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Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement
Uganda
Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement , Community Overview Located in Kamwenge District, western Uganda, Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement is home to more than 100,000 refugees, mainly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, alongside people from Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, and host communities. Despite the challenges of displacement, historical trauma, and cultural diversity, the settlement has become a symbol of resilience, peaceful coexistence, and community-led development. Refugee-led organizations, faith institutions, youth and women’s groups, schools, and humanitarian partners promote dialogue, conflict prevention, livelihoods, climate action, and social cohesion. As an International City of Peace, Rwamwanja is strengthening reconciliation, inclusion, and sustainable peace while demonstrating that refugee and host communities can transform diversity into unity and build a future where peace, dignity, and opportunity thrive together.
A Blueprint for Safety, Prosperity, and Quality of Life Vision Statement To establish Rwamwanja as an official International City of Peace where refugees and host communities live free from fear, thrive through shared economic opportunities, and collaborate as co-architects of a dignified, sustainable, and harmonious future.
Strategic Objectives & Action Steps: Establish a Youth-Led Peace Mediation Bureau: Expand the current Youth Parliament framework into a formal peer-to-peer conflict transformation unit. These trained youth mediators will resolve local disputes (resource-sharing, domestic friction, minor land misunderstandings) before they escalate. Early-Warning Community Systems: Launch cross-border and cross- community dialogue circles between Congolese refugees and Ugandan hosts. This serves as an informal early-warning network to dismantle rumours, hate speech, and ethnocentric biases. Safe Spaces for Vulnerable Groups: Create trauma-informed counselling hubs specifically targeted at women, girls, and orphans who have escaped regional conflict, integrating psychosocial support with peace education.
PICKNET; TUUNGANE GROUP ; UMOJA NI NGUVU GROUP, PFA(Pastors Fellowship for Adonai)
I am Boniface Ahishakiye , the Founder and Board Chairperson of PICKNET, a refugee- led organization based in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, Uganda, dedicated to empowering refugees and host communities through sustainable development and peacebuilding. I am also a Pastor and Apostle who has devoted his life to fostering reconciliation, hope, and unity among diverse communities. Through my leadership, I equip youth, women, and community leaders with vocational, entrepreneurship, and life skills while facilitating conflict resolution, dialogue, and peacebuilding initiatives that strengthen social cohesion. My work promotes peaceful coexistence between refugees and host communities by addressing the root causes of conflict through empowerment, inclusion, and shared opportunities. My vision closely aligns with the International Cities of Peace movement, believing that lasting peace is built through compassion, justice, collaboration, and community-led action.
Yes, I approve the guidelines for an International City of Peace and will provide four or more additional approved signatures of community Peace Team members (see next registration field). "A culture of peace is a set of values, attitudes, traditions and modes of behavior and ways of life based on respect for life, ending of violence and promotion and practice of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation. Tenets include: Full respect for and promotion of all human rights and fundamental freedoms; Commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts; Efforts to meet the developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations; Respect for and promotion of the right to development; Respect for and promotion of equal rights and opportunities for women and men; Respect for and promotion of the right of everyone to freedom of expression, opinion and information; Adherence to the principles of freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations; and fostered by an enabling national and international environment conducive to peace." In addition, the Golden Rule - "Do for others as you would have them do for you" -- provides a unity proposition for personal, local and global peace.
Note: If information or photos used here are copyrighted, please contact us and we will immediately delete the copyrighted material. Cities of Peace, Inc. is not responsible, and does not condone the actions or solicitations of independent member Cities of Peace or their members profiled on this website. Please inquire if there is a concern. ® International Cities of Peace is a registered trademark of Cities of Peace, Inc. Trademarks include Inspire Peace™, City-to-City Collaboration Program™, ICP Corporate Connect, and Rotarianism for Cities of Peace™. Safety, Prosperity, and Quality of Life: the Consensus Values of Peace (cc) by J. Frederick Arment is licensed under Creative Commons BY 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
I am satisfied with the Free Simple Listing/Profile, I would like a larger Profile to highlight my Community and have/will make a suggested donation at: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=9HZPSPLCKVMS6
