“I challenge you, as you return to your states, be BOLD, be COURAGEOUS, and use the new perspective you have learned here to show love to all South Sudanese,” Secretary General Rev. Dr. Bernard Suwa told participants at the closing ceremony of the Committee for National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation’s (CNHPR) peace mobiliser training, held on the 29th of October.
“I challenge you, as you return to your states, be BOLD, be COURAGEOUS, and use the new perspective you have learned here to show love to all South Sudanese,” Secretary General Rev. Dr. Bernard Suwa told participants at the closing ceremony of the Committee for National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation’s (CNHPR) peace mobiliser training, held on the 29th of October.
“You can change the culture of war and revenge because there is a NEW WAY, a new paradigm of building our new nation—the nation of South Sudan—and this is through love and forgiveness,” said Suwa. “Reconciliation is REAL, but each and every one of us has a role to play if we truly want to build a united and cohesive future.”
From the 1st to the 28th of October 2014, South Sudan’s Committee for National Healing, Peace, and Reconciliation hosted a four-week training in Yei, Central Equatoria, entitled ‘A Step Together: Shared Journeys of Listening and Dialogue’. The training brought together 76 participants, including state chairpersons and representatives from all ten states, and the Abyei Administrative Area. The training was facilitated by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) from South Africa and Initiatives of Change as well as experts from South Sudan, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
“We came here to Yei carrying a lot of wounds, but I have seen our diverse participants move closer to one another in the last four weeks,” said Rev. Dr. Suwa. “I have been hugely encouraged to see how people dissolved tensions felt at the beginning. We can truly celebrate the unity we have found here; it has given me hope that South Sudanese can find a space to live together. What we have been doing here in Yei must be seen from this bigger perspective—that we are helping to heal the nation; we are helping people to find a common identity and a common vision for building our future together.”
“Ours is one BIG story to be told, to be heard and to be emulated, by other South Sudanese, both locally and in the diaspora! We commend our participants because we have demonstrated that, given the opportunity, we can co-exist, in spite of our diversity – and not only co-exist, but create new, more meaningful ways to move forward,” said Suwa.
After the training, the Committee plans to move to the various states and with the support of the men and women trained at ‘A Step Together’, who will train a further 50 peace mobilisers in every state. The trained peace mobilisers will then engage with the grassroots communities at the payam levels, to continue the “shared journeys of listening and dialogue” and document their voices and needs.
“But that’s not the end!” said Rev. Dr. Suwa. “After consultations across the country, we will scale up the process to both county and state levels, where the various voices from the grassroots will be heard at County and State Conferences. From this we plan to develop a National Reconciliation Agenda, based on the voices of the people of South Sudan to be presented at a national level.”
The training in Yei was the first big step towards CNHPR’s goal of nation-wide community consultations.
The closing ceremony of the training was attended by special guest speakers: Anne Masterson, Country Director for Norwegian Church Aid; Lorraine Bramwell, Country Representative for Catholic Relief Services; Hon. Bidal Cosmas Commissioner of Yei River County; Malifida Silvano Ali Sanguson, Deputy Mayor of Yei; and Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, Chairperson of the CNHPR.
At the ceremony, Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, Chairperson of the CNHPR, discussed the importance of the peace mobilisers’ role in community-driven reconciliation, explaining, “Peace in our country is paramount. However, building the unity of our people will be challenging. It needs commitment and it needs courage.”
“We are a big group – over 70 – we are a battalion of peace, and we can make peace in this county if we make a step together and if we listen together,” said Archbishop Deng Bul.
According to Rev. Dr. Suwa, in his closing statement, “Reconciliation can happen, but it will take time. If we see reconciliation as a single goal, we will be in trouble. Reconciliation is a future we must see, a journey we must be willing to take, and a lifestyle we must be willing to live. Reconciliation is a lifetime commitment to which we ALL must commit ourselves. Reconciliation calls for all of us to be BOLD, COURAGEOUS and SELFLESS in order to change from a culture of violence to a culture of peace.”
At the end of the ceremony, Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul prayed with the mobilisers, “We are ambassadors for peace. What is needed is commitment. From the ten states and Abyei, Jesus use them, make them new and when they go back to the community, they will challenge the others. Let them challenge the situation in our county. You will mold them, you will change them, you will guard them, you will protect them. Let them take the message of reconciliation, the message of peace, of love, back to their communities. When you are with them, they will make our great nation one.”
Peace Mobilizers Charter Agreed in Yei
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PHOTOS, AND INTERVIEW ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT
CNHPR Secretary General Rev. Bernard Suwa +211 921 037 248 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Media Outreach: Anne McMurrey +211 954 842 557 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Institute for Justice and Reconciliation: Friederike Bubenber (South Sudan) +211 914 492 602 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Zyaan Davids (South Africa) +27 21 202 4071 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.ReconciliationSouthSudan.org www.twitter.com/cnhpr www.facebook.com/CNHPR
Special thanks to our partners: IJR, PACT, DANIDA, SIDA, Norwegian Government, Catholic
Relief Services, Norwegian Church Aid, and Mission Aviation Fellowship
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