A call to action regarding human-made famine and conflict in South Sudan
South Sudan’s church leaders are calling for the world’s and Canada’s attention and action in the midst of a human-made famine in the conflict-riven, fragile state. While KAIROS members are contributing to humanitarian responses through the ACT Alliance (Action of Churches Together) and other means, KAIROS continues its decades long funding and advocacy partnership with the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) and its predecessors on behalf of the Canadian churches around peacebuilding efforts. The SSCC is a viable, impartial, respected partner on the ground that has demonstrated its capacity to rise above ethnic divides as a recognized moral authority that deserves a meaningful role in peacebuilding and ongoing peace processes.
KAIROS supports the SSCC’s National Women’s Programme on women, peace and security through, among other activities, the newly established National Women’s Link for Peace which brings women together across ethnic divides to contribute to peace processes in South Sudan. Beyond Canadian government support for United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions on women, peace and security expressly calling for greater involvement of women in peace processes, it is important that the Canadian government fund local South Sudanese women’s organizations engaged peace processes and peacebuilding.
In their letter to the Prime Minister of Canada, the leaders of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Presbyterian Church in Canada. urge the Government to increase its support to the UN mission in South Sudan, to encourage the international community to provide more assistance, and to work with Canadian business to prevent weapons from reaching South Sudan.
