Past Projects: Sudan
Sustaining Peace and Enhancing Livelihoods in Southern Sudan (SPELS)
Where:
South Sudan
Who:
Women Development Group (WDG) and Christian Mission Aid (CMA)
Funded by:
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Purpose:
The objective of the SPELS project is to contribute to the human security and peace building efforts in communities in southern Sudan.
Situation:
A 21-year-old conflict in southern Sudan — Africa's longest civil war — killed an estimated two million people, mainly through famine and disease. Another four million southern Sudanese were displaced by the war. In January 2005, Sudan's government and southern rebels signed a historic deal to finally end the conflict in the south: the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
The state of Bahr el Ghazal in South Sudan was particularly devastated by the conflict, and now suffers from widespread poverty and dependence on food aid. Bahr el Ghazal is also facing the return of an estimated two million internally displaced persons and refugees.
Objectives:
In order to help communities in Bahr el Ghazal deal with the serious challenges facing them, CHF is partnering up with Women Development Group (WDG), a local Sudanese organization. Established in 2000 during the war, WDG supports food security, peace building and income generation projects for its people. CHF is also working with Christian Mission Aid Kenya (CMA), particularly in the area of peace-building.
- Building on CHF’s peace-building work in southern Sudan over the past six years, the three-year project will focus on improving food security and livelihoods, combined with conflict prevention and the re-integration of refugees and internally displaced persons.
- The principal beneficiaries of the SPELS project will be approximately 250,000 community members of Wau (Western Bahr-el-Gazal) and Juaibor (Jonglei), as well as the approximately 400,000 to 600,000 internally displaced persons and refugees projected to return to Wau.
- The project will enhance the capacity of the local partner, WDG, to engage local communities in peacebuilding and sustainable livelihoods activities.
- In Jonglei, the project will strengthen CMA’s capacity to integrate sustainable livelihoods with its peacebuilding and health activities, and support the development of one or more community-based organizations.
Building Peace And Stability In South Sudan
Where:
Sudan, East Africa
Who:
CHF and CMA1 (Christian Mission Aid)
Funded by:
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Purpose:
To contribute to the human security and peace building efforts in and amongst communities in Southern Sudan.
Successes:
This project established key practices in support of community-level peace building in South Sudan.
The project has:
- established "Circles of HOPE", in which community members come together to work towards building peace in their own communities. In one instance, a community was able to make a new peace agreement between two rival clans.
- strengthened the peace building efforts of organizations providing food and medical relief in South Sudan.
- published and distributed over 600 copies of the training manual: The HOPE Project: Best Practices and Tools for Community-Based Peacebuilding in South Sudan (July 2002). This Manual is used widely by communities and organizations as part of ongoing efforts to bring peace and stability to conflict-ravaged communities in South Sudan.
Harmonizing the Objectives of Peoples Efforts (HOPE)
Where:
South Sudan
Who:
Funded by:
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Purpose:
The objective of the HOPE project is to contribute to the human security and peace building efforts in communities in southern Sudan.
Situation:
A 21-year-old conflict in southern Sudan — Africa's longest civil war — killed an estimated two million people, mainly through famine and disease. Another four million southern Sudanese were displaced by the war. In January 2005, Sudan's government and southern rebels signed a historic deal to finally end Sudan’s conflict in the south: the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). This agreement has served to prevent continuing conflict between the North and South, but serious issues remain on the road to resolution, especially in terms of the economic challenges underlying the conflict.
Results:
This project incorporates peacebuilding approaches into an aid program, disseminates lessons learned and shares successes throughout the Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) membership. Results to date include the following:
- The capacity of local organizations in Sudan for peacebuilding has been strengthened through peace education and conflict transformation training for community and church leaders, teachers, non-governmental organizations and local governmental authorities.
- The re-integration of conflict-displaced returnees are being facilitated through peace classes. As well, improved livelihoods will ultimately help to render peace agreements more viable and sustainable.
- Linkages of trust have been created with the various groups within the community — women’s groups, youth, elders, traditional leaders and government authorities.
- A total of 1790 individuals (1454 women; 336 men) have been trained in peace education and conflict transformation, and peace-building teams have been created.
- The first women’s community-based organization has been created in Keew, Sudan.
- Training and education materials on best practices and tools for community-based peace building have been developed, with integration of literacy training.
- The Peace Accord has been translated into local language to facilitate people’s understanding of the role of local governmental authorities in upholding the peace agreement.