| The South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC), in partnership with PAX, the largest Netherlands peace organisation, launched a new booklet entitled ‘Active Non-Violence’. This publication, presented in Juba on 27 January, is a new resource in the country and aims to strengthen the capacity of religious leaders to promote peace and reconciliation within their communities.
The initiative stems from the need for a new approach to sustainable peace in South Sudan, a country scarred by decades of violent conflict, including the civil war that began in December 2013, just over two years after independence. Members of the SSCC, including representatives of the Sudan Conference of Catholic Bishops (SCBC), met in Kigali, Rwanda, and decided to embark on a new path to peace, asking for PAX’s support to develop an essential resource. This effort led to the creation of the booklet, an integral part of the Action Plan for Peace (APP), the internal, church-led strategy of the SSCC. The Active Non-Violence booklet provides practical guidance for religious leaders, with the aim of empowering them to promote reconciliation within their communities. As Emmanuel Ira, director of PAX in South Sudan, said during the launch, the publication aims to ‘contribute to a just peace’ and to ‘break the culture that most people think that South Sudanese communities are violent’. Ira emphasised that violence is a learned behaviour, influenced by the environment, and that the booklet offers insights into non-violence. The Secretary General of the SSCC, in his message during the launch, said the booklet ‘serves as a powerful tool to deepen our understanding of nonviolence as a divine mandate and a practical way of life’. He urged religious leaders to actively engage with their congregations through sermons, Bible studies and outreach activities, calling on them to transform churches into ‘sanctuaries of hope and transformation’. James Makuei Chuol, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan and Sudan, explained that the booklet is the result of a decision taken by religious leaders in 2022 in Kenya and draws inspiration from the 2023 Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage, which was also attended by Pope Francis. He also stressed that ‘this booklet is not just for reading, but for implementation’ and called on religious leaders to implement the principles contained in the publication, reminding them of their responsibility to lead communities towards reconciliation, justice and unity. He concluded by urging the leaders: ‘May God’s wisdom, strength and peace guide you as you lead with courage and compassion. Together, let us embody and proclaim the power of nonviolence for the glory of His name’. Original article on ACIAFRICA Download the ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE BOOKLET
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Date Published:06 February 2025 Author:Alice, Office Manager
Article Tags: Latest news, South Sudan, Solidarity, Peace, Reconciliation, South Sudan Council of Churches |
