Implementing participatory-action research to explore the impact of COVID on war-affected disabled populations, including ex-child soldiers, in Uganda

实施参与式行动研究，探讨新冠疫情对乌干达受战争影响的残疾人（包括前儿童兵）的影响

• 批准号: AH/V013432/1
• 负责人: Rachel Murray
• 金额: $ 10.61万
• 依托单位: University of Bristol
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FV013432%2F1
• 关键词: Implementing; participatory; action; research; explore

The conflict in Northern Uganda, which destabilised the region between 1986-2006, saw large-scale violence and attacks carried out against the Acholi people, which has resulted in a sizeable war-disabled population, including former child soldiers who were abducted and forced to serve in the conflict under the Lord's Resistance Army. Persons with disabilities (PWD hereafter) make up 13% of the Ugandan population, though this percentage is higher in the war-affected North (approximately 18%), equating to 1.3 million people. Still dealing with the legacy of the war and navigating the post-conflict environment, PWD have been severely impacted by COVID-19, both directly, i.e. contracting the virus, and indirectly, i.e. the lockdown measures, mobility restriction, and economic downfall which has had a socio-economic and psychosocial impact on PWD. Uganda was put on lockdown on 18th March 2020, with restrictions easing on 21st July 2020, and though cases are comparatively low (12,971 cases, 114 deaths as of 3rd November 2020) PWD in Northern Uganda, some of whom also suffer from war-related post-traumatic stress disorder, have experienced extreme neglect, marginalisation and harassment due to a lack of disability-specific support measures. This project brings together experts from the University of Bristol and YOLRED (a Ugandan community-based NGO) to implement a disability-inclusive and led research project, to assess the impact of COVID-19 on war-affected disabled populations, including former child soldiers. This project will utilise innovative participatory-action based workshops which centre, and are led by, people with war-related disabilities (who have largely been excluded from pandemic recovery measures), by making them co-designers and co-producers of this research. 16 participants (i.e. co-researchers) will work with the project team to document their experiences during the pandemic and provide new evidence to produce a disability-specific and inclusive situational analysis for Northern Uganda. Co-researchers will comprise of 6 ex-child combatants, 6 non-combatants, and 4 persons with non-war related disabilities, with at least 50% women (to support SDG5 and SDG10.2); as both women with disabilities and ex-child soldiers with disabilities remain two of the most stigmatised and impoverished groups in the region, bringing these groups together also attends to SDG16 and doubles as a peacebuilding, reintegration and empowerment effort, and ensures inclusivity of further marginalised populations. Findings will inform disability-inclusive pandemic recovery strategies for Uganda by promoting research uptake amongst policymakers and with UNPRPD Uganda, which is critical for upholding Uganda's commitments under the CRPD (which Uganda ratified in 2008), though findings, data and outputs will also be scalable to other war-affected and post-conflict regions. In addition to a situational analysis for Northern Uganda and a co-authored journal article, three main outputs will be produced which document the voices and experiences of the co-researchers, including whiteboard animated videos, a policy report, and a set of infographics. Whilst these experiences will be derived from Northern Uganda, they will be transferable to other post-conflict regions where war-related disabilities are widespread.

1986年至2006年间，乌干达北部的冲突导致该地区不稳定，阿乔利人遭受大规模暴力和袭击，造成大量因战争而致残的人口，其中包括在冲突中被绑架并被迫在上帝抵抗军手下服役的前儿童兵。残疾人（以下简称“PWD”）占乌干达人口的 13%，但在受战争影响的北部地区这一比例更高（约 18%），相当于 130 万人。仍在处理战争遗留问题并应对冲突后环境的残疾人士受到了 COVID-19 的严重影响，既有直接影响（即感染病毒），也有间接影响（即封锁措施、行动限制和经济衰退），这些影响对残疾人士产生了社会经济和社会心理影响。乌干达于 2020 年 3 月 18 日实施封锁，限制于 2020 年 7 月 21 日放松，尽管病例相对较少（截至 2020 年 11 月 3 日，病例数为 12,971 例，114 例死亡），但乌干达北部的残疾人（其中一些人还患有与战争相关的创伤后应激障碍），由于缺乏针对残疾的支持措施，他们遭受了极度忽视、边缘化和骚扰。该项目汇集了布里斯托大学和 YOLRED（乌干达社区非政府组织）的专家，实施一项包容残疾人并主导的研究项目，以评估 COVID-19 对受战争影响的残疾人群体（包括前儿童兵）的影响。该项目将利用基于创新参与行动的研讨会，以与战争有关的残疾人（他们基本上被排除在大流行病恢复措施之外）为中心并由他们领导，让他们成为这项研究的共同设计者和共同制作者。 16 名参与者（即共同研究人员）将与项目团队合作，记录他们在大流行期间的经验，并提供新的证据，为乌干达北部提供针对残疾人的包容性情况分析。联合研究人员将包括 6 名前儿童兵、6 名非战斗人员和 4 名非战争相关残疾人，其中至少 50% 为女性（以支持可持续发展目标 5 和可持续发展目标 10.2）；由于残疾妇女和前残疾儿童兵仍然是该地区最受耻辱和最贫困的两个群体，因此将这些群体聚集在一起也符合可持续发展目标 16，同时也是建设和平、重返社会和赋权的努力，并确保进一步边缘化人口的包容性。研究结果将为乌干达包容残疾人的流行病恢复战略提供信息，促进政策制定者和UNPRPD乌干达的研究吸收，这对于维护乌干达在《残疾人权利公约》（乌干达于2008年批准）下的承诺至关重要，尽管研究结果、数据和产出也将推广到其他受战争影响和冲突后地区。除了乌干达北部的情况分析和共同撰写的期刊文章之外，还将产生三项主要成果，记录共同研究人员的声音和经验，包括白板动画视频、政策报告和一组信息图表。虽然这些经验将来自乌干达北部，但它们也可以转移到与战争有关的残疾普遍存在的其他冲突后地区。

项目成果

The response to Covid-19 in Northern Uganda should be disability-inclusive

乌干达北部应对 Covid-19 的措施应包容残疾人

• 发表时间: 2022
• 作者: Sandhar J K