Abstract
In this reflection, we draw on our findings, experiences, and recommendations from supporting admissions processes for refugees and asylum seekers into higher education across universities in Uganda, Edinburgh, and Oxford. We reflect on the practical, institutional, and systemic barriers that displaced populations face in gaining admission to universities
About the Great Lakes Youth Programme?
The Great Lakes Youth programme aims to provide young men and women, aged between 18 and 30 years old, with knowledge and competencies that will allow them to play an effective role in governance, peace consolidation, and development processes at the local, national, and regional levels. It provides them with support in designing and implementing peace-oriented actions that generate/strengthen a shared sense of regional citizenship. It also gives them access to a cross-border network that allows them to access decision-makers to share their ideas as well as influence decisions for peace and cohesion between the Great Lakes peoples. The programme also uses awareness-raising, intercultural and intergenerational dialogue, and advocacy to challenge cultural, ageist and gender norms that limit the ability of young men and women to engage effectively in civic, political and peace processes in the Great Lakes region.
The Great Lakes program is implemented by Interpeace and its partners Pole Institute, the Centre of Alert and Prevention of Conflicts (CENAP), Action for Peace and Concord (APC), Refugee Law Project (RLP), and Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle (VJN) financed by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) through the project “Cross-border dialogue for peace in the Great Lakes region: phase III”.
Who is a Peace Fellow?
Peace Fellows are young men and women, between the ages of 18 and 30, from different fields/backgrounds who are affiliated to various existing platforms involved in building peace in the Great Lakes Region.
Platforms may include government and regional agencies/bodies, youth groups, youth organizations, associations, clubs, cooperatives, saving circles, university guild associations, youth councils, farmers’ associations, youth in technology, youth in private sector, artists, traders, musicians etc. As platform members, Peace Fellows implement innovative initiatives for peace at the local, national and/or regional levels.
Why participate in the programme as a Peace Fellow?
As part of a cross-border network of 120 Youth from Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and the DRC, you will be supported through training and exchange of experience sessions to level up your current initiatives and increase the impact of your work. Training topics may include, but not be limited to, advocacy, conflict analysis, mediation, dialogue facilitation, community engagement, or introduction to trauma-healing approaches. You will also gain access to a cross-border network of policymakers and have opportunities to participate in national policy dialogues, regional youth advocacy events, as well as cross-border inter-generational and intercultural festivals, to help enhance Youth leadership and participation in peace processes in the Great Lakes region.
Requirements:
If so, you could be our next Peace Fellow and we invite you to submit your expression of interest!
How to submit a manifestation of interest?
To submit an expression of interest, please send us an Expression of Interest detailing your interest in the program, peace initiatives or peacebuilding background (if any) and contact details along with two recommendation letters and a 2-paged CV.
Your email should be sent no later than May 22, 2025, at midnight, to the following address an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
RLP at 20 is up in gears with several amazing initiatives and ground-breaking work. We recently concluded a Sexual Violence Symposium under the theme “Sexual Violence in Conflict: Advancing the Agenda?” (report yet to be published) and we are finalising arrangements for the upcoming South-South Institute on Sexual Violence Against Men and Boys in Conflict and Forced Displacement guided by the theme “Bridging the Sexual Violence Torture Divide” – all of which are important initiatives in advancing conversations on sexual violence in conflict.
University of British Columbia students, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs.
As one of his first major policies, US President Donald Trump enacted massive freezes in US foreign aid. In the aftermath, the global humanitarian landscape has undergone significant disruption. As one of the largest providers of aid, American withdrawal from aid provision has left many partners, including Uganda, seeking alternative routes. However, aid dependency, when coupled with ineffective or uninformed foreign interventions, has left many communities frustrated and disillusioned. Our recent fieldwork in Northern Uganda, conducted as part of our capstone project at the University of British Columbia’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, revealed widespread concerns about how foreign aid is allocated and implemented. Our main research focus is on the impact of armed conflict on family structures, specifically with regards to social cohesion..
This training manual, building on practical experiences, evidenced based advocacy, and other referenced sources