The Plan of Action for Religious and Traditional Actors was launched in New York on Friday July 14th, 2017. The launch was joined by the United Nations Secretary-General, who paid tribute to the crucial role of critical partners, including The Peacemakers Network whose secretariat is hosted by the FCA, involved in the process leading to the Plan of Action. Now, as the action plan has been launched, all eyes are set on implementation.
“I firmly believe in the power of faith leaders to shape our world for good,” António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, began his speech at the United Nations Headquarters at the launch of the action plan addressing religious actors and their role in preventing violence.
“Yet around the world, we see how religion is being twisted – cynically manipulated – to justify incitement to violence and discrimination,” the Secretary-General continued, and put into words the global challenge faced by faith groups and religious actors around the world – the exact challenge the historical Plan of Action seeks to address.
The action plan titled The Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes was launched on Friday the 14th at a meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The launch marked a significant milestone both in the history of the United Nations and the history of the Peacemakers Network. The Plan of Action was the first of its kind to highlight the role religious actors have in preventing violence. To add to this, the Plan of Action brought exceptional attention to the work done by religious and traditional peacemakers and The Peacemakers Network.
“This meeting was unprecedented in terms of engaging religious and traditional actors with the highest level of the UN,” Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi, Director of the Peacemakers Network, described the launch event.
The opening remarks of the Secretary-General were followed by a keynote address by Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah, President of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies, and Faisal Bin Muammar, Secretary-General of the KAICIID Dialogue Centre. The speeches were followed by three panels in which the content of the Plan of Action, its implementation and the role of religious leaders in reaching the Sustainable Development goals were discussed. The panels were participated by, for example, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations; Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid, Imam of the Grand Mosque of Mecca; Rabbi Burton Visotzky, Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary; and Reverend Kyoichi Sugino, Deputy Secretary-General of Religions for Peace.
The Fez Process
The drafting of the Plan of Action began in 2015 in the Moroccan city of Fez. The Plan of Action was developed and organized by the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, with the Network taking a supportive role and acting as an active member of the advisory committee. The Network, for example, participated in the planning of the first meeting in Fez and the subsequent five regional meetings held on five continents.
Within the duration of the two-year Fez Process, the Network acted as one of the advisors, organizers and funders for the various phases of the process. The Network also cosponsored the launch and the reception following the launch which was moderated by the Network and addressed by Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Until today, the Fez Process has involved 232 religious actors from 77 countries. Participants in the process have included Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims and Sikhs from different groups and denominations, as well as representatives from various religious minorities, including Baha’i, Candomblé, Kakai, Yazidi, and humanists. At least 30 percent of participants at all meetings have been women.
“Religious and traditional actors were the ones who designed and participated in the execution of the regional conferences,” Dr. Elsanousi explained.
“Creating an action plan that engages the ones it addresses ensures that the final plan reflects the reality of the people it is designed for. This is directly linked to the successful implementation of the plan,” Dr. Elsanousi continued.
The wide engagement of religious leaders and actors, peacemakers and faith-based organizations was also emphasized by Secretary-General Guterres.
“I would like to pay tribute to the critical role of many partners, and in particular KAICIID, the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers and the World Council of Churches,” the Secretary-General said in his speech.
A Plan of Action to Address a Worldwide Challenge
The incentive to draft the Plan of Action developed years before the first meeting in Fez. The need for a joint action plan grew as a response to the alarming rise in hate speech and incitement to violence against individuals and faith communities.
These developments were also made visible by the statistics of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2014 hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1 093 offenses. In 2015 the number of offenses reported by the United States law enforcement had climbed to 1 354 cases. Similar developments have been seen around the world.
Even though campaigns against hate speech have been wide-ranging, the Plan of Action is the first to focus on the role of religious actors in preventing incitement to violence. The Plan of Action contains concrete recommendations to prevent incitement to violence, strengthen communities’ resistance to incitement, and build mechanisms for a united response.
“The Action Plan recognizes that there is a problem pertaining to incitement, and there are a number of religious actors orchestrating such incitement. For this reason it is crucial that religious actors have the ownership of producing a mechanism to address this particular problem,” Dr. Elsanousi said.
“The Plan of Action is instrumental because it calls for religious actors to raise their voice and not to remain silent. The Plan of Action calls religious actors to monitor signs of incitement. The Plan also encourages them to engage in interfaith cooperation.”
