Youth Dialogue in South Sudan

CMI supports the peaceful transformation of South Sudan into a stable, independent country. By facilitating dialogue processes, CMI seeks to build confidence between and among youth leaders from different ethnic groups. Working in close cooperation with the Government of South Sudan and local partners, CMI aims to deepen the youth leaders’ participation in and ownership over shaping the future of South Sudan.

The project is funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. For additional information please contact Pia Weurlander.

Project News

CMI and its’ partners, University of Juba Center for Peace and Development Studies (UJCPDS) and Organization for Non-Violence and Development (ONAD), held a youth test group workshop in Juba in March 2012

CMI and its’ partners, University of Juba Center for Peace and Development Studies (UJCPDS) and Organization for Non-Violence and Development (ONAD), held a youth test group workshop in Juba in March 2012. The workshop brought together 17 urban youth from the 10 state capitals. The young participants were interviewed by CMI and UJCPDS during the field research in the end of 2011. The three main objectives of the test group workshop were met. First, the workshop participants discussed the findings of the field research report, which the project team is now able to finalize. Second, using video was tested by both the project team and interested youth participants. A short video presenting the workshop and participants is currently edited by CMI. Third, the project team finalized a selection of 8 urban youth to become participants of the actual core group of the youth confidence and state building dialogue workshops. As one of the key findings of the field research report is that so-called rural youth from outside of the state capitals need to be further identified and included in the youth dialogue workshops core group. The next step for the project team is to identify 8 rural youth in order to start the first youth influencers dialogue workshop in June  2012.

PHOTOS: SAILA HUUSKO/CMI

Juba office opened!

In the beginning of February CMI (Crisis Management Initiative) has opened an office in Juba, in the Republic of South Sudan. This accomplishes CMI’s presence in the country, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding in May 2011 with the Peace and Reconciliation Commission  (former Ministry of Peace and CPA Implementation). Since the summer of 2011 CMI has been active in South Sudan, planning a youth dialogue with local partners. The first project methodology workshop starts in February.  The project will be done in coordinating with the Peace and Reconciliation Commission and other local and international partners.

CMI’s office is located at the Hamza Inn compound In Juba.

Field research activities conducted in 9 out 10 states in South Sudan

CMI has conducted field research activities together with the local partner University of Juba, Center for Peace and Development Studies in 9 out of the 10 states in South Sudan. Unity State, which is affected by an internal armed rebellion, will be visited as soon as the security situation improves. CMI and the University have interviewed 113 youth from age 17 to 39 representing27 different tribes. The aim of the research is to identity the participants and issues for the CMI project “youth leaders’ confidence and state building dialogue” in South Sudan. Furthermore, the research draws a baseline assessment, which will build up a monitoring and evaluation framework for the project. The first youth dialogue pilot workshop will be organized in February 2012.

All photos: Pia Weurlander/CMI