By Ephraim Modi D.S
A youth activist is advocating for the establishment of reconciliation centers where youths can gather to discuss their issues.
The Executive Director of Agency for Humanitarian Assistance and Development (AHD), Martin Kwori made the statement on Tuesday while addressing a symposium on youth rights.
In a session that fetched attention of youths and the press under the theme ‘peaceful youth signify a peaceful nation’ Martin said in African societies, people used to discuss issues under the tree, where youths can resolve most of the disputes affecting the communities.
“Previously we used to have sittings under the tree; in the immediate community where I come from, the greater Bari community we used to call it ‘paranet’. People are invited under the tree to discuss burning issues affecting the entire community under the tree or under the paranet and people will come amicably without discussion,” he said.
He said that today is a different story from the old days where African societies concern about legality of issues compared to the current days.
“By then there were no victims in our African tradition Society, we will not use a dead sentence as punishment because issues were discussed under the tree and people would have mechanism of forgiving one another, can we have the same in South Sudan? We think it can be possible if all South Sudanese come together with one voice, one heart,” the activist stated.
Kwori further highlighted the role of his organization (AHD) to ensure unity of youths and finding a mutual ground to see South Sudan move forward.
He stated that finding a common ground between the youth and their elders particularly their legislators and policy makers would have a forum like this today (yesterday) and share or exchange ideas on how youth can take the country forward particularly by amplifying youths’ issues and become part of policy making process.
The youth activist further stated that one of the roles of the youths in policy making is the permanent constitution making process bill, which has been extended to the legislative house waiting to be tabled to national assembly for discussion.
He said that one of the immediate legislative processes is the upcoming permanent constitution making process, which he saw his happiness as it is already a constitutions process making bill.
“As we all know that immediately after our country attained independence in 2011, two years later we slit into a civil war a war which polarize our societies and young people in general, then we were attached as a group of youths and came with the initiative called organizing people prosperity and that was the slogan and the name of the organization as well,” Mr. Kwori said.
Similarly, Kwori said that his organization embarks on youths’ mobilization to denounce tribalism, but instead remain united as one people of South Sudan.
The Executive Director of AHD said youths’ centers can be established in the residential areas according to quarter council in the absence of traditional centers ‘paranet’ where the community can deliberate on their matters.
“In my opinion these reconciliation centers would be established per a residential area and will be attached to the courter councils because right now we don’t have the traditional paranet or the traditional centers where people would seat under the tree and discuss the issues that used to be, the current chiefs are the courter council authorities or the block leaders,” he said.
“So therefore, there should be community centers reserved for these infrastructures, for examples, per each other counter council, there should be a space reserved where a community center could be constructed so that people can discuss free without fear instead of taking the law into their hands” he added.
In regards to the establishment of youth centers, Martin elaborated that the limiting factor for the conception is the deficiency of subsidy, these centers can be created in support of the government policies, the government is the main bulk to spearhead in ensuring that the citizens have better access to services and the development partners will support them.
So many agencies have voiced their concerns that embarked on uniting the youths in the South Sudan, to shed light on how the youths are supposed to live to each other and that still require a lot of the efforts to ascertain total unity among themselves, with most initiative being held in the capital city of the country Juba, this may call to widen programs as such to all areas of the country since most conflicts among the youths in country were been happening far away from the city.