Project Overall goal 

To foster a conducive environment for peaceful elections pre-, during, and post-2021 electoral season and countering violent extremism.

Target group 

over 300 young people 

Location 

Regional – Western, Northern and Eastern Uganda 

Date implemented  

January 04th 2021- July 04th 2021 

Project description 

The Community Voices for peaceful elections project was a community-based advocacy flagship project coordinated by Faraja Africa Foundation and funded by International Republican Institute. It aimed at having youth voices the ensuring a peaceful electoral period in five districts of Uganda, i.e., Gulu in Northern Uganda, Mbale and Soroti in Eastern Uganda, and Kasese and Ntungamo in Western Uganda. The project provided the young people with invented safe spaces aimed at the inclusion of young people in strengthening democratic, good governance, and political processes through civic engagement & creative advocacy in their communities like town meetings, radio talk shows and creative advocacy campaigns. Between 1990 and 2015, about 60% of African elections experienced some form of electoral violence. Young people tend to participate in elections less than older citizens, particularly women and PWDs. According to UBOS, 74% (13,580,000) of the voters in 2021 are young people below the age of 35 years. FAF utilized both theory and; practical approaches that were socially engaging and economically empowering to foster the use of social media, digital storytelling, and effective digital communication to push forward advocacy on pro-peaceful election policies and first-hand respondents to conflicts in the locality. This has been done through E- diplomacy, SMS, caller tune, digital storytelling and social media campaigns backed by Radio and Television talk shows 

Partners 

International republican institute  

USAID