While the Plan of Action is intended to be used by religious leaders and actors, it also includes detailed recommendations for others, such as, States and State institutions, secular civil society organizations, and new and traditional media.
From Plan to Action
Even though conflicts have changed and shifted during the two-year drafting process, the challenges that sparked the development of the action plan remain as timely as before.
“Religious leaders have huge influence among the people following them. In some circumstances, religious leaders have the potential of being more influential than political leaders. That is why we need to bring these religious leaders together,” Special Adviser Adama Dieng from the UN Office on Genocide Prevention said before the launch event in an interview for the UN Radio.
The following months and years will be pivotal for the Plan of Action. The Peacemakers Network is committed to continue cooperation with the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and its partners.
“Implementation can be in the form of workshops, capacity building seminars, media appearances, town hall discussions,” Dr. Elsanousi elaborated.
Just as in the process leading to the plan, the needs and knowledge of religious actors need to be in the center of actions.
“It can help to save lives, reduce suffering, and realize our shared vision of a peaceful, inclusive and just societies in which diversity is valued and the rights of all individuals are protected. Let us work together to prevent and end atrocity crimes and all affronts to human rights and dignity,” Secretary-General Guterres ended his remarks.
The Plan of Action was developed by the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, with the support of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID), and the World Council of Churches (WCC).
More than 80 percent of the world’s population belongs to a religious community. The lives of the vast majority of people are thus affected or guided by religious values or beliefs. Due to this, religions and religious leaders and actors have a pivotal role in creating the foundations for sustainable change. In order to create sustainable development, religious aspects need to be taken into consideration both in the planning and implementation of development cooperation.
Finn Church Aid and the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers have partnered with the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) network. Together with PaRD and its network members and partners, Finn Church Aid and the Peacemakers Network aim to strengthen cooperation to support the role of religious actors in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations. The cooperation will focus on work in the fields of peace building and gender equality.
PaRD was founded in 2016 to support cooperation between states, NGOs and civil society actors working in or funding the development sector. The members and partners of PaRD are located around the world. PaRD provides its members and partners a network in which to create joint funding projects, share knowledge, and develop inclusive cooperation and training.
Peacemakers Network and PaRD work together in order to strengthen the sustainable impact of peace building and conflict transformation. Both networks work in order to support the global peace building activities engaged by their members and partners. Conflict transformation is a key element providing the ground for sustainable development. In order to create a peace that lasts the inclusion of religious actors, women and youth, both on local as well as international levels cannot be compromised.
In spite of the trend of secularization seen in the global west, religions and religious actors are durable and resilient actors compared to, for example, civil society. The role of religious communities especially in developing nations is essential and religious communities have access and connections to secluded regions even in circumstances, where a functioning central government is non-existent and social services are weak.
Religion remains an immensely important resource and source of hope in dire circumstances and emergencies. To add to this, religion motivates millions of volunteer workers around the world. In order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the UN, it is important that the potential of religious communities is considered and included in all the work done.
Finn Church Aid (FCA) and The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers have shown that the time of elitist diplomacy is over. Peace processes often leave large parts of populations outside negotiations.
The Network’s core group, consisting of Religions for Peace, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, International Dialogue Center (KAICIID) and FCA, made the decision on Tuesday in the United States.
The Executive Director of the Network, Mr. Antti Pentikäinen, saw the decision as a sign of trust.
“We have managed to create new ways of peace building with religious and traditional peacemakers”, Pentikäinen concludes.
FCA has a long history of working in the most fragile states, such as South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Somalia. Peace processes often leave large parts of populations outside negotiations, particularly youth, women, religious groups and people on the move. Sustainable peace is therefore difficult to achieve.
FCA has specialised in helping these groups reconcile with each other and connecting them with high level talks. As a result, UN asked FCA to establish the Network in 2013.
The Network and its partners have lately brokered peace in for instance Libya. The country lacks governmental structures, but the country’s powerful tribes have maintained relative peace in most of Libya after reconciling with each other through this work.
Tribal structures hold power in about 60 percent of Libya and are therefore vital for a sustainable peace. The tribes have also accepted the participation of women in reconciliation, and supported by the Network, the tribes have now been linked to the UN-led national peace process.
“Several peace practitioners acknowledge that we have passed the time of elitist diplomacy. They want to learn how to negotiate with groups, which are usually excluded from the negotiating table”, Pentikäinen says.
