James lives in a camp for refugees in South Sudan. He is one of 3.8 million people displaced because of conflict in Sudan. War disrupted his life, and he became disconnected from his feelings and compassion for others. He realised this when attending a workshop on peacebuilding.

James

Our Relief and Development partner, The LAID Foundation of South Sudan (LAFOSS), based in Juba, gathers community leaders for peacebuilding training.  James was part of a workshop training people in refugee camps. The workshops help to develop the participant’s understanding of conflict and motivate them to build peace within their communities. 

Participants have learned to resolve conflicts and promote intertribal acceptance. Many come to the workshop having never met someone from another tribe. Attending the seminar provides an opportunity to “build trust among the different tribes.” One woman said, “We now know each other by name.”  

LAFOSS conducted a three-day peacebuilding and conflict resolution workshop with over 250 refugees in May 2023 following the violence in Sudan in April.  Since then, many people have fled to South Sudan and other neighbouring countries.  This is a massive weight on South Sudan, which has had its own internal conflict since 2013 and is rated as the least developed country in the world on the Human Development Index.

James attended the training. With new knowledge and skills, he has helped build trust with people from other tribes within the refugee camp. James learned what “fairness” is. He said he can now better “analyse the condition” and “pay attention” to his feelings. He learned forgiveness.

Regine leads a women’s group and attended the same training as James.  She reported big changes in her understanding, attitudes and behaviours.  The violence within her own tribe has reduced because of her peace-making efforts, and she feels she is restoring the relationship between tribes, which was broken in the 2013 conflict in South Sudan. The workshop taught her new conflict resolution and mediation skills so she could mediate conflicts and show others how to be peacemakers.

James says he can now help people in the refugee camp with “no chance of [peace] training.” He can be their teacher. 

May 16 is the UN International Day of Living Together in Peace.  

LAFOSS is an excellent example of a project that promotes peace and inclusion. People like James and Regine gain skills to change their communities. To help others affected by conflict and better live together in peace.