Campaign For A Gun-Free Culture Launched The Acting Head of the South Sudan Bureau for Community Security and Small Arms Control (CSSAC), Dr Riak Gok Majok, on Wednesday flagged off a ‘Community Security Caravan’ which will use public information approach to sensitise civilians about the dangers of misusing small arms and light weapons. 16 November 2013
*JUBA, 16 November 2013 [Gurtong]– *The caravan incorporates behavioural change messages and innovative drama. The Caravan is a joint initiative by the CSSAC Bureau and UNDP’s Community Security and Arms Control (CSAC) project with financial support from the European Union, the Government of Japan, and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development. Over the next three months, the drama actors of the Caravan will stage 20 lively shows in the first three states, beginning with Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, and Lakes state. The Caravan will target remote conflict-prone areas to deliver carefully crafted messages designed to promote a gun-free culture in South Sudan. The Caravan initiative, which was first launched on 22 March, 2013, seeks to complement a series of interactive radio programmes that earlier sought to dissuade civilians from acquiring arms as well as encourage those who already owned arms to peacefully surrender them to the police. Speaking at the official flag-off event held at ‘Zahara Play Ground’ in Juba on Wednesday, 13 November 2013, the acting Head of the CSSAC Bureau, Dr Riak Gok Majok said, “disarming the minds of communities is the responsibility of all of us – government, development partners, traditional authorities, religious leaders, and civil society organisations.” The Head of the CSSAC Bureau then urged well-wishers and development partners to “invest heavily” in this community sensitisation programme because, he said, “it is the sure way for forging a better future for this country and its people.” Some of the development partners present at the flag-off event whom he appealed to included representatives from the diplomatic missions of the European Union, Japan, Canada, the United States, The Netherlands, as well representatives from international NGOs like Saferworld. UNDP Deputy Director (Operations), Mr Mulugeta Abebe said as a development agency, “UNDP supports the government’s current emphasis on attaining community peace and security.” He urged the government “to do even more so that the citizens of this country can peacefully engage in agriculture, education, and trade to lift themselves out of poverty.” The overall goal of the CSAC project is to provide technical assistance to enhance the capacity of the Government of South Sudan to discharge its duty to protect the rights and lives of South Sudan citizens during the process of state formation. CSAC’s support to the Government of South Sudan in other areas like arms control, support to local governments and rule of law institutions, and general post-war recovery jointly aim to help the Government extend state authority across the country – a move that helps improve the overall security environment and thus contributes to the consolidation of peace in South Sudan. Posted in: Home<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/1/Home.aspx>, Governance<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/6/Governance.aspx>, Foreign Aid/Assistance<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/30/Foreign-AidAssistance.aspx> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14oqM7mCT4cp%2Bp1OLiHuroeqBvRtorsTRCxG-Na88bRCf_g%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
