In memory of Janani Luwum Archbishop of the Church of Uganda

In Memory of Janani Luwum, Archbishop of the Church of Uganda. This year service to the Glory of God and in Memory of Janani Luwum was held in Washington National Cathedral: Preacher The Rev.Canon John L. Peterson,Canon for Global Justice and Reconcialiation, Washington National Cathedral. Several Ugandans Community from different part of United states attended the service, including Janani Luwum's daughter Mrs Irene Abalo Luwum Ochaya, Northern Ugandansympathizers from Florida, Knoxville Jazz for Peace many other groups were in attendance.

In 1977 Archbishop Luwum was arrested, put on trial, and murdered by government agents under Idi Amin.
Born in Northern Uganda in Acholi District in 1922, (Acholi also Acoli, Akoli, Acooli, Atscholi, Shuli, Gang, Lwoo, Lwo, Log Acoli, Dok Acoli) is a language primarily spoken by the Acholi people in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader, a region known as Acholiland in northern Uganda. Acholi is also spoken in the southern part of the Opari District of Sudan. Today there are more than 773,800 Acholi speakers in the world, and this number is gradually growing larger and larger exceeding over 800,000, including Alur and Lango which have between 84 and 90 per cent of their vocabulary mutually intelligible).

Janani Luwum spent his youth herding goats. At age10, he began schooling, going on to Teacher's Training College where he graduated and became a respected teacher. In 1948 his life changed, when he met Ladit Otunnu a members of the Balokole ("saved ones") who visited his village. After his conversion experience, Luwum attended Buwalasi Theological College; and later became a ordained priest in 1956 within the Church of Uganda,( formerly known as Church Missionary Society (CMS) also brought education to the region. The biggest of the eight church-founded secondary schools is in Gulu - Gulu High School -GHS was built by CMS in 1913 and educated, among others,leaders like the former President Dr. Milton Obote), Church of Uganda is also a member church of the Anglican Communion, and Janani Janani Luwum later became the Second Black Archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda Burundi and Boga Zaire.

Luwum studied for a year at Saint Augustine's College and for two more years at London Divinity College. He subsequently held various posts, including principal of Buwalasi and provincial secretary. In 1960, he was consecrated as Bishop of Northern Uganda. He served his diocese so magnificently that in 1974 he was elected Archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga-Zaire. The archdiocese was centered in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

Archbishop Luwum was a visionary and spoke out against the policies of oppression and murder that characterized Amin’s regime. He joined the Church in preaching against injustice, killings, kidnappings and the lack o f Amin’s support for the basic needs of Uganda’s citizens, before being martyred as Archbishop of Uganda in February 1977, because of his stand against injustice made him become one of the most highly esteemed and respected religious leader in the whole of Africa, as an Anglican Archbishop of Uganda for example Archbishop Luwum and 18 bishops had written a four-page letter to the All Africa Conference of Churches in Nairobi, warning that Ugandan Christians were "in grave jeopardy."Two other victims acused and murdered during that time were high government officials namely, Internal Affairs Minister Charles Oboth-Ofumbi and Land and Water Resources Minister Erinayo Oryema were also murdered during that time.

"Do not be afraid. I see God's hand in this." were Janani Luwum's last words to his brother bishops before he was murder. Since then Febuary 18, is being observed as memorial date for the late Janani Luwum the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda .













Students from University of Tennessee Knoxville Campus attended the Memorial servive for the Late Janani Luwum see also what they are doing for Northern Uganda at: www.knoxjazzforjustice.org.

(Top row, L to R) Students Dave Whitehead, Erin Bernstein and Lauren Sampsell; Sophia Ojara of the Northern Uganda Girls' Education Network;the Rev. Canon John Peterson of Washington National Cathderal who also serves as dean of the Cathedral College Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation; students Chris Martin and Jim Dolbow; George Piwang-Jalobo of the Janani Luwum Institute for Peace and Development Studies; Professor Rosalind Hackett; (bottom row, L to R) Students Holly Dagnan, Nikki Crane, Lindsay McClain and Lauren Bernstein
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6.NORTH UGANDA : Displaced youth: the challenges of displacement, the challenges of returnNAIROBI, 23 February 2007 (IRIN In-Depth) - “You can talk about a lost generation in the north of the country. Peace will remedy many problems, but perhaps not what the young people have suffered,” said an old man in one of the many IDP camps across Pader District, in North Uganda.
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