Organisation Profile

Conflict Resolution by Youth (CRY)–Uganda was founded by two young Ugandan women, Daisey Muculezi and Marion Akiteng being members and youth non-violence activists of one of the oldest Ugandan peace building NGO (Jamii Ya Kupatanisha) (Fellowship of Reconciliation Uganda).CRY arose out of the desire to change the prevalent culture of violence embraced by the youth to one of non-violence in addressing problems that face young people today.
This is backed by our firm belief that young people only need to be exposed to a wider horizon in order to change their lifestyles and attitudes. Our entry point is the violent conflicts evidenced in various areas in this country and the world as a whole. CRY commits to providing life-changing intercultural experiences for young people and professionals working in diverse contexts of conflict unman rights violations and development. CRY developed effective models for youth programmes that address wide-ranging issues, concerns and build meaningful, supportive relationships among youth people who are about transforming conflict, thus improve the world around them.

Vision
A non violent youth culture

Mission
To integrate into youth generation

Objectives
•    To promote peaceful resolution of conflicts amongst youth and communities as a whole through skills training in for example, dialogue, negotiation, mediation, theatre, etc
•    To integrate training in non violent conflict resolution skills within youth’s extra-curriculum activities in schools and other information youth groups
•    To bridge any communication gaps existing between the youth and their elders
•    To create awareness amongst the youth of the alterative available towards resolution of conflicts and maintaining peaceful relations within their communities
•    To be a resource that the youth can turn to for information and encouragement
•    To create awareness and involving adults- teachers, parents, guardians- in activities that foster non violence among youths
•    Provide the necessary link between the youth and modern ICT for peace work
•    Stimulate peace building that is truly sustainable
•    To promote gender equality and empowerment of women as effective way to combat injustice, violence, poverty, hunger and diseases and to stimulate peace building that is truly sustainable
•    To promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, as well as respect of all internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Projects under taken in the past and currently
•    Peace Theater and Art for Peace
•    Annual Regional Youth Peace Camps
•    “Karamoja is the Home” Project
•    Professional Youth Exchange and Travel
•    Livelihoods Support through Micro Finance Credit, Enterprise Development
•    Creating Peaceable Communities through Empowering the Youth Project
•    Youth to Youth Conflict Transformation Project, in Karamoja, Lango and Teso Region (KALATE)
•    Linking Individuals, Knowledge and Culture (LINC) Programme
•    Debate House Programme/ Debate Academy
•    Peace Clubs Development in Uganda

Challenges

Soil scientists have revealed that Uganda’s soil is being mined off its nutrients and fertility. This spells doom to the only viable hope for youth to improve livelihood through farming as a business on land and also inhibits the youth from transforming lives through agricultural sector which is the backbone to Uganda’s economy.

The unresponsive national youth policy is a challenge and needs to be reformed.

National Development Plan (NDP) that replaced Poverty Eradication Action Plan deleted the pillar on peace building and conflict resolution; therefore, it is lacking a very sensitive pillar in sustainable development.

Inadequate funding amidst economic shocks due to both external and internal monetary and fiscal factors,
This has further increased the vulnerability levels and the burden of OVCs. Access to output market, infrastructure, technology, quality fertilizer and credit is challenge to our youth enterprise development agenda.