Reparations Rooted in Experience | Trust Fund for Victims

As part of the ICC-ordered reparations process following the conviction of Dominic Ongwen for war crimes and crimes against humanity, Voices That Count was commissioned by the Trust Fund for Victims, with support from the Netherlands Embassy in Kampala, to conduct a large-scale, story-based baseline study in northern Uganda. The goal was to help shape a reparations programme grounded in the lived realities of victims—one that reflects their own definitions of recognition, healing, and justice.

Our approach

Voices That Count led the full design and implementation of the narrative component:

• Co-created a story-based inquiry framework using SenseMaker to collect and analyse over 1,000 microstories from victims and members of the next generation

• Trained and supported local story collectors to ensure ethical, culturally sensitive engagement

• Facilitated a participatory sensemaking workshop with community members, cultural leaders, psychosocial workers, NGOs, and institutional partners

• Created space for collective interpretation and the co-development of reparation recommendations rooted in current realities

  
  

Outcomes

The process complemented the ICC’s formal consultations by providing deeper, community-driven insight into the lasting impacts of the LRA conflict and the needs of those still affected.

It resulted in:

• A baseline for tracking long-term impact of reparations

• Victim-defined priorities for healing, recognition, and rehabilitation

• Deeper understanding of transgenerational harm and the realities of the victims who are often still stigmatised  (former child soldiers, victims of sexual and gender-based violence)

• A detailed story and pattern analysis report that informed the ICC’s Implementation Plan for Reparations

• A replicable model for using narrative methods in transitional justice and post-conflict recovery

• Strengthened community voice, ownership, and trust in the process

Justice and recognition must be defined by those who have lived the harm. Listening—on their terms—is already a form of reparation. This process gave victims a voice in shaping the response, addressed both direct and generational harm, and helped lay the foundation for reparations that reflect the complexity, courage, and dignity of those most affected.