| This study considers forgiveness concurrent with the reunification of child soldiers post abduction by the LRA, led by rebel leader Joseph Kony. Focusing on the Acholi tribe in Northern Uganda, this project examined the reunification process of the child soldier through the culturally nuanced variable of forgiveness. Reunification extends to nuclear family, tribe, and peer group. The 24 participants for the qualitative sample are composed of female and male adolescent child soldiers between the ages of 14 to 18 years. All participants were members of the Acholi tribe from The Village of Hope Orphanage (VOH) in Gulu, Uganda. This study addressed the research gaps in the final chapter of the abduction cycle. Examining the individual, psychosocial, neurological, and cultural implications of reunification aided by the inclusion of culturally promoted forgiveness, the endeavor sought to gather data to classify the necessity and efficacy of forgiveness in a post-conflict environment. |
