The Peace Journalism Foundation (PJF) Uganda East Africa
Who We Are
The Peace Journalism Foundation (PJF) is a women and youth-led peace media organisation. PJF is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation with a community office in Omoro District and headquartered in Kampala, Uganda.
PJF was founded in August 2014 by Gloria Laker Adiiki Aciro, former war and peace reporter during the LRA conflict, and Sarah Jane Bradford, a peace and conflict-sensitive journalist, academic and MA graduate of Rhodes University, South Africa.
Sharing field experience with students and faculty
PJF founders share practical field experience on peace journalism, conflict reporting and community peacebuilding with students and faculty.
Featured at
George Washington University
Sydney University
Istanbul University
Rongo University
Johnson County College (JCC)
Global events
United Nations Association peace journalism event, September 2026
World Peace Forum 2024, South Sudan
Training Approach
Our unique 3-Dimension Model
From theory to practice, and constructive feedback.
1Theory
2Practice
3Constructive Feedback
We listen before we teach. We conduct needs assessments with editors, reporters, leaders and listeners to identify who is missing and what the real conflict is. We adapt Johan Galtung's model of people- and solution-oriented frames, truth and resilience.
Training Themes
What we train journalists in
01Content Creators and Influencers Training
02Election Reporting and Hate Speech Mitigation
03Refugee, Migration and Gender Reporting
04Post-Conflict Recovery & Trauma Reporting
05Climate Change and Environment Reporting
06Natural Resource / Land Reporting and Pastoral Migration
07Cross-Border Reporting
08Development Reporting
Our Approach
Four pillars of lasting change
I
The Human Lens
Centering individual stories to illuminate systemic realities. We train journalists to report on people, not just events, rebuilding trust between media and communities.
II
Structural Change
Reforming editorial cultures and newsroom policies so that peace-oriented journalism becomes the professional standard, not the exception across East Africa.
III
Solutions Journalism
Moving beyond the problem to report on responses, evidence, and innovation. Equipping journalists with frameworks to cover what works, not only what fails.
IV
Cultural Transformation
Building a generation of peace ambassadors through youth poetry clubs, community dialogues, and media literacy programmes that reshape how citizens engage with information.
Poetry for Peace Clubs
Young voices for peace
In 2025, PJF launched its first School Poetry for Peace Club at Kweyo Primary School, in a post-war community in Northern Uganda. The second club will be launched in Nwoya District on 29 November 2026.
Young Voices, Global Existence The members of Kweyo Primary School Peace Club proudly represent their commitment to peace. PJF PhotoRooting Peace: PJF Co-founders Sarah Bradford and Gloria Laker Adiiki Aciro during activities at Kweyo Primary School. PJF PhotoTogether: Members of the Poetry for Peace Club and PJF team pause for a group photo after peace club formation at Kweyo Primary School. PJF Photo
Our Team
The People Behind The Mission
(The Award Winners)
Gloria Laker Adiiki Aciro
Founder & Director Lead Trainer, Partnership & Editorial Lead
Sarah Jane Bradford (SJ)
Co-founder Head of Research, Editorial Lead & Poetry for Peace Club
Mentoring 8 young multimedia reporters from South Sudan and Uganda (5 female, 3 male, all under 30) in crisis and transitional reporting.
Cross-border reporting
Global Peace Program
Cross-border reporting and collaboration for the Global Peace Program.
News collaboration
Peace News Network (PNN)
Special news collaboration and coverage for the Peace News Network (PNN).
Peace Journalism Awards
About the Peace Journalism Awards
The Peace Journalism Award was launched on 19 December 2025 at Gwed-G in Gulu City, Northern Uganda, by the Peace Journalism Foundation Uganda East Africa. It was facilitated by the Luxembourg Peace Prize Laureate and former war correspondent during the LRA conflict, legendary Gloria Laker Adiiki Aciro.
Background to the PJ Award and why it is necessary
For decades, journalism in Northern Uganda has operated in the shadow of war, displacement and post-conflict recovery. Journalists risked their lives to tell stories that held communities together, yet their contribution to peace is rarely recognised. While we celebrate media excellence, courage and resilience, it is important to remember that the media does not work alone. There are individuals and voices with integrity in leadership who have shone and supported the media to achieve its goals.
