This article focuses on what role human rights organizations (HROs)
actually play in the development of a rights-protective regime and a
rights-respective society in Uganda, given structural, internal, and
regime limitations. We argue that Uganda HROs are significantly limited in
their ability to help create a positive human rights culture in Uganda by
historical/structural legacies that have created a culture of political
apathy and fear amongst the general population. Regime repression of
vocal "political" non-state actors and foreign donor-implicit acceptance
of regime human rights transgressions in light of neo-liberal economic
reforms reinforce this fear and political apathy. Ugandan HROs, not
willing to risk state repression or lose foreign aid, thus resort to
non-contentious human rights issues that do not engage the regime or test
the resolve or interest of society to demand for human rights for all.
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