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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This report was researched in northern Uganda in early February 2003 by Jo Becker, advocacy director for the Children's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch and Tony Tate, researcher for the Children's Rights Division. The report was written by Jo Becker and Tony Tate and edited by Lois Whitman, executive director of the Children's Rights Division and Jemera Rone, counsel to the Africa Division. Wilder Taylor, legal and policy director, and Iain Levine, program director, also edited the report. Dana Sommers and Colin Relihan, associates in the Children's Rights Division, provided invaluable production assistance.

We wish to thank first and foremost the many children who shared their stories with us and inspired us with their courage. We would prefer to mention them by name, but doing so may jeopardize their safety.

The mission would not have been possible without the support and assistance of the directors and staff at the World Vision Children of War and the Gulu Save our Children (GUSCO) rehabilitation centers. We also would like to thank the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, Concerned Parents Association, Justice and Peace Commission of the Church of Uganda, Gulu Archdiocese, and Save the Children (Denmark and Norway). Support, guidance and cooperation for this mission were provided by Human Rights Focus (HURIFO), the Human Rights and Peace Center (HURIPEC) at Makerere University and the Liu Institute for the Study of Global Issues. We are grateful to the many individuals who agreed to meet with us in the north including church and civil society leaders, national and international NGO's, members of the press, local government officials, and officers of the UPDF.

This report is part of a larger project focused on documenting human rights abuses in Northern Uganda that is supported by the MacArthur Foundation. We also acknowledge with appreciation the Oak Foundation and the Independence Foundation, which support our work on children's rights.

Human Rights Watch
Children's Rights Division

Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world.

We stand with victims and activists to bring offenders to justice, to prevent discrimination, to uphold
political freedom and to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime.

We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable.

We challenge governments and those holding power to end abusive practices and respect international
human rights law.

We enlist the public and the international community to support the cause of human rights for all.

The staff includes Kenneth Roth, executive director; Michele Alexander, development director; Carroll Bogert, communications director; A. Widney Brown, deputy program director; John T. Green, operations director, Barbara Guglielmo, finance director; Lotte Leicht, Brussels office director; Iain Levine, program director; Patrick Minges, publications director; Rory Mungoven, advocacy director; Maria Pignataro Nielsen, human resources director; Dinah PoKempner, general counsel; Joseph Saunders, deputy program director; Wilder Tayler, legal and policy director; and Joanna Weschler, United Nations representative. Jonathan Fanton is the chair of the board. Robert L. Bernstein is the founding chair.

Its Children's Rights Division was established in 1994 to monitor and promote the human rights of children around the world. Lois Whitman is the executive director; Jo Becker is advocacy director; Michael Bochenek and Zama Coursen-Neff are counsel; Clarisa Bencomo and Tony Tate are researchers; and Dana Sommers and Colin Relihan are associates. Jane Green Schaller is chair and Roland Algrant is the vice-chair of the advisory committee.

Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org
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