The Network’s and FCA’s work has also been recognised for collecting rare first hand data. Findings based on an unprecedented sample of interviews with former Boko Haram fighters were published last autumn, and the results raised interest in international media and among researchers. It was preceded by similar research conducted with Al Shabab fighters in 2014.
The Network has close to 50 members, including states and state-based organisations, regional bodies, academic institutions, and international and national non-governmental organisations.
John Bongei is building peace on the savannahs of northwest Kenya. It’s a work that requires time and trust.
We saved human lives in this forest, says 45-year-old John Bongei and points to the left, where a vast savannah spreads out as far as the eye can see.
No signs of human settlement can be seen. But that’s the idea. People in these parts prefer to live in hiding. We are at the border between the Pokot and Markwet tribes in northwest Kenya. The tribes have turbulent relationships and occasionally tensions escalate into violent conflicts. At such times it is safest to flee into “the bush”, and live in hiding somewhere on the vast savannah.
This is what happened last summer. Cattle rustling between the two tribes lead to fighting that in just one month claimed the lives of 26 people. John Bongei was needed once again.
Bongei, a Kenyan native, has worked as Finn Church Aid Programme Coordinator for Peacework here for two years.
“We went around these woods, day and night for two weeks with a representative of the local government in order to break the cycle of revenge. We met very young boys carrying weapons ready to go to battle”, Bongei recalls.
“We managed to get all the local chiefs together, and in the presence of witnesses they signed a treaty to end the fighting.”
News travel slowly round the savannah. Bongei and his partners helped take the message of peace to even the most remote hideouts. Further victims were avoided.
Building peace is long-term work
Bongei is proud of the achievement. Still, he emphasises that peacework requires patience as building trust takes a long time.
“The most difficult thing about peacework is opening communication right after people have been killed. I meet mothers, whose sons are dead, and the bodies have not yet been buried. And I have to ask them to give dialogue a chance. When the men are getting ready for battle, it is my job to offer them an alternative to revenge.”
John Bongei has had a major role in brokering peace between the Pokot and their neighbours the Turkana and the Markwet. The last battle resulting in death here was almost a year ago, and it’s been almost two years since the last killings on the Turkana border.
It is impossible to estimate how many lives have been saved.
The relationship between the Pokot and Markwet tribes is difficult. During the past year, fighting between the two has taken dozens of lives. Finn Church Aid is helping to build peace between the tribes. Two former warriors explain how it can be done.
It all began with watermelons.
Tensions had always existed between the Pokot and Markwet tribes in the remote rural regions of northwest Kenya. The Pokot are a tribe of cattle ranchers and the Markwet rely more on farming. Conflicts arose from time to time, particularly over water and land rights. Also, cattle rustling was a way of quickly gaining wealth and taking revenge. Becoming a warrior, which practically meant cattle thief, was a perfectly viable career alternative for many young people.
However, the two tribes lived in relative peace, until in March 2016 a group of Pokot allowed their cattle to graze on their neighbours’ melon fields. Damages rose to 5,000,000 Kenyan shillings, or about 45,000 euros. Nobody in these remote regions can produce such sums. Since the Pokot were unable to pay, the Markwet stole seven camels in retaliation. This sparked violence along the border region between the two tribes resulting in at least 30 deaths.
The threat of violence has persisted ever since, and many have fled their homes. Children are afraid to go to school as are occasionally the teachers. Trade between the tribes has come to a halt, further impoverishing the region.
Finn Church Aid has been building peace between the tribes since 2015. FCA workers have assisted in laying the foundation by making sure everyone’s opinions and experiences, including those of women and children, are taken into account in the peace efforts, and the inclusivity and security of meetings.
“The next step is finding income and education opportunities for young people. That is the only way to definitively end violence”, says John Bongei, FCA Programme Coordinator for peace work in Kenya.
To push for peace, a conference between the two tribes was organised in December 2016. It was the second attempt. The conference was originally supposed to take place three weeks earlier, but the Markwet announced they were not ready to sit down at the time.
Now the tribes have set up joined groups to work out issues of land usage, trade, water sharing and so on. Former warriors from both tribes also took part in peace talks. Here is what two of them have to say:
David Kanda, 33, former Markwet warrior
“The atmosphere in the talks is good, there are no particular tensions. It doesn’t feel bad to talk with the Pokot. I just tell them we want to love them!
