Decolonizing NGO Peacebuilding and Liberal Peace Agenda in Northern Uganda

Critically examining how Western-funded NGO interventions have shaped post-conflict recovery in Northern Uganda, Elias O.Opongo argues that the liberal peace agenda-focused on democracy promotion, market reforms, and human rights-often marginalizes local agency and undermines culturally rooted approaches to peacebuilding. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and grounded theory, Opongo explores how these externally driven models disconnect from the lived realities of conflict-affected communities.He introduces relational constructionism as a framework that emphasizes participatory, context-sensitive, and indigenous approaches-such as the Acholi Mato Oput ritual-that center dialogue, reintegration, and restorative justice. The book also critiques the role of international actors, particularly the International Criminal Court (ICC), whose interventions can clash with local reconciliation efforts.Opongo’s findings in Northern Uganda offer critical insights for other post-conflict African contex