PARISHIONERS OF GULU ARCHDIOCESE TRAINED ON TRAUMA HEALING AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

Participants after the training.
 
By Achomo Proscovia

Gulu City

In a transformative step towards fostering healing and reconciliation, parishioners of Gulu Archdiocese recently participated in a comprehensive training program on Trauma Healing and Restorative justice.
 
The initiative, organized by the Justice and Peace Department of Gulu Archdiocese with support from Maryknoll lay Missionaries from Brazil, aimed to equip community members with the tools to address the deep -seated wounds caused by years of conflict and instability in the region.
 
The training, held for five days at Comboni Missionary Animation center, Gulu City, brought together over 40 participants including religious sisters from various parishes within Gulu Vicarate across the Archdiocese.
 
Facilitators included psychologists, restorative justice practitioners   who guided participants through a series of interactive sessions designed to address the psychological, spiritual and social dimension of trauma.
 
Charles Kidega Abura, program coordinator at Justice and peace Department stated that the training program focused on three key areas: understanding trauma, facilitating healing and promoting restorative justice.
 
“Participants learned how to identify the signs of trauma, provide psychological support, and create safe spaces for dialogue and healing, whereas the restorative justice component emphasized the importance of accountability, forgiveness, and reconciliation in rebuilding broken relationships.” Charles said.
 
According Patrick Ojok of Justice and Peace Department, the training is a crucial step toward strengthening the church’s role in healing and restoring communities affected by historical and ongoing conflicts.
 
Recognizing the critical need for healing, Gulu Archdiocese has made trauma recovery band restorative justice a cornerstone of its pastoral mission. “We cannot preach the Gospel of love and forgiveness if we do not first address the pain that our people carry,” says Ojok.
 
The Acholi region, once the epicenter of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency, has endured immense suffering, including the abduction of children.
 
While the guns have fallen silent, the scars of war remain deeply etched in the hearts and minds of the people. Many continue to struggle with unresolved grief, anger, and mistrust, which hinders the process of rebuilding relationships and communities.
 
The facilitators guiding the participants through the training session.
 
The success of the training has sparked renewed optimism among participants and organizers alike. For many, it marks the beginning of a long but hopeful journey towards healing and reconciliation.
 
As Barbra Piloya Nyeko, a parishioner of Sacred Heart Parish Palenga, put it, “This training has given us the courage to face our past and the tools to build a better future. “Together we can heal our land.”
 
Similarly, David Okello Oringa, a participant from Gulu Cathedral Parish shared that he has learned valuable techniques for managing anger because has struggled with anger and emotional turmoil for years.
 
“I used to feel like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment,” David confessed during a group discussion at the training. The smallest things would set me off, and I would take my anger out on people. I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t how to top. This training has helped me find peace and rebuild relationships with my loved ones,” said David.
 
Sr Margret Kabasiza from Koch Goma Holy Cross Parish highlights the training’s relevance in helping those affected by trauma.
 
“Healing is not just an individual process; it is communal journey embracing restorative justice, we can create a culture of peace that transcends generations,” she said.
Yasinto Okot, the Executive Secretary Justice and Peace Department, addressed the participants during the closing ceremony, urging them to become ambassadors of healing on their communities.
 
“You have been given the tools to bring light to the darkest corners of our society,” he said. “Go forth and be instruments of God’s peace and reconciliation” he advised.
 
One participant, Rev Sr Rose Alice Lakot who belongs to the Congregation of the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu from Pabbo Parish shared her experience.
 
Sr Rose said, “This training has opened my eyes to the importance of addressing our pain and helping others do the same. I feel equipped to support my community and the different groups in my parish as we work towards healing together.”
 
As the participants return to their communities, they carry with them not only the knowledge and skills gained from the training nut also a renewed sense of hope.
 
Their efforts area testament to the resilience and determination pf the people of Acholi to build a future rooted in healing, justice and peace.
 
Parishioners of Kitgum vicariate will have the opportunity to benefit from the same trauma healing and restorative training session, scheduled to take place from March 3rd to 7th at Kitgum Mission.