PURSUING PEACE WITH PASSION

Hildah Birungi

I work as a peace networker and mediator in my country, Uganda. I do research and networking with peace organizations in Uganda, training in peer mediation and mediating conflicts within my society.

I come from a family that has been adversely affected by war. We have lived our lives in a quagmire of pain, fear and trauma. My father was abducted during Idi Amin's regime in the 1970's. We have never heard from him or even buried him. My family had high hopes for him since he was educated. I grew up with a need to find peace not only for myself but also for my family. I opted to do an International Relations and Diplomacy course at Makerere University in Kampala. That was the only course with subjects closely linked with peacebuilding.

Being with the people and walking the journey with them
is my aim in life.

After my studies, I joined the "Alternatives to Violence" project as a volunteer and learned about "transforming power" - the power within each person to choose to change from acting violently to acting non-violently. I realized that my talents and passion lay in conflict resolution. The ease with which I have been able to creatively do training and genuinely understand people's conflicts has made me realize that peace work is God's purpose for my life. Satisfaction is a state of mind produced when I reach out to another persons discomfort. Being with the people and walking the journey with them is my aim in life. My life is not my own. I wake up each day with an unyielding will to help my people improve their lives because the greatest undeveloped resource in my nation is the people.

My most important dream is to remain a genuine peacemaker,
working for my people and my country.

My experiences at SPI have enhanced the practical application of skills I learned theoretically during my university coursework. The theory taught there focused mainly on high-level international diplomatic work and historical mistakes of various governments. I have shared my experiences with professors and department heads at Makerere University. They are very proud that I am working as a peace worker using some of the theory taught to me. So this is going to be a new way of creating jobs as well as enhancing the program. Since diplomacy is a mother of invention, I am sure that many opportunities can spring out of this field.

My most important dream is to remain a genuine peacemaker, working for my people and my country. I also intend to pursue a masters degree in the Peacebuilding and International Relations field in order assess how it can be made practical, incorporating peace building and reconciliation skills.

I would like to work in liaison with peace organizations all over the world and exchange not only skills but also information. Another vision I have is to establish a mediation and negotiation initiative here in my country which will offer mediation services within communities. This will be an incentive for professionals to work as grassroots mediators.

It is people's inhumanity to people that creates an unjust world. My vision in life is to make others aware that we are all human beings of one maker and judge. We should therefore strive to ensure the safety and well being of all others.

Hildah Birungi works for Mennonite Central Committee in Uganda. She attended SPI 2000.