In and Out of Culture: Okot p’Bitek’s Work and Social Repair in Post-Conflict Acoliland

Acknowledging the angst of Acoli youths and elders regarding the youths’ disconnection from culture (tekwaro) after decades of war, this essay examines post-conflict processes of social repair in rural Northern Uganda in light of the much overlooked academic work of Acoli scholar and writer Okot p’Bitek. It explores how the recognition of p’Bitek’s holistic approach to Acoli culture, personhood, and oral tradition as social action facilitates a place-based understanding of post-conflict transitions.