DISPLACEMENT AND CHALLENGES OF PROTECTION

Uganda gathering-Jinja 2nd -6th May 2016

Canon Grace Kaiso .

General Secretary ,Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa

Who are Internally displaced persons [IDPs]

Definition :internally displaced persons are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or leave their homes or habitual residence ,in particular as a result of or inorder to avoid the effects of armed conflict ,situations of human right or natural or human made disasters and who have not crossed an internationally recognized state border [OCHA 1999:6]

It is estimated that there are over 38m Idps almost half of them being in Africa

CAUSES OF INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT

Civil wars eg Northern Uganda DRC ,South Sudan

Ethnic ,religious and cultural tension eg Central Africa Republic, Burundi

Inequalities eg Teso /Karamoja, Northern Kenya ,

External military interventions eg South Sudan

Natural/man made disasters eg Floods and land slides

CHALLENGES AND RISKS FACED BY IDPs

Loss of homes , possessions social networks

CONT.

Restrictions of movement imposed on them

Destruction of food production and market structures

Competing for food ,water and health services eg the vulnerable groups

Victims are denied decision making opportunities

PROTECTION CHALLENGE

Victims don’t enjoy any legal status like the refuges

Those who are supposed to offer protection are behind the causes of their displacement

Cont.

Camps lack adequate security and are prone to attacks

Hostile host communities because they are excluded from humanitarian assistance

Lack legal documents to seek refuge from neighboring countries.

The ‘national sovereignty’ clause which make intervention by other countries, slow or impossible cf Burundi

HOW CAN CHURCHES RESPOND?

Theological rational.

The church as the new community brought about through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ ,who broke down all estrangement. There are no strangers but brothers and sisters we have never met .

The Gospel imperative of being good neighbours to each other [Luke 10:25-37]

Appreciation that the earth and all that there is the lords Ps 24,we are pilgrim people and sojourners in the world .living with a sense of detachment.

Cont.

Our God is not limited by our circumstances .God can bless us wherever we are .And can turn those difficult situation into bless others cf Joseph Gen.37:1ff

PRACTICAL WAYS THE CHURCH CAN HELP

Churches need to equip their clergy to manage disaster situations before they occur .

Establish mechanism for sustained spiritual support.

Mobilizing humanitarian support for the affected .

Explore opportunities for those with skills to use them

Advocate for enabling legislation to cater for the needs of IDPs cf Northern Uganda

Be proactive in seeing ways of resolving the causes of the conflicts