UGANDA: UEC chairman receives honorary degree from Ugandan University
Many universities, both public and private, recognize individuals who make notable contributions and achievements to the society by awarding them with an honorary doctorate degree, which is the highest degree conferred upon a person.
confers Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy on Archbishop Odama
during the university’s 12th graduation ceremony last Saturday.
On Saturday, January 14, 2017 the Chairman of the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC), Most Rev. John Baptist Odama, also the Archbishop of Gulu, received an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) degree from Gulu University in Uganda.
The honorary degree, awarded for his outstanding contribution in promoting peace and reconciliation, is in recognition for his dedicated efforts to work for peace in Northern Uganda during and after the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel’s insurgency that lasted for over two decades.
The award was given by the Gulu University Chancellor, Prof Frederick Kayanja, under the “outstanding service to State” of the Honorary Degree Awards policy during the university’s 12th graduation ceremony.
On his part, Archbishop Odama expressed his deep appreciation for his award and said he accepted it on behalf of children, mothers and peace promoters across the globe.
“It’s a great honour for me to be involved in peace keeping since 1999 when I was installed as the Archbishop of Gulu. People are now breathing fresh air because peace prevails in the region but the struggle must not end,” Archbishop Odama said, (quoted in the Daily Monitor –A Ugandan daily newspaper of January 16).
The civil war, which started in 1986 led by Joseph Kony, has had disastrous impacts upon the population in the region. Between 28,000 and 38,000 children were abducted by the LRA to serve as child soldiers, sex slaves and porters, and over 1.8 million people were displaced and forced to live in bad conditions of the Internally Displaced People camps. It is amidst this setting that the Archbishop dedicated his efforts to advocating and working for the return of peace in northern Uganda to create a safe environment for children and other civilians.
His Lordship is a strong advocate of peaceful and non-violent means to resolve conflict, including amnesty and dialogue. In 2002 he was instrumental in organizing a series of meetings between the government and LRA. Archbishop Odama also served as the chairman of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI) from 2002-2010. ARLPI is an interfaith peace building and conflict transformation organization that has been tirelessly working to end the war in Northern Uganda.
Moreover, in 2005, he initiated Prayer Peace Week in Gulu Ecclesiastical Province which comprises of Gulu Archdiocese, Arua, Nebbi and Lira Dioceses (GANAL). Prayer Peace Week is an annual event of peace pilgrimage, retreat and prayer. It usually held every year with an aim of fostering a culture of dialogue and forgiveness, encouraging cooperation and joint responsibility as alternatives to achieve sustainable peace, prosperity, harmony and social regeneration. Gulu Archdiocese led this year’s event, the 12th edition, from January 9-13.
∽End∽
By Jacinta W. Odongo, Media Officer, Uganda Episcopal Conference