These awards fill that gap. We honour these leaders and journalism that builds peace, promotes social cohesion, heals trauma, fights corruption and amplifies the voices of the most affected. In our context, a single radio talk show can prevent land violence or reunite a family. Recognising this work is not just celebration, it is peacebuilding.
Our unique approach: community-led nominations
Unlike traditional awards based on self-application, we use a bottom-up model owned by the people. Nominations come from listeners, viewers, readers and leaders who experience the impact daily. Any community member, cultural leader, woman leader, youth group, civil society organisation or local government can nominate via SMS or WhatsApp. Community validators and partners like Gwed-G verify the impact. Excellence is measured by verifiable change on the ground.
Judging and transparency
An independent panel of senior editors, peace experts and community representatives verifies all nominations.
Our vision and call to action
We make peace visible by celebrating those who build it through journalism, good leadership and voices that push for dialogue and reconciliation in Northern Uganda.
2026 Peace Journalism Awards to Honour Voices Building Peace
Theme: Building Bridges Through Journalism for Peace and Recovery
After two decades of conflict and recovery, Northern Uganda needs stories that heal and journalism that builds bridges. As we prepare for the 2nd Edition of the Peace Journalism Awards Gala on 18th December 2026, we invite you to nominate journalists, peacebuilders and community heroes shaping our recovery.
Nomination deadline25th November 2026
Awards gala18th December 2026
This is more than an award, it is a movement
The Peace Journalism Awards exclusively celebrates reporting and action that promotes peace, development, accountability and social healing.
Who can be nominated
Journalists, radio presenters, digital creators, musicians, youth activists, community leaders and peacebuilders working in Northern Uganda and beyond.
Peace Journalism Awards categories: 2026
🏅
1. Lifetime Achievement Award
Honouring a veteran whose career has advanced peace and justice.
Organised by Peace Journalism Foundation Uganda Contact: +256746279441
2025 PJF Award Winners
The first ever Peace Journalism Awards, held under the theme “Celebrating Peace, Progress and the Power of the Media”, honoured the heroes re-writing Northern Uganda's future.
The 2025 winners at the inaugural Peace Journalism Awards, Gulu City.
At PJF, research makes peace journalism and conflict-sensitive reporting work. We go beyond who won or lost to interrogate root causes, impacts, and solutions. Research grounds our reporting in evidence, protects journalists, and turns stories into solutions.
Our agenda is driven by one question: How can media prevent violence and build sustainable peace and development? Rooted in crisis and transition contexts, we examine root causes, human impacts, and solution pathways, not just events. We generate locally grounded, gender-responsive knowledge.
Upcoming Research Projects
New knowledge in peace and conflict
We aim to generate new knowledge in peace and conflict fields such as:
01
Peace Journalism and Conflict Sensitive Practice
Cross-border reporting, multimedia storytelling, and conflict resolution.
02
Climate, Displacement and Transitions in the Horn
Climate change as a conflict driver, refugees, migration, post-war recovery, pastoralist conflict, and the humanitarian-development-peace nexus from Uganda to the Horn.
03
Media Safety and Press Freedom
Press freedom, safety of journalists in war zones, and ethical media leadership.
04
Justice, Gender and Digital Peace
Gender and digital media, peacebuilding, transitional justice, and a call to conduct research on sexual harassment in rural-based newsrooms.
05
Solutions and Impact
Solution journalism and measuring media impact on peacebuilding and reconciliation.
Research Publications
Our Knowledge Hub
We publish what we do and what others shelve. Our Knowledge Hub publishes peace research reports, thesis findings, policy briefs and conference papers, connecting students and researchers to journalists, policymakers and peacebuilders.
View Our Research Work
View Publications
Citations for peace-journalism related research studies
By Dr. Meagan E. Doll
Doll, M. E., & Moy, P. (2022). Mapping peace journalism: Toward a shared understanding of success. Journalism Studies, 23(2), 263-280. Read more →View PDF ↗
Doll, M. E., Moy, P., & Beckers, K. (2023). In peace journalism we trust? Effects of peace journalism on news-item credibility and media trust. Journalism Studies, 24(16), 1999-2019. Read more →View PDF ↗
Doll, M. E. (2023). For people, for policy: Journalists’ perceptions of peace journalism in East Africa. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 28(4), 1017-1036. Read more →View PDF ↗
Doll, M. E. (2025). New models, same practices? Examining professional values and peace journalism training. Journalism, 26(11), 2461-2479. Read more →
Doll, M. E. (2025). Picturing peace journalists: An examination of social profiles and professional model diffusion. The International Journal of Press/Politics. Read more →View PDF ↗
Hosted by PJF for educational purposes. Rights belong to the author.
