ABOUT

Dr. Omara-Otunnu was born in a family of twelve children in a region bordering the Nile River in East-Central Africa and spent his formative years there. At an early age, he was involved in cattle-keeping and agricultural work.

 

Dr. Amii Omara-Otunnu was educated at Makerere University, Uganda, and earned a B.A. Honors (Cum Laude) degree in Social Studies from Harvard University, an M.Sc. in Political Science from the London School of Economics, and a B.A. (Honours) in Jurisprudence (Law) and a Doctor of Philosophy in History from the University of Oxford.  

 

In 2001, Professor Omara-Otunnu was appointed the first holder of UNESCO Chair in Human Rights in the United States of America. He was subsequently chosen by his peers as Coordinator of UNESCO Chairs in Human Rights in the region that comprised Israel, Western Europe and North America.  He was the founder and Executive Director of the Institute of Comparative Human Rights; and in 2004 co-founded the Coalition of Human Rights Organizations in New England, USA, under the aegis of the UNESCO Chair. In 1994, he founded and directed the Center for Contemporary African Studies at the University of Connecticut where he has been a tenured professor at the University of Connecticut since 1993, teaching courses on international human rights, pre-colonial African history, contemporary African history, history of Pan-Africanism, and world history.

Dr. Omara-Otunnu’s academic interests span the areas of human rights, jurisprudence, constitutional and administrative law, civil-military relations, Pan-Africanism, and leadership in Africa.  He places a special focus on the interplay of ethics, politics, the military, and human rights in Sub-Saharan Africa, and has received research support from the Ford Foundation, Harvard University, and the UK Society for the Protection of Science and Learning.  

Apart from his books, Politics and the military in Uganda,1890-1985 and Human Rights: Voices of World’s Young Activists, his articles on political developments in Africa have been published in academic journals and scholarly books, including the Journal of Modern African Studies; The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World; Military and Militarism in Africa; Conflict in Africa; The Biographical Dictionary of African Leaders South of the Sahara; Africa and Eastern Europe: Crisis and Transformation; and Political Parties in Africa.  He is currently working on book manuscripts on: Rule of Law in Africa, 1885-1985; A modern history of the Upper Nile Basin; and Ideas of Pan-African and Socialism in Africa, 1900-1972. He also written books of poetry; and writes regularly public intellectual articles for the Black Star News (NY).

 

As a committed practitioner of human rights, advocate of Pan-African solidarity and a long-time activist in the anti-apartheid movement, in 1999, Professor Omara-Otunnu initiated and played a key leadership role in negotiating with the African National Congress (ANC) to establish a partnership between the oldest liberation movement in Africa and the University of Connecticut.  Following the agreement between the two institutions, he served as Executive Director of the UConn-ANC Partnership, which consisted of three projects: comparative human rights, oral history, and archives. He received large funding from the Mellon Foundation to carry out the various projects under the UConn-ANC Partnership. He also led the University of Connecticut-University of Fort Hare (South Africa) international linkage, as its director.  The linkage, whose main objective was reciprocal capacity building at the two institutions, was funded by a Tertiary Education Linkages Project (TELP) grant from the United Negro College Fund. 

 

In June 2005, Professor Omara-Otunnu was given The Luminary Award by the World Affairs Council.  The Award was created to honor those who have profoundly impacted global affairs with an emphasis on the overall betterment of the world.  Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland (1990-1997) and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002) was the keynote speaker during the Award ceremony.

In 2006, Dr. Omara-Otunnu received a number of awards, among which were:
The Amistad Excellence in Human Rights Award from the Central Connecticut University in recognition of his distinguished service to humanities.
International Award presented by the University of Connecticut and the Office of the Vice Provost for Multicultural and International Affairs in recognition of his significant contributions to human rights and diversity on an international scale.

The Governor’s Award: in commendation of his perseverance and dedication to public service and for his commitment and drive, which have served as an inspiration to all of Connecticut's residents and a testament to his strength and determination.
The General Assembly Award: for his outstanding achievements, leadership and commitment to Connecticut.
The Attorney General’s Award: in recognition of outstanding accomplishments and continued service to our State and the Nation.
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award: in recognition of his commitment and dedication to improving the lives of people in your community and the state.

Professor Omara-Otunnu is a practical visionary for ecumenical approach to human rights education and advocacy that foster appreciation of, and understanding for, a common humanity through informed empathy and action. He has devoted his life to the cause of human rights and to promoting democratic pluralism, equitable development, and social justice around the globe.  He engages in these causes as a scholar and an advocate, by shaping policy and inspiring and building alliances for positive change.  For his achievements, Dr. Omara-Otunnu has received international recognition, including an entry in the Marquis’s Who’s Who in the World.

Since his student days in Uganda and the United States, Dr. Omara-Otunnu has been involved in movements for democracy, human rights, and social justice in pre- and post-apartheid South Africa.  At Harvard, he founded the Harvard African Students’ Association and was the organization’s first Secretary-General.  He also served as a student representative on Harvard University’s Shareholder Responsibility Committee, where he helped push for Harvard to divest from South Africa during the apartheid era.  At the London School of Economics in 1980, Dr. Omara-Otunnu was among the student leaders who proposed Nelson Mandela, then in prison, for the titular position of Chancellor of London University.  At Oxford University, he was elected president of St. Antony’s College Students Union and president of the Oxford Africa Society.  In both positions, he organized conferences to discuss human rights abuses in apartheid South Africa, the war in the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, and the conflict in the Middle East.