My name is Sarah Petz, I’m a master of journalism student at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. This summer, I am travelling to Uganda to explore how escalating land conflicts are impacting rural communities in the north for a radio documentary.
During the armed civil conflict between the Lords Resistance Army and the Ugandan government, close to two million people in northern Uganda were displaced from their home communities. That legacy of displacement has been devastating to the way of life in the region, and left a myriad of complications related to access to land.
Many returned home to find their land occupied by strangers with no rights to the land. Over the duration of the conflict, many land boundary markings have were lost, leading to the intensification of this issue.
In some cases, those with strong political or financial connections will use their resources to force poorer households off their land, as the poor cannot afford the costs of pursuing the rights to their land.
It has been almost seven years since the end of the civil war yet the prevalence of these conflicts has some officials worried that they pose a serious threat to lasting resettlement and peace in the country. However, there has been little attention in the western media on this issue.
Ultimately, by exploring the issue of land conflicts my documentary will paint of portrait of region’s journey to rebuild after decades of civil war.
In addition, I hope to one day become an international correspondent focusing on issues in developing countries that are often missed by the mainstream media. I hope this project will be a launching pad for that dream.
I decided to become a journalist because it was the best way I knew to make an impact on society. I strongly believe that this project is an opportunity to do that, and I hope you will share the same enthusiasm for it as I do.
Why this project matters:
Land disputes have had a huge impact on the quality of life for many Ugandan households, many of whom rely on agriculture for their livelihood. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, close to 42 per cent of households earn a living on subsistence farming. 65 per cent of the population are employed in agriculture and hunting. Altogether, 85 per cent of the rural population of Uganda depends on agriculture for their income.
In 2009, the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) reported that close to 30 districts were dealing with escalating conflicts over land boundaries and ownership of land. IRIN News reported in spring 2012 that land disputes in the rural district of Amuru had lead to the killings of at least five people.
In one case in the village of Lakang documented by the Refugee Law Project in fall 2012, the discovery of oil in the district ignited a dispute between residents and government officials over the benefits of the resource to the community and community members’ rights to stay on their land.
Last month, close to 30 people were almost evicted from their land in Wandegeya, located in central Uganda, by a group claiming the land was given to them in 2005.
The issue of illegal evictions has become so prevalent, President Yoweri Museveni has issued a directive to halt all evictions in the country until land conflicts are resolved.
What I plan to do:
I would to focus on the issue of families being evicted from their land, as the issue of mineral deposits being discovered on land, and families being evicted without notice, is becoming increasingly common.
To do this, I plan to profile a rural community in the north struggling to deal with land conflicts, where households rely on agriculture for their livelihood to explore how they have dealt with this issue.
I am planning on being based in Gulu through an internship with the Centre for Media and Transitional Societies. I hope this will help me connect with community members in the region.
A little bit about myself:
Before beginning my master of journalism degree at Carleton, I acquired an extensive amount of journalism experience working with a variety of local and national publications. While completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Manitoba, I worked as a news reporter and later as news editor for The Manitoban, the University of Manitoba campus newspaper.
In addition, I have worked as a freelance writer for the Winnipeg Free Press since October 2011, where I also completed a month long internship this past December. This spring, I will be completing an internship with the National Post.
This past semester, I have also been working as a managing editor of the Gemini News Service, a pilot project launched by Carleton journalism professor Allan Thompson that acts as an wire service for African news produced by journalists in the developing world.
What this money will go towards:
I have a small travel grant but it is not enough to cover the costs of living when I’m abroad. I estimate that I will need to fundraise about $5000 to cover the costs for my project.
This money will help me:
- purchase recording equipment
- pay for food and rent for when I’m staying in Uganda
- wiht the costs of immunization shots
- with paying for a work visa
- the costs of hiring interpreters. Since my project is based in rural Uganda where many people don’t speak english, I will need to hire an interpreter to communicate with community members. This is the most costly portion of my project, but I won’t be able to complete my research without the use of an interpreter. And I want to ensure that they’re compensated properly, so that means paying for their meals and any costs associated with travel.
- pay for the costs of travel to rural communities within Uganda
Any donation you can give, even if it’s only a dollar, would be greatly appreciated! If you can’t donate, sharing my campaign on your Facebook page, Twitter account, or spreading the word among friends would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my campaign.
