Lok ber bedo study – a storytelling project with young people affected by conflict in Acholi sub-region, northern Uganda

During the 20-year war in Northern Uganda, young people (age 18-38 years today) were vulnerable to abduction and violence, suffered displacement, and missed out on upbringing through storytelling at the fireplace (“wang oo”) focussed on Acholi culture, history, and values like ber bedo. Ber bedo designates a wholesome state of being well. It remains out of reach for many young people whilst outsiders struggle to grasp its full meaning. Storytelling methods can be effective for meaning-making, healing, empowerment, social cohesion and transformation. The proposed study will work with groups of young people affected by conflict in Acholi sub-region to understand and address issues of ber bedo through storytelling. The research team call the study “lok ber bedo”, an Acholi phrase that means “let’s talk about well-being”.

Principal Investigator: Dr Beate Ringwald, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine