By Charles K Mark
Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI) has commenced a four-day training program for approximately 50 members of the Central Equatoria State (CES) Parliament.
The training is focused on conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and good governance.
It is expected to equip the CES parliamentarians with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively address conflict-related issues in their communities and contribute to the overall peacebuilding efforts in the state.
Some of the participating parliamentarians have called for greater inclusion of women in such trainings, as they are often at the forefront of conflict resolution efforts.
Rose Bone Yoasa, the Deputy Chairperson of the Women Parliamentary Caucus, noted that women are directly affected by conflicts and should be equipped with the necessary skills to resolve them effectively.
“When any problem arises, it is the woman that is directly affected, but again it is the women that can easily resolve a conflict,” Yoasa said.
James Wani, the Director for Peacebuilding in the CES Ministry of Peacebuilding, commended the organizers and underscored the inclusive approach.
He stressed that for conflict resolution efforts to be successful, both grassroots communities and their leaders must be engaged.
“When you build the capacity of those at the grassroots, you need to build the capacity of the leaders. If you build the capacity of the grassroots and leave the head, things do not go well most of the time,” Wani said.
Wani appealed to the participating parliamentarians to take an active role in events and initiatives aimed at resolving conflicts and building peace, as Central Equatoria is a crucial region for the country’s overall peace and stability.
William Angoro, representing the WPDI Country Director, explained that the purpose of the training is to enable the parliamentarians to better articulate and understand the underlying causes of conflicts in their respective constituencies.
“We felt it is important and paramount that our representatives have that space to position themselves through our insights and many years of experience in conflict resolution,” Angoro said.