I think there are two things we need to agree on in these particular talks. First, that people simply must be able to get along and coexist. Second, that we must continue trade. The Markwet sell fruits, like mango and bananas. The Pokot mostly sell goats. Both hold their markets on different days. They must be allowed to attend our market in peace and we must be allowed to attend theirs in turn. At the moment, people are afraid, and they dare not go onto the other tribe’s land.
I am now a businessman, but you know I was the mightiest warrior of all. Back then I was young and I didn’t have a family yet. I might have been 15 when I started stealing cattle. I stole cows and goats and climbed up trees to break apart beehives, which some Pokot use to produce honey.
The life of a warrior is not good. Snakes and wild animals can bite you when you go out at night and it is very difficult to see them, especially the snakes. When you ford a river in the dark, you can get attacked by a crocodile. This happened to many people. I saw about a dozen people get killed when I was cattle rustling.
I also noticed that if you want to get married as a warrior, it is very difficult to find a wife. Fathers don’t want to give their daughters to warriors. That is why I decided to quit fighting.
I haven’t participated in violence or theft in years. My life is stable and peaceful. My children go to school, I buy goats from the Pokot and sell fruit with my wife. The difference compared to my life as a warrior is remarkable.
A good way to build peace is for people from the Pokot and the Markwet tribes to marry each other. It is possible. Would I take a Pokot wife, you ask? My other wife is a Pokot! She is so beautiful, wise, pure and lovely! I have always admired the Pokot women and hoped very much to get a wife from among them. And then I got her!”
Noren Lorengetum Lokoryara, 40, former Pokot warrior
“The most important matter to discuss here today is grazing land. There is much more of it on the Markwet lands, because they have more rainfall over there. We need the right to allow our animals to graze on some of the good grazing land.
In the past, if I ever went on Markwet lands, I went there to steal cows or goats. I cannot remember the first time I did that but we did it often.
At first, it seemed smart, but soon it started to feel awful. It was awful seeing people die. Many people lost what they had been building their entire lives. I lost people close to me, but I also killed.
After one battle we decided we wanted peace. The life of a warrior was not good. For example, I have two wives and every time I went out to steal cattle they were very worried. Every time they had to wonder if I was coming back. I decided to start farming land instead of fighting. Now I have cows, goats, and a home where I can sit down in peace.
It is important to forget about the bad things to achieve peace. It serves us no good to dwell on the past. If a young man says he will become a warrior, I hit him with a stick!
I feel much better now than I did when I was a warrior. I get to take care of my own property. My cows produce enough milk for all my children. In our culture it is customary not to tell how many children you have, or how many cows. But I have many of them. When I go away, my children know that I am only out selling my products and I am coming back. We can all smile again.”
The National Dialogues Conference brought the world’s leading peacemakers to Helsinki for the third time.
Regional and local influences in dialogue processes formed an important part of the agenda in the third National Dialogues Conference HELD at the House of Estates in Helsinki on April 5th-6th. The conference was organised by CMI, Finn Church Aid, Felm and Common Space Initiative.
The event provided an ideal opportunity for stakeholders, experts and support actors to exchange ideas and experiences from various contexts.
“I think it’s important just to have that space where those who practice and work with national dialogues can meet each other and imagine what needs to be done in the future”, says Antti Pentikäinen, director of The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers.
Pentikäinen says that the conference is an illustration of Finland’s commitment to peace building.
“I think that Finnish ownership and commitment to peace work is gradually increasing in the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the NGO sector, and I’m very happy about it.”
Ahtisaari and Pohamba reunite again
Former president of Namibia Hifikepunye Pohamba. Photo: Tatu Blomqvist
One of the highlights of the conference was when the former Presidents of Finland and Namibia, Martti Ahtisaari and Hifikepunye Pohamba shared their experiences from the liberation of Namibia.
The two men know each other since the 1970’s. At that time the UN laid out its first plan for the independence of Namibia, and the friendship was instant due to mutual respect, said Ahtisaari.
The work of Ahtisaari and Pohamba culminated in Namibia’s independence in 1990.
“The Finns have shaped Namibia’s future a great deal”, said Pohamba.
When asked about what kind of qualities are required from a successful peace mediator, Ahtisaari concluded that a mediator has to be “stubborn as a mule”. Pohamba echoed this, and said that “you need to sit many times and discuss, again and again”.
“Internal conflicts cannot be solved by people outside the country, but by people within the country.”
FCA is the secretariat of The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers.
