Abstract
Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis’ social encyclical, exhorts all Christians and people of good will to cultivate a spirit of fraternity and solidarity with all people in need, regardless of socio-cultural or creedal or racial differences. He challenges us to broaden our perception of “neighbour” to even include those people whose plight we encounter via social media – our digital neighbours. This paper shows how the Association of Refugee Women in Uganda (AORW- U) has used social media to amplify the voices of urban refugees living in Kampala, thereby raising public awareness; attracting global and local partnerships; and creating healthy social networks between urban refugees and their local neighbours. Uganda hosts 1.7 million refugees, 8.7% (150,647) of whom are self-settled in Kampala where they compete with locals for already scarce resources. This directly threatens reliance on social networks as a coping mechanism to sustain refugee livelihoods in urban settings.
Recommended Citation
Bahemuka, Augustine
(2025)
"Fratelli Tutti and Social Media: Solidarity and Social Networks Among Locals and Urban Refugees in Kampala, Uganda,"
The Journal of Social Encounters:
Vol. 9:
Iss.
1, 165-177.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.69755/2995-2212.1338
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/social_encounters/vol9/iss1/24
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Home > Journals > The Journal of Social Encounters > Vol. 9 (2025) > Iss. 1
Fratelli Tutti and Social Media: Solidarity and Social Networks Among Locals and Urban Refugees in Kampala, Uganda
Authors
Augustine Bahemuka, Laudato Youth InitiativeFollow
Abstract
Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis’ social encyclical, exhorts all Christians and people of good will to cultivate a spirit of fraternity and solidarity with all people in need, regardless of socio-cultural or creedal or racial differences. He challenges us to broaden our perception of “neighbour” to even include those people whose plight we encounter via social media – our digital neighbours. This paper shows how the Association of Refugee Women in Uganda (AORW- U) has used social media to amplify the voices of urban refugees living in Kampala, thereby raising public awareness; attracting global and local partnerships; and creating healthy social networks between urban refugees and their local neighbours. Uganda hosts 1.7 million refugees, 8.7% (150,647) of whom are self-settled in Kampala where they compete with locals for already scarce resources. This directly threatens reliance on social networks as a coping mechanism to sustain refugee livelihoods in urban settings.
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Recommended Citation
Bahemuka, Augustine (2025) "Fratelli Tutti and Social Media: Solidarity and Social Networks Among Locals and Urban Refugees in Kampala, Uganda," The Journal of Social Encounters: Vol. 9: Iss. 1, 165-177.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.69755/2995-2212.1338
Available at: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/social_encounters/vol9/iss1/24
DOWNLOADS
Since March 28, 2025
Usage - Abstract Views: 20
- Downloads: 13
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