Promoting Civic Engagement and Peace (PCEP) Consultations

The initiative focuses on community engagement, partnerships, and sustainability. Key findings from the VISTAS lesson learned include the importance of local solutions, promoting local solutions, and supporting ongoing efforts. Partnerships with actors that bridge communities and government are critical, and PCEP will work with these actors to promote good governance and standing efforts, especially on issues of transitional justice. PCEP will engage media by improving business planning and reducing costs, recognizing the lack of sustainability in independent journalism. The initiative will also work with civil society organizations (CSOs) on issues of trauma awareness, layering into ongoing peacebuilding and livelihood efforts, and upholding standards and monitoring for negative implications. Across all programming, PCEP will promote gender equity and social inclusion, recognizing the importance of systematically learning and adapting to the changing context. The country context has undergone significant changes over the last two years, with the return of 10 states, increased interaction between parties, and greater movement across former front lines. However, direct military confrontation has stopped, and levels of violence, often motivated by communal disputes, remain a concern. In Upper Nile, there is greater freedom of movement, including in Malakal PCEP, but tensions remain, particularly over the nomination of a governor. In Unity, the carving out of Ruwenge Administrative Areas is a significant change, but issues of cattle raiding, gender-based violence, and unemployment persist. PCEP will work with South Sudanese networks and consortiums, supporting their efforts and promoting common goals. The initiative will also engage in coordination, learning, and adaptation, recognizing the importance of systematically learning and adapting to the changing context. By promoting civic engagement and peacebuilding efforts, PCEP aims to contribute to a more stable and peaceful South Sudan.