The report is based on the preliminary analysis of quantitative data collected from interviews with 2,585 residents of four northern districts—Gulu and Kitgum (both Acholi districts), and Lira and Soroti (both non-Acholi districts). The interviews were conducted by teams of trained interviewers led by researchers from the Human Rights Center (HRC), University of California, Berkeley, in partnership with the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ). Makerere University Institute of Public Health partnered with UC Berkeley on two of the districts. The interviews took place between April 20 and May 2, 2005, using a structured questionnaire.
The specific objectives of the survey were to:
- Measure the overall exposure to violence as a result of war and human rights abuses in Northern Uganda since 1987;
- Understand the immediate needs and concerns of residents of towns, villages, and internally displaced person (IDP) camps in Northern Uganda;
- Capture opinions and attitudes about specific transitional justice mechanisms, including trials, traditional justice, truth commissions, and reparations; and
- Elucidate views on the relationship between peace and justice in Northern Uganda.