A delegation of Libyan tribal and women leaders from the National Movement for Libya (Movement) concluded its visit to the United States today by calling on the UN to take a balanced approach to the Libyan peace process that respects the demographics of the country and strengthens cooperation with tribes and representatives of cities and civil society. The delegation delivered that message in a series of strategic meetings this week in New York and Washington, including with UN officials, UN Security Council member states, the U.S. State Department and others.
WASHINGTON – The Movement was formed to address the acute need for reconciliation, stability and the prevention of radicalization in rural tribal regions, which have often been overlooked in the peace process. “Libya is a tribal society,” said Sheikh Faraj Al-Obeidi, leader of the eastern Obaidat tribe and president of the Movement. “There are cities and modern civil society, but ignoring tribes means you don’t understand Libya. That has been unfortunately the case in many peace efforts.”
Tribal leaders asked the UN Security Council to examine whether the UN Support Mission in Libya has taken a balanced approach and how to ensure broader political participation in the future. They also called upon the Trump Administration to examine the situation. “We are confident that our message was heard and that Libyans will have better opportunities in the future to participate in their nation’s transition to peace and stability,” said Sheikh Faraj.
The Movement consists of tribal groups that both supported and opposed Gaddafi during the revolution. These groups have reconciled with the help of facilitators and reformed their structures to fully involve women. The delegation of tribal and women leaders was sponsored by the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers and the Libya Institute for Advanced Studies, with the support of Finn Church Aid.
“When states fail, traditional structures offer ways to rebuild legitimacy,” said Antti Pentikäinen, Executive Director of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers. “It requires skill and integrating tribal structures with woman, youth and municipal structures. The question now is whether Libyans will get to choose their own path or get sidetracked by militias, which often lead to repeatedly failing political processes.”
The Movement is committed to working with all Libyans in order to maintain the social fabric and overcome obstacles to lasting peace and reconciliation. Most importantly, the tribal elders believe that the political will of the Libyan people must be respected by all sides: “It will always be up to the Libyan people to choose their leaders,” said Sheikh Faraj.
Finn Church Aid (FCA) and the European Union in Liberia have launched a project to provide access to justice and gender sensitive legal awareness at grassroots level in Bong, Lofa and Nimba counties in Liberia.
The two-year project seeks to contribute to enhancing the rule of law and the respect of the fundamental human rights of the most vulnerable prisoners in Liberia. It also aims at improving access to justice by strengthening local capacities to provide gender sensitive and legal support and protection of prisoners’ rights in the three counties.
Speaking at the project launch ceremony, the Head of Cooperation Section and Resilience at the European Union Delegation in Liberia, Alberto Menghini emphasized that the project will enhance knowledge of law reinforcement representatives. This includes police and correction officers, legal practitioners, as well as enlighten community leaders on the rule of law and international human rights standards.
Menghini added that the initiative will further increase legal provision of legal assistance for vulnerable detainees. This includes strengthening dialogue, cohesion building and information sharing between stakeholders and improving attitudes and practices through awareness raising and advocacy at national and international level on issues of vulnerable detainees’ rights.
“Poor prison conditions and excessive pre-trial detention are a consequence of wider problems in the judicial system and cannot be fully addressed in isolation. However, they are also human rights violations that cannot be left unattended until the bigger problems are fixed. That’s why EU’s Human Rights Strategy in Liberia includes supporting initiatives aiming at improving prison conditions and reduce pre-trial detention”, Menghini stressed.
Finn Church Aid (FCA) Country Director, Hoslo Jiwa, explained that “we have all heard it when the alleged perpetrator of a crime says ‘I want to make a phone call’. It seems the right thing to say when you have been accused of a crime and you need help from your parents, guardian or a lawyer. It is something we take for granted”.
Jiwa further noted that FCA and its local partners will monitor the prisons and train Liberian police, prison guards and governors of prisons on international human rights of prisoners and establish a telephone system for three national prisons in Liberia. During 18 months prisoners will have access to phones and lawyers working on pro bona system to review their cases of incarceration.
FCA will manage and coordinate the project, that is funded by the EU. Liberian civil society organisations Rural Human Rights Activists Program (RHRAP) and the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL) will implement it in Bong, Lofa and Nimba counties collaborating with government ministries and agencies and traditional and religious leaders in addressing some of the challenges that the Liberian justice system faces.
The project was officially launched by the Ministry of Justice. Assistant minister Hilary Siakor-Sirleaf pledged the ministry’s support and full collaboration toward the successful implementation of the project.
