Research Articles

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Communication inside the LRA: Militarization of Acoli Language, a Cultural Patriotism or mere Rebel Indoctrination?
(International Journal of Advanced Research, 2024-07-29) James Onono Ojok; Ajok Beatrice Abonga; Arthur Owor
In an ideal situation, there should be no positive effect of the LRA war in Northern Uganda, but what of the real testimonies that the LRA war brought in many development partners with school fees scholarships through institutions like Acoli Education Initiatives, Invisible Children, Windle Trust Uganda among others. But where are they going to pay for school, the northern children in ‘war affected areas’, and others up to universities, if it were not because of the devastating effect of the war on Education? This is still without the many successful grants and PhD projects completed within Uganda and around the globe based on LRA attachment to spirituality, transitional justice or interrogating the Acoli traditional justice system versus international laws. A debate can be constructed, if necessary, that the authorities on the LRA scholarships are from the global north -meaning the war pulled scholars from their comfort zones. Secondarily, what do we owe this to? For lack of a better word, other scholars would call it the ‘unintended’ positive effect of the war. This journal paper borrows the philosophy that if you are telling a story, it should be told up-side-down. Chimamanda Ngozi, the Nigerian writer, baptised it as a one-sided story and called it the danger of a single story (Adichie 2009). Schulz, Apio et al (2024) tell us about the ‘Love and Care in the LRA’, which this paper calls bravery, with all the horror stories of the LRA! This paper is grounded in some of these philosophies of Adichie (2009) and Schulz, Apio et al. (2024) of telling all sides of the story, attempting to reconstruct the LRA use of Acoli language throughout their military operations as a demonstration of Acoli cultural attachment, loyalty and depiction of Acoli cultural patriotism or activism argued by this paper. This was through using secondary data review and holding in-depth purposive interviews with four former LRA returnees plus two cultural chiefs, including extracting the archival journalistic records of the first author, who was an active journalist in northern Uganda for over 10 years between 2010 and 2021. This journal paper, however, does not underscore the pain and sufferings, the LRA brought on the people of Uganda and other neighbouring countries. However, this paper just gives an ontological side of the LRA, which is hard to find in terms of their particular role in promoting Acoli culture by using Acoli language as their military operational medium of communication.
Public Communication for Effective Service Delivery to Refugees in Uganda. The Case of Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement
(East African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2024-07-03) James Onono Ojok; Arthur Owor
This study argues that Public Communication in Refugee Settlements, when managed professionally and structurally with a deliberate open feedback mechanism for the end-users of services provided by the government and its development partners, could be a great tool for the evaluation and enhancement of public services provided in Refugee Settlements. The study analyses the education and health sectors as parameters for the government’s service delivery in the case of the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement. Taking a qualitative research methodology approach with the case of Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, the study found that the Uganda Refugees Act (2006), which authorises service provision by the government to the refugees, has no specific public communication strategy or policy clearly spelled as a communication framework to support service provision feedback. Therefore, the study recommends a direct public engagement communication strategy involving refugees and relevant stakeholders in the public service provision with the ultimate goal of improving service delivery at Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement
Public Relations and Service Delivery in Local Government in Uganda: Assessing the Impact of Public Relations and Challenges in Service Delivery in the Case of Gulu District Local Government in Northern Uganda
(East African Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2024-06-29) James Onono Ojok; James Kiwanuka-Tondo
This study is part of the Masters’ Dissertation for the Master of Arts in Strategic Communication at Uganda Christian University, Mukono, titled Analysing the Role of Public Relations in Service Delivery by Local Governments: The Case of Gulu District Local Government in Northern Uganda. The Excellence theory of Grunig and Hunt (1984) and Roger’s Diffusion theory of innovation (1962) informed the analytical framework of this study. The study was conducted in the traditional Gulu district under the jurisdiction and governance of Gulu district local government. The areas covered ranged from the two divisions within Gulu Municipality, Layibi and Pece, with a stretch-out to the Bungatira sub-county. In the case of Gulu district local government, the study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches where 243 respondents were sampled using purposive and convenience sampling to select the participants. The study found that over 230 Kilometre Road was opened in the year 2017-2021 without any conflict. The study also found that there was an increase in handwashing practices because of the involvement of the community through sensitisation and the use of different communication platforms. The study exposed professional growth challenges for Public Relations professionals at the district level as the working environment provides no hierarchical growth in the Public Relations office as the structure in place doesn’t accommodate promotion to senior or mid-level compared to other offices in Gulu District Local Government. The study argues that Public Relations has the capacity to achieve more in terms of supporting or enhancing service delivery, provided there is a deliberate attempt to develop a feedback communication strategy for most public goods or services. Additionally, with full management or administration support for the public relations department for smooth operation, this study agrees that public relations can improve service delivery in any setting in local government.
The Extent of Contribution and Challenges of Women Council Representatives Performance in Decision Making Process: The Case of Gulu District Local Government (2016-2020)
(Journal of Gender Related Studies, 2024) James Onono Ojok; Arthur Owor,; Karlo Ojok
Purpose: The study aimed at presenting the struggle of women councilors to remain active and relevant while participating at the Gulu district council politic and interrogates the challenges they face while exercising their legislative duties. Methodology: The research deployed qualitative methods of data collection including key informant interviews, focus group discussions, document review like council minutes. The study used in-depth interviews, focus group discussion based on the research questions derived from the objectives of the study. Meanwhile some data were quantified just for easy presentation purposes of the study data. Findings: This study argues that Women Councilors at local level are disadvantaged at the council decision making process and general council political participation compared to their male counterparts due to many factors that include biological, level of education plus the abstract environment already set by the patriarchy society. This study also adds that in the case of Gulu district, one of the post war conflict districts in Uganda, even the local media is hostile to the women councilors as they majorly report only negative things about them and not give them a positive projection in the press although beyond that, the study also notesthat the media in question majorly rely on male councilors as their news sources and not the women councilors denying-female commiserate voices in their stories. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommended legislative training for women councilors and the use of local languages in extreme cases at the district council level to allow free expression of the group who could not comprehend English for council debates. The study also recommended gender mainstreaming in the local press to uphold deliberate gains by donors and the government on gender mainstreaming and inclusiveness at local level.
The Role of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Influencing Climate Change Policy: The Case of PACJA at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan
(African Journal of Climate Change and Resource Sustainability, 2025-04-14) James Onono Ojok; Uchenna Igwe; O'Brien Kimani; Nyeko Kenneth
Over 40,000 delegates from all over the world gathered in the city of Baku, Azerbaijan, the transcontinental country bordering Eastern Europe and West Asia for the 29th edition of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP29). Adopted in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Dawson & Spannagle 2008), the Conference of Parties set the limits on the emission of greenhouse gas (GHG) to prevent the dangers of climate change. 195 countries adopted the Parish Agreement in 2015 at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21), committing to undertake more efforts to keep a global temperature rise in this century below 2°C. Over the years, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have recorded tremendous impact and influence over policy decisions in key areas of the economy within nations and transnational structures. The paper examines the realities of the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) within the global climate change corridor, and their contributions towards influencing climate change policies at COP29 held in Baku, Azerbaijan, particularly advocacy efforts, high-level intergovernmental and civic engagement activities to drive policy changes.

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