Courtney Howard Shares Her Ideas on "What's at Stake in the Juba Peace Talks?"
Continuing with our series "What's at Stake in the Juba Peace Talks," we are asking YOU to send your stories, reflections and ideas for posting to pquaranto@ugandacan.org. Today, we feature a reflection by Courtney Howard of Lyndon, NY:
"In early January, I received an email from my friend David who lives outside of Kampala. He and I were part of a group that traveled to the north for a few days last February. He had just returned from a visit with his sister in Gulu who has been working with an Ugandan relief organization there and just recently received a degree from Gulu University. His email spoke of the feeling of relief and hope in Gulu that was a result of the peace talks. People, he said, were now able to resettle in smaller camps nearer to their homes and he observed some small business growth. The people of northern Uganda are so deserving of this hope and the loss of it would add even greater sorrow to what has been a life of tragedy. On one of our nights in Gulu last February, I felt a hand grab my elbow and a young boy said, 'Miss, my mother and father are dead.' It was the first thing he said to me. Not his name, where he lived, or the school he attended. He didn’t tell me of his friends or of his favorite past-times. His introduction was to tell me of the loss of his family to this terrible war from which he fled each night. Peace means the hope for a future for him and countless other children who, just as our children do, deserve a care-free childhood filled with opportunities. I never learned that young boy’s name because I was thrown off balance by his statement and was uncertain how to respond. We cannot allow this present uncertainty to keep us from responding and not speak out for the continuation of this peace process."
"In early January, I received an email from my friend David who lives outside of Kampala. He and I were part of a group that traveled to the north for a few days last February. He had just returned from a visit with his sister in Gulu who has been working with an Ugandan relief organization there and just recently received a degree from Gulu University. His email spoke of the feeling of relief and hope in Gulu that was a result of the peace talks. People, he said, were now able to resettle in smaller camps nearer to their homes and he observed some small business growth. The people of northern Uganda are so deserving of this hope and the loss of it would add even greater sorrow to what has been a life of tragedy. On one of our nights in Gulu last February, I felt a hand grab my elbow and a young boy said, 'Miss, my mother and father are dead.' It was the first thing he said to me. Not his name, where he lived, or the school he attended. He didn’t tell me of his friends or of his favorite past-times. His introduction was to tell me of the loss of his family to this terrible war from which he fled each night. Peace means the hope for a future for him and countless other children who, just as our children do, deserve a care-free childhood filled with opportunities. I never learned that young boy’s name because I was thrown off balance by his statement and was uncertain how to respond. We cannot allow this present uncertainty to keep us from responding and not speak out for the continuation of this peace process."