Women Leading The Path To Peace: Women Protection Teams Reflect On 10 Years of Independence

 Let us engage in honest dialogue
Nancy, a member of the WPT"We talk to the communities about the dangers of violence and GBV (Gender-Based Violence).In my experience this is the most difficult conversion to engage in as South Sudanese because most of us have painful stories of violence. I am happy that NP trained us in leadership which is helping us to talk to different people with different experiences more easily. I believe South Sudan will one day be free of hate and violence if all of us come together. I want to tell all of the South Sudanese that independence of the mind is very important. Let us engage in honest dialogue with people around us and ourselves so that our country will have peace.” - Nancy, member of the Mundri Women Protection Team 

 

Let us learn to interact without tribal limitsCharity Edwards, member of the Mundri WPT

  "Working with the different communities has taught me something that I never knew was a big problem: the way we limit our interactions with people who are not from our community or our tribe, it’s the biggest problem we have as South Sudanese--the tribal interaction.  My appeal to all South Sudanese world-wide is to let us learn to interact without tribal limits, to help us co-exist so that our country can have peace and be truly independent.” - Charity Edward, member of the Mundri  Women Protection Team (WPT)   

Let us learn to pour water on a burning house

Anne Simon, a member of the Mundri WPT“I have learned that no conflict is small; the big conflict started as a small thing. I was fearful to talk to people when they are fighting, especially when couples are fighting,because I used to think it’s the issue between two people. We know that to have peace in our communities we must learn to resolve conflict without violence. This is the message I want to pass to my fellow South Sudanese everywhere: let us learn to pour water on a burning house or else all the houses around will catch fire.” - Anne Simon, member of the Mundri Women Protection Team

 

 I pray we reflect on ourselves and familiesGrace Ladu, member of the Mundri WPT

"From my experience working with the community I have realized it’s very important to forgive and reconcile with ourselves first, before we talk to others about stopping violence. We have also gone through what we are teaching the community about, like peaceful coexistence, or even talking about stopping violence when our families are at the centre of it. I thank NP for making me accountable to peace in my family and community. To all the South Sudanese, I pray we reflect on ourselves and families, on whether we are hindering or working for peace in our communities.”  - GraceLadu, member of the Mundri Women Protection Team

 

  Let us not hide away from the chance to build peaceJosephine Habiba, a member of the Mundri WPT

 

"If  you want to know whether the home is happy or not look at the mother or women in that home. I think it’s the same with the nations-- look at the women of the nation to know if there is peace or not. As women of this country we are at the center of violence from family to Gender-Based Violence and all other forms of violence.Women of South Sudan, let us also be the center for peacebuilding so that we can be happy as mothers of the nation. Let us not hide away from any chance to build peace because of thesuffering  weare going through. We want the suffering to stop. That is why I am happy to work with my community as a member of the Women Protection Team.” - Josephine Habiba, member of the Mundri Women Protection Team

 

 

 

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When you support NP, you support the capacity of women like Josephine, Anne and Charity to protect themselves and their communities. Together, we can support locally-led solutions and realize a worldwide culture of peace.