People are dying from hunger in South Sudan as more than half of its population suffers from an urgent lack of food. The conflict has forced farmers to abandon their fields, and the cost of basic food commodities increase daily.
Text: Erik Nyström
The flag of South Sudan, a little worse for wear, flies over the market in the town of Alek. Photo: Paul Jeffrey / ACT Alliance
Africa’s worst war is entering its fourth year, but the situation only seems to get more dreadful.
A famine threatening a hundred thousand people’s lives was declared in parts of South Sudan in February, and a million more are considered to be at the brink of famine. The situation is described as man-made.
Because of the constant conflict, insecurity and displacement, people are unable to cultivate and produce food for themselves or for sale, FCA’s humanitarian program adviser Moses Habib explains.
For instance the Equatoria region has traditionally been the breadbasket of the country, producing a majority of consumable foods. Now it’s also been plunged into violence and can’t produce food items as before.
“Farmers have had to abandon their fields and stop planting and harvesting. There are agricultural villages that are now completely empty. No people are left, only wild dogs”, Habib says.
Potential spillover into FCA project locations
Late last year the UN warned that the violence in South Sudan might escalate into genocide. Armed groups kill people with machetes, burn down villages and gang rape women. Hate speech fuels the conflict, and there’s a fear that words lead to action.
Aerial view of rural village in South Sudan. Photo: ACT Alliance
On top of all this comes a famine, which by next summer might engulf 5,5 million people if nothing’s done.
Almost the same amount of people – more than 40 per cent of South Sudan’s population – are already in urgent need of food, agriculture and nutrition assistance. The drought that plagues Eastern Africa is also to blame for the severity of the crisis. FCA supports relief efforts in the region with a total of 150 000 euros, of which a third goes to food aid in South Sudan.
Famine has been declared in Unity state, which borders Jonglei state where FCA works. FCA’s field office in Fangak County is separated from Unity state only by the Nile River.
The beneficiaries of the ECHO financed project in Fangak have fled from Unity state during previous waves of conflict and insecurity.
“There is a likelihood of the famine spilling over to our project locations. We’re expecting that the numbers of internally displaced persons will keep rising”, says Habib.
“When people are hungry and do not see any assistance coming, they will start packing their belongings and walking in search of a place where they and their children can survive.”
Prices of goods are skyrocketing
According to Habib there are also visible signs of a looming famine among urban communities, including the capital Juba, where FCA’s country office is. The goods that are available in the markets in Juba are very few, and the prices have hiked up so much that most people don’t have enough money to purchase food.
The cost of living has risen exponentially across the country. Cereal prices have increased by more than 500 per cent in only a year. A staple food such as 3,5 kilo of maize grain now costs 1,200 South Sudanese Pounds (60 euros). Before the crisis erupted last summer it cost 110 SSP (5,50 euro).
Products such as bread, meat, tea and sugar have become luxury items that the average citizen cannot afford to buy. Four pieces of bread used to cost one pound (5 cents), but now one piece costs eight pounds (40 cents).
“As the cost of basic food commodities keeps increasing on a daily basis, most families are surviving on one meal a day or nothing”, Habib says.
“Quick action needs to be taken by the government and the international community to ensure that humanitarians are able to deliver lifesaving assistance without unnecessary impediments.”
A boy drinks water from a well in an internally displaced persons camp in Aweng, South Sudan. Photo: Paul Jeffrey / ACT Alliance
The civil society in Syria should be recognized as an important actor for change instead of a mere service provider. Read the full report from the NGO seminar How to support bottom-up community resilience in Syria.
Syrian civil society demands better inclusion in planning and implementing responses on Syria. That was one of the main conclusions of the seminar organized by Crisis Management Initiative, Felm, Fida International, Finn Church Aid, Kehys, Kepa and Save the Children Finland in Helsinki on January 23rd 2017.
The event took place one day ahead of UN’s launch of the 2017-2018 Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) and the key humanitarian priorities in Syria.
The genuine inclusion of Syrian civil society in all phases of aid programming was seen as not only the right thing to do, but also as a vital prerequisite for success in building local resilience, long term development and sustainable peace.
It was noted that the multiple roles of Syrian civil society have to be recognized: instead of being a mere service provider it is an important actor both in building social cohesion and in interacting with local governance. Participants agreed that it is important to learn from the past experience and to ensure that aid to Syria doesn’t polarize further along the dividing lines of the conflict, but instead creates incentives for cooperation.
