SUDAN, SOUTH SUDAN: PAX Christi to Start New Project with Religious Sisters on Peace Building

Ginaba Lino

PAX Christi International has concluded a five-days training with Religious Sisters aimed at starting a pilot project on peace-building and non-violence in South Sudan.

About 20 Religious nuns from Malakal, Juba Archdiocese, Wau, Torit Rumbek and Tombura Yambio Diocese attended the training last week in Juba.

Africa Regional Coordinator for PAX Christi Mr. Dieudonne’ Sadi stated that the purpose of the project is to empower Consecrated women on the active non-violence approach.

“The purpose of this project is to empower Catholic nuns on active non-violence and peace building, and also to train them on how to assist victims of violence and trauma hilling. We trained them also on transformational leadership.”

Mr. Sadi said, as PAX Christi is a Catholic movement dealing with peace building, their aim is to reduce violence in South Sudan.

“We are a Catholic movement dealing with peace building. In this country South Sudan, we would like to reduce violence and promote peace. This is a pilot project; if we succeed with this project by next year, we will extend to other dioceses.”

At the end of this project, we would like to see the youth committed as peace builders in this country,” added Sadi.

PAX Christi also hope to include sports as part of their project to bring the youth together and reduce violence.

Project Assistant for this program Sister Regina Achan explained that if they implement the project well and make people understand what peace building is, there will be less cases of violence in the country.

“I hope once this peace building project is carried out and many people are aware, the result will be positive. Human beings need peace. We need to peaceful coexistence in order to enjoy life and be happy. With this project, I think it will work.”

“We are coming as PAX Christi to join other organizations that have been focusing on peace building so that together we can make it,” Sister Regina states.

She regrets that lack faith is making it difficult to stop violence among citizens across the country.

According to Africa Regional Coordinator for PAX Christi, the Sisters will start the project with youth, women and community leaders. The project will run for one year with a possibility of expanding to other dioceses which are not included in this project.

The words Pax Christi meaning the ‘Peace of Christ’, the organization is an international Catholic peace movement founded by Catholic Christians in France in 1945 to promote reconciliation with the German people after the Second World War.