Why Sudan?

No reason is more important than the millions of unnecessary deaths in the past and the opportunity to prevent the suffering and death of innocent people in the future.  Over a half-century of violence, civil war and genocide, millions have been killed or died of disease and hunger resulting from the consequential destruction of infrastructure and displacement of huge numbers of people.  When does it end?  Maybe we should restate the question as “Why Sudan now?”  Three reasons are immediately apparent:

• A critical mass of Sudanese are ready to engage in peace building;
• Sudan has strategic importance in the Horn of Africa; and,
• A stable, peaceful Sudan is important to world security.

A critical mass of Sudanese are ready to engage in peace building.  Sustainable peace cannot be built in regions with a long history of intractable conflict until a critical mass of individuals at multiple levels of society (grass roots to upper echelons of leadership) desire to move away from destructive interactions toward more constructive responses to conflict.  After a half-century of violent regional, ethnic and tribal conflict, many people of Sudan are crying out for conflict transformation.

Imagine a country with three generations born into civil war.  As the chairperson of the South Sudan Human Rights Commission put it, in a conversation on October 19, 2009 with our founder, Randall Butler, “I was born into this conflict in 1956. I have become a grandmother in this conflict.  It is time for it to be over.”  Over time Sudan’s dominant culture has become one of violence as the only known, proven method for accomplishing change and achieving objectives.  Leaders in Sudan now recognize that conflict transformation skills must be learned and traditional peacemaking methods recovered.

During Butler’s ten days in Sudan, in addition to speaking to 125+ persons attending lectures and a press conference, he met and talked to 75 different people from all regions of Sudan and listened to their perspectives on the problems there and requests for help.  They were government officials, political party leaders, journalists, social activists, and religious leaders (both Muslim and Christian).   Over and over again he heard a common theme:  it is time for Sudan to move from a culture of war to a culture of peace.

Sudan has strategic importance in the Horn of Africa.  Sudan, the largest country in Africa in terms of land mass, is bordered by 9 different countries. “The effects of Sudan's almost constant ethnic and rebel militia fighting since the mid-20th century have penetrated all of the neighboring states.” (CIA World Fact Book)  The strategic importance of Sudan is recognized by the United States State Department.  In a speech on June 14, 2010, Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, named Sudan as one of the Administration’s top priorities in Africa. He went on to say, “Conflict destabilizes states and borders, stifles economic growth and investment, and robs young Africans of the opportunity for an education and a better life. Conflicts can set back nations for a generation.”

A stable, peaceful Sudan is important to world security. Sudan was the original safe haven for Osama Bin Laden and parts of Sudan are again at risk to become safe havens for terrorists.  Butler was told by one key political leader that demobilized rebel soldiers in East Sudan are being recruited by radical Islamic terrorist groups from Somalia.  Constructive engagement and capacity building as part of an indigenous peace building effort is the best way to prevent recruitment of unemployed former rebel soldiers. 

Why the Institute for Sustainable Peace?  Our work with the Sudanese grew out of one fortuitous conversation at a STAND anti-genocide conference at Berkeley in the spring of 2007.  It was there that Randy Butler met Esther Sprague, dedicated activist for the Sudanese, and Mamer Ajak, one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan” and a leader in the Sudanese Diaspora.  The following week, Esther called Randy to ask whether he could design a project for the Sudanese like the one he helped lead in the Balkans.  Butler invited her to bring some Sudanese to our first Leadership Development Workshop (LDW) in June 2007 in Estes Park, Colorado.  She did - three from Northern Sudan and three from Southern Sudan came and experience real reconciliation. 

From those first six individuals, the circle has expanded and we have developed deep relationships with over fifty potential change agents and leaders from all regions of Sudan and all sectors of society.  As a result, in the preparation for our 4^th Annual LDW, 45+ leaders living and working in Sudan applied to come to Colorado to participate in the workshop.  The leaders include human rights activists, journalists, leaders of NGO’s, political and even rebel leaders.  During his trip to Sudan in October 2009, the leader of a large political party told Butler, “While we appreciate their good work, the Europeans and Americans working in Sudan have confused security and humanitarian aid with peace building.  The Institute for Sustainable Peace has outlined a project that would bring real peace building.“ Having been given this opportunity to contribute to conflict transformation in Sudan, we must step up to serve.

The Institute is proud of the work it has achieved thus far in Sudan and encourages you to read some of the personal stories shared by Sudanese participants from the Institute's Leadership Devolopment workshops.

Join us in our work!