Uganda Narrative Conference: Initiatives, Stories and Skill Building

Event Overview

The conference will offer a 5-day workshop in addressing basic assumptions and ideas that distinguish the Narrative Worldview from the culturally dominant Normative Worldview. The exciting effectiveness of working from a narrative perspective will be illustrated in real examples from clinical work. Participants will learn about narrative practices and applications in a variety of contexts including trauma.  Workshops will offer participants an opportunity to engage communities in learning ways to navigate, rewrite history and overcome the enormous challenges, often marked by abuse, neglect, hunger, labelling, violence, poverty, resilience, aspirations, capabilities, skills and talents using storytelling, art, music, performance, sculpture among other things toward re-authoring people’s stories of initiatives, survival, resilience, hope, connections, and innovations. The conference will partner with Makerere University (Community Psychology, School of Design and Fine Arts, Social Sciences and Social Welfare), a premier university dedicated to teaching, excellence and service to humanity.

The conference will benefit attendees, teachers and students gaining knowledge and skill-building in narrative practices provided in a collaborative learning style.

Narrative practices are powerful ways that help individuals, groups, communities and organizations identify and reinterpret the stories that shape their lives. In doing so, people can begin to see their struggles from a more empowering perspective. In this conference and these workshops, we will explore the foundations of narrative practices and how they are used in clinical and community practice. You will also learn narrative practice-based interventions and strategies that you can use with clients. These workshops will be highly experiential, featuring journaling and small group discussions. In addition to learning about narrative ideas and practices, participants will also develop a precious narrative community and powerfully meaningful relationships around shared values.

Day 1: Introduction:  Panel Discussion on the story of our organizations

Day 2: Workshops on different themes:

Workshop 1: Tree of Life

Workshop 2: Responding to young people who have experienced trauma.

Workshop 3: Externalizing conversations

Workshop 4: Young Unaccompanied Refugees

Workshop 5: Children and families living with HIV/AIDS

Workshop 6: The Garden metaphor

Workshop 7: Harnessing religion and spirituality

Workshop 8: Raising our heads above the clouds.

Workshop 9: Decolonizing Mental Health

Workshop 10: Team of Life Metaphor

Day 3: Resource Mobilization

Day 4: Capacity building (Grant writing, Funding)

Day 5: Celebrating our stories through crafts, arts, music, song, dance, food and drink

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

• Define various narrative practices through story
• Identify the key concepts that underlie narrative practices
• Implement at least five narrative practice interventions with clients, groups and communities
• Help their clients rewrite their life stories from healthier, more empowering perspectives 

Participation costs: International participants: USD 300; Regional and Ugandan participants: USD 50. To apply for a scholarship to attend, please contact Dr. Hugo Kamya at hugo.kamya@simmons.edu

Payments for the conference are made via the following bank details

Account Name: Makula Fund for Children Inc

Account Number:  0102012952200

BIC/Swift Code: SCBLUGKA

Register here to attend