South Sudanese Peace Leadership Program

• To create a platform for leaders to share existing initiatives they are involved in to address some of the immediate challenges they face; and help map peacebuilding initiatives and connections;

• To deepen connections amongst community leaders and peacebuilders within Australia and provide space to rebuild trust and unity for enhanced collaboration and cooperation.

• To develop and advance peace leadership knowledge and capacity to support increased peacebuilding efforts.

This Initiative for Peacebuilding proposal continues the collaboration between Mr David Nyuol Vincent and Dr Tania Miletic as facilitators, Project Officer Akuc Deng, with co-design and facilitation from within our organising team and networks.

Establishment of an Organising Committee

The development and planning of the program involved the creation of an organising committee. The small group includes a range of community leaders as well as alumni of the 2019 Pilot Program including: Mr Bol Aweng, Ms Akuc Deng, Mr Peter Pal, Mr Peter Deng, My Henry Makuei Kuol and Ms Aguer Athian.

A key role of the organising committee is to help ensure inclusivity and representation across South Sudan’s diverse ethnic, linguistic and geographic communities and strategies to reach across different groups and respective networks, are a high priority.

This is crucial to help meet the aim to build a strong and united diaspora community that act as a bridge between diaspora and country of origin, for the development of South Sudan and peace and prosperity of all South Sudanese.

Participants

We are currently consulting to create a short-list for participants through recommendations and referral.

• Up to 30 selected South Sudanese Australian peacebuilders and community leaders from across Australia will participate by invitation

• Selection criteria for invitation will focus on demonstrable contributions to community and peace leadership, a good representation across ethnicity and gender; and

• Commitment to continuing engagement through the Network and projects.

Key sessions in the Three-day Program

Following consultations the following sessions are being integrated into the program:

• Facilitated Conflict Analysis and Conflict transformation approaches

• Peace Leadership

• Community peacebuilding and dialogue projects

• Positive Peace Framework and contextualising the challenges and opportunities for South Sudan

• Trauma-informed peacebuilding and social healing approaches

• Comparative learning and reflection with Rwandan case study

• Strengthening bi-lateral relations and policy development

The final day’s program includes a panel discussion with Australian government Deputy Foreign Minister Hon. Tim Watts and South Sudan Deputy Foreign Minister Hon. Monday Kumba on strengthening bilateral relations.

Financial Support from the Rotary Club of Melbourne

The SSDPLP program is kindly supported by the Rotary Club of Melbourne. Peace is a cornerstone of the mission of Rotary international. The Rotary Foundation has shown great peace leadership through the establishment of the Rotary Peace Fellowship program, which has now provided over 1500 global alumni specialised training in professional and academic field of peacebuilding. Locally, the establishment of Rotary Peacebuilding Clubs has further embedded commitment to projects as part of Club and District foci and the recent Peace Leadership Symposium held in commemoration of 100 years of Rotary in Australia and New Zealand, co-hosted by the Initiative for Peacebuilding at the University of Melbourne in 2021 demonstrated how peace has become a central focus of Rotary efforts. District 9800’s Foundation Committee also has been highly engaged through its Peacebuilding subcommittee to develop and promote various peace projects for Rotary. Rotary Club of Melbourne are pioneers in supporting local and global efforts for peace.