The United Nations Peace Building Funds has donated one point five million USD to fund youth organizations in support of process in the country.
United Nations Youth Envoy to South Sudan, Jayathma Wickramanayake, during the launch of the Peace Building Fund Project on Monday said her main objective of visiting South Sudan is to see youth as actors of peace, but not war.
She assures accountability process to ensure the usage of the funds.
‘A project on young women’s participation in mediation and peace processes is the UN Peace Building Fund giving funds to fund civil society organizations here in South Sudan, to work on the peace process. This initiative of directly funding youth and civil organizations is something new to the UN and Donor community and we think it is something extremely important. This particular project is one point five million dollars’.
Meanwhile Civil Society Activist, Jame David Kolok calls on the youth to distant themselves from mismanagement of funds, given South Sudan is ranked the second worst corrupt countries in the world.
‘The youth have been longing to be supported to engage in the peace process. For example by speaking to the people in the cattle camp, speaking to young people in their various armed groups, encouraging young people to develop some generating activities to sustain themselves and create an environment where they cannot easily be manipulated. This is a great opportunity that the young people should safeguard themselves from cases where funding is directed to them and they misdirect and misuse it. It is important that they come up with clear and concrete way to effectively use the money in a manner that can improve their lives and resolve the conflict in South Sudan’
He adds that youths are the most people engaged in the current conflict and the funding is an opportunity to participate in peace building than war.