Active Citizen capacitate youth on non-violent approaches

Active Citizen South Sudan, an indigenous organization operating in the country has trained about 55 young people in Juba on non-violent approaches in a bid to tackle violent-related conflicts among the communities.

The event conducted with the support of the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) provides a strategic framework for local peace-builders and youth to transform violent conflict and advance peace.

Gai Makiew Gai, the project officer at the Active Citizen South Sudan said the initiative was undertaken to engage the youth on peace-building and conflict mitigation.

“We intended the training to educate youth to know more about non-violent action and peace-building. The absence of non-violent skills has been a problem to many of us in the country,” he said.

“We need to use non-violent ways to build our country and respond to emergencies. We felt that the young people are capable of resolving issues amicably when capacitated,” Mr. Gai added.

According to the activist, it was also high time for the youth to use the skills as tools for conflict resolution.

“For instance, when they are sitting as a group or as youth associations trying to resolve broader conflict issues in the community, they are required to use non-violence means. They have to lobby the communities as one of the strategies for non-violent action. They have to also engage the communities,” Mr. Gai added.

The three days training was officiated by the national Ministry of Peace-building. The participants included youth association representatives from the three regional bodies of Bahr El Ghazal, Equatoria and Upper Nile respectively.

There were also representatives from two administrative areas namely Ruweng and Pibor Administrative areas.

Pia Philip Michael, the Undersecretary for the ministry of Peace-building urged the youth to be agents of peace and societal transformation.

“The youth should not engage in conflict or fights. They shouldn’t revenge, too. Otherwise, we should embrace peace and love for this country to prosper” he said.

According to the government official, it was high time for the young people to support peace so that complete stability has to be achieved.

Gabriel Jok, one of the participants during the event said that the training will help them to understand and develop the power of nonviolence.

“This gives an opportunity to share concerns, fears, and feelings. So, we wish to use the knowledge of Synergizing Nonviolent Action and Peace Building (SNAP) to transform the conflict within the communities in a bid to live peacefully without conflict related issues,” he stated.

During the same event last year, the organization challenged the citizens to take up peace initiatives and shun conflicts among the communities for the welfare of the Country.

Lack of nonviolent skills has made it possible for the locals to unknowingly participate in the communal fights’ worth solving without contest, according to the local reports.

However, the youth now confess that they would adopt the use of non-violent measures to solve complexities in the communities.