“This paper examines the role of civil society in addressing issues of transitional justice in a society like Uganda where there has been no democratic transition. When taking into account the theoretical conceptualisation of civil society, one has to consider the contemporary context in which civil society in Uganda operates. Ugandan civil society operates in a stifled
environment, where the government is hostile to publications considered detrimental to
national security. More specifically the paper provides some observations on the roles of the media, religious institutions, etc., which are illustrated with reference to the Beyond Juba Project. Wanyande defines civil society as ‘the assemblage of associations outside of the state and government that would otherwise wish to influence the direction of public affairs including political discourse and action by using and expanding political space’. This description of civil society has been adopted as a working definition for the purposes of this essay. The topic here concerns the ways in which civil society can increase the legitimacy of peace processes by involving grassroots communities.”
