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Return to Peace
IPF Local Partner: P.H.A.R.P (Peace-building, Healing, and Reconciliation Program)
IPF Project: Trauma Healing & Conflict Transformation in Southern Sudan
Location: Southern Sudan, Yei District
Peacemakers: Rev. Felicien Nemeyimana, Sebastien Bukuru
Background
Click here for BBC Country Profile of Sudan
The 21-year civil war in Darfur between the mainly Muslim north and
the Animist and Christian south has cost the lives of 1.5 million
people, and is seen as “one of the worst nightmares in modern
history”. Southern rebels said they were battling oppression and
marginalization. After two years of bargaining, the government and
rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement signed a comprehensive
peace deal in January 2005.
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Refugees have started going home. In the next few years, Sudan can
expect the return of about a half a million refugees from overseas and
about 4 million internal displaced people. All these need attention and
preparation. They suffer a strong prejudice and feel insecure. Many of
them are widows, widowers, handicapped, separated, or orphans. They are
emotionally wounded. They return where there is no shelter, hospitals,
schools, or food. They are living in poverty and so the situation is
very sensitive.
Since 1994, Kenya-based Peace, Healing and Reconciliation Program, (PHARP) have been dealing with refugees from the Great Lakes Region as well as those from Ethiopia and Eritrea and Sudan for many years. In previous years, PHARP have successfully trained 6,539 youths, 1947 women, 1032 pastors & community leaders, and 28 prison officers.
Project Timeline
Phase 1 - June-December 2006
Nonviolent Conflict Resolution, Trauma Healing & Reconciliation Training
Venue: Southern Sudan (Yei - Warrap Province)
Number of Participants: 60
Phase 2 - April 12th-14th 2007
Follow-Up Workshop to Phase I
Venue: Yei - Warrap Province
Number of Participants: 22
Major Outcomes
- Relatives, friends, and communities offered counseling by particpants
- Bereavement counselling by PHARP training graduates
- Pastor, Youth, Teachers, and Mothers Union groups trained by participants (90 pax)
- Dissemination of training content to Church hierarchy (clergy, bishops etc)
- Small group sharing for 2 days nonviolence in the family (12 pax)
- Inter-denominational mediation meetings in Yei & Morobo (20 pax) Episcopal Church of Sudan & Charismatic Church in particular.
- Nonviolence Workshop for teachers, health care workers, and 4 serving members of the army (34 pax)
- Dozens of testimonies of individual use of nonviolence skills in interpersonal realtionships
- Parish meeting of Church leaders for 3 churches (24 pax)
Recommendations & Observations
- Action Plans developed for Juba, Maridi, Yambio, Kajo-Keji, Morobo, Yei, and Nzara Provinces
- Variety of local communication, financial, and transportation obstacles when delivering nonviolence training
- Gender-related issues of women as victims of a patriarchal society
- Strategic Plan needed to work within different church communities
- Need for more financial incentives to ensure attendance
- Issues of tribalism, and differing ethnic groups & languages
- Geographical problems of outreach to whole of counties/provinces
- Managing expectations - for additional financial support & training objectives
- Yambio County - need more funds to invite more participants, and attract those community leaders most able to make an impact - governnment, community, and church leaders
- Existing conflict between Zande & Dinka ethnic groups
- Trauma issues relating to culture issues
- Impacty of HIV/AIDS
- Need for more printed training resources
PHARP's Director tells us:
"Looking back on the ten years of Peace building, Healing and Reconciliation Program - we at PHARP celebrate God’s faithfulness. We started in pain and struggles during the Rwanda genocide of 1994 when remnants, refugees and neighbors were undergoing critical traumatic events. While we have not forgotten those difficult times, we are grateful for the restoration of peace due to support from the peace builders around the world.
"We seek your prayers for the years ahead as we plan to expand PHARP’s trainings in the Horn and western regions of Africa. The recent peace agreement between the Sudan government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) needs to be nurtured for lasting results. As long as there is war in some part of the country like Darfur, resources will be spent on weapons, not on welfare. So trainings on trauma healing process, conflict resolution, peace education and community development are needed in those areas, in order to have a common understanding and a lasting peace.
"I am convinced that experiences learned from the Great Lakes Region can be helpful in Sudan as well as in other war-torn countries in the rest of Africa. PHARP is well placed to contribute to the societal development.
May you be encouraged to be one of the peacemakers and agents of transformation in this world full of anger, violence, confusion, and misunderstanding, which leads to serious conflict."
Related Links
- BBC Sudan Country Profile
- Save Darfur – Genocide Briefing Paper
- Wikipedia - Sudan
- Wikipedia - Darfur Conflict
