The Archdiocese of Gulu, a Roman Catholic Institution, is located in Northern Uganda, and covers the seven civil administrative districts of Gulu, Kitgum, Agago, Amuru, Nwoya, Lamwo and Pader. It spans an area of about 27,946 sq km with a population of about 2,000,000 people. His Grace, the Archbishop John Baptist Odamabecame Gulu Archbishop in 1999.
In 2002, His Grace John Baptist Odama set up the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI), an interfaith peace building and conflict transformation organization that has been tirelessly working to end the war in Northern Uganda. His Grace has been involved in numerous peace building initiatives aimed at ending the senseless violence in the region. Most notably, he took on the role as a bridge builder between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda with the hope of starting a peace process. Out of such an initiative the Juba Peace Process was born in which he, along with the other religious leaders from ARLPI, acted as an advisor and observer to the talks. Most recently he was elected to be the Chairman of the Uganda Episcopal Conference.
The Archdiocese of Gulu has been also involved in initiatives to empower farmers such as training and providing land as well as basic tools to support their farming activities.
The Archdiocese of Gulu and Women’s Initiatives Network have come together in a joint initiative project with the main goals to contribute to:
- development of the smallholder dairy sector
- reduce poverty of the smallholders in North Uganda in a sustainable manner
