"Acholi Youth Are Lost" : Young, Christian and (A)political in Uganda

Abstract

This chapter analyses how the public discourse of 'lost youth' in post-war Acholiland manifests and is engaged with, particularly among well-educated Catholic and Protestant youngsters and young adults in the region who considered themselves 'not lost'. I argue that the discourse of 'lostness' emerged in relation to my young informants' disillusioned views on formal politics and the Ugandan state, and suggest that in distinguishing themselves from those who are 'lost', and in suggesting solutions to 'lostness', young Catholics and Protestants were expressing a particular kind of political agency: not being lost was seen as a prerequisite to being able to contribute to societal development and, ultimately, to being a politically engaged citizen. Finally, I demonstrate that, although the discourse of 'lostness' expressed a moral-panic type concern with the perceived uncontrollability of youth (Diouf 2003), embodying desires for rather conservative societal transformations, the discourse was also employed as a tool of critique against the ruling government. ; Peer reviewed