When the guns stopped roaring: Acholi ngec ma gwoko lobo

Main Article Content

David Monk
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9178-6576
George Openjuru
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6802-8729
Martin Odoch
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5544-1554
Denis Nono
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7021-4368
Simon Ongom
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6944-6436

Abstract

This article calls attention to the responsibility of universities to transform, through partnership, the community in which they are embedded. The authors suggest that, to find solutions to the various community challenges and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), universities need to engage in partnerships of knowledge co-creation with the community in ways that value local knowledge and experience. The article elaborates on the efforts of Gulu University Centre for Community Based Participatory Research and Lifelong Learning, located in Northern Uganda, to show the potential of co-constructing knowledge for community transformation. The centre is part of the Knowledge for Change (K4C) global consortium, which is a growing network for community-based research. The authors share three research stories of community-based research that reflect distinct challenges faced in Northern Uganda and effective community-engaged solutions. Through an exploration of the Acholi ontology and epistemology of interconnection, the authors demonstrate that local communities have the knowledge and experience to define and address local problems.

Article Details

Section
Knowledge democracy for a transforming world
Author Biographies

David Monk

Centre for Community Based Research and Lifelong Learning; Faculty of Education and Humanities, Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, Gulu University. 

George Openjuru

Vice Chancellor, Gulu University

Martin Odoch

Lecturer, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment; Centre for Community Based Research and Lifelong Learning, Gulu University.

Denis Nono

Lecturer, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment; Centre for Community Based Research and Lifelong Learning, Gulu University.

Simon Ongom

Director, Partners for Community Development, Gulu.