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Launched Booklet on Nonviolence in South Sudan “designed to empower church leaders in promoting peace”: Partner

Launch of a Booklet on Nonviolence in South SudanCredit: South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC)

Members of the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) have, in partnership with PAX, Netherlands’ largest peace entity that works “on protecting civilians from the violence of war, ending armed conflict, and building inclusive peace”, launched a new booklet that seeks to “empower” faith-based leaders in fostering peace. 

In a Monday, February 3 report, PAX indicates that the booklet “is specifically designed to empower church leaders in promoting peace. It is the first of its kind in South Sudan and aims to provide practical guidance for fostering reconciliation within communities.”

Titled “Active Non-Violence”, the booklet that was launched in South Sudan’s capital city, Juba, on January 27 follows decades of violent conflicts in South Sudan, including the civil war that started off in December 2013, just over two years of the country’s independence, the PAX report indicates. 

Informed by the need for a new approach to sustainable peace in the East-Central African nation, SSCC members, who include representatives from the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SCBC) met in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali, and resolved to work towards a new approach to peace, PAX has reported. 

SSCC members reached out to PAX to facilitate the development of an “essential resource”, a mandate that has been achieved through Action Plan for Peace (APP), which is described as SSCC’s “homegrown and Church-led strategy”.

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In the February 3 report, the South Sudan country Director of PAX, Emmanuel Ira, is quoted as outlining what is to be achieved with the booklet during the launch.

“The purpose of the publication is to contribute to a just peace. We want to break this culture that most people think that South Sudanese are violent communities. This is the beginning that this tool is going to help to break this perception of violence,” Emmanuel said.  

He reportedly argued that violence is a learned behaviour, which is shaped by a person’s environment, and that the booklet provides insights into nonviolence. 

In his message during the booklet launch, the SSCC General Secretary said, “This booklet serves as a powerful tool to deepen our understanding of nonviolence as a divine mandate and a practical way of life.”

In launching the booklet, Rev. Tut Kony Nyang Kon said, “we are reminded of the call entrusted to us as shepherds of God’s people. The message of nonviolence is not merely a strategy for peace but a reflection of the Gospel itself – the life, teachings, and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of Peace.”

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Rev. Nyang emphasized that the message of the booklet is for everyone, and not just the church leaders. He said, “All of us are called … to intensify, to call our people not to react, to take the law into their hands.”

“I am encouraging each of you member church leaders to actively engage with your congregations through preaching in your respective pulpits, teaching during Bible study gatherings, and utilizing these opportunities for outreach evangelism campaigns to use even five minutes to share about nonviolence,” Rev. Nyang said. 

He implored, “May our churches become sanctuaries of hope and transformation, equipping our communities to overcome conflicts and injustices with courage and grace.”

On his part, the Moderator of the General Assembly Presbyterian Church of South in Sudan and Sudan, James Makuei Chuol, is said to have underscored the church’s long-standing commitment to peacebuilding.

According to James, the booklet stemmed from church leaders’ 2022 decision in Lukenya in Kenya. The booklet was further inspired by the 2023 Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage, which Pope Francis realized alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields.

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“This booklet is not just for reading, but for implementation. Non-violence is not passive, it’s active,” the South Sudanese church leader sai, and called upon faith-based leaders to implement the principles in the publication. 

He reminded the church leaders of their responsibility to guide their communities toward reconciliation, justice, and unity, saying, “The message of nonviolence is not merely a strategy for peace but a reflection of the Gospel itself.”

He implored, “May God’s wisdom, strength, and peace guide you as you lead with boldness and compassion. Together, let us embody and proclaim the power of nonviolence for the glory of His name.”

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