Yes, my office has a window.

We had an exciting weekend here in Lira. We drove around to several villages way outside the city and received very warm receptions at every stop. I would like to say that the receptions complete with song and dance were for the arrival of the "american lawyers," but that would not be true. Uganda is entering a political season right now in preparation for elections next year, and our fearless leader and host, Dickson Ogwang, is in the running to represent the district in Parliament. Our arrival has been eclipsed by the support he is receiving for this campaign. It's exciting to be able to experience law and politics in Uganda, all in one internship.

We have been staying at a hotel in the city and are officially making the big move tomorrow to our home for the remainder of our time here. We will be living in a village in the bush (seriously), so goodbye reliable internet access. They have been constructing a more modern house in the village for high-maintenance visitors like yours truly, so I won't exactly be living the hut-life but there will be some major adjustments. It will be an experience, but, hey, I'm all in.

some pics of our village:


can you guess which one I'll be staying in?

We had out first real day in the office today and got to start our first case. The primary issues that PRMA handles are land disputes. In a region where boundary lines are determined by ant hills and and mango trees, there are plenty of issues arising. The situation has been aggravated greatly by the recent period of conflict in northern Uganda. Large populations were displaced while fleeing from the violence, and returning and resettling on uncertain territories can create conflicts that threaten to destroy the tenuous peace. PRMA is focused on handling these disputes at the local level through PRMA mediators and PRMA-trained council elders so that the dispute is handled quickly, before violence erupts, and amicably, so that each party is satisfied with the outcome. There is a lot of work to be done, I'd better learn fast.

our office