December 6 to 12, 2019: Kampala, Kitgum, Gulu and Aboke
By: Annie Bunting, CSiW Project Director, with Isabelle Masson and Véronique Bourget
After a successful launch of “Ododo Wa” at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg in October, the traveling exhibit had its launch in Uganda in early December 2019. Conjugal Slavery in War (CSiW) Coordinator Véronique Bourget, CMHR Curator Isabelle Masson, and myself traveled to Uganda to coordinate the events with Refugee Law Project (RLP), Grace Acan and Evelyn Amony. Over one week, we held four community dialogues: at the Uganda National Museum, the National Memory and Peace Documentation Centre (Kitgum), TAKs Art Centre in Gulu, and St. Mary’s College in Aboke.
It was striking during the African launch of “Ododo Wa” in Uganda that the exhibit became grounded in each place it visited. Each community that welcomed Grace Acan and Evelyn Amony, their stories, and the team around them seemed to connect with the exhibit. In Kampala, we had an impactful launch with family and friends of Grace and Evelyn and our Ugandan partner Refugee Law Project (RLP). In Kitgum, it was a true community dialogue with representatives from affected communities, families, District government and traditional leaders. Gulu brought together women from the Women’s Advocacy Network (WAN) who shared how their stories, drawings and healing process are reflected in the exhibit. Media was present at these three events. And finally, in Aboke – at St. Mary’s College – we saw how Grace’s storytelling encouraged youth to also share their experiences for support, healing and advocacy. They were touched by her generosity of spirit and stories.[Full article here]
