Get Your Copy We Are The Voice Of The Grass: Interfaith Peace Activism In Northern Uganda Written By David A. Hoekema Released Through Electronic Format

A. Hoekema provides a smooth read on the conflict between the LRA and Ugandan government that spanned two decades, The majority of the book provides muchneed contextualization that touches upon the colonial history as well as background to the civil war itself.
The guiding light throughout it all is the reconciliation of the Acholi and broader Ugandan society, in which the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative ARLPI played a major role.
ARLPI is significant in not only its contributions to those affected by the conflict, but also its symbolism as a unified approach to peacebuilding.


The book itself is an enjoyable read and I worked through it quite quickly! I do wish more detail would have been given to ARLPI's contributions to the civil war negotiations, but Hoekema references the participants' need for secrecy.
Furthermore, this book provided really useful insight into the country's history, I would recommend it to anyone looking to have an easy introduction to the conflict, the country and the amazing developments made by a wartorn society.
In the international press, East Africa is depicted as a region mired in civil war, child abduction, rebel militias, MuslimChristian violence, and grinding poverty.
Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army LRA of northern Uganda has become a symbol for the troubles of contemporary Africa, Seen from within, however, an altogether different reality is visibleone in which local communities and their leaders work together to resolve conflict and rebuild their communities.
Little known beyond northern Uganda, The Acholi Religious Leaders' Peace Initiative ARLPI is an inspiring example of one such community organization.
The story of ARLPI, examined in this book by philosopher David Hoekema, demonstrates just how much can be accomplished by a small group of dedicated community leaders in a situation where a decade of military force and international pressure have had little discernible effect.


Drawing on published sources and interviews with organization leaders and LRA survivors, Hoekema illuminates how both the depredations of the LRA and the healing work

of ARLPI are rooted in modern East African history.
He documents the courageous work of the Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim leaders who constitute the ARLPI to overcome centuries of mistrust and help bring an end to one of the most horrific conflicts in recent history.
Their work, he argues, puts philosophical and theological ideas into practice and in so doing sheds new light on how religion relates to politics, how brutal conflicts can be resolved, and how a community can reclaim its future through locallyinitiated initiatives against overwhelming obstacles.

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