As part of ongoing efforts to help internally displaced persons (IDPs) deal with challenges they might face when they return home, UNMISS today organized a workshop in one of the protection of civilian sites at the mission’s base in Juba.
 

Explaining the purpose of the three-day workshop, UNMISS Civil Affairs Officer Elizabeth Hammond said youth leaders told her they would like to go home, but most people are bitter about what happened.

“We try to prevent acts of revenge and promote the understanding of peaceful coexistence,” she said, explaining the purpose of the workshop.

Some 60 participants aged between 20 to 35 years discussed the various challenges that they may face when they return home.

These included returning home to find other people living in their houses, distrust and renewed ethnic tensions.

Participants said that possible ways to deal with the challenges were avoiding confrontations, judicial means and asking for the help of elders to resolve conflicts.

“If I could go back today, I would do it,” said Jal Kok, the chairperson of the IDP Youth, but he said he realized that the place he left when violence broke out in 2013 might not look the same anymore.

Despite the challenges, the student of computer engineering who had to give up his studies when the conflict broke out, said there is no room for bitterness and revenge and he was determined to build a new future after returning home.

“Terrible things have happened, but for the sake of this country, we have to forgive and move on,” he said. “If you have been tortured you can hang onto it,” he said. “But at some point you need to let it go and move on, otherwise you will suffer even more.”

Mr. Kok said he now hoped to study international relations one day to help South Sudan forward.

David Elungat, a trauma counselor engaged by UNMISS to help the IDPs overcome their feelings of distrust and anger, said he was positive about the outcome of the meetings.

“People tend to lose hope in these difficult circumstances,” he said. “Through these sessions people realize they have a future and there is a life (after the) PoC sites.”