The RLP has held regular seminars over the years, and a selection of reports of proceedings from these are now available. RLP staff are also on occasion asked to give speeches at conferences and workshops, and the texts of these are also available. Whenever the RLP hosts an event, an announcement is made on our Activities and Events calendar, and an invitation is sent to our Mailing List. If you are in Uganda (or even if you are not!), we would warmly welcome you to join us at these public events.

We regularly invite experts or prominent figures in RLP's fields of interest to speak at our seminars, and are always looking for panelists. If you are interested in speaking on a topic of interest to the RLP, we may be able to host you at one of our seminars. Alternatively, if you wish to use RLP's premises to host your own seminar or workshop, or have ideas on a theme for a future seminar, feel free to contact us at info@refugeelawproject.org to make inquiries.

Latest Event:

From 15 - 19 May 2010, the Refugee Law Project (RLP) held the Second Annual Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Persecution (SGBV/P) Awareness Week.
 
The events began with over 175 refugee children and youth participating in a full-day workshop on SGBV/P. In addition to learning about the forms and causes of SGBV, prevention strategies and what to do if SGBV/P happens to them, refugee youth drafted a speech to the Honourable Gabriel Opio, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Affairs, outlining the challenges facing refugee youth and calling upon the Government of Uganda to take action. The speech was presented at the official opening ceremony for the SGBV/P Awareness Week at the Railway Gardens in Kampala on 17 May.
 
On 17 May, the SGBV/P Awareness Week officially opened with a march through Kampala, in which over 150 refugees RLP staff and staff of partner organisations participated. The march ended at the Railway Gardens where Dr. Margaret Mungherera, Consultant Psychiatrist, Mulago Hospital gave the keynote address. Honorable Gabriel Opio, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development was the Guest of Honour. Festivities at the Railway Gardens continued through the week with showcasing by refugee groups and partners, SGBV/P counseling and blood donations.
 
Other activities included a training session for senior police officers at the Kibuli Police Training School. The training included sessions on the psychosocial, medical and legal implications of SGBV/P and rehabilitation of survivors.
A Roundtable Discussion for stakeholders was held on Wednesday, 19 May with theme, "SGBV/P: Enhancing access to care, treatment and rehabilitation for SGBV survivors". Specialists from over twelve different partner organizations, together with a panel of experts formulated policy recommendations for both government and civil society arising out of the SGBV Awareness Week's events.

Earlier Events

The Refugee Law Project SGBV Week (March 09)

• Review of the SGBV Week
• Welcome remarks by Dr. Chris Dolan, Director, Refugee Law Project
• SGBV and Research by Paulina Wyrzykowski, Research and Advocacy Officer, Refugee Law Project
• Gender for Men, Gender for Me

Information session on the PRDP Implementation Process by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister . DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION (Feb 09)

Public seminar on Ugandas Peace Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP). Presentations made:

• Analyzing the implementation of Ugandas Peace Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP) ; a presentation by Jonathan Marino, Research Associate, RLP


• The PRDP and The Role of Civil Society Organizations; a presentation by Robert M. Opio, Chief of Party, Care

The Beyond Juba Project Distinguished Lecture Series (Jan. 09)

Beyond Juba Project/AMANI Forum training in Transitional Justice for Parliamentarians (July 2008). Download a presentation, "Imposed Justice and the need for Sustainable Peace in Uganda", made by Dr. Chris Dolan during the training.
Read press coverage

Launch of World Refugee Survey 2008 hosted at RLP on 19th June 2008 as part of the worldwide launch of the report published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (June 2008)

Launch of the Beyond Juba Project, a joint initiative of the Refugee Law Project (RLP), Human Rights and Peace Centre (HURIPEC) and Faculty of Law, Makerere University (December 2007)

Launch of World Refugee Survey 2007 hosted at RLP on 11th July 2007 as part of the worldwide launch of the report published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (July 2007)

The False Polarisation of Peace and Justice in Uganda Presentation made by Moses Chrispus Okello at the "Building a Future on Peace and Justice" International Conference held in Nuremberg, Germany 25th-27th June 2007

Launch of Working Paper 20 "Giving out their daughters for their survival": Refugee self-reliance, 'vulnerability', and the paradox of early marriage (April 2007)

Beyond Juba: Building Consensus on a Sustainable Peace Process for Uganda (December 2006)
Workshop report, February 2007

Commentary on "Only Peace Can Restore the Confidence of the Displaced" Given at the public hearing on northern Uganda in the European Parliament, Brussels
by Moses C. Okello, 5 October 2006. For other speeches at this event, please click here [off site].

Initial NGO Responses to the Roll-out of the Cluster Approach September 2006)
Presentation made at the pre-EXCOM meeting in Geneva, by Lucy Hovil

Self Settled Refugees in Uganda: An Alternative to Camps (September 2006) Presentation made at the pre-EXCOM meeting in Geneva by Lucy Hovil

The Juba Peace Talks: Implications for the Protection and Eventual Return of IDPs (September 2006)
Mr. Zachary Lomo, former Director of RLP, Major Felix Kulayigye, UPDF Spokesperson, and Ms. Maarit Kohonen, Head of Office - Kampala, UN OHCHR.

Speech presented at the Brookings Institution Workshop on the Implementation of Uganda's National IDP Policy (July 2006)
Dr. Lucy Hovil, Senior Research Associate, RLP

Launch of "Only Peace Can Restore the Confidence of the Displaced" (March 2006)
Dr. Sylvia Tamale, Dean of Law, Makerere University; Mr. Dennis McNamara, Head of the Internal Displacement Division, UN OCHA; Ms. Elisabeth Rassmusson, Head of Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, NRC; and Dr. Lucy Hovil, Senior Research Associate, RLP.

War and Humanitarianism (December 2005)
Dr Sverker Finnstrom, Universtity of Uppsala, Sweden and Zachary Lomo, then Director of RLP

Implementing the Right to Education for Refugees in Uganda (October 2005)
Mr. Yosa Wawa, Windle Trust Uganda and Prof. Mwale, Makerere University

Gender and Forced Migration (May 2005)
Dr. Sylvia Tamale, Dean of Law, Makerere University

Our seminars are open fora allowing the free expression of different opinions. They generally involve participants with strong views. Our hope is to produce lively and vibrant debates, and we do not believe that anyone has the final say on the often complex and difficult themes under consideration.

Note that the summaries above are for informational purposes only. Although we have made every effort to ensure the speakers are satisfied that their words have been portrayed accurately, it must be borne in mind that these are secondary reportages.