Cultural Research Centre – Diocese of Jinja (CRC) is a Non-Government Organization (NGO) founded by the Diocese of Jinja in 1997. It is, therefore, Faith Based and gets its mandate from the Diocese of Jinja.

The founding of the Cultural Research Centre is in response to the Second Vatican Council’s call for inculturation. During the Vatican II Council deliberations, the Synod fathers resolved that, while the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, it did so in a particular culture, the culture of the Jews. Now that the Church was taking the same Word of God to Mission lands, it was necessary that this Word of God dwells among the peoples of those mission lands in their culture. That the Word may use the culture of a particular people and get enriched by it (culture enriching the Word), and the Word refining that people’s culture.

This process of building on a people’s culture, so that the Christina faith may take root in the lives of a people within their particular culture is what we are referring to as “INCULTURATION”.

It was in 1995 that the Diocese of Jinja, convened a Synod on the theme: Our family: a pilgrimage Church. Resolution No. 1 of this Jinja Diocesan Synod, was: “For purposes of  Evangelization, the Synod resolved to develop the Lusoga language and promote its use in the evangelization of the people”. It is this resolution therefore, that gave birth to the Cultural Research Centre – Diocese of Jinja.

The Cultural Research Centre – Diocese of Jinja, is registered with the Uganda Non-Government Organizations’ Registration Services Bureau; and hold a Certificate of Registration as an NGO, No.: 1778.

Cultural Research Centre’s mandate drawn from the Diocese of Jinja, is to: Research, Document, and help people appreciate their God-given culture through dissemination of the collected data, in form of books and sensitization workshops. In so doing the Centre promotes the culture of the Basoga for sustainable development, and in the Church, promotes Inculturation.

Our Cultural Research Centre office premises are located in the heart of Jinja City, of Uganda, just a kilometre or two from the Source of the Nile. It is found at Nile Garden, Plot Number 5. While  the offices are located in the City of Jinja, the Centre’s operations in the area of promoting a better understanding of culture and its role in sustainable development cover the civic districts of Busoga Sub-region, namely: Jinja City, Jinja District, Iganga, Kamuli, Luuka, Kaliro, Buyende, Bugweri, Mayuge, Namutumba, Bugiri and Namayingo. This is the area covered by the Diocese of Jinja.

Cultural Research Centre’s development partners include: DKA Austria who have funded the Centre’s activities for a great period of time, and we are indeed indebted to them; Missio Munich – Germany, Horizont3000, , Van de lee Foundation, Netherlands. We also partner with the Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) in the area of promoting culture in schools through the Heritage Education Programme, and community museum(s).

The Cultural Research Centre aspires to be a beckon of hope for the region, by being a “Centre of learning and information exchange.”