Dozens of peace mobilizers have been sent into South Sudanese communities after a four-week training and planning meeting in Yei, Central Equatoria.
About 76 peace activists were trained at a workshop facilitated by South Africa’s Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) under the auspices of South Sudan’s Committee for National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation.
The training about “listening and dialogue” taught participants skills to share a message of peace, healing and reconciliation.
Reverend Bernard Suwa, the Secretary-General of the Committee, said that the participants will now “begin to minister healing and reconciliation” to South Sudanese communities.
“At the end of the day all of us have been victims of this war and therefore we need to approach it in that perspective,” he said.
The reverend added that the peace mobilizers are being sent to all ten states. He called on the public to support their work.
“Peace-building is about understanding where we are, who we have lost, who are victims,” said another clergyman who participated in the Yei event, Reverend John Chol Dau said. “It is the people themselves who should decide, this is what we should do,” he explained, as quoted by Sudan Tribune.
CNHPR’s chairman, Episcopal Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, spoke on Wednesday in Yei at the closing ceremony of the four-week training.
As quoted by the local Catholic station in Yei, he called on the mobilizers to be courageous and committed in their work and to endure obstacles they may face.
He commended the facilitators for their support to train peace mobilizers and urged the peace-builders to help heal traumatized communities.
A participant from Central Equatoria State Rose Oleyo Livio said she learnt how to heal trauma and hold peaceful dialogue. She called on South Sudan citizens to apologize to one another and to forgive one another.
Photos: Yei training and band at closing ceremony (Courtesy/CNHPR)
Related:
Photos: Peace-building training in Yei (20 Oct.)