As African heads of state and government converge in Kampala for a special summit on refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and returnees in Africa (19 – 23 October), hopes are high that they will sign a draft African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa. If they do, the Convention will be the first instrument in the world to legally oblige States to protect and assist IDPs. State signatories will also commit to elimination of the root causes of persistent conflict on the continent, and to putting in place a comprehensive framework for ending displacement and providing reparations for victims of war and conflict

 

A press release made in connection to the RLP video documentary, "Gender Against Men", that was launched on 4 June 2009. The documentary explores the hidden world of sexual and gender based violence against men in the conflicts  of the Great Lakes region; it  is a movie about  men, violence, and the inability of society to recognize or address male vulnerability in times of conflict. The movie raises as many questions as it gives answers in its quest for an honest examination of the gender stereotypes underlying mainstream approaches to sexual and gender based violence (SGBV).