Engaging the “Other”: Contemporary Music as Perspective-Shifting in Post-conflict Northern Uganda

Abstract

In “Engaging the ‘Other’: Contemporary Music as Perspective-Shifting in Post-conflict Northern Uganda,” Opiyo explores the relationship between music and peacebuilding in developing constructive relationships in Northern Uganda, the site of over two decades of conflict between the Ugandan government and various rebel groups, particularly the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). By focusing on three popular and poignant conflict-era songs, this essay suggests that there is significant potential for transformative peacebuilding when music strategically engages with groups labelled by society as the “other.” Building on a discussion of the songs themselves, Opiyo makes a case for recognizing the value of music for nurturing perspective-shifting within groups and between groups polarized by protracted conflict.