“Even then, women, Ugandan women were not treated very well. They were not welcomed into any one of the house. They were not allowed to come in front of the house and, hum, it was really sad. It never really, you know, changed much.”(Audience member (3), CMHR launch, 2019).

Panel discussions during the Ododo Wa exhibition showcased how solidarity with survivors from the LRA and shared lived experiences of conflict and transitional justice can cross physical boundaries. Audiences of the panels, through their questions, sympathized with the hardships experienced by survivors returning to their communities and overcoming trauma. As the LRA camps crossed borders, so did the experiences of girls and women living under conjugal slavery, of amnesty laws that did not address the experiences of all survivors, and likewise, a continuous fight for transitional justice. These were all issues raised across panels, as diverse audiences from Colombian, Canadian, Nigerian and Ugandan backgrounds and perspectives offered questions, and expanded on knowledges from these contexts.

For example, one audience member asked Acan and Amony how they manage their ajiji, which means “trauma” in Acholi. Acan explained to the broader audience what the word ajiji means. The question and language demonstrates the connections between the global, the local, and Black diaspora experience. Audience members’ questions and interventions show the far-reaching effects of the Ododo Wa exhibit, and its ability to resonate in diverse contexts. 

 “For instance when it happened in Nigeria, we had international communities everywhere people were, there was this hashtag #bringbackourgirls, but right now it's silenced. There is fading advocacy, people are not talking about it…”(Audience member (4), University of Manitoba Law Panel, 2019) 

International solidarity was an important aspect under this theme that emerged during some discussions. These questions emerged from affected communities and general audiences, as they questioned what they could do to help, or if neighboring countries provided assistance at the time of the war. Such concerns from the audience, likewise, demonstrate the exhibit’s ability to generate these discussions – and hold space to have these discussions – about international cooperation and solidarity for girl’s, women’s, and survivors’ issues.

As some questions acknowledge that stories, such as Acan’s and Amony’s, are not told in vain and, that there is a government responsibility for promoting justice and reparations, audience members acknowledge that more efforts are needed towards these issues, whether the help comes from advocates, organizations, or international communities of survivors.