Meet the Founder

Meet Faruku Kibaba – The founder of the Great Lakes Peace Center (GLPC).

Faruku Kibaba grew up in Kasese a district in the Rwenzori region of Uganda, where conflict and violence have reoccurred for a long period of time largely because of historic injustices, tribalism, corruption, and cultures seeking recognition.

Faruku has witnessed different acts of violence, child abuse, social injustices against women, children, and youth including inter tribble conflicts in his neighborhood due to the cross-board conflict caused by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and other refugee crises.

These experiences of hostility and injustice in his community led him to work with various initiatives to avert the crisis that has spanned for decades. These situations have affected youth since they are always at the frontline of all conflicts. As the old African adage goes, “The elders declare war and the Youth fight.”

This is worsened due to the high unemployment levels in the region. The Rotaract and Rotary Clubs of Kasese provided him an opportunity of being part of an international diplomatic path to solving local and national level conflicts and realization of peace and stability in his country Uganda.

Faruku has studied an MA in Peacebuilding and Reconciliation from Winchester University in 2020. During his study he wrote several literatures and commentary on the Gacaca Courts justice system in Rwanda, Reconciliation efforts in South Africa and finally his his thesis was on ‘Role of religion in Peacebuilding in the Rwenzori region of Uganda.

Positive Youth Africa 2017

Faruku is honoree in the list of 100 most positively inspiring African Youth 2017 by Positive Youth Africa, Cameroon This was primarily for his outstanding work with Youth in peacebuilding through dialogue and building a positive culture for peace in the Rwenzori Region.

Sustainable Development Goals action Award

He was also awarded the Sustainable Development Goals action Award for the INCLUDER category for his work in supporting the translation of the sustainable development Goals in local languages in Uganda and training Youth Leaders in the SDGs domestication process where they have to advocate for alignment of lower local government plans to the Global vision 2030.

Faruku Kibaba participated in Pillars of Peace training and mentorship workshops in Uganda by the Institute of Economics and Peace together with the International Peace and Security Institute where he acquired skills in positive peacebuilding, mediation, and reconciliation.

His long service in Rotary from Kasese Uganda has exposed him to different avenues of promoting international understanding and goodwill. Faruku started the Great lakes Peace center in order to use his knowledge and skills acquired from the mentorships and Rotary International experience in order to help, serve and resolve conflicts, foster goodwill, and build peace in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.

Faruku’s Bid to pursue peacebuilding and society empowerment as a career made it imperative for him to start the organization so as to achieve this long term aspiration. Professionally, Faruku holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics majoring in Economic Policy Planning from Makerere University.

He also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management coupled with an experimental background in Conflict areas and resettlement procedures from his home communities.

Faruku has been part of different international Peace summits including Youth empowerment conferences from around Africa such as the PeaceJam Conference in Accra Ghana, the Youthconekt Africa summit in Kigali Rwanda, the SDGs and Climate change Youth summit for Africa in Kampala Uganda, the PanAfrican Humanitarian and Awards summit in Dar es Salam Tanzania and many others.

Any Queries? give Faruku a call at +256774115594

or you can send a message to his email farouq@greatlakespeace.org.