From February to April 2025, the National Transformational Leadership Institute (NTLI), under the Peace and Community Cohesion (PaCC) project with support from UNDP, successfully conducted six comprehensive peace trainings across Aweil, Bentiu, Pibor, Pochalla, Torit, and Yambio.
Seasoned NTLI facilitators engaged diverse participants, including chiefs, local government officials, faith-based leaders, women’s groups, religious leaders, and youth representatives. Each training, spanning between five to ten days, focused on building capacities in transformational leadership, conflict management, peace-building, and addressing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
In Bentiu, 30 youth participants — equally divided between males and females — were drawn from Bentiu Town, Rubkona, and the Bentiu Protection of Civilians (PoC) site. The training built on the successes of a previous 2024 session held within the UNMISS compound, where youth from formerly divided communities interacted for the first time since the outbreak of conflict.
The primary objective was to deepen unity among the youth while equipping them with essential leadership and conflict resolution skills. Sessions employed role plays, case studies, and practical counseling exercises to foster learning.
However, the training also exposed persistent challenges within the community related to early and forced marriages, gender inequality, and GBV. Participants recounted troubling cultural practices where survivors of rape face coercive marriages or forced compensations, and young women who reject arranged marriages are subjected to physical and psychological abuse.
One participant narrated:
“In this community, if a girl refuses the man chosen by her family, she may be speared in the feet or cursed, believed to never be productive.”
Another disturbing case highlighted a husband attempting to obstruct his wife’s career advancement by demanding her removal from employment, underscoring the deeply rooted gender inequalities that women continue to face.
As the sessions concluded, participants emphasized the need for continued specialized trainings targeting youth and women, aimed at promoting peace, empowerment, and leadership. Calls were also made for stronger institutional interventions to address GBV and harmful traditional practices.
The NTLI and UNDP remain committed to supporting local peace structures, empowering community actors, and fostering sustainable coexistence in South Sudan’s most fragile regions.