Strategies of (in)coherent lives. Youth between security and development in Uganda

project summary

The project focuses on how urban youth form and act out livelihood strategies in the fragile region of Karamoja in Uganda. Uganda is internationally considered a stable state, however Karamoja has a status as a "special" region due to its immense poverty and insecurity. The Karimojong are considered by many Ugandans as brutal, primitive or even beyond development, mainly due to the effects of their pastoral lifestyle, including practices of cattle rustling. The state policies of intervention in the area have primarily focused on securing security and "pacifying" the Karimojong. In 2008, the Ugandan state launched a policy promising coherence on issues of security and development. The project will investigate how state interventions affect urban youth in Karamoja who do not lead pastoral lives, and the possibilities these leave for the youth to develop livelihood strategies. Urban youth are interesting subjects in regards to security and development policies. They are potential resources in and mediators for development, as their ambitions lie within employment and education, however, if they perceive the state interventions as malevolent rather than benevolent, they may also become security risks. Therefore, the project will look into how the state "message" is put forward and how interventions are carried out and perceived. The project will involve ethnographic fieldwork using qualitative methods amongst the urban youth. Furthermore, the researcher will interview state representatives to gain insights into the rationale of interventions.