Lisa Yasin Gaye, VUB | MSc Journalism and Media in Europe (2024-2025)
This thesis examines how female war correspondents navigate gender-specific safety challenges in conflict zones. Based on interviews with 11 female journalists worldwide, it reveals additional risks of harassment, discrimination and cultural limitations, and how they shape reporting and source access.
It highlights gaps in safety training and mental health support and calls for gender-responsive safety policies.
Citation: Gaye, L.Y. (2025). Female War Correspondents and Gendered Safety. VUB.
Hosted by PJF for educational purposes. Rights belong to the author.
Research and Innovations
Tools for peace
📱
PJF Peace App
An AI-assisted tool in development to detect and flag hate speech in news broadcasts.
🕊️
PJF Peace Angel
A hybrid platform that convenes conflict-affected communities in town halls and on television to dialogue and resolve disputes.
Research Directorate
Fieldwork across East Africa and the Horn
We conduct, supervise and publish research on peace and conflict and coordinate full fieldwork for regional and international researchers across Uganda, East Africa and the Horn, including fixers, travel, trusted drivers, accommodation, airport pick-up and inland trips. All research uses do-no-harm, trauma-informed, and conflict-sensitive methodologies.
Impact
Preventing media-induced violence
We prevent media-induced violence and amplify the voices of the vulnerable and peacebuilders.
800Journalists reached
8African countries
15Election violence hotspots with Peace Clubs
Regional Reach
Operating across East Africa
From the Great Lakes to the Horn of Africa, our programmes operate in some of the continent's most complex media environments.
Uganda
Kenya
South Sudan
Sudan
DR Congo
Rwanda
Burundi
Tanzania
Voices from the Field
What journalists say about their training
"The PJF training completely changed how I approach conflict stories. I now ask what the impact on communities is before considering the drama. That shift has made my journalism more accurate and more humane."
AK
Agnes Kemigisha
Radio journalist, Kampala
"The fellowship opened doors I did not know existed. I now report on reconciliation processes in eastern DRC with the credibility and skills I gained through PJF. The impact is felt in my community every day."
JM
Jean-Pierre Mutombo
Print journalist, Goma
"PJF's media safety training changed how I work on the frontlines. I knew exactly how to navigate dangerous situations, protect my sources, and continue reporting responsibly. No other programme had given me that."
EJ
Emmanuella Joyce
Broadcast journalist, SSBC, South Sudan
Our Past and Current Partners
Trusted by International Development Partners
Current Partners
Women Building Peace Network Africa (WOPAN)
Peace News Network (PNN)
Past Partners
Women in News (WIN)
REF FM Foundation
Freedom House
DW Akademie
GIZ-CPS
USAID
Newsroom
Stories from the frontlines
The latest from our blog. Every story opens on our blog in a new tab.
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Support Our Work
Fund the journalism that builds peace
Every contribution directly funds training, fellowships, research, and community programmes across East Africa.
📱
Content Creators & Influencers Training Fund
Peace in the digital age
Training young digital content creators to produce peace-oriented social media content, combating misinformation where it spreads most: online. 25 influencers trained per cohort.
🏆
Peace Journalism Awards Fund
Celebrating excellence
The annual awards recognise journalists producing work that advances peace. Your support funds prizes, the gala, and a visibility campaign that amplifies award-winning stories across the region.
🕊️
Poetry for Peace Clubs Fund
Inspiring the next generation
Youth poetry clubs in schools across northern Uganda use creative arts to explore peace, conflict, and identity. Your support trains facilitators and reaches 2,000+ young people each year.
✍️
Journalist Fellowship Fund
Building future leaders
A six-month immersive fellowship placing emerging journalists with mentors, newsrooms, and field assignments. Your contribution directly sponsors one fellow through their entire journey.
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