Kuron Peace Village in South Sudan
July 8, 2015
Four years ago the world looked at South Sudan with a lot of enthusiasm. On July 9, 2011, after decades of civil war, the country finally gained its independence from Khartoum. But the euphoria was followed by disillusionment. Two years after the creation of the new state, a bloody civil war broke out again. A power struggle between President Salva Kiir and his former vice president Riek Machar created a divide between the different ethnic groups. The conflict rapidly escalated into a civil war between the Nuer and Dinka, which are the two main ethnic groups in South Sudan.
But not all hope is gone. A remote village located in the extreme southeast of the country, wants to show that things can be different. Here BishopTaban Paride has established a "peace village" to reconcile feuding ethnic groups.
The 79-year-old bishop divides his time between his home in the capital of Juba and the village of Kuron - a three day journey by road. On some days, he travels by helicopter. The sound of the propeller machine can be heard from afar. It is not so often that aircrafts land on the dusty airfield of Kuron. Along the runway, a small crowd has gathered to welcome him. As he steps out of the plane, the faces of those waiting for him brighten up with joy. Since the bishop established his peace village in this remote area, things are looking better, the people agree unanimously. The idea of the bishop is simple: "We want to promote the self-employment of people." The people need fresh ideas and they need to learn new skills, Paride explains.
Kuron is located in an area which has seen fierce battles for decades. For the people living here, cattle and land are the benchmark for wealth. In the past, conflicts were traditionally fought with spears. But the civil war that has been raging in South Sudan brought thousands of firearms into the country. Hungry rebels and soldiers sold their weapons to the shepherds in return for food and livestock. Thus, cattle rustling with spears and shields, turned into a bloody conflict. Bishop Paride, however, believed that things could change. On several occasions, the 79-year-old personally risked his life to negotiate peace.
From the Gospel to social work
Paride is particularly proud of the training center in the peace village. Here young people acquire practical skills such as making chairs and tables. In addition, they also learn simple arithmetic and writing. The bishop wants to provide them with alternatives to fighting, because that is often the only thing they have learnt. "When they see a building like this they say: 'Wow, was that made by a miracle? Is it God who made it? They don't know that human beings can make these things. Or they think that it has been done by Europeans or Arabs. They might even destroy it because they think it's not done by one of them. But now that they have the skills, they know that this is the work of their own hands," he says.
Despite past rivalries, the different ethnic groups have learnt to live together. Peace village has for instance seen a number of interethnic marriages. Mary Namuno, a 20-year-old woman from the Jiye ethnic group, recently tied the knot with Joseph Lomoy, who belongs to the Toposa. "At first my family was not pleased that a Toposa wanted to marry me. Now, however, they have accepted it," Namuno explains.
Bringing the message across
The concept of the peace village is not just about learning new pratical skills. In the village square in front of Kuron's primary school, the area's drama group is putting on a new play. "It is easier together than against each other" - that is the group's message. Almost the entire village is there to watch the performance.
Seated on his plastic chair in the back row, Bishop Paride smiles. "I have already prepared my grave here to show that I'm not going to leave," the bishop says emphatically. But until then, there is still some considerable work for the bishop to accomplish. He for instance wants to construct a road so that more people can come to Kuron. For now however, Paride wants to celebrate his achievements so far.