6 March 2015 - To strengthen the capacity of human rights defenders, UNMISS completed a three-day workshop today in Nyamlel of Aweil West County in Northern Bahr El-Ghazal State.

The activity, which drew 28 participants from county civil society and community based organizations, focused on basic human rights, customary law compared to statutory law and the bill of rights in South Sudan’s transitional constitution.

Several participants said they were unaware of various human rights or their violation.

“I did not know before that education, food, healthcare, play and freedom from harm are the fundamental rights of the child,” said participant Dominic Garang Deng. “But from today onward I will not violate human rights.”

Another participant, Akuno Dut, said many human rights violations were occurring in the community, but people failed to realize this due to lack of knowledge.

“I have now understood that murder, theft, adultery and harmful beating of the wife and child are crimes that can be reported to the police and public prosecutor … (and) can be dealt with by the county court (statutory court), not a traditional court,” she said.

In closing remarks, participant representative Peter Ghop Khoyom, of Women Empowerment and Care Organization (WECO), said people who perceived human rights as principles “imported” from outside were wrong.

“Human rights are fundamental rights that are inherited from the day of birth,” Mr. Khoyom said. “Each and every human being must enjoy his/her rights without prejudice.”

He urged UNMISS to organize more workshops to include community leaders and law enforcement agencies, so they could gain knowledge on basic human rights principles as well as jurisdictions of customary and statutory laws.”

UNMISS State Coordinator Koliab Nahataba urged participants to deliver what they had learned to the grassroots level.

“Now is the beginning of your journey to create an environment that is conducive to the life of your communities,” he said. Your work after this training should not be something against the community norms, traditions, cultures and laws. From today we are starting to turn the light on.”

Acting County Commissioner Josepgh Akuei said UNMISS had filled a gap in knowledge about human rights and laws. “Go and give this knowledge to others. You are now agents of change in your respective communities.”

The three-day workshop also included discussions and presentations on the UNMISS mandate and protection of vulnerable groups as well as children’s and women’s rights.