Building Community Initiatives

Contact Information

• Where – Uganda (Eastern Africa)
• Contact Person – Lokiru Francis Dowan
• Email – francislokiru@gmail.com
• Address – P.O. Box 79, Nakapiripirit District, Karamoja, Uganda

Areas of Expertise

Building Community Initiatives (BCI) has expertise in a range of areas, including:

• Dialogue
• Mediation and Negotiation
• Regional and Cross Border Co-operation

Main Aims and Objectives

Vision
BCI strives for fair and sustainable communities in which every individual counts, where people share common values and where there is room for diversity.

Mission
BCI is an indigenous civil society organization focusing on building “self-reliant communities” in the Karamoja region. A flourishing community offers a peaceful and humane existence in which people are not only able to make their voices heard, but can also make use of the opportunities for self-fulfilment.

BCI engages local communities on development programmes and supports the District Local Government (DLG), plus local and international partners, in addressing development gaps at the grassroots level through pragmatic community partnerships.

Upholding the Principles of Conflict Transformation

BCI upholds the principles of conflict transformation:

• By promoting a non-violent approach to conflict transformation;
• By clearly understanding conflict stages and interventions;
• Working with all parties to peacefully address conflict in the community;
• Understanding that everybody has a role in conflict transformation;
• Clearly understanding the dynamics of conflict and violence in an area for effective involvement in conflict transformation.

Where and with Whom?

BCI works among the pastoralist communities of Karamoja Uganda- Town-Nakapiripirit and Amudat Districts in Karamoja Region. BCI also works closely with Karamoja Cluster Project/Upeace, District stakeholders, Kraal leader, Youth (Karacun) and the disarmed youth of Karamoja.

Main Activities in the Field of Conflict Transformation

BCI’s main activities include:

• Capacity building for peace and conflict transformation;
• Dialogue with communities on peace and conflict transformation;
• Sport for peace and development;
• Women for peace and development in Karamoja-using music, dance and drama;
• Women mediating conflict in Karamoja;
• Cross border peace and conflict resolution.