youth Development Organisation WHO World Health Organization YCS Young Christian Students YFU Young Farmers’ Union YMCA Young Men’s Christian Association YWCA Young Women’s Christian Association Youth perspectives on identity and national unity in Uganda 5 Executive summary This report – Youth Perspectives on Identity and National Unity in Uganda – stems from a study carried out by International Alert aimed at fostering peace in Uganda, particularly in the post-conflict areas of northern Uganda. The report constitutes one of the follow-up activities designed to specifically address the hitherto unstudied area of youth perceptions of identity and national unity in Uganda. The study aimed to gain deeper insights into understanding identity and nationhood among the youth in Uganda. At the same time, it sought to find out the role that the government, civil society organisations and religious and cultural institutions have played in moulding the youth into good citizens. Using interviews, focus group discussions and documentary data, the study enlisted a total of 1,036 respondents from 12 districts in Uganda. It employed a two-stage simple random sampling technique to obtain respondents. A list of villages per district was obtained from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) office. From the selected villages, a list of households was obtained from the Local Council I chairpersons, who also facilitated the selection of households with youths. The study gathered collective perceptions of the youth regarding national identity and unity, along with their participation in political and government activities. Summary of key findings Institutional frameworks Several policies targeting the youth have been developed and implemented. Moreover, youth affairs are well stipulated in various legal frameworks and institutional policies. The National Youth Policy spells out priority areas that require action for the integration of the youth in national development. Several other policies include: the National Youth Council Act (1993), which was amended in 2003; the Equal Opportunities Commission Act, 2007; Universal Primary Education Policy; Universal Post Primary Education and Training Policy; Adolescent Reproductive Health Policy; National Employment Policy; and HIV/AIDS Sector Policies. Despite these policies and legal frameworks, the plight of the youth has not been fully addressed. Ethnic groups At the national and district levels, the youth closely identify with their respective family, tribe, ethnic group, religion, gender and cultural heritage, among others. Ethnicity as a form of identity was identified as the most important factor for youth identity. For example, 82.3% and 80.6% of women and men respectively who participated in the study believe that ethnic identity is the most important aspect of youth identity. This view is strongly reflected in the districts of northern and western Uganda. In Otuke, 100% and 98% of male and female respondents respectively believe that one’s ethnicity is the most important form of youth identity, while in Katakwi 96.3% and 88.9% of female and male respondents respectively expressed the same view. In Kiruhura, 98% and 97.4% of male and female respondents respectively cite ethnicity as the most important factor. Given the diversity of ethnic groups in Uganda, one’s association with one’s ethnic group is a significant factor in describing youth identity. 6 International Alert Religion Religion is another form of identity that is rated as being very important to the youth. Religion continues to be crucial in most social and political aspects of Ugandan life. It cuts across youth groups and educational institutions. Although it is significant for the youth at national level, religion is more significant for females (85.5%) than for males (78.1%). The majority of the youth in the country are close to their respective churches and mosques. For example, in Arua district 87.2% and 81.8% of young men and women respectively indicated that they were very close to their churches or mosques, while in Kampala 97.5% of both men and women said this was the case. The youth also confirm that religious institutions have played a key role in shaping their lives compared with any other institution in Uganda. For example, the youth strongly indicate that the church/mosques have made an effort to incorporate youth programming in their activities through initiatives such as counselling, seminars, music, drama festivals and dance. Nationality The study also established nationality as another significant indicator of identity among