East Africa: Faith, Hope, & Justice Program
The East Africa: Faith, Hope & Justice Program offers students a transformative opportunity to experience the beauty of Uganda and Rwanda while exploring some of the most profound questions of faith, justice, reconciliation, and human flourishing. Through immersive engagement with local leaders, justice-system stakeholders, faith communities, and survivors of conflict, students will examine how societies recover from violence and how the Christian faith can shape responses to suffering, injustice, and social restoration. In the East Africa Program, students will:
- Spend a week in Rwanda, where they will learn about the history, aftermath, and post-reconciliation efforts of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.
- Partner with Pepperdine's Sudreau Global Justice Institute, Ugandan lawyers, judges, and law students to support efforts that expand access to justice and bring hope to individuals in Ugandan prisons.
- Accompany Pepperdine University leaders to meetings with government officials, judicial leaders, and other influential stakeholders in Rwanda and Uganda.
- Visit impactful Christian schools, ministries, and nonprofit organizations in Uganda.
- Experience the beauty of East Africa through a safari and other cultural engagement opportunities that foster appreciation for the region's people, history, and natural environment.
Additional Information
Learn more about the Sudreau Global Justice Institute at Pepperdine. Additional resources and organizations working along this program are The Amazima School and Restore University.
Program Dates
June 7 - July 2, 2027
*The dates listed above are planned group flight departure dates from LAX and in-country return departure date.
Costs
Health & Safety
Review U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory Information for Uganda and Rwanda. Review the U.S. Embassy in Uganda Travel Advisory prior to application. Contact International Programs if you have questions.
Visa Information
Course Requirements and Offerings
Refer to the academics page for details on the minimum unit requirements and class pre-requisites for the program. Textbook lists will be provided by the program staff.
Faculty-in-Residence
Danny DeWalt
Religion and Philosophy Division, Seaver College
DeWalt joined Pepperdine full-time in 2014 and has since served in various Pepperdine leadership capacities, first at Caruso School of Law, and now at the University level. As an adjunct professor at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law since 2009, DeWalt's areas of focus include nonprofit corporations, relational intelligence, and the role of faith in the legal field. He is now Senior Vice President for Global Impact in addition to his role as chief of staff. DeWalt serves as senior vice president of Love Does, formerly Restore International, a nonprofit organization established in 2003 with his law partner, diplomat, and bestselling author Bob Goff. An honorary consul of Uganda since 2011, DeWalt helped design and build the organization's Restore Leadership Academy, located in Gulu, Uganda. Along with his wife, Amy, DeWalt is the author of two books on marriage and family, including High Octane Marriage: Experience the Power of God's Design and Training Up the Next Generation: The Power of Truth in Parenting. DeWalt holds a juris doctor degree, magna cum laude, from California Western School of Law. He also holds a master of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, a master of arts degree in marriage and family therapy from Pacific Lutheran University, and a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and psychology from California State University, Bakersfield.
Seth Bamburg
Executive Director, Sudreau Global Justice Institute, Pepperdine University
Seth Bamburg serves as Executive Director of the Sudreau Global Justice Institute (SGJI), where he leads efforts to strengthen justice systems and expand access to justice. Since joining SGJI in 2022, Seth has helped advance partnerships with national judiciaries and support initiatives that improve judicial efficiency, serve vulnerable populations, and equip the next generation of globally-minded leaders. A double alumnus of Pepperdine University, Seth earned his B.A. in Political Science from Seaver College in 2014 and his J.D. from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 2017. His background spans legal, operational, and spiritual development leadership including prior roles inside and outside of Pepperdine. Guided by his faith in Christ, Seth approaches his work with a deep sense of purpose and sees teaching as part of that purpose, teaching courses such as the Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation Lab at Caruso School of Law, and co-facilitating classes alongside faith-driven human rights leaders like Gary Haugen and John Cotton Richmond.
Greg Muger
Director, Student Experience at International Programs
Adjunct Faculty, International Studies and Languages at Seaver College
Greg Muger has worked at Pepperdine University since 2014. He currently serves as the Director of Student Experience at International Programs and as adjunct faculty within the International Studies and Languages Division at Seaver College. Greg previously served in the executive office at Compassion International, overseeing a $15m leadership development program operating in nearly 20 majority world countries. He also managed leadership programs for administrators and physicians for Kaiser Permanente. Greg earned his Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Change from Pepperdine in 2020. His research areas pertain to international relief and development, human flourishing, leadership development programming, and cross-cultural leadership. Greg has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership development as well as the foundations of reasoning for first year students at Seaver. He is married to Jee Sun Muger, has two teenage children, and resides in Newbury Park, California.