Country/region: South Sudan
Conflict: Civil war between North and South Sudan
Organisation: Organization for Nonviolence and Development (ONAD)
Field of work: Training in non-violence; workshops on trauma work; inter-religious dialogue between Muslims & Christians
“I used to spread violence. I was a rebel fighter. But I know that people can change – because I have changed.” Mama Bougie, a former fighter in the Sudanese civil war, is now one of the coordinators of the “Alternatives to Violence” (AVP) project in Sudan. She and other trainers on the project have made a documentary film to explain how they deal with “transforming power” in their workshops, how they create space for a culture of non-violence and practise methods of non-violent conflict resolution on both personal and social levels.
The AVP, supported by such organisation as the German Civil Peace Service, is one of the central activities of ONAD, an organisation that was founded 20 years ago by Moses John. He says: “Humanitarian aid is important for our country. But it isn’t enough; we need to do everything we can to consolidate peace.” His contribution to this is the “training of trainers”, in which non-violent conflict management is taught, together with interfaith dialogues and courses on human rights.
ONAD is part of the “Citizens for Peace and Justice” network. The network has issued a statement in which it announced its neutrality and calls for a truce, free access for humanitarian aid and involvement in the peace process.
LINK:
ONAD
Interview on Welt-Sichten 2014
