UGANDA: Catholic Universities in Africa to strengthen Peace Studies
Catholic Universities in Africa intend to make Justice and Peace Studies central in the academic formation of students in line with the wishes of Church Fathers in the region.
Over the last decade various Catholic institutions in Africa: the Conference of the Catholic Episcopate of the Great Lakes Region for Peace and Reconciliation (2010), the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa (ACEAC) (2012), the Association of Member Episcopal Conference in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) (2010), and the Episcopal Conference of Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania(2010) – resolved to strengthen peace building capacities in Africa.
Association of Catholic Universities and Higher Institutes of Africa and Madagascar (ACUHIAM) in 2017 approved a proposal for “institutionalizing education, training, and research in peace studies.”
Meanwhile, Uganda Martyrs University hosts The Africa Institute for Justice and Peace Studies Program Development in the Social Tradition of the Church, which spearheads efforts to promote peace studies in the region.
The institute convened 64 participants from 16 countries being; Burundi, Canada, Cameroon, France (Côte d’Ivoire, Germany, Democratic Republic of Congo, United States, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Sudan, Uganda and Zambia, to deliberate on peace related initiatives.
The institute seeks to review and strengthen existing peace studies programs by sharing best practices in peace education and research. In addition, the institute considers areas in which university and institute programs might collaborate like research, student and faculty exchanges, besides improving access to academic resources through virtual libraries and other methods.
Finally, the institute explores how academic programs can learn from and contribute to the peace and justice work of the wider Catholic community and wider society.
Chair of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, His Grace John Baptist Odama, called on participants to ensure that the Mother Church plays her spiritual obligation of promoting peace and justice as central to the mission of the Church.
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