Peace Starts Within Communities
Sitting under a dusty tent in Juba’s Mangateen displacement camp, MP Bona Deng urged hundreds of residents to see peace as everyone’s business.
The Chairperson of Parliament’s Specialised Committee on Peace and Reconciliation insisted that inner calm precedes national harmony.
Economic Empowerment Training
At the event, seventy-plus women received certificates after mastering bar soap, liquid soap, shampoo and jelly production, skills expected to translate into income and dignity.
Deng framed the graduation as proof that livelihoods and security walk hand in hand, saying economic hope disarms frustrations that often fuel conflict.
Message of Unity and Healing
“Be peaceful to yourselves first; then greet your neighbour, even from another tribe,” the lawmaker told the crowd, his voice amplified by crackling speakers.
He emphasised that survivors of violence deserve healing, while perpetrators and victims alike must reconcile to rewrite South Sudan’s narrative.
Partners Behind the Program
Vision for Humanity implemented the training with backing from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the UN Peacebuilding Fund and UNDP South Sudan.
Diplomats involved say grassroots projects complement national negotiations by demonstrating quick, visible dividends of stability.
Broader Implications for the Region
Analysts note that community-led peacebuilding resonates across Central Africa, offering lessons for neighbours such as the Republic of Congo that also value social cohesion.
Deng plans to replicate the model in other camps, betting that empowered households become ambassadors for a future free of gunfire.