Rooted in Catholic social teaching, Caritas Fort Portal-HEWASA promotes justice and peace through its projects hinged on safeguarding, supporting and advocating for the vulnerable, the voiceless and the marginalized groups of society suffering from the social, political, economic and environmental injustices with the goal of creating a peaceful environment for dignified living.
We look at justice and peace in totality, focusing mainly on good governance, accountability, human rights, access to justice – all of which are vital aspects for a dignified life of displaced people calling for a humanitarian response.
We also implement interventions in environmental justice as a means to protect the natural resources. This strategy has given the department credibility with regard to issues related to overall ownership of natural resources.
Thanks to fruitful coordination and collaborations with existing key Justice and Peace sectors and stakeholders in the country as well as due to partnerships with organizations in human rights promotion, we have registered commendable achievements in this area.
With over 1,611,732 refugees who are currently in Uganda, we rely on our profound experience with and understanding of the refugee and humanitarian needs in the region and at the national level to offer assistance, and thus help them carry on with their lives.
Projects under Justice and Peace
Civic education and good governance
Civic engagements build stronger, more resilient communities and ensure that democracy remains vibrant and responsive to the needs of its citizens. Caritas Fort Portal-HEWASA carries out civic education to local council leaders, youth leaders and women leaders in order to promote access to justice. We offer legal guidance and facilitate pro-bono services for discriminated individuals. We also promote human rights through awareness creation, and we seek to improve the knowledge base of local council leaders regarding their roles and their implementation of values such as good governance, accountability and transparency in services.
Humanitarian Protection at the Heart of our Action (PROHUMA 2)
Protection and promotion of human rights is the cornerstone of humanity rooted in both our constitution and of Catholic social teaching. We conduct trainings on general human rights and land ownership rights. We also conduct trainings on multi-party system of governance aiming at improving citizens’ appreciation of their roles, and we also encourage their active participation and look out for their protection when exercising their rights. Acknowledging that religious leaders play a great role for country, we train them in good governance. We also run radio programs on issues of access to justice and good governance.
Promoting Human Rights for Youth and Women leaders
We aim at increasing human rights knowhow of youth and women leaders by training them on social and legal issues, land right issues, and access to justice.
Access to Justice
We enable vulnerable victims of human rights to gain access to justice services by facilitating pro-bono legal services. This is supplemented by our initiatives on access to legal counselling for victims of human rights violations.