The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization or CEPO is appealing to every citizen to light a candle on Thursday as a signal to the leaders that South Sudanese are tired of war.
Speaking to CRN, CEPO Executive Director, Edmond Yakani says 12th of September marks the first year anniversary of the revitalized agreement in South Sudan.
‘From the 12th of September to 21 September which is the international peace day, we will be having ten days. So we are calling on the citizens of South Sudan to join us in our campaign call Ten Days for National Peace Activism. Our appeal to citizens is that, on the 12th of September, can you voluntarily get out with a candle and light in your own convenient place. As a sign of sending a signal that we are setting the light to see this country as peaceful as stable’, Yakani appeals to the people.
The Executive Director says the day will be celebrated all over the country.
‘We will be celebrating it all over the country in different cities across the country, as marking the beginning of the ten days for national peace activism and marking the first anniversary of the revitalised peace agreement, says Yakani.
He adds that ‘This is important because to bring citizens to understand that we have a role to play and responsibility in pressurizing our leaders to stop violence. We are tired of the war. So we need to send signal to the leaders that we {citizens} have the power. The power is not with you {leaders}, so we can decide with our power to stabilize this country. For example we may stop not to allow youth not to be recruited into the war. So if communities can stand up and send signal that we are tired of the war, they have no option. The only way is to find political settlement rather than using arms struggle to solve their differences’.
A peace activism is a concern that seeks to minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or war and is often linked to the goal of achieving peace.